White-banded Cleaner Shrimp II

Subject: A White-banded Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) poses for our camera on the back of a Yellowmouth Moray (Gymnothorax nudivomer). These up to 6cm/2 ¼ inch long shrimps feed of parasites and dead skin from client fishes, by doing so they contribute to the general health of the reef ecosystem.

Technique: The vignette I added in post-production darkens the shrimp’s surroundings and creates the illusion that the Shrimp is standing in the spotlight. I also thought that the music with string-like sounds matched well with the long string-like antennas of the shrimp.

Hypselodoris infucata I

Subject: A nudibranch (Hypselodoris infucata) is making her way on a sandy bottom near a coral reef. This species is quite difficult to identify because it resembles H.kanga (which is believed to have blue or blue and red rhinophores, and yellow spots on its gills) and H.obscura (which is believed to have more blue on its body and may be endemic to eastern Australia). To make matters worse, H.infucata’s body can vary from almost completely white with only a few spots to dark purple or blue with many spots depending on its geographical range.

Technique: Filming a small animal with a big camera isn’t always easy. Whenever possible, like in this case, it is wise to pose your camera on the sandy bottom in order to film it from a stable position.

Safety Colours

Subject: We humans use “colours as an important way to communicate hazards”. Fish use colours to avoid predation, to blend in with the environment and to communicate their readiness to be cleaned. These Bluestreak Fusiliers are wearing red because they are close to the reef, maybe looking to be cleaned or ready for a rest in the rubble of the reef. When out in the open water they dress in blue.

Technique: This image has been cropped, a lot. It is part of a wide-angle image. The entire picture itself is not interesting at all, but this fragment caught my attention. To make the best of this image I cut off more than 50%. I also erased some other fish and boosted the contrast and colours a bit.