Underwater Photography - Stonefish - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

[cgipson1]

Stonefish shots from Mexico... Comments welcome!


Stonefish 1 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr


Stonefish 2 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr


Stonefish 3 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr

 

[cgipson1]

No comments on some of the ugliest, most toxic fish you will ever see? lol!

 

[ronlane]

I'll comment. I really like the color of #1 best. The second one is camoed pretty good, but not so much for #3.

 

[cgipson1]

I'll comment. I really like the color of #1 best. The second one is camoed pretty good, but not so much for #3.

The colors are really gorgeous underwater! I was tempted to up the Sat a little bit... make them glow! #3 was just pretending to be a rock... and doing a pretty good job of it.

 

[terri]

I bet they are even more gorgeous while you're underwater with them....wow! I didn't know they were toxic. For a toxic, flat guy, #3 has a fin that looks like a beautiful shell.

More great stuff. :thumbup:

 

[Eclectix]

Makes me jealous. I got some stonefish pictures in the Keys, but nothing this colorful and I have to make do with a cheap underwater camera- resolution terrible, no flash, just point and shoot. Also makes me jealous because it's been ages since I've been able to get back to Puerto Vallarta and I miss it so. I like photo #2 the best, #1 is a close second, #3 is great for showing what the fish looks like but isn't as interesting as a photograph.

 

[cgipson1]

Makes me jealous. I got some stonefish pictures in the Keys, but nothing this colorful and I have to make do with a cheap underwater camera- resolution terrible, no flash, just point and shoot. Also makes me jealous because it's been ages since I've been able to get back to Puerto Vallarta and I miss it so. I like photo #2 the best, #1 is a close second, #3 is great for showing what the fish looks like but isn't as interesting as a photograph.

Thanks! I use a inexpensive camera... Sealife DC-1400 with the external flash they provide! It is a pain to use in some ways.. slow focus mainly. But if you get it setup right... and get some practice, it does pretty well. I am thinking about upgrading to something else... but hard to justify when I only get to go diving three or four times a year.

 

[cgipson1]

I bet they are even more gorgeous while you're underwater with them....wow! I didn't know they were toxic. For a toxic, flat guy, #3 has a fin that looks like a beautiful shell.

More great stuff. :thumbup:

Yep.. very toxic... I am very careful around them!

quote from WIKI "Synanceia is a genus of fish of the family Synanceiidae, the Stonefishes, whose members are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. It is one of the most venomous fish currently known in the world.[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP] They are found in the coastal regions of Indo-Pacific oceans as well as off the coast of Florida and in the Caribbean."

Synanceia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SashaT]

Any Box Jellyfish pics next

 

[cgipson1]

Any Box Jellyfish pics next

Didn't see any Jellies at all this trip! Did see a lot of Octopus, Eagle Rays and other assorted critters... but no shots of them worth posting.

 

[SashaT]

Any Box Jellyfish pics next

Didn't see any Jellies at all this trip! Did see a lot of Octopus, Eagle Rays and other assorted critters... but no shots of them worth posting.

So out of curiosity, how much of a pain is it shooting underwater?

 

[cgipson1]

Any Box Jellyfish pics next

Didn't see any Jellies at all this trip! Did see a lot of Octopus, Eagle Rays and other assorted critters... but no shots of them worth posting.

So out of curiosity, how much of a pain is it shooting underwater?

Depends... if your buoyancy and breath control is really good, it helps a lot so you can position yourself and stay still to shoot. It also really helps if you can move slow and smoothly so your subjects don't freak out and leave. Lighting is totally different underwater, and you really have to watch your angles to prevent backscatter when using flash. Shooting without flash can be nice in clear water down to 25' or so... but still takes good photoshop skills to color correct and maintain good white balance. You also have to be very cognizant of your surroundings, depth, air supply and all the other things that a good diver does... as well as doing the major task loading of using a camera.

I usually don't recommend anyone with less than 300-500 dives even try to use a camera... but that is because I see too many people bouncing off the reefs, and endangering themselves. You have to be a good diver first... and then work on the photography. Not saying you aren't a good diver... don't know you! Just laying it out the way I see it after over 40 years of diving.

I love it... but there are a lot of people that get really frustrated with it, and give it up. I started shooting underwater in the late 80's with my old Nikono's... and learned the hard way what to do (and what not to do, lol!).