Hunters of the deep
Silhouetted against the surface, a diver pulls his latest kill from the rocks. Lionfish are a dangerous invasive species in the Caribbean, and are culled from t...
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Silhouetted against the surface, a diver pulls his latest kill from the rocks. Lionfish are a dangerous invasive species in the Caribbean, and are culled from the reef at every opportunity.
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Jul, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken 85 feet (26 meters) down, on a Utila Bay Islands, Honduras dive site known as The Maze. Located within the wildlife sanctuary known as Turtle Harbor, The Maze is perfect for both beginners and advanced divers, offering views of an assortment of endangered and rare species of plants and animals. In 2002 BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association) set aside 750 hectares on the north side of the Bay Island of Utila, Honduras in an effort to protect the hawksbill sea turtles which nest on the nearby beaches, making this a pristine area for wildlife observation.Time
Up and on the boat by 8AM, we trekked to the north side of the island for our first two dives of the day to observe the reef and clear away any of the dangerous and invasive lionfish. This shot was taken on our second dive of the morning, just before returning to shore for lunch. This photo was taken Saturday, September 13, 2014, 11:35:10 AM.Lighting
The midday sun, filtered through the crystal Caribbean waters, offered a perfect silhouette of the diver harvesting the invasive lionfish, making any external strobes unnecessary.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon G15 in a FantaSea underwater housing, without the use of any external strobes or filters.Inspiration
I love to share my passion for diving and usually have a camera with me when I go down; this trip was no exception. Having just lined up a shot of the divemaster as he went in for the kill, the silhouette of him ascending with the fish on the spear made for such a dramatic image that I had to capture it as well.Editing
Usually underwater images require the use of external strobe lights, colored filters, or correction in post processing, but this image required none to get the striking silhouette against the bright blue of the surface above.In my camera bag
For my underwater shooting I have a Canon G16 in a Fantasea housing, off camera strobes for shooting below 10 meters, and of course a GoPro strapped to my wrist just in case, while my surface bag normally consists of the 5D Mark III, 50mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8L II, 70-300mm f/4-5.6, and the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4.Feedback
Shooting underwater is all about buoyancy control, the better your buoyancy is the easier you'll find your photography to be. I try to stay a bit negatively buoyant when I'm shooting underwater, so when I've located a clear patch in the sand to position for a shot I can frame up, blow out all my air, and snap the picture. This shot however, was taken while hovering, making buoyancy even more paramount.
