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Larva smooth angler fish. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
There is a challenging style to deal with underwater photography. But the complexity increases considerably when you add subjects that are only a few millimeters, and the pitch-black night position. Yet this is the same as photographer and diver Ryo Minimizu is doing with their night divers, also known as Blackwater Dives. Minemizu took time to answer some questions on a crate in the Pacific Ocean, providing information about how he captures unreliable untrude to the sea.
When Minimizu started taking pictures while diving, he simply wanted to catch the beautiful water landscape and the life form is easily visible to the naked eyes. Eventually, however, he was not clear, he became more interested in things that often ignored and fleeting moments that did not pay attention. “I was ready not only for their beauty, but also for the strength and skills required to survive, and also the deep importance of life,” he said.
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Polka dot ribbon fish. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
To find those fleeting moments, Minemizu has to dive in places and time when most do not leave the sea. Knight Dives opened a new approach, allowing it to catch organisms, quite literally, new lights. Minemizu also decided to focus on creatures that usually do not pay attention. But it makes difficult photographic scenarios. “Blackwater dive photography is of course one of the most challenging and relatively new fronts in the world of underwater macro photography,” he said.
“Blackwatter dive photography is certainly one of the most challenging and relatively new fronts in the world of underwater macro photography”
The dark state of darkness is probably the most obvious challenge. Minemizu says that for black water divers, a rope with several lights is attached, which is suspended under an aunt, but its main purpose is security-related, not for photography. In fact, “Suspended from Buoy must be asleep as possible to avoid any negative effects on the natural environment,” they explain. Instead, he said that divers mainly discover subjects in full darkness, only using underwater lights because they find them.
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A string of light hangs from an aunt, but only for security reasons. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
When it is time to bring a subject to light, minimizu depends on five lights: two Marralx Apollo III 2.0 strob, for ultra-high-speed flash photography, two color rendering for use as targeted lights with lights with lights with lights and one type of use for using one-in-250 lights for use as targeted lights with lights with lights with lights. Is done. He uses maximum flash sink speed to freeze the movement, as small organisms are in constant motion. But it’s not a set and forget it. “Both exposure and flash intensity are adjusted manually to the site to suit the transparency of each subject,” they explain.
While light is necessary in the event of the pitch-blind, it can also have a negative effect. “Each subject has its own unique characteristics and behavior,” minimizu explained. “For example, some will close their wings and start floating the moment when a light is pointed to them or quickly disappears in the dark.” As a result, he must estimate the next step of the subject, rapidly assess how it will react to light and how it can behave, and the spot can decide about the lighting. “This involves choosing the right color tone, the best angle for lights and proper light intensity,” he said.
The size of their subjects is another important challenge. Minemizu mainly focuses on taking pictures of plankton, fish larvae and other minuscule creatures that measure only a few millimeters up to a few centimeters. To show them a large scale, Minemizu will have to go very close to them. But the water between the lens and the subject adds more complexity. “Even small currents created during the movement can disturb the subject’s currency, especially when working near the minimum focus,” they explained.
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Zoe larvae of scarlet shrimp. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
Constant speed also makes it difficult to find and track subjects. “One of the most important tasks is to find the subject through the visual -visible and keep the track without losing vision,” Minimizu said. To help with it, he suggests that a standard macro lens is more effective than a short focal length (about 50 to 60 mm univiv lens). Focus is also a unique challenge. It can be difficult to keep in mind keeping in mind the eye of an animal while walking on dry land, but keeping in mind that important attention, focusing on a small subject, floating around in the dark. After all, both minimizu and theme are currently moving forward, so only a brief window is found to attach it.
Naturally, as well as the gear component to consider. Minemizu uses Nauticam Housing and Canon Eos R5 with EF-EOS R converter. For the lens, he sticks with EF-S 35mm F2.8 macro, STM and EF-S 60mm F2.8 Macro is USM lens. He has chosen for the APS-C lens because equivalent focal lengths are ideal for their subject matter, especially 35 mm lenses. He says that he is eagerly waiting for the RF-Mount Standard Macro Lens that fully take advantage of the capabilities of a full-frame sensor, however.
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The setup of Minemizu is 14KG (31LBS), but is fully balanced to work under water. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
Minimizu says that on the ground, their setup weighs 14 kg (about 31 pounds). To manage under that high water, he adjusts the balance and weight using float arms, so the camera is completely level and neutrally bounce, which means that it is drowning or floating. Those float arms are connected from the top and bottom, making it easier to rotate the camera vertically.
Beyond all technical challenges, blackwater dives introduce physical risk. For safety reasons, Minimizu states that he limits its divers to 25 meters (82 ‘) at night, although most are between 10 to 20 meters (32.8 to 65.6’). Sometimes, the subject on which he is taking a photo will start getting into deep water, and he will need to decide what to do or not. “It can be dangerous to follow it very far,” he said. “In such cases, I need to maintain discipline and accept that there are moments that I should let go.”
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The larva marched to the flying fish. Photo: Ryo Minimizu |
While the images of Minemizu are beautiful, they also contribute to science. There are complete new scientific observation in some of the topics of him photographed. “To identify such cases on the spot, it is necessary for me to have a comprehensive knowledge of plankton, acquired through his own study,” said Minimizu. He is working closely with scientists at the Smithsonian institution and studying jointly with universities and experts, studying jellyfish, sephalopod larvae, crustacean larvae and larvae of various other Acusherki.
You can see more incredible images of MineMizu On their website,
