Rule #2 violation
Rule #2 of underwater photography is "never shoot down". This is nearly always a valid rule because shooting down has less light and it is hard to avoid distracting elements. But as the cliche goes, rules are meant to be broken (occasionally).
This is a small green turtle (Chelonia mydas) that just took a breath at the surface and was floating back down to the bottom below to continue to munch on sea grass. I positioned myself right on top of the turtle and shot down to capture the color and patterns of the shell. I was annoyed by the cluster of coral in the upper right but now I justify it with the excuse that it provides some perspective. (I could have removed them in post, but I am generally averse to doing that beyond small distractions and irritating backscatter. Better to try to get the image right when the shutter is clicked.)
The green turtle is listed as endangered (declining) by the IUCN. They are one of my favorite subjects because of their looks and their personality.
Rule #2 violation
Rule #2 of underwater photography is "never shoot down". This is nearly always a valid rule because shooting down has less light and it is hard to avoid distracting elements. But as the cliche goes, rules are meant to be broken (occasionally).
This is a small green turtle (Chelonia mydas) that just took a breath at the surface and was floating back down to the bottom below to continue to munch on sea grass. I positioned myself right on top of the turtle and shot down to capture the color and patterns of the shell. I was annoyed by the cluster of coral in the upper right but now I justify it with the excuse that it provides some perspective. (I could have removed them in post, but I am generally averse to doing that beyond small distractions and irritating backscatter. Better to try to get the image right when the shutter is clicked.)
The green turtle is listed as endangered (declining) by the IUCN. They are one of my favorite subjects because of their looks and their personality.