Lion Fish
This was taken in Thailand, Koh Phi Phi Lei at a dive site called Malong. This was fairly shallow at about 7m and the lighting was spectacular, I could have spe...
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This was taken in Thailand, Koh Phi Phi Lei at a dive site called Malong. This was fairly shallow at about 7m and the lighting was spectacular, I could have spent hours photographing this lion fish as the contrast between the colour of the sea fan, the lion fish and the blue were captivating
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Nov, 2015Views
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Awards
2020 Choice Award
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankSame photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo while on a dive in Koh Phi Phi Lei in Thailand and the dive site is called Malong. I used to work as an underwater photographer on a dive boat and this was a dive site we went to regularly.Time
This would have been taken around 11.00, an average day we would meet at the dive shop at 7am and be jumping in for the first dive around 8am. Malong is typically the second dive of the day as its on route back to the main island Phi Phi Don.Lighting
Lighting was a bit of an issue with this shot as the sun was in shot, which gave the overall image an area of over exposure. The lionfish was positioned on the sea fan on top of a pinnacle. If I had positioned myself on any other part of the pinnacle then I would have lost the spectacular blue back drop.Equipment
Canon G12 and I absolutely loved this camera, its a great start up underwater set up and extremely easy to use (this was some time ago though and since then I have used Canon G15 and an DSLR) I also had ikellite housing and used a manual white balance function, which was set up as a short cut on the camera pre-dive.Inspiration
When you are a photographer for a dive shop, you have up to 60 minutes at a dive site so the inspiration comes partly from the wildlife you see that day (which can really vary). As soon as I saw this lion fish on top of this spectacular sea fan, I was so excited, the contrast of colours was breathtaking! I could have spent the whole dive in this spot.Editing
I used photoshop to correct the over exposure in the top right section if the image.In my camera bag
In addition to the camera and housing, I have silica gel sachets to absorb any moisture in the housing. Something to dry the outside housing with after a dive (after washing it thoroughly in fresh water of course). I always have extra batteries and I check they are charged before I leave for the day and extra SD cards always come in handy.Feedback
Always be aware of your buoyancy with underwater photography, make sure you feel comfortable first and foremost and position yourself to ensure you will not cause any damage to the marine habitats. When you see something spectacular you have to remember to regulate your breathing and stay calm so that you can approach the situation as slowly as possible otherwise your subject will simply swim away.
