Honorable Mention Compact Behavior
Marco Lausdei
“Alien invasion“
The Story:
Be part of a massive feeding time in Hanifaru Bay is something really hard to forget. Due to a combination of conditions, including the time of year, tide, moon phase, and currents, Hanifaru Bay transforms into a vast plankton buffet for dozens, sometimes hundreds of reef manta rays.
During aggregation season, the weather is almost always rainy or overcast, the light is dim and flat, and the water is green and full of particles. This makes the photographer’s job quite difficult. I attempted to capture in natural light a dynamic moment in which a dozen individuals headed straight for me, using the classic train formation to channel the plankton and maximize the amount ingested. I used low ISO and a shutter speed of 1/160 to avoid blurry shots, compensating with an aperture of f/3.5. They were very emotional moments, and I’m truly happy that this photo was chosen among the many in the competition.
Location:
Maldives – Baa Atoll – Hanifaru bay
Equipment Used:
- Camera – Sony rx100m5
- Housing – Fantasea
- Strobe/light – Natural Light
- Lens – AOI wet dome
Camera Settings:
- ISO 125
- F/3.5
- Shutter speed 1/160s
