Cheer Up...It's Friday!!

Like most days, I read my daily photography blogs, and click on links on those sites to view other photographer's work. Viewing other's work is a necessity to improve my own craft. Some days, I am not very inspired, but today I was blown away by a Landscape Photographer in Canada. I found his link via David Duchemin's blog, Pixelated Image . I was looking at ebooks as I want to write my own, and wanted to see what other photographer's were writing about. I ran across and bought Darwin Wiggett's ebook on Winter (Landscapes in the Canadian Rockies). Wow, talk about inspiring photographs!! Check out his site....I am sure it will blow you away too!! Great stuff, and I recommend his ebook as well...it is only 5 bucks!

As promised, below is my image of a Mandarine Fish....pretty little guy, isn't he? Or is it a her? They hang out in clusters of broken up coral (usually Staghorn Coral) in about 15 feet of water. During the day, they are deep into the coral, and you can't usually see them. At around dusk, they slowly emerge from their holes to feed and mate. They are very skittish and shy, so they are difficult to photograph. When I see one, I have to hold my breath to not make any noise, and move real slowly to set my focus and then fire. As soon as my strobes goes off, the fish usually sprints for the holes in the coral, and then I have to wait another 10 minutes for him to come out again. So, the shot below is the ONE out of about 50 I took that evening...the only one that came out well. A frustrating fish to photograph...

Below is a photo from one of my favorite sites in Raja Ampat...called, "Blue Magic"...it is just teaming with fish....thousands and thousands of fish of all different varieties...When I jump in the water, I don't know where to look or go, there are sooo many fish. It is incredible!