Silent, curious, graceful, sleek... Words alone cannot adequately
describe the beauty of a blue shark. Their unique, almost iridescent
color makes this shark difficult to confuse with any other. Yet their
color is only a small part of my fascination with them. It is the
confidant, relaxed way that they move, their way of being. The blue
shark is nothing short of poetry in motion. It is no wonder that
divers seek out encounters with blues, and photographers attempt to
capture their essence on film.
Photographers will need to use a wide-angle lens to capture a quality image of a blue. Nikonos users will want to use a 20 or 15mm lens, while housed camera enthusiasts will want to use a 24, 20, or 18mm lens. While the photographers with the longer focal lens will get more shots, since the shark will come into range more often, the photographer with the wider lens will get better shots, since there is less water between the camera and subject. I recommend a medium speed, fine grain film such as Kodachrome 64, but most of the new 100 ASA, E6 films will produce high quality images.
Although a silhouette of a blue against a sun burst is always an appealing shot, I prefer to add a bit of strobe light. Without a strobe, the blue color of the shark often fades onto the blue water background. Since I also like to get real close to my subject, I also use two strobes to light the shark evenly.
Contrary to the public's and particularly the media's perception,
most sharks are much more afraid of you than you are of them. While
you might get a glimpse of one in the open ocean, the only reliable
way to see and photograph blues is to chum for them. Generally,
finely ground mackerel, or mackerel juice works well, or you may
purchase a commercial produce in a plastic tub aptly named "Super
Chum."
Blues are pelagic animals. They are generally found in water deeper than 200 feet and warmer than 62° F. There are numerous commercial shark charters in Southern California, and only one currently operating in the San Francisco Area.
Once chumming has begun, the sharks may appear immediately or may take several hours. When the sharks show up, it is time to get into the water and test your photographic skill. Like all large animals, sharks do not like to be chased. Let the shark to come to you.
Your strobes should be pre-positioned for how close you believe the shark will approach, and an appropriate F-stop and shutter speed selected. Choose the fastest shutter speed that will sync with your strobes. Wait until the shark is very close, and in a pleasing pose before you trip the stutter.
Perhaps the most difficult thing is choosing and controlling the background behind your shark. The trick here is to pre-position yourself and aim your camera at your background of choice. For instance, if you wish to capture the shark coming out of a sunburst, aim the camera at the sun and wait until the shark swims into the right position before triggering the shutter. Try to acquire shark-background combinations that no one else has.
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving
News, as well as author of the books A Diver's Guide to Monterey
County and A Diver's Guide to Northern California.
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