Lemon sharks swim past the boat at the surface during dawn. Bahamas, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Macro/Micro/All Other © Jennifer Idol
First Runner-Up: Macro/Micro/All Other
Why is this photo special?
I love nothing more than getting up close and personal with large wildlife such as these lemon sharks. The Bahamas is one of my favorite places to shoot because of the numerous shark species we get to see in clear water. From lemon sharks to tiger, nurse, reef, and even bull or great hammerhead species, they are all curious and engaging animals.
In wildlife life photography, capturing more than one animal in a shot is more compelling than a single portrait. These three lemon sharks were coming in together with very tight proximity to one another. It can be hard to frame and capture multiple animals in a way that makes compositional sense. These sharks coming in were a great opportunity to show how they approach without cutting off fins in the composition. Sometimes, they approach from radically different directions, and you have only a split second to decide who will get photographed. Shooting an image in such light conditions also requires strong strobe light to shoot the wildlife at a high shutter speed. Otherwise, you get blurry shark photos.
The technical stuff
I used my Nikon D5 with a 14-24mm Nikkor wide-angle zoom lens in a Nauticam housing with Inon strobes. The settings were 1/250 second at f/5.6 and ISO 800.
Photo credit: Aaron Bates
About me
I’m an underwater photographer from Austin, Texas that has been shooting nature professionally for more than a decade. I started shooting professionally in 2004 with landscapes as my first nature subjects. Primarily a wide-angle photographer, I love documenting sharks and unusual sea life across the globe. I work primarily in the Americas but travel occasionally to Asia as I lead trips for Big Fish Expeditions.
I’ve always loved the natural world and since childhood have been trying to document its beauty. The underwater world is an ever-changing scene where every moment is precious. David Doubilet was my first inspiration for his image of sea lions. I have since had the good fortune of getting to shoot with both him and Jennifer Hayes, an expert in sturgeon and a dedicated photographer of harp seals.
I joined NANPA in 2019 and was recognized in the 2021 Showcase Top 100 for one of my Alaskan images underwater and learned of the competition through my membership. I designed the new NANPA.org website, 2022 Expressions digital publication, and updated the logo. I also contributed a blog entry and look forward to attending a future in-person event.
Memorable moments
Shooting in nature can be frustrating because it can feel like any number of elements are not working in your favor. It is one place I never feel hurried to leave, which was rewarded in my shot of the Great Fountain Geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park. I was prepared and in place for a sunset-timed photo of the geyser erupting before its periods became too lengthy and unpredictable to document sufficiently.
Website: uwDesigner.com
Facebook: Jennifer Idol
Instagram: @uwDesigner
See all of the Top 26 winning images from NANPA’s 2023 Showcase nature photography competition.
