Underwater Photography: Focus on the Eyes of Fish and Marine Life
Marge: "That's your solution to everything, Homer, to move under the sea. It's not going to happen!
Homer: "Not with that attitude it won't."
People often look at me with a mixture of amusement and incredulousness when I tell them what I do for a living: I photograph fish, before writing about them. Their responses range between “Wow, exotic!” to “Get a proper job” and “Why would you want to do a thing like that?!”
Articulating what it is that drives someone to want to take pictures of fish has been a long-term challenge. I explain a desire to capture moments that the average person won’t see in his or her lifetime: the largest animals on Earth tending to their young, giant underwater birds having parasites nibbled off of them at cleaning stations, feeding frenzies among giant bait balls.
It’s not just about the megafauna though. Elsewhere on living, breathing, kaleidoscopic reefs, shrimps clean eels' teeth, turtles chomp jellyfish, clownfish defend their lair ferociously, leaffish make hilarious attempts at swimming and rays nestle on the seabed. There’s simply so much happening down there —_ Days of Our Lives_ is nothing compared to the soap opera that unfurls under the sea.
And now to the part that’s harder to explain. Despite being deep under the sea, often in swirly, murky conditions, I feel safe down there, free — for one glorious hour at a time — of any problems niggling away in this overactive mind. I'd live there if I could, like the great Homer Simpson wanted to.
In a nutshell, I adore being in the ocean, witnessing and capturing its magic, and then sharing this magic with others. One of the great things about underwater photography is that it’s so darned hard. Not only do you have to contend with skittish animals that don’t want to be photographed, but you have your buoyancy, air consumption and delicate coral beds beneath you to consider. Oh, and then there’s the small matters of shutter speed, aperture, ISO and a couple of strobes to control. Underwater photography is tough, one of the toughest disciplines I’ve ever done, but it means I’m always learning and improving.
During the past few years I've been lucky enough to work on my photography, whilst traveling around Africa documenting its marine life. I've dived with humpbacks and their calves in Zanzibar, prehistoric cow sharks in Cape Town's kelp forests, feeding orca whales and bull sharks in Mozambique, hundreds of blacktips in South Africa, manta rays in Madagascar and bizarre mouthbrooders in Malawi. It's been one hell of a ride. And now I'd like to share a few of these images with you.
Aaron Gekoski is an underwater photographer sponsored by Cameras Underwater (camerasunderwater.co.uk). For more of his work, go to aarongekoski.com.
**Dolphin Diving in the Bahamas | Cute Critter Couples | Egg-Cellent Shots from the 2013 Photo Contest **
Aaron GekoskiIt's difficult to get a head-on shot of these timid creatures. I'm glad I did — just look at those piercing eyes. The best tip I ever read about underwater photography was to capture eye contact — it gives the picture intimacy and draws the viewer in.
Marge: "That's your solution to everything, Homer, to move under the sea. It's not going to happen!
Homer: "Not with that attitude it won't."
People often look at me with a mixture of amusement and incredulousness when I tell them what I do for a living: I photograph fish, before writing about them. Their responses range between “Wow, exotic!” to “Get a proper job” and “Why would you want to do a thing like that?!”
Aaron GekoskiSet among the kelp forests of Cape Town, this is one of my all-time favorite dives. The cow sharks are nearly always at this shallow body of water, which lies a short swim from shore. They're not camera shy, either, and will glide happily past the lens, often with a cheeky "grin" on the end of their ancient snouts.
Aaron GekoskiIf there's a more photogenic creature in the whole animal kingdom, I have yet to snap one. Getting these tetchy little creatures to pose for a picture is another thing.
Aaron GekoskiA spindly shrimp plucking out tasty morsels from the razor-sharp teeth of a moray eel. I often wonder why the moray doesn't just eat the shrimp? Surely a tasty crustacean is better than grubby teeth? It would appear not.
Aaron GekoskiOnly under the sea can you find out-of-this-world sea slugs.
Articulating what it is that drives someone to want to take pictures of fish has been a long-term challenge. I explain a desire to capture moments that the average person won’t see in his or her lifetime: the largest animals on Earth tending to their young, giant underwater birds having parasites nibbled off of them at cleaning stations, feeding frenzies among giant bait balls.
Aaron GekoskiAnother challenge for the underwater photographer is giving a fresh look to a well-photographed subject. Due to their placid natures, leaffish make great photographic subjects, so most aquatic snappers have a picture of one in their portfolio. Placing the emphasis on the lips gave this leaffish an almost human quality … a very miserable human.
It’s not just about the megafauna though. Elsewhere on living, breathing, kaleidoscopic reefs, shrimps clean eels' teeth, turtles chomp jellyfish, clownfish defend their lair ferociously, leaffish make hilarious attempts at swimming and rays nestle on the seabed. There’s simply so much happening down there —_ Days of Our Lives_ is nothing compared to the soap opera that unfurls under the sea.
Aaron GekoskiIt might be cheating, but aquariums offer perfect arenas for underwater photographers to shoot challenging subjects in clear waters. This was a big old boy with impressive knashers. Luckily 'raggies' are known for being rather timid.
And now to the part that’s harder to explain. Despite being deep under the sea, often in swirly, murky conditions, I feel safe down there, free — for one glorious hour at a time — of any problems niggling away in this overactive mind. I'd live there if I could, like the great Homer Simpson wanted to.
Aaron GekoskiThe Jekyll and Hyde of marine animals: A waddling, barking mass of blubber on land, a ballerina in the water. For the sheer fun factor, there’s no better animal to dive with than a seal.
In a nutshell, I adore being in the ocean, witnessing and capturing its magic, and then sharing this magic with others. One of the great things about underwater photography is that it’s so darned hard. Not only do you have to contend with skittish animals that don’t want to be photographed, but you have your buoyancy, air consumption and delicate coral beds beneath you to consider. Oh, and then there’s the small matters of shutter speed, aperture, ISO and a couple of strobes to control. Underwater photography is tough, one of the toughest disciplines I’ve ever done, but it means I’m always learning and improving.
Aaron GekoskiIf I had to frame any of my shots, it would be this one. I love the balance, composition, leading lines and sensual reds of the coral. Again, note the eye contact.
During the past few years I've been lucky enough to work on my photography, whilst traveling around Africa documenting its marine life. I've dived with humpbacks and their calves in Zanzibar, prehistoric cow sharks in Cape Town's kelp forests, feeding orca whales and bull sharks in Mozambique, hundreds of blacktips in South Africa, manta rays in Madagascar and bizarre mouthbrooders in Malawi. It's been one hell of a ride. And now I'd like to share a few of these images with you.
Aaron GekoskiWith their reflective shells that are easy to overexpose and grizzled faces, turtles make for tough photographic subjects. Many people have tried, yet there aren’t too many "wow" shots out there. I’m a big fan of using a dense, dark background and kiss of flash — this is a powerful way of isolating your subject.
Aaron Gekoski is an underwater photographer sponsored by Cameras Underwater (camerasunderwater.co.uk). For more of his work, go to aarongekoski.com.
**Dolphin Diving in the Bahamas | Cute Critter Couples | Egg-Cellent Shots from the 2013 Photo Contest **
