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Two members of the shark family swimming along the shimmering, sandy ocean bottom. Hypanus americanus , the Bahamian stingray, is a common species in this part of the ocean.  Although not physically located in the Caribbean, the Bahamas are strongly associated with it.  I photographed these rays while visiting Half Moon Cay, one of the 700 islands making up the Bahamian archipelago. I love the marble-like streaks of light that cut through the image.  They are caused by the water's irregularly shaped surface that bends light, causing some areas to be brighter than average and other areas to be darker than average. Southern stingrays are not generally dangerous.  They are rather docile members of the Condrichthyes, the family that makes up the sharks, rays, skates and sawfish.  Their "bones" are made of cartilage and are not ossified into hard, calcified structures.  Stingrays do have a tail barb that they can use to defend themselves if they feel threatened....

A composite image - three photos combined into one. Our life, who we are, is a collection of genetics (the material to work with) and experiences (what we have gone through).  We are, in fact, a composite, kind of like the photo above.   To push the analogy further, consider the images I took during the cruise we just finished.  Where we were, what we saw, and the ship we were on all make up the "genetics" of the trip.  You can't take photos of Africa when you are near Central America.  Similarly, you are born with genetics that, to some extent, will predispose you to certain outcomes.   Then there are the images that were taken, the 3500 or so photos I took during the cruise, the people, and the events.  I focused (literally and figuratively) on the things I liked - the things that I wanted to photograph.  This represents the things in life you pick out of all that is around you.  Your interests, who you wish to associate with, and...

Queen Conch Snail - I photographed the diver as he plucked it out of the water. Ever seen a 12-inch snail that weighs 5 pounds?  While visiting an island in the Bahamas, I photographed a diver who pulled a queen conch snail out of the water.  I have seen the shells before, often fairly beat up and not nearly as colourful as this one.  What's impressive is that the snails may live up to 30 years old. Queen conch snails have two problems.  The first is that their shell is attractive and used by collectors and jewellery makers.  The second is that the snail itself is edible; in fact, it is downright tasty.  It has been compared to abalone, which is popular in the Pacific Northwest.  And, just like abalone, over hunting has reduced the numbers to concerning levels.  Because of this, the species is now protected.  If you find or buy an empty shell, you are allowed to bring up to three back into the US.  In Canada, you have to meet specific ex...

Vincent and Claudia at Halfmoon Cay with the Nieuw Amsterdam behind. Dramatic lighting has a way of making a scene pop when it may otherwise be somewhat ordinary.  In the scene above, the Holland America ship is illuminated by the sun against a dark sky.  The couple in the foreground are highlighted against the dark sea behind them. This was photographed in Alberta 22 years ago - the dark skies making an ominous background. The problem with getting these shots is that everything has to be just right.  You need a heavily overcast sky with breaks in the cloud cover to illuminate your foreground while your background is dark.  You can do this with flash, but the problem is that a flash will only illuminate the subject and not the entire foreground.  There are exceptions, such as the photo I took of my wife while staying in Hawaii overnight on a cruise ship. Night provided the dark skies while artificial lighting illuminated the foreground. The contrast between for...

Colour can transform a photo and, sometimes, be the subject. While visiting Yelapa, Mexico, on an excursion, we came across an interesting bench.  What caught my eye was the bright array of colours.  The various shades of blue were accented by other colours making up the plants, signs, and even stones.  As with many things in Mexico, it was a colour feast for the eyes. I converted the original image (left) to black and white (right) to show how colour affects the scene.  Although there are still dynamic details present, the fact is that the colours are the image's greatest asset.  Part of that reason is that the colours are vibrant.  Soft, muted colours would lend a bit to the scene, but not in the same way.   Black and white images tend to be especially dramatic and interesting when details are important.  Have a look at the cropped image below.  I took the original raw photo and converted it with an emphasis on the bench and extracting...

Green Iguana - Iguana iguana - A name so nice, they used it twice. I like lizards and would love to have one as a pet.  They need to be fed every day and require lots of room, so owning one has never been a reality.  If I were to get a lizard, it would not be a green iguana.  Owning a green iguana as a pet would be a mistake.  They start off small, as all young organisms do, but they can live up to 20 years of age and grow to a whopping 6 foot, 20 pound somewhat aggressive and moody creature.   That's not to say that people don't own them, and they are found in the wild from southern Texas well down into South America.  They have been introduced in parts of California and Florida and can also be found on some Caribbean islands.  Green iguanas are primarily vegetarians, but will take living organisms occasionally.  As pets, they are easy to feed; they take a wide variety of fruit and vegetation.  However, their large size and capacity fo...