Proper way to shoot seahorses in Cozumel

[jepuskar]

Hi,

I just purchased a real expensive camera setup for my upcoming Cozumel trip. It has all the bells/whistles and even two large strobes.

My goal for this trip is to shoot seahorses, but sometimes they are embedded within the reef in a manner that creates hard angles to get decent pics.

I would like to know what tools have other divers used to get the seahorses to come out of the reef and into plain sight so I can take my pics? My dive buddy has agreed to hold my camera setup while I get in there and get those little buggers to come out and be photographed..lol.

Whatever device I end up using it's got to be long...atleast 4 feet, it should have some grippers on the end in case they try to swim away and the tail is all that I can grab. I guess once it's out in the open I need to know the proper way to hold them..the last thing I want to do is traumatize the poor little creatures.

Any help would be appreciated.

J

 

[redacted]

Wouldn't it be much easier to just take someone elses picture and put your name on it?

 

[ggunn]

Hi,

I just purchased a real expensive camera setup for my upcoming Cozumel trip. It has all the bells/whistles and even two large strobes.

My goal for this trip is to shoot seahorses, but sometimes they are embedded within the reef in a manner that creates hard angles to get decent pics.

I would like to know what tools have other divers used to get the seahorses to come out of the reef and into plain sight so I can take my pics? My dive buddy has agreed to hold my camera setup while I get in there and get those little buggers to come out and be photographed..lol.

Whatever device I end up using it's got to be long...atleast 4 feet, it should have some grippers on the end in case they try to swim away and the tail is all that I can grab. I guess once it's out in the open I need to know the proper way to hold them..the last thing I want to do is traumatize the poor little creatures.

Any help would be appreciated.

J

I think the most effective way to get one to hold still would be to impale it on a skewer like a shishkabob. I hear that they are quite tasty grilled in garlic butter. ;^)

 

[Harro10]

Thanks for the laugh!

 

[The Chairman]

Stay away from the nooses used to capture spiney lobsters unless you want headless seahorse pics!

 

[HowardE]

I hear they taste like manatee.

 

[under water]

At first I thought this was another Jane Fonda movie.
My gut tells me to just leave the critters alone and take pictures of them where they are. Get a smaller camera and move the camera closer to them rather than trying to get them to come to you (with grabbing poles). If you are able to coax them away from their hiding place, you probably have already traumatized them. They are camouflaged for a reason.
Posing fish is quite a challenge.

 

[jepuskar]

Hi Frank and thanks for the suggestions.

However, I did not drop $5,000 on this camera setup not to mention all my airfare/accomodations/cab rides/meals etc..not to walk away with atleast 20 decent pics of seahorses. I need good hints and tips on how to move them from their natural habitat into a more user friendly (read camera friendly) environment for me to fully utilize my expansive and expensive camera equipment. This is important to me. I only get to go diving once a year and I want good pics this time. Heck, I even installed thick knee pads on my wetsuit so I wouldnt damage it while kneeling on the corals to steady myself.

Seahorses are tough little creatures...I have about 20 of them in my 10 gallon tank at home..you should see them fight over the one branch in there..not to mention the limited feedings. It's hysterical...they can only wish they had it this good in the wild.

 

[scubadale]

If you take a rubber ducky down with you sometimes you can use that to distract them.

 

[Harro10]

Long but tiny bridles?