underwater bird photography (1 Viewer)

Has anyone tried underwater photography of birds? - I'd love to see some images of species such as Kingfisher/Osprey/Sea Eagles etc taken from below the surface of water as they go for prey fish - also any images of ducks/divers/penquins etc. Have trawled the net but had no luck - it seems wildlife photographers tend to either focus on land/air photography or sub-marine photography which doesn't seem to include bird images.

No reason for asking other than for interest really but if anyone knows of any sites or has anything in the gallery that would be great.

like this fantastic shot for example - except it was taken from above!

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N

I myself have tried and utterly failed but a number of my underwater shooting colleagues succeeded with cormorants in the sea of cortez around the los islotes sea lion rookery. Try searching digitaldiver.net for cormorant and aningha (sp?) and you should see some good shots.

PS sea eagle/osprey would be all but impossible without a tame bird. It'd be too difficult to line up the bird coming in at the angle they use and take the photo (hope that makes sense). diving birds you at least have a bit more time with.

You can try googling 'Jonthan Bird under water stock photography.'

I can only imagine that photographing birds under water is exceedingly time consuming and difficult with many practicalities to overcome. I have seen a couple of dipper shots. Unlike fish, birds under water are not in abundance and it will be difficult to predict where they will be (though methods can be employed). You have to be close, you can't use long lenses under water. I imagine the reward for the effort put in does not justify the time needed for such photography.

I once read an article about photographing water rails under water. It took three years and a lot of planning to get the desired shot!

I will never say something cannot be done , because as you say it, someone may be out there doing it!:smoke:

I found some at Alamy Image Bank, go to alamy.com and search these codes:

ADYDW3 - kingfisher diving for fish, obviously under a controled situation (aquarium?), amazing pic.

ATE0JK - a cormorant in FL.

ATDMMJ - guillemots underwater at sea.

AB79R4 - Puffin, very nice!

AJT7WY - brown booby.

and of course there are many of penguins.

Thanks Messrs Dancy, Isurus, Aracari for links/sites

So been trying to get my head around 'how do you get a good underwater photo of a bird'? I initially had visions of the photographer in an underwater hide in scuba gear with a digi and lights hoping for fulfillment of best predictability ie. staking out known diving/fishing patch - Obviously, hadn't thought that one through!! Perhaps underwater web cams with movement/light triggers or camera attached to one bird diving in a group with others? Bet Mr Attenborough would know a man who can!

Just found this one fantastic shot and am having a hard job believing it is actually a photo and not one of those airbrush paintings!

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...um=1&hl=en&rlz=1B2GGFB_enGB225GB225&sa=N&um=1

deborah4 said:

Just found this one fantastic shot and am having a hard job believing it is actually a photo and not one of those airbrush paintings!

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...um=1&hl=en&rlz=1B2GGFB_enGB225GB225&sa=N&um=1

Click to expand...

I can think of how it could be done but it would be very difficult, and would need luck and patience.

1. I have seen where someone put up a nice perch over water and had minnows in a wire basket below open to the surface of the water. A Kingfisher in the area would probably find this inviting.

2. Add to this a phototrap (light source and sensor to fire your camera) Set it up so that a diving bird breaks the circuit.

You might pull it off.

Maybe.

a.dancy said:

I once read an article about photographing water rails under water. It took three years and a lot of planning to get the desired shot!

I will never say something cannot be done , because as you say it, someone may be out there doing it!:smoke:

Click to expand...

Just need a "fish-eye" lens.

I think an underwater kingfisher camera trap could be a goer along the lines described above.

speaking of divers and birds I have heard tales of confused gannets diving into divers bubbles having mistaken them for schools of baitfish (with predictably hilarious results).

I would think the Galapagos would be a great place to try it out. Lots of penguins swimming and boobies diving all around you. It would still take a lot of patience and luck though!

Cheers,
Benji

hi
You should try visiting www.vanditkalia.com or google photo safari india to see under awter photography by vandit kalia.
Moses-birding club of lake baringo,kenya

Dave B Smith said:

Just need a "fish-eye" lens.

Click to expand...

or just lots of fish perhaps but definitely some water as this shot shows ...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2252/1695722649_0920aa59b6.jpg

isurus said:

speaking of divers and birds I have heard tales of confused gannets diving into divers bubbles having mistaken them for schools of baitfish (with predictably hilarious results)

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and speaking of which, these two pics I found particularly interesting - Gannets diving after sardines and mackerel

http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/images/WildOcean08_555pxBLOG.jpg

and this, note the full crop as it 'soars' up to surface, wings tightly in - all this from the energy of the initial dive:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2644125130_e9cdc00e3f.jpg?v=0

a bit of info that is also interesting (to me anyway looking at underwater pics!) Gannets dive from an average height of 30 m. at near 100 km/h., therefore, their external nares are closed, instead they have alternative openings on the inside of the upper mandible of the bill. They also have air sacs in the face and chest for protection from the impact with the water. Plus, they have better binocular vision than most birds.

harold stilver said:

... I have seen where someone put up a nice perch over water and had minnows in a wire basket below open to the surface of the water. A Kingfisher in the area would probably find this inviting.

Click to expand...

much the same seems to work with the gannets here, although I'm sure sharks were the intended photographic target!

http://marinesci.ukzn.ac.za/Biology/images/stories/baitball.jpg


Interesting that, Puffins and Penguins (by far the most prolific subject when googling for pics so far ) and other auks all use wing propulsion underwater (upto 30mph!) or as other pursuit divers such as Cormorants etc who use feet propulsion, supposedly thus making them all faster underwater not slower than plunge divers (ie. Boobies, Gannets etc) , so I find it slightly surprising I can't find better shots of the latter: (But nice shot of a Puffin at bottom of post)

and these two are crackers although not quite underwater!

http://i.pbase.com/o6/74/738974/1/72438836.9mrwGRrx.birdsheadunderwater.jpg

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/resources-www/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/swpy/2007/popup/51.jpg

"much the same seems to work with the gannets here, although I'm sure sharks were the intended photographic target!

http://marinesci.ukzn.ac.za/Biology/...s/baitball.jpg"

that's from South Africa's sardine run.

Seals, dolphins, pelicans and whales all around as well probably