So you've sent in that deposit and have now committed a large amount of money, time and effort to capture images of marine life from that exotic dive location. You read the travel brochures, talked to a few friends who have been there and listened to the glowing reports from the travel agent, captain or resort operator. You have a firm idea of the subjects you will likely encounter and have set your sites on one or two, which if seen, would really make the trip. You purchase that new lens to best capture these subjects and of course all the necessary film, batteries and other expendables.

You are ready to go! Or are you? What do you really know about these subjects you hope to encounter? Of the subjects you would most like to see, how common are they in the geographic area you will be in? Are they seasonal and will you be there during the right time of year? What do they feed on? Are they found in association with other marine species? What is there normal depth range? Are they most active during a particular time of day? What sort of bottom substrate, if any, are they found on? Do they use coloration or other behaviors to camouflage themselves? How can you best approach them? The list could go on and on.

If you found your most desired subjects are nowhere to be seen, what is your plan B? What other subjects are common in the area where you will be? What could you potentially see if you changed your perspective?

All of the above questions and many more can and should be answered, well before you depart on that trip of a lifetime. All it takes is a little pre trip research. High quality reference materials are available for nearly every geographic area of the world and most are readily available. With all the money you will spend for the trip, equipment and film the price of a few reference and identification texts can easily be put in perspective. Don't wait for the plane ride home to start studying them! If you have access to the Web, then by all means make use of it to gather all the critter information you can. Contact everyone you can who has been there before.

One thing is for sure, once on location your time will be very limited. You will likely not have the luxury of repeating a marine encounter over and over again until you get it right. The more you know about the subjects your looking for, the more you have increased the odds of locating them. Once located, you will be better prepared to approach and photograph them. In short, know your subjects!

Your questions and comments are welcomed.

Randy Morse
E-Mail: RMorse@rickeng.com
(619)278-2436