Shark Shootout

Joseph Tepper · Issue 56, Sep/Oct 2010 · pp. 58–62

Products mentioned: Nikon D300s, Sea and Sea housing, 16 mm lens, YS-110a strobes

As underwater photographers we are often conflicted between choosing subjects that we may find interesting and those which will captivate our audience. You could spend countless hours underwater with a sailfin blenny, only to receive little more than a befuddled look from your landlubber friends, as the perfect shot appears in a montage of your latest trip. Disappointed with the abysmal reaction to the well-earned shot, you find little comfort in the “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” that accompany the next slide; a poorly exposed shot of a small grey reef shark. We might as well face the cold hard truth: in a world where an entire week of television dedicated to these majestic predators permeates the minds of even the most landlocked viewers, that shot of the blenny does not stand a chance. Such is the underwater photographer’s dilemma. As ambassadors between the world below the waves and our own, we…