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.

In his second blog post for the Smithsonian Ocean Portal, "The Perfect Underwater Photo," Skerry shares some of his secrets of the trade.

Tags: 
Cephalopods, Crustaceans, Underwater photography, Brian Skerry, Ocean art

Yellow Goby

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

 

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

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.

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Florida Manatee

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

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

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.

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Moray Waits for a Meal

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

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Butterflyfish and Wrasse

A wrought iron butterflyfish, Chaetodon daedalma, being cleaned by a small wrasse in the waters of Japan's Ogasawara Islands.

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Blue Cod Amongst Sea Pens

A blue cod and sea pens, a unique type of cnidarian, speckle the seafloor in New Zealand's Fiordland region.

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Yellowfin Surgeonfish

A school of yellowfin surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus, feed near dusk off Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands, one of the world's largest marine protected areas.

Credit: © Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

I love the pictures! I am an amateur underwater photographer and am interested on how to copy write your pictures and any photographer clubs out there to give me access to professionals advice. Great work.

Sincerely, Dan Loftis

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

this form about the photography the ocean .i really like it .and love to capture the ocean scene.

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