Click to Enlarge Spring 2006, I'm at my desk in Amsterdam surfing the 'net when I stumble across a shark expedition in the Bahamas. The pictures are very impressive and it gets me thinking. I have always dreamed about photographing sharks and that is exactly what this trip is about! Ten minutes later I've booked the trip.
That night I lie awake... what have I done? I have just booked a $2,800 expedition (excluding the flights from Europe) and what will my impulsive act bring? I wonder what species of sharks I'll meet and whether the trip will be safe. I spend the rest of the week searching the Internet for information. The main target of the expedition is spotting tiger sharks and great hammerhead sharks. Googling "tiger sharks" yields the following advice: "Never dive with tiger sharks without the protection of a cage." Mind you, there will be no cages on this trip...
Flash forward a year and my 200-plus pounds of scuba and camera gear have safely traversed the Atlantic by air and I'm now headed for the Bahamas on the M/S Shearwater out of West Palm Beach, Florida. I've got a Nikon D80, underwater housings from Sea & Sea, and a pair of Sea & Sea YS100 underwater strobes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I want to make sure I've got everything covered. You can't simply pop out to the store for a new camera or even a spare battery when you are out at sea for eight straight days!
They weren't kidding when they called the trip an "expedition." We're going for the experience of diving with sharks -- not for the luxe accommodations. It's a tight fit with all of the ten divers, four crew members, and scuba and photo gear on the small 65-foot vessel. It's a night crossing and the weather is rough, and I can feel every motion of the sea. Staring at the horizon off the rear deck, I feel a bit sick. Yes, some of it is from the rough seas, but some is my own nervousness. Was it wise of me to book this trip? May be I'm just a bit tense because of a challenging week I'm about to experience, I tell myself reassuringly.
My diving experience is not the problem. I'm an instructor and have dived all over the world. For underwater photography at this level it is crucial to be an experienced diver, but most important is that you don't panic and obey the safety rules. Your bouyancy should be in total control and diving has to be second nature, so you can concentrate 100% on your photography. Underwater photography is in many ways much more difficult than land-based photography. Colors disappear as you descend, there is less light, your are limited in time submerged, there can be strong currents, you cannot use a telephoto lens and you have to come really close to your subject to get good pictures. And remember the advice I found out about diving with Tiger sharks?
My first experiences with underwater photography began with compact cameras. Pictures are easier to frame on the LCD, and the investment isn't nearly as steep. But when I decided that this was my passion and calling, I jumped in and learned more and more about it and purchased DSLRs and underwater casings and all that has led me here -- to the Bahamas, to go free diving with big sharks.
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