PHOTO PRO
Finding Personality in Familiar Marine Life by Steven Lopez, MSc & Dr. Carmen Obied, Explorers Photography, CA
S OME UNDERWATER IMAGES are built around rarity. Others are built around behavior. And some of the most memorable images come from something even more familiar: personality. The right moment can make an ordinary subject look extraordinary. Catalina Island, CA is full of marine life that local divers see again and again, but familiarity should never be mistaken for simplicity. The more time you spend underwater with a camera, the more you begin to connect with these animals and see them as residents of a world with its own order, purpose, and meaning. Some fish push confidently into your frame. Some hold back and watch. Some flare, hover, inspect, or vanish the moment you begin to compose. A fisheye lens can be an in- credible tool for capturing that energy because it helps the viewer feel close to the encounter. I was reminded of this while hovering in about three feet of
water, photographing a Discover Scuba course that my moth- er-in-law was taking through Catalina Divers Supply. As I worked, I noticed a group of calico bass, garibaldi, and perch staring at their reflections in my dome port. At first, I did not think much of it. This is fairly standard at Casino Point. Fish often swim over to inspect the new arrival, decide you are not especially interesting, and then move on. This time, however, they did not move on as quickly as they usually would. Some circled. Some hovered. Some just stared. It seemed as if they had formed a committee. One calico in particular kept pushing forward with oddly confrontational energy. It was giving main-character vibes. I knew almost immediately that this fish was going to become my subject. The only problem was that I was not there to do a fish portrait session. I was supposed to be photographing my mother-in-law’s first scuba experience. At some point, I can only assume the fish were briefed on my actual assignment
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