PRO+

psincl5611

_7010614.2-1

Lovely stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.

Ambient light, in 15 feet of salt water.

Lovely stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.

Ambient light, in 15 feet of salt water.
Read less

OLYMPUS E-PL5

settings

Aperture f/18 ISO 200 Shutter 1/100 Focal Length 8/1

upload_date

Mar, 2016

Views

640

Likes

+38

Awards

Chatter Award

Fall Award 2020

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Superior Skill

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank week 2

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 2

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank week 3

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at Stingray City in Grand Cayman, a very popular dive with the southern stingrays

Time

This was taken early afternoon. Since other people are feeding the rays, the action is very, very fast and you only have a second or two to line up the shot, so you tend to set most things for the dive before you drop off the boat into the water. I had most of the settings decided upon and then it was a matter of waiting until the right stingray lined up in an area not too occluded by the sand stirred up by the other divers...though a small amount of particulate matter does help to capture the sun rays underwater.

Lighting

This was taken with ambient light. So, I wanted the sun rays in the shot, I looked around and found an area where they were fairly visible, then did a test shot or two of just the water and the sun rays. Then it was setting everything for the fast moving rays and waiting for the right moment.

Equipment

Camera - Olympus EPL-5, Nauticam WA-EPL5 underwater housing, Panasonic 8mm FE lens.

Inspiration

I simply love to watch the sting rays in "flight" underwater. They are so graceful. So I wanted to show their flight and their ability to turn on a dime, as this particular ray was doing when I took this shot.

Editing

I did a White Balance as well as removing large obvious particulate matter (also called backscatter) from the photo. I then adjusted the clarity a bit. All this was done in LightRoom and took about 20 minutes to do (I was learning how to do things in LR at the time.)

In my camera bag

Most of my trips are for diving, so I always pack my underwater housing as well as two camera bodies, and various ports to fit the lenses that I plan to use on the trip. For lenses I usually pack the m.Zuiko 60mm macro lens, the Olympus PRO 8mm FE lens, the Leica 45mm lens and also for topside photos the Olympus PRO 12-40mm lens. Due to weight restrictions I usually take only 2 or 3 small ports, for the 8mm FE, the 60mm macro and the 45mm port. I also take two different diopters to add to the macro lens underwater, the Nauticam CMC (which is about a +15) and the BlueWater +7 diopter.

Feedback

Take you time, breathe. Set yourself up a bit away from all the other divers who are feeding and photographing the rays. I usually like to be about 30 feet away fro them. Wait and visualize the shot you want, it will happen s the rays race by you.

See more amazing photos, follow psincl5611

psincl5611

psincl5611

_7010614.2-1

Lovely stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Ambient light, in 15 feet of salt water.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow psincl5611

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Lovely stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.

Ambient light, in 15 feet of salt water.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.