Levitating Humpback Whale
This juvenile humpback whale breached 30 times near Laguna Beach on a whale watching trip with Dana Wharf, So Calif. on Nov 29, 2014. What is rare is this whale...
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This juvenile humpback whale breached 30 times near Laguna Beach on a whale watching trip with Dana Wharf, So Calif. on Nov 29, 2014. What is rare is this whale is completely out of the water and parallel to the surface!
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Feb, 2015Views
3086
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Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Summer 2015 Photo Contest
People's Choice in Freeze Frame Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
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alanlarick
February 14, 2015
Right place right time is only half the battle; to actually capture the moment as you have here is the payoff!! Great start and welcome to viewbug :)
Platinum
HDRotary
February 15, 2015
Awesome capture! That is right where we went whale watching; twice one time nothing the other time magnificent.
Ultimate
Platinum
Ultimate
njkerosky
March 15, 2015
Congratulations!!! Your photo is a Finalist in the "Nature's Perfect Moment" Challenge. Fantastic Work!!!
Platinum
michellehansenburgess
August 31, 2015
What an Incredible capture! I only wish that I had been there to experience this!
dknden6567
July 06, 2016
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken off the coast of Laguna Beach, CA with Dana Wharf Whale Watching. I'm a certified marine naturalist with the American Cetacean Society-Orange County and concentrate photographing marine mammals, mostly whales and dolphins.Time
This is my all time favorite cetacean image. Taken Nov. 29, 2014 at 10:40 am on the Dana Pride boat with Dana Wharf Whale Watching in Dana Point, CA.Lighting
This is one of those images where you are in the right place at the right time and the planets just all lined up. The whale breached on our starboard side with the beautiful So. Cal coastline in the background with the sunlight behind us. I was standing in the perfect spot on the boat, camera ready to shoot.Equipment
This was taken handheld with my Canon EOS 7d and Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. Shot at ISO400 at 100mm, f7.1, 1/2000. No other equipment involved.Inspiration
Our boat left Dana Point Harbor at 10am in search of 2 different killer whale pods that had been recently sighted along the coast. An unexpected surprise, this juvenile humpback whale breached out of the water 100mm from our boat! Not just once, but 30 times. This first breach the whale is completely out of the water where you can see it's entire body, head to tail, a very rare sight. Our Capt. Tom White had never witnessed in his 31 year history. As soon as captured the shot, I knew it would be incredible.Editing
Nothing. The weather was magnificent and the colors of the ocean outstanding. What you see in this image is how it truly was that day.In my camera bag
I travel light as I have to carry a backpack on the boat with minimal equipment. Along with my Guide book to Marine Mammals and Nikon binoculars, my camera gear is a Canon EOS 7d, Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM which I use 99% of the time. I also have the Canon EFS 18-135mm 3.5-5.6IS.Feedback
Photographing marine mammals takes a lot of practice, What really helps me the most is learning their various behaviors to anticipate where/when they will surface. Dana Wharf Whale Watching boat Captains are great at positioning the boat so we are not shooting into the sun whenever possible. You must have your camera ready at all times as the animals can pop up out of nowhere without warning. Then once they've surfaced and go down on a deep dive, you need patience for them to resurface.
