April Discussion: Approaching critters

[tdpriest]

Cussy:

I mis-spent three years of my youth working with lobster and crustaceans: aggressive IS natural for a lobster!!

Tim

[Mike W]

Key to everything like this is knowing the subject, IMO. If a species is territorial, stay still and let them come to you. As various people have said we're b*gg*r all good underwater, even the most god-like and comfortable of us are useless compared to any fish you care to mention, so there is no point at all in chasing anything. Apart from owt else, if I'm chasing, I'm behind, and I don't want pics of tailfins.

By extension, if a species is common in a particular type of habitat, find the habitat and wait - blennies and holes spring to mind, as do cuttles and Babbacombe or the pike in Stoney.

Next comes patience. Fish, they say, have a 2 minute memory*, so if you stay in place and still for 2 mins, you've 'always' been there and aren't a threat to the fish. *I've found 5 mins closer to the mark, but that might just be because 2 mins feels like 5 mins when you're trying to stay completely still. And by completely still, I mean not pressing the shutter button either - the twinkling lights from the strobes will upset fish and particularly crustaceans in my experience. I've spent an entire 70min dive trying to get a shot of a particular critter, but 10-15mins is usually my max.

Another thing I try to bear in mind is if the critter is predator or prey. If it's a prey species I try to avoid 'eye' contact - and I think most species view the strobes as eyes, so this isn't easy and demands a very slow approach. If it's a predator species, as long as it is approached front-on, so it can see you, then much quicker and closer approaches are possible and eye-contact less important.

Finally, I try not to take too many shots of the same critter - especially on night dives when the light emitted by the strobes can cause damage.

[Jules]

Originally Posted by Mike W

I've spent an entire 70min dive trying to get a shot of a particular critter, but 10-15mins is usually my max.
.

Remind me never to dive with you, i get cold and cramp too easily!

[Jules]

In danger of stating the obvious then of course if you are sneaking up on something take a series of photos .. get close.. get closer... get closer. That way you always get something even if you spook your subject and it swims off.

[Cussy]

Can anyone suggest a good discussion topic for May??

[whacky]

don't know if it could be described as good but if anyone wants to share their wisdom with light that would be great. I have a strobe and I'd like to learn how to put it to better use

[Divemouse]

I make use of my buddy's inability to leave things alone - he chases a fish around, I go and sit behind a rock and pop up as they come past - works every time, though I did once get head butted in the stomach by a shark!