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Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Bahamas 2010
Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Bahamas 2010
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Feb, 2014Views
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ayushkejriwal
July 11, 2014
It's perfect! (I need to learn the secret of clicking underwater photographs)
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Northern Bahamas, a place the captain called "Crystal Tiger", which is a deeper reef system not too far from the famed Tiger Beach.Time
Around 1pm, PST (I hadn't reset my camera to east coast time).Lighting
I have older, slower strobes, so I can't do the rapid fire 'machine-gunning' that some other divers can do (but I think the animals appreciate that...), so I have to be more deliberate about framing up a shot and making sure I get the right strobefire for that split-second. There was good light from above, but we were in about 60' of water so it's technically pretty dark, and strong strobes are a must for color & detail. Long story short, I was very lucky to get her lit just right, at just the right second.Equipment
Nikon D300 w/Nikkor 12-24mm, Aquatica housing & 8" acrylic dome, Sea & Sea YS90 strobes on Ultralight arms & clamps. I've since moved over to the much sharper Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, but framed improperly the distortion can get weird.Inspiration
Just hangin' with all the sharks! It's a great site, surrounded by lemon sharks and Caribbean reefies, and later in the afternoon the big tigers made an appearance (but for some reason the tigers prefer to congregate at Tiger Beach...?...). Since you don't move around much at this site, I was just hoping for some close passes for portraits, but the ever-changing light means a lot of bad shots.Editing
On the original I did a little highlight & contrast adjustment, just to refine her face, and some spot removal. This version is that taken into greyscale, and playing a little with the curves. (I still think I made it too dark overall.)In my camera bag
Out & about, just the iPhone. Traveling, I have a 50-pound Pelican case with the underwater rig, and two Nikon D300 bodies in my backpack, along with the Nikkor 12-24, 18-200 (for dry-land stuff), and the Tokina 10-17. I might bring the 105VR macro, but it depends on space.Feedback
Be patient with sharks - they scare easy, and you can spend a whole dive just sitting there waiting. You can spend several days doing that, actually! But get the basic settings on the camera on the boat, and make any adjustments either between dives or away from the site, you need to keep your eyes on the sharks at all times.
