Story Behind the Shot: En Garde

Honorable Mention for the "Portrait" category in the Ocean Art 2022 Competition was taken at Kona, Hawaii, USA.  See all Ocean Art 2022 Winners Here

The Story

This large ~6 inch Diamond Squid (thysanoteuthis rhombus) was shot at night near the end of a typical Kona blackwater dive last February drifting about 6 miles offshore Kona, Hawaii over 6000 feet of water. It was first spotted by my dive buddy Sarah Milisen 65 feet down and started dropping fast into the black once discovered. By the time I intercepted it to take these shots it was at about 125 feet and paused momentarily to assume this “En garde” defensive posture before resuming its drop into the abyss.

Camera System

The camera that was used was a Nikon D500 DSLR camera with a Nikon 60mm Macro Lens that was encased inside a Nauticam housing. For lighting, I used two (2) Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, a Kraken Sports Hydra 5000 Video Light, Light & Motion Sola 2000 Video Light and a Light & Motion 1200 Focus Light.

About Jeff Molder

Jeff Molder lives on a 4,000 acre small grain farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.  For the past 11 years he has spent the winters in Kona Hawaii where he first discovered the amazing world of blackwater diving. He has been taking photos of pelagic creatures that emerge from the deep at night since 2012 and has been lucky to be part of a regular and devoted community of professional divers and photographers that live and breathe blackwater diving In Hawaii.  

Further Reading

• Story Behind the Shot: Octopus Mother

• Story Behind the Shot: E.T. The Extra Terestrial

• Story Behind the Shot: Melibe Nudibranchs

• Dive Destination Guide for u/w Photographers