Yellow Pygmy Sea Horses from Malapascua, The Philippines
- Thread starter Marriard
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Marriard
Contributor
Camera and image details:
Fuji S2 Pro in an Aquatica Housing.
105mm Macro lens with +2 Diopter
Dual Inon 220 Strobes. Settings probably -2/-2 or close to this (info not recorded)
First image is at F27, 1/90, ASA 100
Second image is at F22, 1/90, ASA 100
Since people seemed to enjoy the search method we used to find them, here is some tips on taking the actual photographs.
Getting face on shots of Sea Horses.
This works for all sea horse species and also for other light sensitive subjects. Since they turn their heads away from the light, you simply place any light source on the opposite side to where you position yourself. You still get the light you may need for fousing, but also the pose you need.
In this case it was very easy, as I simply got the DM to stay on the other side of the fan shining the light through the fan. The Sea Horses naturally stayed on the opposite side of the fan to the light source and looked toward me. The DM knew not to keep the light on them when I was not actively shooting. We had discussed this at length before the dive, so we both knew what we were planning to do.
Planning and Details
Not only had we planned our search and our shooting techniques, we had also discussed how we wanted to go about this with the dive operation.
In this case we were intentionally were a group of 4 - a DM, 2 photographers and a friend. This was to allow for each of the photogs to have a 'light' buddy for shooting the sea horses, but also because it was the right number of people for the location. If it had just been one fan, we would have done this as groups of two.
We had also arranged that we would be in the water first and would be given 30 minutes before the rest of the divers entered the water. The other divers onboard knew this, and were told not to get ready until we arrived at the site. To help this, we were ready and in the water the moment the boat stopped and the captain said OK so the other divers on board were not inconvienced. This was a day trip to the site, so we were doing 2 dives and lunch, so not a big deal that all the divers were not in the water when we arrived - lots of time.
Once in the water, we also swam straight to the fans, ignoring the other features the dive offers before the sea horses.
This gave us about 45 minutes looking and photographing the Sea Horses before the rest of the divers arrived. When they arrived, we showed them all the locations of the Sea Horses we had found and we left (as we had also agreed).
Not saying this is how your dive should go, but it is how we planned this one and seems like a good working situation for everyone.
Manual Focus
Well not true manual focus, which I find is a total pain in the neck underwater even though I have done it for Pygmy Sea Horses before. In this case I use autofocus to get the focus where I want it and then switch to manual focus (which I can do underwater with my housing). I then move the housing into position and move the housing itself for focusing. I am steady enough to get it right about 1 in 2, which is better than autofocus can do and about the same as I get with actual manual focus (but in half the time)
For those without this, the standard prefocusing method people use to get around shutterlag also works.
Lots of photos over the whole dive
With this sort of subject you will want to take a lot of frames and lots of different poses. However, it is not appropriate to sit and take 100 shots in a row of the poor little sea horse especially if there is more than one photog in the dive group.
I think a set of 5 images is probably OK. Mark the location. Look for some more Sea Horses on the fan for a couple of minutes. Come back and take another set of 5 - likely the sea horse has moved into a new pose for you by itself. Or even better, maybe you find a new sea horse and now you can rotate taking images of more than one, which will certainly give a lot of rest from your strobes to your first subject.
Remember you can always do the dive again at a later date. Even if that date is days, weeks, months or even years away (hopefully not). Also good to remember that Pygmy Sea Horse images are no longer rare or unique, so once you have a 'standard' image you should be looking for something unique or creative.
Dive NITROX
Typically Pygmy Sea Horses are at about 65-90' of depth or close to this. This is an excellent depth for 36% EAN. You wouldn't want to lose your time with these subjects because your NDL's run out.
Lastly... Don't be Disappointed if You Don't See Them
This goes for all subjects, but I have seen some strange reactions the last couple of years. It isn't a zoo out there and sometimes the animals don't perform. Sometimes they don't pose the way you want for your photo. Sometimes they put themselves into positions you can't get your camera. Sometimes they don't show up at all. If this is the case, put your camera 'away', enjoy the dive and move on - there will always be another dive and another chance.
Enjoy,
M
Fuji S2 Pro in an Aquatica Housing.
105mm Macro lens with +2 Diopter
Dual Inon 220 Strobes. Settings probably -2/-2 or close to this (info not recorded)
First image is at F27, 1/90, ASA 100
Second image is at F22, 1/90, ASA 100
Since people seemed to enjoy the search method we used to find them, here is some tips on taking the actual photographs.
Getting face on shots of Sea Horses.
This works for all sea horse species and also for other light sensitive subjects. Since they turn their heads away from the light, you simply place any light source on the opposite side to where you position yourself. You still get the light you may need for fousing, but also the pose you need.
In this case it was very easy, as I simply got the DM to stay on the other side of the fan shining the light through the fan. The Sea Horses naturally stayed on the opposite side of the fan to the light source and looked toward me. The DM knew not to keep the light on them when I was not actively shooting. We had discussed this at length before the dive, so we both knew what we were planning to do.
Planning and Details
Not only had we planned our search and our shooting techniques, we had also discussed how we wanted to go about this with the dive operation.
In this case we were intentionally were a group of 4 - a DM, 2 photographers and a friend. This was to allow for each of the photogs to have a 'light' buddy for shooting the sea horses, but also because it was the right number of people for the location. If it had just been one fan, we would have done this as groups of two.
We had also arranged that we would be in the water first and would be given 30 minutes before the rest of the divers entered the water. The other divers onboard knew this, and were told not to get ready until we arrived at the site. To help this, we were ready and in the water the moment the boat stopped and the captain said OK so the other divers on board were not inconvienced. This was a day trip to the site, so we were doing 2 dives and lunch, so not a big deal that all the divers were not in the water when we arrived - lots of time.
Once in the water, we also swam straight to the fans, ignoring the other features the dive offers before the sea horses.
This gave us about 45 minutes looking and photographing the Sea Horses before the rest of the divers arrived. When they arrived, we showed them all the locations of the Sea Horses we had found and we left (as we had also agreed).
Not saying this is how your dive should go, but it is how we planned this one and seems like a good working situation for everyone.
Manual Focus
Well not true manual focus, which I find is a total pain in the neck underwater even though I have done it for Pygmy Sea Horses before. In this case I use autofocus to get the focus where I want it and then switch to manual focus (which I can do underwater with my housing). I then move the housing into position and move the housing itself for focusing. I am steady enough to get it right about 1 in 2, which is better than autofocus can do and about the same as I get with actual manual focus (but in half the time)
For those without this, the standard prefocusing method people use to get around shutterlag also works.
Lots of photos over the whole dive
With this sort of subject you will want to take a lot of frames and lots of different poses. However, it is not appropriate to sit and take 100 shots in a row of the poor little sea horse especially if there is more than one photog in the dive group.
I think a set of 5 images is probably OK. Mark the location. Look for some more Sea Horses on the fan for a couple of minutes. Come back and take another set of 5 - likely the sea horse has moved into a new pose for you by itself. Or even better, maybe you find a new sea horse and now you can rotate taking images of more than one, which will certainly give a lot of rest from your strobes to your first subject.
Remember you can always do the dive again at a later date. Even if that date is days, weeks, months or even years away (hopefully not). Also good to remember that Pygmy Sea Horse images are no longer rare or unique, so once you have a 'standard' image you should be looking for something unique or creative.
Dive NITROX
Typically Pygmy Sea Horses are at about 65-90' of depth or close to this. This is an excellent depth for 36% EAN. You wouldn't want to lose your time with these subjects because your NDL's run out.
Lastly... Don't be Disappointed if You Don't See Them
This goes for all subjects, but I have seen some strange reactions the last couple of years. It isn't a zoo out there and sometimes the animals don't perform. Sometimes they don't pose the way you want for your photo. Sometimes they put themselves into positions you can't get your camera. Sometimes they don't show up at all. If this is the case, put your camera 'away', enjoy the dive and move on - there will always be another dive and another chance.
Enjoy,
M
lukeROB
Contributor
Marriad, these are definately hippocampus bargibanti.
Just a different colour variation. They have been found to match the colour of the fan, there are often problems where some photogs believe it looks good to move the pygmy to a different coloured fan. The usually will get eaten this way as their camouflage is what keeps them alive.
I think 10 shots max on each seahorse should be enough to get some images you are happy with, constantly subjecting them to the strobes cant be great.
Once you find one and know what you are looking for they become much easier to spot.
Just a different colour variation. They have been found to match the colour of the fan, there are often problems where some photogs believe it looks good to move the pygmy to a different coloured fan. The usually will get eaten this way as their camouflage is what keeps them alive.
I think 10 shots max on each seahorse should be enough to get some images you are happy with, constantly subjecting them to the strobes cant be great.
Once you find one and know what you are looking for they become much easier to spot.
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