Art of Underwater Photography
Just as a good portrait photographer creates revealing images of a person by getting to know that person, a good underwater photographer creates revealing images of marine life by capturing a moment that says something about the subject’s life or environment or illustrates what it is that makes that subject special. In short, the more you can learn about a potential subject, the more effectively you can photograph it. If you can vividly photograph a subject, you can also create images that will tell stories. Of course it’s possible to take excellent images of marine life even if you are not particularly interested in the subject’s lifestyle. Consider for a moment how much more meaningful your images could be if you knew what was happening and what might happen next. When it comes to behavior, if you don’t know what to expect, you won’t see it when it happens.
Think about capturing your subject in action or creating an image that conveys a sense of action. Now you are thinking in terms of having your audience relate to your images. Audiences need more than pretty pictures to sustain their interest. They need to connect with the subject in order to develop a sense of participation and an expectation of what is to come. As the photographer, it is up to you to bring them to this point with some background information. Then let your compelling images speak for themselves.
Getting to know your subject
Getting to know your subject has never been easier. There are wealth of books, magazines, and documentaries that delve into the natural history of marine life. Online databases provide all sorts of information, while various forums and chat groups facilitate the exchange of information between amateurs and professionals. Today there is no excuse not to know your subjects, unless you are not interested.
Knowing and understanding your subject gives you, the photographer an edge, because you can anticipate what will come next and be poised to capture the action when it happens. With little knowledge and good observational skills you can get good general ideal of what is happening and what is likely to come. Basically you need to know what a subject does, where and how it does it and when.
What does it do?
Marine animals have several things in common with other animals; they must be born, survive a period of adolescence, eat, defend their territory, find a mate and procreate and finally die. Although there are many ways to do each, knowing some basics will give you insight into many species, behaviors, and survival techniques.
Is your subject a loner, or does it congregate with others of its kind? Do the male and female look different? Is there one male to one female? If the male has a harem, is there a pecking order within it? Does your subject change sex at some point in life?
Where does it do it?
There are only so many places to live in any marine environment, whether it is a coral reef, rocky outcrop, sand flat or kelp bed. As a result many animals are specially adapted to live in certain environments. Think of the streamlined bodies of jacks and tuna that allow them to slice through the water at high speeds, or the protruding eyes of a flatfish that enable it to bury itself in sand and still see what’s happening around it. Is your subject a mid-water swimmer, a bottom dweller, or is it found only in the presence of a specific plant or animal species?
Sometimes if you know what your subject eats, you will have a good chance of finding it if you can locate its prey. This is particularly useful with nudibranchs because many of them feed exclusively on sea squirts, hydroids or sponges. When you find a subject, spend a few minutes observing it. Many animals have specific territories that they patrol, often returning to the exact same spots. This is useful for hard-to-photograph fish because you can position yourself and pre-focus your camera to capture the subject as soon as it revisit a regular stopping place.
How does it do it?
Look for telltale features that tell you something about your subject. Does it blend in with its environment so it goes unnoticed, or does it look like something else entirely? Can it retract into a tube or a shell for safety? Perhaps its mouthparts are more adept at plucking our coral polyps or smashing hard-shelled mollusks. Does it make itself look larger than it is by flaring its fins or dies it flash bright colors as a warning? Is it aggressive or passive? Does it stalk its prey or does it entice its prey with a lure? Maybe it is a lie-in-wait predator that ambushes its prey at opportune moments.
When does it do it?
Once you identify the peak activity time for your subject, you will have a better chance of photographing its behavior. Some animals are most active during daylight hours, others during darkness. Many more are active at dawn and duck when the light is low, which makes it difficult for predators to spot them. This is especially true of soft-bodies animals such as cephalopods.
Reproductive activity is often cyclical and linked to the phases of the moon. Times of highest tides surrounding the new and full moons are particularly good for photography reproductive behavior.
The ethics of catching them in the act
Now that you know some of the things to look for, let’s talk for a minute about ethical and technical considerations. Sometimes it is difficult to get close enough to a subject to create the image you envisage. Here are some suggestions for interacting with marine life.
1. Recognize natural and unnatural behavior and the typical environment of your subject. If you photograph something unnatural, there will be someone, somewhere who will recognize it for what it is. This is especially important if you publish images.
2. Approach your subject slowly and evenly. Give it time to get used to you. Do not create any sudden moves that might scare it off.
3. Realize that some animals are wary of eye contact. Try to keep your eyes hidden behind the camera when working with these subjects
4. Recognize what stressed and defensive behavior looks like. Often it shows up as exaggerated eye movements, fin flaring, flashing colors or a general wariness or jumpiness.
5. Respect an animal’s comfort zone. If the animal appears stressed or defensive, back off a bit, then slowly proceed a little at a time, until it gets used to you. You may have to repeat this exercise several times but you will build a trust with your subject this way and will be able to get much closer to it.
6. Use a red focusing light at night. Many animals, especially crustaceans do not seem bothered by red light, but will hide from white light. The red light still puts out enough light for the camera to focus.
7. Do not move a subject to a more photogenic background. The image will be unnatural and may even harm your subject.
8. Patience pays. Do not rush your subject because you will wind up scaring it away or getting only a tail shot.
9. Know when to stop. Sometimes you just will not get the image you want.
|
Contributor's Note
Im going diving in Phuket in September!
|
