Family and friends of Michael know that underwater
photography has been a significant part of his life for over 20 years. He has taken
thousands of underwater photographs, mostly captured in the majestic blue
waters of Cozumel, Mexico. Michael introduced me to diving and it has been such a
special activity that we have enjoyed together for many years.
To share Michael’s achievements with this super specialized
art, I thought it would be fun to start an ongoing series of posts featuring
some of his all-time best photos. The series is titled Underwater Wednesdays!
The photo of the coral crab below is Michael's most honored. It has been showcased in an underwater calendar and published in several national magazines (hence the blog title "Cover Model Crab!")
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| ©Life as an Artist’s Wife Coral crab photographed in Cozumel. |
Photo Fun Facts:
- The crab was about the size of a dinner plate. (Mmm…fresh crab! But, who could eat this cutie?!)
- The photo was taken at a depth of about 60 feet.
- The photo was taken during a night dive.
Night dives are quite intimidating because the water is pitch black. The only
light available is from a little flashlight and Michael’s camera lights, so you
literally only see what is directly in front of you. But, with the
intimidation, comes the reward. Sea life comes out at night that you don’t see
during the day. Stumbling upon this guy was a crab-tastic surprise!
Underwater photography brings on many unique challenges that
are irrelevant with “above water” photography. Underwater photographers need to
be aware of:
- Water current – It’s difficult for a photographer to hold the camera still when the swift current is trying to whisk him away!
- Air supply – Each tank only holds a limited amount of air, so when the air is about to run out, it’s time to ascend to the surface!
- Jelly
fish, barracudas, and sharks…oh my! – Everything from 6-ft moray eels to scorpion
fish to giant barracuda to tiny coral polyps to jelly fish…these are all occupational
hazards to the underwater photographer. Michael has been stung several times on
his hands and face and has a few proud battle scars to prove it! Oh, and Cozumel
primarily has nurse sharks, but it’s
always exhilarating to imagine there’s something much more frightening lurking
around the reef!
Michael shot all of his underwater photos on traditional film. As for the camera…it is quite the crazy-looking contraption! A watertight casing covers the camera and two large lights extend from the case. The camera is weightless in water, but weighs about 6 pounds out of water. (The camera is actually larger than it appears in the photo below.)
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| Mikey and Marti diving in Cozumel. The red circles indicate the large lights that extend from the camera. |
There is no place on earth that compares to under the sea. We feel so blessed to have logged in hundreds of hours admiring God’s beautiful and mysterious aquatic creations…at depths that not many people get to explore. I hope you'll enjoy these treasures featured in Underwater Wednesdays!
