9/8/2023 0 Comments Wolf eel bite after death![]() Because eels don’t use gill covers (operculum) to pump water across their gills, they have to open and close their mouths to breath. Perhaps the most charismatic eel behavior is their constant “breathing”, something I managed to capture while diving in Phuket, Thailand. It’s important to keep aesthetic features (especially the eyes) in focus for the full effect of the bokeh. This will keep the head of the eel (or parts of the head) in focus while the substrate and rest of the body is blurred into a nice bokeh. The best way to do this is to shoot with a fast macro lens and lower the f-stop so that the aperture is close to as wide as possible. If I feel that the eel cannot be isolated from the substrate using light, then I will isolate it using a shallow depth of field. If you are proficient with a snoot, attach it to the single strobe, and it will create even more contrast/ black background in the image. If the eel is in its den, sometimes you can get the light from your strobe to just touch its face so the rest of the den remains dark. This can be effective to varying degrees. Another option is to use a single strobe and light the eel from the side. However, it can be very difficult to find an eel in a position to take this photo. The most effective method is to shoot from below the eel (if it is coming out of its den) so that the background is mostly blue water. So what’s the best way to isolate an eel? Contrast and depth of field! Contrast can be created in the image in many different ways. This isolates them from the background and contrast is created with the blue water behind them. The reason it can seem that reef fish are easier to photograph, even if they are quicker, is that reef fish hover above the bottom. This makes it very difficult to isolate an eel from its background – often producing a cluttered or flat photo. They rarely protrude above the substrate, and often blend in with the rocks or coral themselves. Eels often live at the bottom of the ocean, slithering through holes between medium sized rocks. Use Contrast and Depth of Field to Isolate Your SubjectĪn eel’s habitat introduces the majority of the problems that underwater photographers face when photographing them. Here are some of our best tips for photographing eels and eel-like fish…ġ. However, an eel’s complex habitat, body structure, and patterns can create a significant puzzle for the underwater photographer. One might think that photographing a relatively stationary eel would be easier than swift schools of ever impatient pelagics. Because many eels and eel-like fish exhibit a wide range of habitat distribution, colors, patterns, and behaviors, they are coveted by underwater photographers in almost all dive destinations. They slither through the cracks and crevices of the deep, often hidden in plain sight by their ability to blend in with the substrate around them. Eels are the snakes of the underwater world – evoking excitement, curiosity, and fear in those lucky enough to behold them.
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