I have been reading about fluorescence on the coral reefs for some time, so during our recent trip to Roatan, Honduras, I decided to try my hand at photographing it. Many life forms on the reefs fluoresce, but almost all corals do. To be able to see the fluorescence, one needs a blue light to excite it and then a yellow filter to cancel out the blue light to be able to see the true color of the fluorescence. And to photograph it, one also needs a blue filter for the strobe and a yellow filter for the camera.
So…I went equipped. Peter and I took yellow filters to go over our masks and I brought along a blue “Night Sea” LED light on a night dive. When we got to the coral reefs, it was like being on a ride in Disney World! Everything glowed in greens, oranges and even some pinks. On that night dive, I did not take the camera – as there’s just too much going on, but I did return the next day with filters on the strobe and camera.
This shot was taken during daylight hours, but the fluorescence in this brain coral was highly visible and photographable. What I love about this particular coral is that the “valleys” fluoresce, but the “hills” don’t. For comparison, here’s another shot of that same brain coral without the fluorescent lights and filters. Who would have guessed?
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I love this stuff!!! Keep it coming!
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Thanks so much, Elyse! It’s really fun to share it.
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Oh, Cathy, I always come here with anticipation, looking forward to what I’ll see.
janet
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Thank you so much, Janet! It’s so fun to share this.
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Wow, so fascinating, Cathy. Great shots!
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Thank you, Amy! This new ability to photograph and see the fluorescence is really fun. I’m not usually a fan of night dives, but we have a trip to Belize in the fall where we could possibly do a night dive almost every night. I think I may be up for a few!
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Thanks so much, Amy! It’s really cool to see these.
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That is so interesting how the coral is flourescent. You did a great job with you equipment, Cathy. Very nice photos!
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Thanks so much, Mary. It is interesting. When we went on the night dive, we saw a fluorescing anemone – it looked like fireworks as it was waving it’s tentacles around.
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Beautiful!!
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Thank you, Susan.
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[…] LargeSelf Weekly Photo Challenge – Curve […]
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That’s the kind of brain I admire most – bright AND deep, just like you. Awesome shots! 🙂
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Awww, thanks Jen!
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These are absolutely stunning, Cathy. I love your enthusiasm and passion for photography. It makes me want to see more of your past and future work so I’ll follow you from now on.
Have an amazing day! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Yousuf! And thank you for the follow. My underwater photography seems to be a constantly evolving thing and I’m only able to go on a dive trip at most, a couple of times a year. But it’s really fun to dive with a camera and share those shots here. Thanks again and I hope you have a great week!
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You’re very welcome, Cathy. 🙂
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Gorgeous! But does it have any curves in it? ;-D! I think your photo qualifies!
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LOL! Thanks, Russ! Yes, when I saw the challenge, I knew exactly what to do. 🙂
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Holy day-glo fabulousness, Batman! Each time I think I’ve seen my favorite, you come back with something else to blow me away!! This is truly stunning, Cathy! The top one is surreal in the color and form; I love it! The bottom one is so delicate and beautiful! I am such a huge fan, and you never, ever disappoint. Bravo!
PS) We were away in Canada w/limited access… I will respond to message soon. xox
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Oh, Dawn, thank you! The trip to Roatan was fabulous and I got lots of fun shots. We saw green turtles – lots of them! And I am doing better regarding message, BTW.
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Awesome, Cathy! The difference in the two coral shots is like (ahem) day and night. And Christmas Tree worms…who knew? They are beautiful!!! The variety of life underwater just blows me away. I can’t go there myself, so I appreciate being able to see it through your eyes.
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Thanks so much, Leon! Yes, I too am blown away by the variety of underwater life. I also find that carrying a camera with me on the dives helps me to slow down and pay attention to this variety.
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So glad to have you back, Cathy! I love both, the second image is so beautiful. I’m so surprised it’s the same brain coral without the fluorescent lights and filter. 🙂
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