splash
a humpback whale breaches off the coast of Tonga
a humpback whale breaches off the coast of Tonga
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Apr, 2015Views
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nathalielaplante
December 05, 2015
Hi, at what time of the year you took your picture. I realy like to see whales jump like that. Lucky you!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific. This female humpback whale appeared to be teaching her year old calf how to breach. Both mother and calf jumped and put on quite a display for almost an hour. This shot is part of a sequence of breach photos - this being the ultimate splash!!Time
This was taken towards the late afternoon, towards the end of a day on the water. We had been in the water swimming with this humpback just moments before she began her aerial display. We retreated back to the boat and I was able to concentrate on grabbing some above water shots.Lighting
In order to capture the speed in which the humpback was moving I had to use a quick exposure. It was light enough to still use a low ISO. I loved this images contrast against the sky with water highlights glimmering against a dark sea.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon 600D with an 85mm Canon lens.Inspiration
We travelled specifically to the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific to swim and photograph humpback whales. These majestic and graceful creatures naturally fill you with awe!Editing
This shot was post-processed to convert to black and white. it was also cropped to a 16:9 landscape size to really capture the magnitude of the whale and the displacement of the ocean.In my camera bag
Canon 600D and 50mm, 40mm and 85mm lens.Feedback
You can spend days on the water chasing the right shot, which may come with only seconds to respond, just out of the blue. Patience - and mother nature will reward you, often when you least expect it!
