Justin Gilligan took a calculated gamble when he decided to move in close to a saltwater crocodile to shoot this eye-popping split-level shot.
Kimbe Bay off the west coast of New Britain in Papua New Guinea is the perfect place to throw a tank of air on your back and disappear into a gin-clear tropical sea. Hours pass like fleeting moments while moving from one photographic subject to the next. The shallows along the reef edge in the bay are particularly interesting to photograph. Fluffy cumulus clouds sail overhead, complementing the bright shafts of light which dance like lasers over the seafloor. It’s the perfect glistening stage, where the stars of the show include righteous brigades of brightly coloured reef fish, graceful sharks and even, on the rare occasion, intriguing reptiles.
Having spotted this juvenile saltwater crocodile basking in the surface waters from the boat, I slid in and quietly finned towards it. I knew this subject would lend itself nicely to a split shot that showed a perspective both above and below the shallow water. To achieve my envisaged image, my first step was to expose for the bright highlights in the sky, while combining this exposure with just the right amount of underwater fill flash to light the crocodile.
The next challenge was to slowly position myself so as to not startle the croc and pivot the camera housing in and out of the water until there were no water droplets on the waterproof dome. Once I had gently moved into position – about half a metre away – I focused on the underwater portion of the croc and gently pressed the shutter. After a few minutes of shooting, I happily retreated to the safety of the boat with all limbs intact!
Nikon D800, 10.5mm f/2.8 lens, 1/250s @ f/11, ISO 200.