Whale Clapping
This handsome whale was all to happy to put on a show for the camera. Waving his pec fins up and down to create bubbles. It is experiences like this that keep y...
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This handsome whale was all to happy to put on a show for the camera. Waving his pec fins up and down to create bubbles. It is experiences like this that keep you returning to the water
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HERO4 Silver
Aperture 28/10 ISO 100 Shutter 1/150 Focal Length 3/1 
Vavua, West New Britain, PG
Nov, 2016Views
2388
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Awards
Featured
Runner Up in Underwater Games Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Underwater Games Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
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Virtuoso
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brettstyles
December 14, 2016
Outstanding shot with good color balance and composition. Look forward to seeing more of your work in future.
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the beautiful waters of Tonga, the Islands all have whale swims available, the best encounters Ive had are at Vava'u and Haapi. The Tongan culture and people are just as beautiful as their Islands.Time
I had woken at 4am this day to be on our boat by 8am. The first encounter we had that day was a singer, he was some 40metres underneath the sea singing his beautiful song, whale song penetrates your body, you can feel the vibrations travel through to your soul and is a wonderful experience but the conditions didn't allow for any good photos to be taken of the singing male. We had seen other whales in the area but none of them wanted to stick around to have their photos taken. We were about to head back to shore when our boat captain got a call from another local boat telling him there were two male Humpbacks nearby. We had been on the water all day and finally a pair of males were in a playful mood. When i entered the water the boy pictured slowly swam towards us, he was clearly in PLAY mode, slapping the water with his pecs and tail and making some stunning bubble trails with his powerful pecs.Lighting
Taking pictures underwater is always a challenge, the clarity this day was sensational with very little plankton which allowed for great light to help get this photo.Equipment
My trusty Gopro captured this photo and Im so grateful I used it.Inspiration
I have a passion for all wildlife but the Ocean is a very special place and offers an array of beautiful things to photograph.Editing
This photo didn't need much in the way of post processing as it was captured in good lighting and great clarity.In my camera bag
For underwater photos Ive been using a Gopro and will use a Nikon D610 (and Gopro5) next whale season. The size of the whales means the only must is a wide angle lens. I like that a Gopro will fire every time in dark conditions and you don't miss out on a photo due to your camera not firing.Feedback
Know your camera gear and how to use it before you enter the water because some whales wont stick around for you to remember how to use your camera. I like to use a Gopro because its small and easy and I can still enjoy the whale encounter without being to caught up in camera gear. Be one with the whale, Ive seen other photographers enter the water and swim after them but all this does is scare them off, let them come to you and as silly as it sounds just try and fit into their environment and they will try and interact with you. Especially the calfs, never swim after them just let them come to you as they are very curious and will want to see what you are. I actually wave my arms slowly through the water like they do and they do copy you and its exactly how i got this photo, the male started to copy what i was doing. This encounter lasted for approx 40 mins and the more comfortable the whale got the more he showed off for the camera. Learn their behaviour and go with a reputable boat crew and ENJOY every second of it. Humpbacks are very majestic yet powerful animals and I feel very grateful for the way they welcome me into their world.
