DIVE LOG DECEMBER 25 ISSUE 415

Fish photography is challenging. Often, it is somewhere between downright impossible and just extremely difficult. But when you get a good shot, it can be very rewarding. After all, fish are nervous, they swim extremely fast and have incredible reflexes and lightning speed to escape. As you try to get closer, they have that extraordinary sense of detecting pressure waves in the water using their lateral line. They feel you every move as a pressure wave and react before you can. At other times, you encounter ghoulish monsters hell bent on turning the sea floor into a place of torment and death for innocent little fishies. Then, there are massive pelagic predators that move so swiftly and attack from the sky. Trevally constantly dive bomb reef fish with lightning speed. The converse is also true. I have achieved acceptable close-up photos of a Red Kneed Sea Spider and Sea Slugs by cropping down close-up wide-angle shots taken with my 16 to 35 mm wide angle zoom behind my dome port. The quality of the lenses allows you this wonderful latitude and get away with it. That is why serious photographers always buy the best lenses that they can afford regardless of cost.

The easiest fish to photograph is ones that sit still

housing systems.

Here are a few tips to minimise the stuff ups and maximise the chance of success.

Some small compact cameras have built in versatility and are designed to cover all situations. This Eagle Ray encounter is where they can be an advantage to large

The Coral Beauty is impossible to photograph except on that extremely rare day when you get lucky once in a lifetime.

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Dive Log Australasia #415 DECEMBER ’25

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