Egg-cellent shot!

Alex Tyrrel · Issue 59, Mar/Apr 2011 · pp. 60–65

Products mentioned: Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, Inon Z240 strobes, Micro Nikkor 60mm, Micro Nikkor 105mm, Kenko Teleconverter, Olympus C60z, Inon UCL 165 AD lens, Inon D2000 Strobe, Backscatter MacroMate, Reefnet Subsee Diopter, Nikon 60mm AF f/2.8 ED lens

As I work for a dive resort in the Philippines I am diving more or less on a daily basis, so I get to witness the breeding cycles of the marine creatures on our dive sites throughout the month. This (sometimes) lets me plan my photo dives to coincide for when fish have eggs, or if I find a creature with eggs whilst I am guiding, I am then able to return later with my camera. I appreciate that not everyone is in this position, but a bit of research into your potential subjects spawning habits and some planning ahead of time can improve your chances of getting shots of eggs in the marine environment. Spawning: The majority of fish species mate in a method known as broadcast spawning (or pelagic spawning), meaning that they release free floating gametes (sperm and eggs) into the water column to be taken away by the current. This normally involves a male and female of a particular species (b…