1st Place Compact Macro

PT Hirschfield

"5 Baby Seahorses"

The Story: I dive regularly for years beneath Blairgowrie Pier before I realised what tiny treasures floated far above my head, just beneath the surface. Baby seahorses sharing the same leaf or broken piece of seagrass or seaweed (to move around on for safety in numbers against fish and bird predators) take great patience to photograph. It is difficult to capture them all facing in the same direction as they are constantly squirming as they move through the water together. Thankfully, a compact camera can synch at a very fast shutter speed in order to capture the moment. At the final split-second, one of these five baby seahorses (each as small as a pinky fingernail) turned itself upside-down, which only added a bit more charm and humour to this image.  

Location:  Blairgowrie Pier, Melbourne, Australia

Equipment Used:   Canon G12 Camera, Recsea Housing, Sea & Sea YS-D2J Strobe

Camera Settings: 1/1600, F5.6, ISO 125

Back to Ocean Art Winners Page