Underwater photography: Related Content

  • Photo of a mantis shrimp

    Mantis Shrimp Carries Eggs

    A mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) holds her clutch of eggs in her clubbed claws. Usually these claws are weapons that strike hard-shelled prey at speeds of more than 50 miles an hour. Mantis shrimp have compound stalked eyes that allow them to see an array of colors that human eyes cannot - they can even see ultraviolet light and polarized patterns.

  • Image Gallery: The Perfect Underwater Photo

    For nearly 35 years, National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry has been immersing himself in the big blue to get the perfect underwater photograph. He admits that there will never will be a "perfect" photo, but there are tricks to make a photo appealing. He sees himself as an artistic interpreter, swimming in waters all over the world to shoot ocean images that capture animal behavior, stunning seascapes, and the graceful gestures and fluidity of his subjects.

  • A tiny yellow goby living inside an abandoned can on the seafloor; Suruga Bay, Japan

    Yellow Goby

    A tiny yellow goby, Lubricogobius exiguus, living inside an abandoned can on the seafloor; Suruga Bay, Japan

  • A yellow moray eel inside of a sea sponge in the waters off of Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand

    Yellow Moray Eel

    A yellow moray eel, Gymnothorax prasinus, inside of a sea sponge in the waters off of Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand.

     

  • A hermit crab looks out from its coral dwelling in the waters of Japan's Ogasawara Islands.

    Coral Hermit Crab

     

    A coral hermit crab, Paguritta harmsi, about the size of two grains of rice, living in coral in the waters of Japan's Ogasawara Islands.

     

  • A Florida manatee swims through a channel into a freshwater spring late in the day.

    Florida Manatee

    A Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, swims down a narrow channel into a freshwater spring late in the day.

  • Two California market squids mate in the waters off of California's Channel Islands.

    California Market Squid

    Two California market squids, Loligo opalescens, mate in the waters off of California's Channel Islands. While spawning, the males' arms blush red as he embraces the female; a warning to other competing males to back-off.

  • The Perfect Underwater Photo

    There is of course, no such thing as the perfect photograph, as there is no perfect song, movie, or painting. Photography by its very nature is subjective and what appeals to one viewer may not interest another. There are photographic elements however, that have been proven to make images better, especially things like exposure and composition.

  • Swimming With Sharks

    Lying in water only a foot deep, I watched the shark meander lazily through the mangrove, already exuding the confidence inherent of the supreme creature within its domain. It was hot here in Bimini, nearly 100-degrees and mosquitoes were thick and relentless, swarming on to any bare skin. Yet slipping my head just inches below the water’s surface I had entered another realm. I was absolutely transfixed watching these little sharks, perhaps 12 to 18 inches long; swimming beneath mangrove roots and over the muddy bottom with impressive deftness.

  • Image Gallery: Swimming with Sharks

    For nearly 30 years, National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry has been swimming with and photographing sharks, including great whites, tigers, bulls, blacktips, and great hammerheads all around the world. In his first blog post for the Smithsonian Ocean Portal, "Swimming with Sharks," Skerry reflects on these exhilirating experiences.

     

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