![]() You have to know something about the ecology of the place you’re in and how to impact it the least. Secondly, the environment is incredibly important. There are lots of things you shouldn’t do to your subject, and getting him eaten is one of them. We realized we were essentially feeding the grouper. Another goatfish, another spotlight, and bam! the grouper got that one too. “Whoa,” I thought, and set up another shot the same way. She shined the light on a goatfish and as I positioned my shot – bam! – suddenly a goliath grouper swam in and gobbled him up. Once, during a night dive, my wife was spotlighting fish so I could photograph them. You have to be careful about what kind of effects lights, flashes, and movements are going to have on the animals in question. It’s counterproductive if you’re injuring them in the process. My job is to show them off, make people appreciate them, which would hopefully benefit them in the end. First, the creatures you’re photographing. There are so many ethical elements to consider as a professional nature photographer. But a good photograph begins with a good plan. Underwater photography always involves an element of spontaneity and ability to adapt to changes. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. ![]() Finally, before going after the photo, I plan what I need to do to get that image – physically, compositionally, and technically – all before getting in the water. Once I decide on the destination (or once one is assigned), I think long and hard about what the essence of that destination is and how best to capture it. South Australia is good for great white sharks. For example, the Red Sea is good for wide-angle shots of divers. Every destination is good for something in particular. Even before that, I need to decide on a destination. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Īctually, a large part of my work comes before I even pick up a camera.īefore doing anything, I need to conceive the image. How do you prepare for a shoot? Is there anything you do every time? Good lighting is the easiest and quickest way to jump into good photography. A point-and-shoot in standard housing dooms you to mediocrity. Color is lost at depth, so you need good light to capture it. And light is not only technically important, but it’s also an essential compositional element. This gives me the lighting control I need for a great photo. When I shoot, I take two strobes – one for frontlighting, and one to put on a 45-degree angle above the subject, which lights it without lighting the backscatter. When you use a point-and-shoot camera, the flash goes off directly in front of your subject, lighting the particles floating in the water between the camera and the subject – matter known as “ backscatter.” This diminishes the quality of the photograph. But the key to a great underwater photo – and one of its hardest challenges – is good lighting. In addition, you’re often working with skittish animals, and you have to get close. You’re submerged with a finite air supply, so you have a limited time to excecute your images. You’re working in a medium that’s 800 times denser than air and you move in three dimensions. There are several things to consider as an underwater photographer. What’s your greatest technical challenge as an underwater photographer and how do you overcome it? See the photo, and the rest of the interview, after the jump. Alexa put her head in the water, resurfaced, and said matter-of-factly, “Daddy, it’s just a nurse shark.” I knew then we wouldn’t have to worry about her. There was also a 13-year-old in the water, and at one point, he began to freak out. It was also an inspiration that a kid that age would be open to jumping in with such a big “fish.” We weren’t sure how she would handle it, but she showed no fear. ![]() For me, the photo shows a moment of incredible and touching interaction. She was three years old at the time (she has her learner’s permit now). ![]() My favorite photo is one of my daughter Alexa swimming with a dolphin, which I took several years ago near Freeport, Grand Bahama. Read on to find out his take on kids, tricky photography, shark fishing, and the plight of the world’s oceans. He lives in Key Largo with his family, where he was nice enough to take a break from running his gallery and photography school for a quick Q&A with Kristen Gunderson. When he’s not submerged in a remote tropical lagoon, Stephen serves as a columnist and photography director to Scuba Diving magazine. For 30 years, he’s traveled the world shooting everything from starfish to great white sharks for publications like Glamour, Time, Newsweek, and National Geographic, and he’s even published a book, Wonders of the Reef. As the world’s most widely published underwater photographer, Stephen Frink knows a thing or two about the ocean. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |