Did you know that most coral polyps fluoresce? Here’s a shot taken on a night dive during our recent trip to Belize. I used a blue spot light to excite the fluorescence in these beautiful coral polyps helping me find them in the dark. To photograph them, I placed a blue excitation filter on my strobe and a yellow filter over the camera lens to cancel the blue which allowed me to capture the true color of the the fluorescence.
Diving in this dark underwater environment at night with a blue light is like being on one of the dark rides at Disney World where they use black lights and fluorescent paint to make the figures more vibrant. The corals shine brilliantly!
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Immensely beautiful! That dive must have been quite the experience!
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Thank you, Anita. The fluorescence is really beautiful and also so much more intricate than ever imagined. Plus, the corals open up at night to feed, so we get to see more of their anatomy. I’m looking forward to our next dive trip to do even more macro shots of the individual critters!
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Looks like you’ll have a wonderful time on your next trip as well! ☺
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I did not know that! Cool.
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It is really cool, Joseph. Thank you for the comment!
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You are welcome!
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Very interesting.
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Hi Marianne! Thanks so much! Yes it is very, very interesting.
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[…] LargeSelf Weekly Photo Challenge – Shine […]
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Cathy, this is so cool.
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Thank you, Audra. It is so very cool to be down there with the blue light at night! I had no idea how vibrant and prevalent the fluorescence is.
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I did not know that, and I didn’t know your underwater photography was so technical. I’m impressed with your knowledge of both the sealife and what’s needed for great underwater pictures.
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Thank you, Leon! Underwater photography has been quite a journey and I’ve learned so much about the technical aspects of photography out of sheer necessity to get the shots to come out right. Prior to taking up this specialty, I knew very little about flash photography but really had to get on-board with that and I certainly have gotten better over the years! It’s an ever evolving process. And it has made me a better all-around photographer as a result.
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Cathy, this photo is magical! It makes me very happy.
janet
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Thanks so much, Janet! So glad you enjoyed it.
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Hello Cathy! Beautiful shot as always! Hope your diving and life adventures are as wonderful as your photos. Nice to see you. :).
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Hi there, Brigitte! So nice to see you too! Glad you enjoyed the shot. We had a great time on our Belize trip in September. I’m now inspired to do more night dives and get more of these shots. It was really fun!
I hope your fall has been going well. I have been thinking of you and how you fared with Matthew. You got to experience Sandy a few years ago as well.
Best wishes,
Cathy
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Stunning shot! I remember during a night dive in the Seychelles when I turned my light towards a bunch of rocks/ coral (I can’t quite remember which), and it sparkled. It took me a few moments to realize that the sparkle was eye shine from hundreds of little shrimp.
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That must have been amazing, Susan!
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It was! And seeing octopi was cool too. I believe they looked blue.
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Snorkeling in the dark, in Belize, shines as one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever done! You capture that magic so well here, and yes, it is SO Disney like!! Gorgeous photo, Cathy. xox
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Hi Cathy Are your email address and Skype details still the same. Much love Patricia xxx
Sent from my iPad
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Hi Patricia. Yes, my email addresses are the same. As is Skype, although I don’t use Skype or log-in there much. Hugs, Cathy
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I may be late, but it’s still shining!
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Wow, so stunning. Great shot, Cathy. That must have been a memorable diving experience.
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