2nd Place Black & White
Jon Anderson
“Afternoon Acrobatics“
The Story:
Summer’s rich bounty of sardines, squid, and anchovies bring an increased concentration in the number of California sea lions in the Monterey Bay. They haul out along jetties, harbors, and rocky areas throughout the bay between their fishing expeditions. Hundreds of sea lions congregate on and around the breakwater at the Monterey harbor which also happens to be one of the most visited dive sites in Monterey. It’s nearly impossible to dive here and not catch at least a glimpse of a sea lion out of the corner of your eye. I noticed a pattern of sea lions swimming parallel to the wall, navigating through the kelp forest to return to the end of the breakwater where they haul out and socialize. Imagining this photograph in my head, I determined I would need a bright sunny afternoon for the light to be right and patience to wait for a sea lion to swim through the kelp forest scene I had selected.
Location:
San Carlos Beach, Monterey, California, USA
Equipment Used:
- Camera: Nikon D850
- Housing: Nauticam Nikon D850 Housing with Zen 100mm Mini Dome Port
- Lens: Nikon 8-15mm Lens
- Lights/Strobes:
Camera Settings:
- Aperture: F13
- Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
- ISO: 1250
