Guest Photographer Picks
Theme
The next topic is all about the Ornate & Ornamental in aquatic species.
Contributors' Picks
Black as a Design Element: Contributors’ Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Kate Jonker: Moonwalker—ornate amphipod photographed using a snoot torch to create a black background (above). Gear: Olympus TG-6 camera, Marelux housing, Minigear torch. Exposure: ISO400, f/18, 1/1000s.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images that use black as a design element, and they came back with a dynamic selection of macro and wide-angle shots featuring a diverse range of marine life, haunting wreck scenes, dramatic underwater topography, and even divers.
Signature Traits: Contributors' Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Gary Rose: Great hammerhead shark (previous page), Bimini, Bahama Islands. The shape of the cephalofoil (head) and the huge dorsal fin are quick identifiers. Gear: Nikon D500 camera, Tokina 10-17mm lens at 17mm, Nauticam housing, Inon Z-330 strobes. Exposure: ISO 400, f/11, 1/125s.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images that showcase the distinctive features of various underwater creatures, and they returned with a broad selection of macro and wide-angle shots featuring a variety of marine life, from majestic sharks and sea turtles to tiny nudibranchs and crustaceans.
Transparent & Translucent: Contributors’ Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Kate Jonker: Translucent strawberry anemones, Corynactis annulata, can be made to glow by lighting with a snoot positioned above and slightly behind them. Simon’s Town, South Africa. Gear: Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera, Canon EF 100mm macro lens, one Inon strobe with Marelux SOFT Pro snoot. Exposure: ISO 100, f/25, 1/250s
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater photos showing the transparent and translucent qualities of underwater creatures, and they came back with a range of macro and wide-angle shots featuring a variety of marine life.
Tones & Tonality: Contributors' Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Scott Bennett: Bigeye jacks, Sipadan, Malaysia—cool tones. Gear: Nikon D200 camera, Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm, Hugyfot housing, two Ikelite D125 strobes. Exposure: ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/80s.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater photos that showcase tones and tonality, and they returned with a range of wide-angle and macro shots featuring a variety of marine life, reefs and topography.
Seascapes: Contributors’ Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag contributors
Photo by Matthew Meier: Scalefin and purple anthias over leather soft coral and a sea fan covered in pink and purple soft corals, Bligh Waters, Fiji. Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Nikon 16-35mm lens, Subal housing, Sea&Sea D3 strobes. Exposure: ISO 800, f/6.3, 1/125s
We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that show underwater seascapes, and they came back with a range of wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life large and small.
Pairs & Companions: Contributors’ Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Photo by Anita George-Ares. Thorny seahorses, Dumaguete, Philippines. Gear: Canon EOS Rebel SL1 camera, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro USM lens, Ikelite housing, two Ikelite DS161 strobes. Exposure: ISO 200, f/11, 1/160s
We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that show pairs and companions, or two of a kind, and they returned with a range of macro to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life large and small from around the world.
Framing in Underwater Photography: Contributors' Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag contributors
Photo by Kate Jonker: Using the light of a snoot to frame a subject against a black background. Horned blenny, Blousteen, Gordon’s Bay, South Africa. Gear: Canon R5 camera, Canon 100mm macro lens, Marelux MX-R5 housing, Inon Z-240 strobe, Marelux SOFT Pro snoot. Exposure: ISO 320, f/20, 1/200s.
What does a “frame within a frame” look like in underwater photography? We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that use “framing” to draw attention to the subject in the image, and they came back with a range of macro to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life, as well as divers, in wrecks and on reefs.
Triptychs: Contributors' Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag Contributors
Great White Triptych, by Gary Rose. This photo was taken in Guadalupe Island, Mexico, and printed on white aluminum panels. Gear: Nikon D500 camera, Tokina 10-17mm lens at 17mm, Nauticam housing, Inon Z330 strobes. Exposure: ISO 320, f/11, 1/125s
We asked our contributors to create an underwater “triptych,” and they returned with an artistic range of color, black-and-white and toned compilations, from abstract close-ups to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life, large and small, as well as divers, on reefs and wrecks, and in open water, lakes, and even an aquarium.
Variations on the Theme of Opposites: Contributors' Picks
Images
X-Ray Mag contributors
Photo by Anita George-Ares: Moray eels, Maldives. Gear: Canon EOS Rebel SL1 camera, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens (at 26mm), Ikelite housing, two Ikelite DS161 strobes. Exposure: ISO 200, f/8, 1/160s
We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images showing variations on the theme of “Opposites,” and they came back with a diverse range of color and black-and-white photos featuring marine life from large whales to tiny nudibranchs and fellow divers on reefs and wrecks, in caverns and cenotes as well as open waters.