Invert Your Perspective. Troy Muir. reduced.
Young humpback whale.
Young humpback whale.
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Oct, 2017Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in All About Water Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 27
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
All Star
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken in the waters of the Ha'apai island group in the Kingdom of Tonga. Despite having travelled to Tonga many times, I am continually drawn back by what lays beneath the surface.Time
Tonga is known as the place where time begins, but to me it is where time ceases to matter. I take off my watch and leave the phone at home. Following the sun in the sky tells me enough. Looking back at the information in the file; this picture was taken mid-morning.Lighting
When photographing marine mammals, I do not use artificial lighting so as to intrude as little as possible. The day was windy with low cloud and sunny breaks. I found that it was actually better when the clouds dulled the light as the water was swarming with tiny organisms, particularly jelly fish and these critters really on became apparent in the sunlight when they popped out of the deep blue. I did ramp up the ISO to 800 to compensate for the low light.Equipment
I used a Canon 5dmkii with a 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 16mm in an Aquatica housing with a megadome glass port.Inspiration
I have a great passion for our 'Blue Planet' and its' marine environment and I want to share its' wonders with others. Humpback whales undertake one of the oceans' great migrations from the frigid waters of the poles where they 'summer' to their breeding and calving grounds in the warmer and more protected waters close to the equator. They are a great example of how land based boundaries mean nothing to migratory marine species and how we need to protect all of our oceans rather than just conserving parts.Editing
I cropped the image a little and removed some of the back scatter, but otherwise post processing was minimal. With wildlife images I like to the picture to be a faithful representation of what I saw through the viewfinder when I pressed the button. I rarely do 'the moment' justice and I think that is part of the reason I want to try again and again. The image is all blues and blacks and white. I hardly played with the saturation or contrast and find with humpback whales in blue water that if I do then the white parts of the whale can bleed or flare.In my camera bag
Taking camera equipment into the water is fraught with risk. Things go wrong. I like to have 2 cameras in my bag just in case. I use Canon 5dmkii bodies. I have one in the housing with a wide angle zoom lens with a relatively low f stop because I only use natural lighting. I like the zoom option for the versatility it provides when photographing large marine life. I also have a 100-400mm f4.5 - 5.6L IS USM in my bag for topside pictures.Feedback
When photographing animals in their natural environment you never know what you might get. There are all the variables of the elements and then there is the behaviour of the wildlife. I like this uncertainty and for me it's more about the experience itself than 'getting' the shot. My advice is enjoy the moment. Rarely will your pictures do it justice, but to give yourself the best chance of seeing something amazing do your research about how to put yourself in the right spot at the right time and give yourself as many opportunities as possible. Think about the picture you would like to take and set up accordingly and always keep in mind where the sun is.
