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My
winning Open Portfolio 2001
by
Tony White |
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My
winning entry for BSoUP's Open Portfolio Competition is the
result of a visit to Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia in
December 2001. I had gone on my own with the sole intention
of testing new equipment and trying out some new techniques
(not new to underwater photography but new to me that is).
It was whilst at Antibes in November, being a long time admirer
of a New Zealand Photographer called Daryl Torckler, I saw
his portfolio entered in the festival and was inspired to
run off to Indonesia to do this testing. All the shots were
taken within the Bunaken Marine Reserve and for the sake of
not constantly repeating myself the camera housing is a Sea
&Sea NX90Z, the film I use for macro is Fuji Velvia for
wide-angle work it is Fuji Provia. The slides were numbered
one to six and were shown in the order number one in the top
left across to three, the bottom row consisted of shots four
to six again left to right. So let 's get on with the explanations
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Shot
one - Two boxing crabs, no more that 2cm in size, they are
only found in 2/3 metres of water, off one island in the reserve
and three hours were spent looking for them. You can just
see the eggs being carried by the one on the left as you look
through the lens. You can also see why they have this name
as they are constantly carrying out a boxing motion with the
anemones they carry around on their claws. This was chosen
as the top left shot as it leads you into the portfolio. Taken
with an F90X camera with a Nikon 105 mm lens with a x4 Nikon
close up attachment ,f22 1/100th second exposure special macro
port and Inon quad flash on TTL. |
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Shot
two - A coral goby on divaricate tree coral. Again these gobies
are very small and move around at tremendous speed, so it
was a matter of patience until he settled down in this position.
In my opinion the unique characteristics of the quad flash
have lifted this image both in depth and colour saturation.
This was chosen as the middle top shot because the goby is
pointing down in a fairly neutral position. Taken with a F90X
camera with a Nikon x4 close up attachment f22 1/60th second
exposure special macro port and Inon quad flash on TTL. |
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Shot
three - A Gorgonian crab on a beautiful divaricate tree coral.
Again he is tiny measuring no more than 3cm from claw to claw.
Standing his ground he went into this defensive position and
did not move for more than five minutes, which gave me plenty
of time to shot from various angles. Again the quad flash
has lifted the contrast of these intensive colours and has
given the eyes a kind of fiery glow. This was chosen as the
top right hand shot due to the crab being in a position bringing
the viewer back into the portfolio. Taken with an F90X camera
105 mm lens with a x4 Nikon close up attachment, f22 1/60th
second exposure special macro port and Inon quad flash on
TTL. |
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Shot
four -This crinoid shrimp on host crinoid is one of the most
beautiful I have ever seen. Usually hidden within the tentacles
of the crinoid this one was sat outside which made access
to take this shot very easy. This image I feel is one of the
most striking I have ever taken. Again the light from the
quad flash has enhanced the colour and depth of the shrimp.
Chosen as the bottom left shot facing upwards it leads the
viewer into the portfolio. Taken with an F90X camera 105 mm
lens f22 1/30th second exposure Inon quad flash on TTL. |
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Shot
five - Being the only wide-angle shot, I consider it to be
very dramatic, put into a diagonal giving a 3D view of these
corals with crinoids. I had been experimenting with lighting
to achieve more contrast and separation and in my view it
has worked and is the way forward. Chosen as the centre bottom
shot as a fairly neutral image. Taken with an F90X camera
Nikon 17-35 mm zoom lens at the 17 end f11 1/60th second exposure
YS300 and YS120 flash guns set on full power with orange gels.
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Shot
six - Having seen leaf scorpion fish on a regular basis, this
was the first one of this colour and I spent some time and
film shooting him from various angles, this being the most
dynamic. Chosen as the bottom left shot leading the viewer
back into the portfolio. Taken with an F90X Nikon 105 mm lens
f 8 1/60th second exposure special macro port and quad flash
on TTL.
Images
and text courtesy of Underwater
Photography
- a web magazine for Ocean Optics.. |
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BSoUP
OPEN PORTFOLIO COMPETITION |
