Nudi Love

Underwater photographers usually dream about getting that one stellar photo. A standout image that captures the underwater world in a beautiful, imaginative way, and goes on to win praise and prizes. But there are those that dive amongst us whose dreams are different. And they are some of the most fanatical finned photographers. For them it is not so much about the single image, but about building a collection of photographs. Their approach is not focused on fancy or creative techniques, the challenge, instead, involves shooting precisely to accentuate the inherent beauty and interest in their chosen subject. They are the nudi-shooters.

Actually, there is a bit of them in us all. We may not all want to collect every species, but most photographers struggle to turn down a good nudi. However, getting a really memorable picture remains a challenge. The problem is two fold: technique and opportunity. I know I’d get more splendid sea slug shots, if I could find more of the slimy so-and-sos.

The photographic side is fairly simple to master. Nudis typically offer two standout angles. The head on portrait and the whole body shot are most photogenic. Portraits work best from dead ahead and from right down at rhinophore (the sensory antlers) level. Focus must be on the rhinophores, because if you fill the frame there won’t be much depth of field. Ideally search for a slug on top of something, so you can frame it against open water and get a clean black background. Consider using a single strobe.

Whole body shots are better for showing off the colouration, and work best from a higher angle, showing both the side and the top of the nudi. We want as much depth of field as possible, to show all the details in focus. The negative space is crucial. The best images have simple, non-distracting backgrounds, which contrast pleasingly with the subject. I don’t believe in moving creatures for my photos and the thrill of nudi shooting can often be finding that perfectly positioned slug.

Nudibranch photography is such a unique discipline that it is sensible to seek out a nudibranch specialist. Talented underwater photographer, Jim Anderson, is the owner and publisher of the Scottish Nudibranchs website, that has been online since 1999 and is a regular source of info for me and many other photographers. “I first become aware of nudibranchs while diving in the Seychelles in 1987,” Jim tells me, “and it came as a bit of a surprise to learn we had them at home too. There are over 160 species that can be found, with a bit of effort, around they UK. Many are beautifully coloured and some surprisingly large.”

A bit of knowledge will go a long way to increasing our opportunities. “Understanding how they live and what they feed on helps to narrow down the places to search,” advises Jim. The best sites are where their food can be found. Nudibranchs feed on sponges, corals, hydroids, bryozoans and more, and these filter feeders like sites with good water movement. For example, Tritonia hombergi Britain’s largest species, which grows to 20cm (7.9 inches), feeds on dead man’s fingers. Find the food, search for the slugs.”

“The presence of egg ribbons is often the best clue,” continues Jim. “These are often very obvious and because nudibranchs are slow moving, they are likely to be nearby. Finding our Doto species generally requires this approach; they feed and spawn on hydroids and since the egg mass is large and showy its presence will trigger for me to start hunting for them on the hydroid.”

The same rules apply in the tropics. I took this photo in Bali and there on the hydroids were egg masses and nearby Doto nudis. In this case, a rather spectacular looking undescribed species that has been nicknamed the donut Doto. Although here I used that other method for finding tiny nudibranchs, they were near the end of the dive guides metal pointer!

Nudibranch photography is a never-ending quest and there is always something new to see and shoot. As Jim puts it, “most divers start photographing nudibranchs because they are easy: they don’t move much and are colourful. But soon they learn there is so much more to these animals. There are so many species to find and then you get into their life cycles, with feeding, mating and egg laying behaviours to capture. The more you learn the deeper you are sucked into the Nudi-verse.”

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