Hi everyone, and sorry I have been quiet since my last posts as I have been busy underwater again. I was absolutely stunned to get a featured thread of the week with my last underwater shark images, it was a real honour and a thrill for me, so a huge thank you to everyone who liked the photos enough to vote and also for all of the kind comments in that thread.
I have been further up the country in South Africa diving off KwaZulu-Natal, and as I said before, trying to get photos of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier). Sadly their numbers are declining, not least because of the shark nets and drum lines used by the authorities in that part of the country which indiscriminately kill marine life swimming their way. These measures were introduced many years ago to ease the paranoia about sharks for bathers, but we now know they are a very outdated system. With many species of sharks in peril we are lobbying hard for the use of a less barbaric solution. 10 years ago seeing tiger sharks at the time of year I visited was almost a given, but unfortunately those days are gone and in two separate trips I saw none. I will keep trying, as they are still sighted sometimes.
In the meantime, there are quite a few blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) there and I was lucky enough to photograph them. They are beautiful requiem sharks which can obtain a length of 9 feet, although around 5-6 feet is more typical. They are often quite boisterous, especially around food, but rarely aggressive, so don't let the multiple rows of teeth put you off. These are sometimes called 'oceanic' blacktips to distinguish them from the disparate blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus). The fruits of my time with them, or some of if, are here. I apologise in advance for so many images, but I thought better to put them in one place!
Image 19 shows the removal of some fishing hooks from a shark. We see this often, and unfortunately if left hooks can lead to disfigurement and deformity of the jaw (see photos 8 and 13). The animal has been turned onto its back inducing a state of tonic immobility so that the hooks (two in this case) could be extracted. The shark was then righted, and it swam away none the worse for the experience. Obviously this should only be performed by those with the necessary experience and skill.
All the images were shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in a Nauticam housing using a Zen Underwater DP-230 dome port and dual Sea & Sea YS-250 PRO strobes. Some shots are with the 16-35mm L II USM f/2.8 lens, the rest with the 8-15mm L f/4 USM Fisheye Zoom.
I also have some shots of ragged-tooth sharks (sand tiger or grey nurse, depending on where you are from) (Carcharias taurus) which I will probably put in a separate post if anyone can stand more sharks. Not so many though, so you can relax!
Thank you both, it is a labour of love for me to dive with and photograph these magnificent creatures.
Ron, we are very lucky nowadays with the quality of the gear we can take underwater, it's a lot easier than it used to be, and I have to say that the 8-15mm L fisheye is a BELTER. I had been using the 16-35mm almost exclusively because my previous underwater setup was all fisheye and I was looking for something different, but once I put the Canon fisheye on (which I had owned for almost a year without using in earnest) I was floored. An amazing lens for underwater use and astonishingly sharp.
It is interesting you have selected the images with motion blurs as your preferred ones. They seem to polarise opinion amongst underwater shooters, many of whom dislike creative blur and consider strobe shadow a big no-no. It seems to me that a lot of UW photographers are divers who took up photography, whereas I was definitely a photographer first who then ventured underwater. I really enjoy applying techniques I learned 'top side' to beneath the waves, or at least trying to, although I am by no means the first of course.
Douglas, I am still finding my way with strobes underwater, especially as they are manual rather than eTTL, but the creative options they allow make for a delightful challenge. Of course they also yield much more vivid and accurate colour underwater which is a joy when trying to show these animals off to the world.
Thank you again for taking the time to look and comment on these shots.
These are absolutely amazing. Such marvelous work. No way to pick favorites as each one has something special and unique with it. I keep coming back and looking at them. So very well done.
Wonderful set of images. Did you say a 16-35 and / or fisheye. All I can say is you have bigger cahunas than me. The closest I have been to a shark is at a fish and chip shop and I am happy to keep it that way.
