“Hey! What was that little worm-looking thing you were pointing to us?” That’s it, I’ve got them hooked. Those are the questions I love from a student fresh off of dive site. Their hair is a mess, water drips from their nose, and their eyes are filled with wonder and excitement.
New divers always look for the big stuff. They want to see a turtle, large fish, reef structure, big fans, maybe a shark or a ray. And there is always excitement when they do, but high is short-lived. That’s what you expect to see in the ocean.
But then I spot a nudibranch or a juvenile drum fish or even a Christmas tree worm to share with them. These things are not grand, and may not even be exciting for someone who is not a biologist or an experienced diver. But its just the unexpected thing for a person who has never been eye to eye with a reef that changes the way they see this new world. It’s alien and strange and so beautiful. And the possibility that this ocean is filled with creatures they never thought could exist sparks an explorer’s spirit, and they crave more. The hunt is on.
As a photographer, I also dream of the big stuff and the bucket-list wide-angle shots. But as I look back through my hard drives and dive logs, some of my favorite dives have been with a macro lens, slowly maneuvering between coral heads, searching for the tiny critters and making art out of the patterns in the reef.
There’s also a serious science to capturing portraits through the water of a tiny animal with a long focal length. That’s a different conversation for another journal entry, but the right strobe placement, aperture and shutter speed settings, and buoyancy control are critical, and a game almost as fun as fish-finding.
Next time you’re underwater, or anywhere for that matter, slow down and look for the little details.
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