Howard Moo Young, Contributor
"AS AN island nation, there is much more to what we have, than what is on the land. As most of the island is underwater, a lot of what we do not know about is under the sea. Most of our people, if they do swim, do not dive. They will not see the beauty underwater. We all need to learn more about what is underwater, to protect our land."
This is a personal message to Jamaica from Krishna Desai, marine biologist and underwater photographer. He gained his B.Sc. degree in zoology and botany in 1996 from the University of the West Indies (UWI), and worked for the Government in resource management. His love for the underwater world began during the period when he did marine work, without any knowledge of diving.
DIVING LESSONS
Mr. Desai learnt to dive in 1998, but would have preferred to acquire this skill earlier in his career. He started his diving lessons at the Buccaneer Inn, a dive shop which was then located at Morgan's Harbour in Port Royal. Dr. Quinn, of the UWI Discovery Marine Land, organised a weekend underwater photography workshop with an overseas instructor in 2001. That was what Krishna needed to discover a new world in the fascinating depths of the Caribbean Sea. The number of students was kept to a maximum of 10, and the type of camera used during the course was the Nikonos underwater camera, using colour transparency film (slides).
But it was not until a year later that he had his first dive with a camera, simply because he had to save some money to purchase the type of camera he really wanted. "My first pictures underwater was at Rock and Pee. I actually did two dives with the camera housing only, just to make sure there were no leaks. This was followed up with a dive at Rio Bueno east on the North Coast. I was very excited looking at my first images, which were taken without a strobe," he reminisces.
The underwater strobe actually introduces 'white light' where you do not have any reds and yellows. It brings out the colours you would not normally see with the naked eye. The underwater world is indeed fantastic and a rich subject for photography, even if you are not a marine biologist like Mr. Desai, and he will tell you that the sheer wonder of it can induce such an adrenaline rush that it is easy to get carried away, and that can be very dangerous, especially for the beginner. Safety is more important than photographs. Never get carried away with the picture potential and dive alone or leave your diving partner.
EXPENSIVE
"My first camera was a 4.3 mega pixel Sony digital. I waited a long time, because I really wanted a digital," he said, "A friend of mine sent me to Ocho Rios to get some 10 x 15 colour prints done from his three mega pixel camera, I was very impressed after seeing the results, so I made up my mind to acquire a digital," he explained.
The special watertight housing, which can cost anywhere between US$500 $1000, that Krishna uses is actually more expensive than the camera he uses (about US$400), and the strobe can cost from US$500 upwards. A SLR housing unit with a SLR camera can run you US$10,000 easily. "It would take me literally one year to 'take the plunge' to acquire this equipment," he remarked with a look of anticipation.
Desai explained that within the first 30 feet underwater, all the reds, oranges and yellows are absorbed, leaving the blues, indigos and violets below that depth, which gives your pictures a monotone effect. At this point, the underwater strobe has to be introduced to enhance the true colours of the subject.
"Other divers are amazed to see the colours that I capture in my photos, because they are so used to seeing these creatures in normal light with heavy blue overcasts. The strobe makes a big difference, especially in close-ups. Some very common things become very unusual at close range with the strobe light.
As a photographer, you dive with four or five friends and, at the end of the dive, they will say that it was a "waste-of-time dive," until you show them your images and the remark will be "But I did not see that!" "Isn't that the same with land photography?" asked Krishna.
He remarked that if after a number of years the diver starts to lose interest, a very good thing to do is to take up underwater photography. It will renew the whole adventure, as many of his friends have come to learn.
For your own safety, you must have a diving buddy, who can also help you to move the fish into a certain position for a better photograph. He can herd the fish into a certain area you prefer. In Jamaica, a lot of fish tend to swim away from divers, because they have become scared of the spear gun, which means death. However, a few seconds can make a difference in composition, as you can get rid of a lot of clutter in front of you by just being patient.
Some fishes will not swim away, like the scorpion fish (St. Ann's Bay fish), rock fish and lizard fish, they prefer to lay quietly in camouflage. You can get really close-up to capture their eyeballs as they will not move. But, if you get pricked by the scorpion fish, you will end up in St. Ann's Bay Hospital for a few days. Small fish do not swim away and the moray eels are very shy, as they usually pull away into their crevices.
Krishna's images of puffer fish, starfish, schools of jack, sea cucumber, manta ray, sea turtles, tarpon, sponges, parrot fish (one of his favourite dishes) and corals, brings to the viewer a variety of colour, textures and patterns you will never see on land. They are a work of art, as the intense colours of live fishes literally come alive in front of your mask.
"I have seen so many types of fish with names I didn't even know. I will take a picture of it in my mind and when I get to the surface, I will look it up in a book. There is always a surprise in any given dive, such as the Christmas tree worms that live in a tube and bore into the corals, then extend their tentacles, a very common animal that makes interesting images," describes the photographer.
"Night dives allow me to isolate the background and emphasise the subject, so I use a flashlight before the picture is taken. Certain sea animals and fish, especially the predators, only come out at night, while others are sleeping. There are also ethics about disturbing the environment too, as you can disrupt its pattern by taking too many photographs at night. You have to be careful and respect the creatures, leaving them as you found them," explained Mr. Desai, who has very strong views on the environment.
Mr. Desai will be one of the featured photographers who will be exhibiting his work at the 2005 Liguanea Photo and Art Festival, to be held on Labour Day, May 23, at Liguanea Plaza, Matildas Corner, St. Andrew. You will be able to meet him personally and discuss his images and techniques, along with other leading Jamaican photographers and artists who will be taking part.
(To be continued next week).
Howard Moo Young is an advertising/graphic design/photography consultant with over 40 years experience. Email: mooimages@yahoo.com
