Dances with Dolphins

Of all the subjects we can photograph underwater, dolphins are the ultimate crowd pleaser. No subject impresses your non-diving friends more, but it is not straightforward to get quality images during these ephemeral and unpredictable encounters.

There are three golden rules for dolphin photography: shutter speed, shutter speed and shutter speed. Dolphin pictures always look great on the back of the camera, but it is common disappointment to find that they are all a bit blurred when we download them. The problem is that dolphins move much faster than most other subjects we photograph and if we want pin sharp photos then we have to use a much faster shutter speed than we’re used to.

I consider 1/320^th an absolute minimum for dolphins. We should ideally be at 1/500^th or more. I was up at 1/500^th for this group. So if you only remember one thing from this month’s column: whenever you see dolphins always think fast shutter speed.

The best exposure mode for dolphins is shutter priority exposure (S in Nikon and Sony speak, Tv in Canon language). This automatic mode allows us to set the shutter speed and the camera then selects an appropriate aperture to create a good exposure. We will usually have to dial in a bit of under exposure to get a rich blue water colour, but once set, the camera will produce reliable exposures whatever angle we shoot the dolphins from. Often such a high shutter speed will leave us with too wide an aperture, so we might want to push up the ISO a bit.

I like to engage continuous shooting on my SLR for dolphins. Not at a ridiculously high 5+ frames a second, but at about 2 frames per second (many cameras allow you to specify the frame rate in the custom settings). This allows me to keep my finger on the trigger as the dolphins fly past. It produces a pleasing selection of frames, without too many duplicates and without filling the camera’s buffer.

The other main consequence of speedy dolphins is getting in the right place for the shot. Generally, as underwater photographers, we want to move as slowly as possible, manoeuvring into position without disturbing our subject. Dolphins are completely the opposite. We need to go as fast as we can and drag is the killer. First, we should ditch our scuba gear. However fast you can swim in scuba gear, you can always swim faster without it. Also dolphins tend to go up and down too much for scuba.

Then we need to streamline our camera gear: the smaller the better. Immediately take off your strobes and strobe arms, which is really easy if you use fibre optic synch cords and can be done even in a zodiac. I know it sounds trivial, but when you are chasing after dolphins every little really makes a difference between getting great images and being left chasing their tails.

Even in their lowest gear, dolphins move along briskly. I usually find myself swimming as fast as I can just to keep up. But ultimately my best photos are when the dolphins come to me. Dolphins are much more interested in swimmers who move quickly and who dive down and twist and somersault in the water. The more interesting we are the more likely we will get close passes. If you have the option, wear bright colours and make noises. Your buddies will soon stop laughing when they see your photos!

Local knowledge is invaluable. Dolphins are intelligent animals and they often have complex daily routines. For example, in the Bahamas, where I took this month’s image, the Atlantic spotted dolphins tend to feed in the Gulf Stream at night. In the mornings they are usually sleeping and not in the mood for encounters. But by mid-afternoon they want to play. In the Red Sea, I have often found dolphins most playful in the late afternoon, while at Socorro in the Pacific they are particularly friendly first thing in the morning.

But my final advice is to always give it a go. The only way to be sure of missing great dolphin shots is not to get in.