Story Behind the Shot: Love Between Scales

Honorable Mention for the "Compact Behavior" in the Ocean Art 2022 Competition was taken at the Tremoços beach, Algarve, Portugal. See all Ocean Art 2022 Winners Here

Camera System

The camera that was used to take the photo is an Olympus TG-6 Camera inside the Olympus PT-059 Underwater Housing. For lighting, natural light was utilized.

The Shot

The story behind this photo is actually quite funny. After I bought the camera I was going to the beach in Algarve to film and photograph pretty much everyday, and at the time I was filming a small octopus when I heard someone shouting at me from the nearby cliff. It was a fisherman, and he was asking for help. Apparently his line got caught up in something in the bottom, and he was asking if I could free the line. When I got down I saw this big seabream, entangled in the line and in a rock. It had made such a mess that I was unable to free the line, so I had to cut it. But before I made sure I would remove the hook from the fish. As I grabed the scared seabream I noticed this pair of parasites attached, so I just had to take some quick shots. Being so close to the surface, the light was just right, and I think I got the most out of these two. A happy ending for me and the fish, not so much for the fisherman...

What Does Winning Ocean Art 2022 Mean to You?

Getting an honorable mention in such a famous competition like Underwater photography guide is something I would have never even thought of a year ago, back when I didn't even know anything about photography. I am very honored to get this award, and it is definitely a great motivation for me to keep learning and improving. Thank you. 

About João Pontes 

João Pontes is a 21-year-old biologist who is currently pursuing a Masters in Marine Biology in Algarve. He is a nature lover with a particular interest in marine animals, especially those that can only be seen through a macro camera. João was drawn to the incredible diversity, color, patterns, and dynamics of the macro world, which led him to buy a camera of his own. Only a week after purchasing his first camera, João took this photo and has since fallen in love with capturing the beauty of the micro world.

See more of Joao's work on Instagram: @macrobridges

Further Reading

• Story Behind the Shot: A Happy Bunch

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

• Story Behind the Shot: Octopus Mother

• Story Behind the Shot: Melibe Nudibranchs

• Story Behind the Shot: Hatching Octopus