and decided to interfere for their own en- tertainment. Luckily, I was able to fire off a few frames before dropping down to photograph the class. There was nothing rare or especially glam- orous about the subjects in that image. If you have dived anywhere in Southern Cal- ifornia, you have probably seen hundreds, if not thousands, of calico bass, garibaldi, and perch. What made the frame work was that it showed something familiar in a different way. The calico was right in the viewer’s face, eyes locked, almost daring you to stare it down. The garibaldi added color and attitude from the edges, and the rest of the fish turned the scene into more of a cast than a crowd. The lesson is simple: when working with a fisheye, find the subject that feels like the anchor, then let everything else support the story around it. That idea carries across some of Catalina’s most iconic marine life. Take the giant black sea bass as an example. Photographing one is rarely just about scale, although scale is certainly part of the thrill. The strongest images often happen when the fish feels calm, aware, and comfortable with your presence. A giant black sea bass does not need to do much to feel powerful. If you rush the approach, it will swim away and you may leave the water with the classic tail shot. But if you slow down, hold position, and let the animal settle, the pho- tograph can begin to feel less like a sighting PHOTO PRO continued and more like a meeting. With a fisheye, you can capture the bulk of its face while still including enough blue water or kelp to show the world it inhabits. Sea lions bring another kind of personality entirely. They are called the puppies of the sea for a reason. They are playful, fast, and often just as interested in you as you are in them. That shared curiosity is gold for wide-angle work, but it also means the photographer has to stay calm and ready. Do not chase them. Be patient and they will often come to you. The best frames may happen in a split second, when one banks toward the lens, twists through a shaft of light, or pauses long enough to make eye contact. What makes the
image memorable is not only the movement, but the feeling that the animal chose to enter the frame. Garibaldi, California’s vibrant and famously feisty marine state fish, offer the opposite challenge. They are smaller, brighter, quicker to react, and full of attitude. A garibaldi guarding a nest, zigzagging across the frame, or darting toward the camera can feel almost theatrical. The temptation is to chase that energy, but that usually works against you. It is far better to anticipate their movement and let them slide into your composition. With a fisheye, even a single garibaldi can dominate the frame when it moves close to the dome. Across all of these subjects, one principle remains the same: behavior leads composi- tion. A fisheye lens can create drama, but it cannot invent authenticity. That comes from observation. Spend time watching how an animal behaves in its natural envi- ronment. Notice whether it circles back, stands its ground, hides, or approaches. Ask yourself what makes that moment spe- cific, then compose around that behavior. This is especially important for photogra- phers working close to home. There is a tendency to think the familiar must also be ordinary. Catalina proves otherwise every day. The subjects we see most often may still have the most to teach us if we take the time to slow down and look more carefully. A fisheye lens does not just frame the space around an animal. At its best, it opens
a window into the subtle dramas and intimate details of a world that is fully alive with or without us. When that happens, even a familiar local subject can become unforget- table. About the Authors: Steven Lopez, MSc, and Dr. Carmen Obied are the photographers behind Explorers Photography. They can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at @explor- ersphotography and online at www.explorersphotog- raphy.com. Steven and Carmen also serve on the Board of Directors for the Catalina Underwater Festival at the Avalon Casino. Date announcement coming soon!. PAGE THIRTY-THREE | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY email Steve
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