20160823-IMG_1525-Edit
Dec, 2016Views
2061
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Featured
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken in Guadalupe Island in Mexico. I am a self-taught wildlife photographer.Time
This image was taken in the late morning hours when the sun was behind me, and able to catch the light rays shining down as the shark swam by.Lighting
When shooting underwater photos, it is really important that the light is behind me, otherwise, the subject will be blown out. I wanted to capture the light rays to give the shark a more gracious look and the light rays helped me with that.Equipment
I was shooting with a Canon 7D with a fisheye lens and Ikelite housing. I was not using any strobes as there was plenty of ambient light available. Plus having stones in a shark cage does not work out too well with other individuals in the cage.Inspiration
I love Great White Sharks, always have. I wanted to capture this shark being nonaggressive in her environment. Most of the time all we see is Great White Shark attacks and read about how vicious they are. After photographing them for several days, and watching their behavior, I wanted to show people that they are not all teeth, but rather gracious, curious, and above all beautiful.Editing
I did some simple post-processing of white balance. Water can be tricky and I also used dust and scratches in photoshop to remove the turbidity that was in the water, to give the photo a more clean look. Seeing I was not able to use strobes which helps eliminate any backscatter in the photo, this was another option for me to clean up the photo a bit.In my camera bag
For my underwater photos, I have my Canon 7D, Fisheye lens, Ikelite housing, and several backup batteries, as the cold water will drain them pretty fast. That is about itFeedback
Photographing underwater takes patience, the water is moving, therefore you are as well. It takes time and practice to be able to steady yourself in order to get the shot. What would normally be a good shot on land as far as distance goes, your underwater subject needs to be pretty close. Always have your lighting behind you otherwise your photo will be blown out, so be aware of where the sun is at all times. Study the subject for a while before photographing. Learn their movements and behaviors, this will help out in the long run as you will be able to predict their movements and get ready for that amazing shot. And most of all have fun and don't have any expectations of what kind of shot you are trying to get. Rember, these are wild animals, and they are going to do what they do.
