Clownfish: The Ultimate Subject for Learning Macro Techniques

Often, on macro photography trips, people chase unicorns—they seek out rare and unusual subjects, spending so much time searching that they either overlook the more common and obvious ones or end up photographing the rarities in uninspired ways due to a lack of refined techniques. One of the secrets to mastering macro photography is having an arsenal of well-practiced techniques ready to deploy the moment you encounter a rare subject. The best way to develop these skills is by practicing on common species or even static subjects like corals. But who wants to return home with a portfolio full of coral shots taken in different ways? That’s why the subject I turn to most for honing my skills and refining my precision is the clownfish. It’s probably the macro subject I’ve photographed the most, and on a macro trip, I’ll typically shoot at least one every other dive.

Clownfish are instantly recognizable to any diver. They are commonly found and present on nearly every dive in a macro destination. However, they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors—not to mention that each anemone they inhabit is unique, from bubble-tip and carpet anemones to an array of vibrant hues. This makes photographing them far more versatile than you might initially expect. But beyond all of that, clownfish remain captivating subjects because they are instantly recognizable to virtually everyone. In fact, they are arguably the most well-known fish species in the world—thanks, in no small part, to a certain film from the early 2000s.

So what techniques can we practice and perfect on the incredible clownfish species?

Critical Focus: Perfecting Autofocus

Clownfish are fast-moving, darting in and out of the tentacles of their anemone homes, making them tricky to track. But as with any macro fish photography, nailing focus on the eye is essential. By experimenting with different focus methods on your camera, you can learn which techniques work best for various behaviors. Try using eye autofocus on modern mirrorless cameras, test different autofocus zones for composition, or use single-spot focus and manually position the focus point to capture the eye precisely. Getting familiar with your viewfinder and learning how to use it effectively will also improve your results. These might seem like small details, but if you can reliably and consistently get a tack-sharp eye on a fast-moving clownfish, focusing on slower-moving macro subjects will become second nature. Your success rate will improve dramatically, and when those rare encounters happen, you’ll be ready to nail the shot.

Learning Fish Behavior

People often tell me that clownfish are difficult to photograph because they move around so much. However, a valuable lesson in fish behavior can be learned by simply taking a step back and observing. If you pause for a moment and watch, you’ll notice that clownfish follow a predictable pattern as they weave through their anemone. They often have a preferred spot where they like to linger. Once you recognize this behavior, you can set up your camera composition in advance, relax, and let the subject move in and out of the frame without constantly chasing it. Since you know it will return to its favorite position, there's no need to frantically track it. This approach—studying fish behavior before shooting—will serve you well with many other species, teaching you the value of patience and observation in underwater photography.

Shallow Depth of Field

Shallow depth of field is one of my favorite techniques for macro photography. By opening up the aperture to f/2.8–6.3, you can create soft, creamy backgrounds that add a magical quality to your images, drawing the viewer’s attention to the subject’s eye while eliminating distracting backgrounds and debris. However, shooting this way lowers your success rate compared to using a safer aperture like f/16. A great way to refine this technique is by practicing on a clownfish. Try photographing the same fish at a range of apertures, starting at f/11 and working your way down to f/2.8. Take three images at each f-stop and review them later to analyze the differences in depth of field and how they impact your composition. Additionally, learn the relationship between aperture, exposure, and how to quickly adjust for f-stop changes using ISO and strobe power. Mastering this technique will transform your macro photography. 

Slow Shutter-Speed Shots

Slow shutter shots are designed to convey motion, and clownfish are ideal subjects for this technique. Their constant movement, combined with the swaying tentacles of their anemone homes, provides plenty of dynamic motion to capture. Experiment with shutter speeds ranging from ¼ second to 1 second, observing how different speeds affect ambient light and learning to balance this with ISO, aperture, and ND filters. Familiarize yourself with the difference between motion blur created through intentional panning versus the natural blur caused by the movement of the fish itself. Additionally, understand when to use front curtain sync versus rear curtain sync and how each affects your final image. For a deeper dive into slow shutter macro photography, check out our article Slow Shutter Macro Photography. There’s no better subject than the common clownfish for mastering this technique.

Wide Angle Macro

Imagine a clownfish family nestled within an anemone—it’s more than just a subject; it’s a home, a habitat, and a story waiting to be told. This makes it a perfect opportunity to experiment with wide-angle macro techniques. You can achieve this using a fisheye lens or a shorter focal length macro lens, such as a 50mm behind a curved macro port, or even the Nauticam EMWL, which provides a 160-degree field of view. Shooting with this approach encourages you to go beyond simply filling the frame with macro subjects and instead focus on creating more emotive images that showcase both the animals and their environment. These types of shots immerse the viewer in the underwater world and resonate with a much wider audience—not just dedicated macro photographers.

Eggs and Behavior

Behavior shots are often challenging to capture in macro photography, but clownfish offer a unique exception. They typically share their anemone home with other marine creatures, such as porcelain crabs and shrimp species like Pederson cleaner shrimp and sexy shrimp. This creates excellent opportunities to photograph multiple subjects in a single frame, producing compelling images that highlight symbiotic relationships and the ecological importance of these habitats. Such shots can also serve as powerful conservation imagery.

Another fascinating behavior to document is clownfish egg-laying. Their eggs are commonly found on flat surfaces, such as stones, near the anemone. Capturing this requires patience and care—avoid disturbing the environment, as clownfish are highly protective of their eggs. If you venture too close, expect a warning in the form of a quick peck on the hand—take it as a sign to respect their space and back off.

Conclusion

Unicorns are rare underwater, and when you encounter one, you want to be fully prepared to capture it using the best possible techniques. But to develop the skills needed to react quickly and execute those techniques flawlessly, there’s no better practice subject than the humble clownfish. They offer everything a photographer could ask for—vibrant colors, variety, dynamic movement, and an emotive presence that resonates with anyone who views your work.