Images: Tips for Shooting Anemonefish
Have you dived in the tropical Indo-Pacific? If so, I am sure you’ve focused your camera on Nemo. But — and be honest with yourself here — do you have any truly excellent photos? There’s the rub. Anemonefish are a common subject, but memorable photos are rare.
It is a photographic problem that anemonefish share with young children: They never stay still long enough to allow us to compose, focus and expose that special shot. I regularly hover in front of anemones, watching those pesky little fish buzzing around, with the ideal image in my head but not in my camera. Stunning anemonefish photos require perseverance.
Before we invest our precious dive time, we need the right subject matter. The key to great anemonefish shots is usually not the fish but the background. In other words, it is not about finding Nemo as much as it is about finding the right anemone.
Many anemones are drab; we want to focus our time and lenses on the prettiest ones. We want the supermodels with brightly colored skirts and attractive or interestingly shaped tentacles. Environmental factors help: Current is our friend, pulling tentacles to order, and as light fades, anemones close up and reveal their colorful underside. Just remember that the best time to chase skirts is at the end of the day!
1. Finding Nemo
Most anemones will have several anemonefish in them, sometimes with more than one species. There are 28 species worldwide, so in any location, concentrate on the most attractive individuals. All portraits require good eye contact, however with many anemonefish, it is easy to lose the impact of their eyes if their body color is too dark.
Spinecheek anemonefish, for example, have marked differences between the sexes, and the smaller, more brightly colored male is much more photogenic than the female. Often the youngsters are cutest, and the territorial adults will force them to take shelter on the edges of the anemone, against the attractive skirt.
Alex Mustard is a marine biologist who has been a full-time underwater photographer and author since 2004. To view more of his work, visit amustard.com.
Check out more underwater photography tips at Sport Diver: How to Make Colors Pop.
**
- Frame First**
So, you’ve got the right anemone and the right fish. Now resist chasing Nemo aroundthe anemone with your lens, snapping away. Your pictures won’t be in focus and your head will spin.
The one guarantee with anemonefish is that they are not going anywhere. Instead of chasing them, hover calmly and watch them for a minute. Most swim quite regular circuits and seem to have favorite spots, which they like to use as a lookout.
Once you spot a photogenic feature on this route — such as a fold in the skirts — frame it up. Take a test shot for the exposure, and then wait for the fish to reappear. Keep shootinguntil you feel confident that you’ve bagged the perfect pose. It is also easy to be slightly off with the focus or to clip a fin, so shoot, shoot, shoot.
2. Behind the Shot
Alex Mustard is a marine biologist who has been a full-time underwater photographer and author since 2004. To view more of his work, visit amustard.com.
Check out more underwater photography tips at Sport Diver: How to Make Colors Pop.
3. Classic Angles
There are lots of ways to shoot anemonefish. Try shooting tight with just a face peering out from pretty tentacles or around the skirt. The best images revealpersonality, such as confidence or shyness. This is all about good eye contact, so get down to the fish’s level.
Look out for behavior, such as tending eggs, or a cleaning station for the shrimp that also make their home in the anemone. In some places, many anemonefish have parasites in their mouth: Look out for eyes in the place of a tongue! And don’t forget to try some close-focus wide-angle shots, which often produce the most complete pictures, telling the whole anemonefish/ anemone reef story in one frame.
Whenever possible, use a fast shutter with anemonefish. Not only are they always on the go, but their white bands are always the brightest thing in the frame and can easily blur because they reflect so much ambient light.
Behind the Shot
Pro tips: Be Eco Aware
Watch your gear. Make sure your diving equipment (gauges) is secure and that you know the dimensions of your camera rig so you don’t damage marine life.
Own up to it. If you do make a mistake, like kicking coral, apologize to the other divers back on the boat. It shows them this is not how you usually behave.
Alex Mustard is a marine biologist who has been a full-time underwater photographer and author since 2004. To view more of his work, visit amustard.com.
Check out more underwater photography tips at Sport Diver: How to Make Colors Pop.