Wild Encounters: Back to School

One of my all-time favorite underwater encounters is diving through a big school of fish. Witnessing a cloud of countless fish swim in unison on the edge of a colorful reef drop-off is a truly spectacular sight. You can't get a closer wildlife encounter than a giant mass of Jacks, Barracuda, Tuna, or Snapper swirling around you like an enormous tornado. To watch the never-ending flow of fish slowly passing by is pure magic.

On our expedition to Layang Layang in Borneo, I saw this impressive school of Jacks resting above the reef in the safety of each other’s company. Every encounter, I’m captivated by the beauty and am in awe of being a part of this precious experience. It is my kind of meditation.  

Capture Info

Photo was taken on our 2018 Borneo Expedition in Layang Layang by Thomas Baechtold

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 II USM / ISO: 200 F-stop: f9 / Speed: 1/200

Wide-angle shots in crystal clear tropical waters on a sunny day are relatively straightforward. It's always nice to be slightly below your subject to try and get the water surface and sun rays penetrating the water. If you are in shallow water, between 10:00-14:00 when the sun penetration is at its maximum, keep your ISO between 100-200. Set your aperture at a high f-stop (the higher the f-stop number, the more of your picture will be in focus). Your shutter speed should be a minimum of 200 (the higher the speed, the more you'll be able to freeze the action).

The most challenging thing about capturing an image like this image is even exposure with silvery fish like jacks and barracuda. If using strobes, the strobe light reflection can bounce back overexposing the fish closest to you. The key is to dim down your strobes, position your strobes point slightly outwards and back towards you or turn them off for a natural light exposure.

My advice for capturing a shot like this is to always anticipate the direction the fish are heading. Never chase fish as they will swim away or disperse. The best pictures are either head-on or side-on, as with this particular image. I will often go out of my way, do a big semi-circle to get ahead of the fish, then slowly head directly at them, not moving much and lengthening my inbreath and delaying my exhalation as I get close to avoid scaring them. Try and get as close to your subject as possible. If you can find a willing diver (like in this case, our wonderful "Freddy," who has been a fabulous model on many of our dive adventures), it not only gives your image scale but also tells a story. 

We love the sea and all the creatures that reside within it; take photos responsibly.