Giant Anglerfish

I have captured many nice images of anglerfish among the coral rubble, sand or wharf pylons but the secret to a great image is often the setting. I really liked the way this giant sponge formed a perfect balcony from which the angler could view its marine domain and no doubt an ideal position to dangle its lure to attract a victim swimming by. A colony of Acropora coral completes a nice balcony garden worthy of such a penthouse location.

Photo Data: Location: Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Genre: Wide Angle Macro. Photo Data: Nikon D200, Nikkor 10.5mm lens with 1.4 Teleconvertor, Seacam Housing, Dual Seacam Strobes, and Manual Exposure Mode. ISO 100 Exposure f9 @ 1/125th sec. IMage by Kevin Deacon

Photo Hints: Use of a wide angle lens at macro photography range allows the photographer to compose smaller marine life and include more of the habitat as additional subject matter. It does demand however, that the photographer must hunt for subjects among suitable habitat that is relevant and ideally pleasing to the viewer. Hence with this genre of photography images are made or rather created than just taken. A photographer should strive to make pictures rather than just take pictures.EQUIPMENT COMMENTS: A wide angle lens with very close focus capability is essential for this genre of photography. Fortunately this is available for some compact cameras and most DSLR cameras providing you have purchased the right models. Always consult with the Dive 2000 UWP team before choosing any camera equipment to ensure these options are available to you. Specialised dome ports are also available now for wide angle macro DSLR systems. I use Seacam Glass domes in both fisheye dome and mini dome models as they have superior optical sharpness and the best range of extensions to ensure optimum performance with a perfect nodal point.

Interesting Facts: Americans call these fish frogfish but in fact the correct common name should be anglerfish because that is what they are! However Americans have the right to decide if they want Chips or Fries with their fish so who are we to correct them. The Giant Anglerfish, scientific name Antennarius commersonii, is clearly the largest of the species and attains 30 cms, about the size of a Rugby ball. Once I would have said football but that's become confusing too. For my American readers, it's the size of a grid iron ball.

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