Exposure Gallery - exhibition catalogue
The Vivid Oceans
collection is worldwide including tropical and sub-tropical
animals but also East Anglia, illustrating a little of the diversity
which the world's waters support. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS)
has many projects which support marine wildlife and its habitats - see
how you could help at www.mcsuk.org -
locally the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Unit runs Adopt a Beach and
Beachwatch groups which will expand to include Shoresearch beach
surveys next year www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
The Secret Seas collection is a result of our work on the Seasearch project, www.seasearch.org.uk
diving in home waters to survey our own wildlife. This collection is
entirely composed of species which can be seen in Britain, and more
particularly in the North Sea around the North Norfolk coast. Seasearch
is a project for divers run by the MCS, we coordinate activities in
East Anglia. See our website www.1townhouses.co.uk for more pictures and information.
This exhibition brings images of creatures from the depths to mix with us on the
surface. Out
of their natural habitat they present extreme forms,
especially when many of them can be seen vastly
larger than
life size. It
takes a combination of skills to find the rarest animals; research and
a keen
eye to find the smallest along with patience, months of preparation and
pure luck
to be ready for the one perfect moment. Our emphasis is on capturing
the best,
most natural, image in the first place. As well as marine photography Dawn and Rob
also photograph fauna and flora on land and are preparing a collection of light paintings.
The
framed thumbnail pictures are a simulation of wall appearance. The actual framing compliments the
proportions of the photographs much better
| Vivid Oceans |
| White
Short Tailed Stingray (Dasyatis brevicaudata)
1.5m
long (with tail) |
 |
This
ghostly female stingray is a very, very rare albino and her arrival in New Zealand’s
Poor
Knight Islands
was quite a talking point. These rays gather in summer to
court and breed. They stack like waiting aircraft in underwater
arches, which are the remains of a volcanic crater. The
numbers gathering have fallen in recently with the arrival of large
sharks which have disturbed their mating congregations. They are peaceful shellfish specialists and carry their
large barb only for protection.
It
was hard to capture the subtleties of the ray’s perfect pale
skin and being position for the perfect head shot needed some luck! We
dive to cause the least disturbance possible and if an animal shows
signs of stress then we leave it alone. This is the largest species of
stingray and the same one which Steve Irwin was filming at the time of
his death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-tail_stingray
|
| Yellow
Ribbon Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus polytaenia)
Around 45cm long, height of eye 2.5cm |
| Sweetlips are
named for their sexy full pout and like to shoal close to the
reef to shelter from current during the day. These beautiful fish
allowed me close as they huddled sleepily and I was able to pick out
one face in the crowd as they dozed through the day in their pyjamas.
In
the Raja Ampat (Four
Kings) region of Indonesia
a break from the current is a bright idea as the sea can tear even
fish from the reef. Once we were caught in a sudden current that carried us 23m (75ft) down just as we were about to
surface. In a maelstrom of our own bubbles, we couldn't tell up
from down. After a frantic etenity the current subsided and the relieved
faces of the Papuan boat crew told us that we'd had a very narrow
escape.
|
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|
| Psychedelic
Slug
(Chromodoris kuniei) 3cm
long |
 |
Whilst
some of the largest animals are shy and retiring others are much more
brazen. Nudibranches
are sea slugs which often take a very relaxed attitude to camouflage,
in fact they advertise their presence and happily march around (if you
can march on one foot) searching out their prey. As befits a very slow
predator their quarry is usually slow or static, stinging, toxic and
not in great demand! This one is one of the most spectacular,
its complex colouring looks as though it must have been airbrushed on
and provides very few sharp details to focus on!
http://seaslug.info/factsheet.cfm?base=chrokuni |
| Mediterranean
Chrome - Horse Mackerel around 20cm each |
|
| We
adore diving around the Island of Gozo, it’s a magically
quiet place – even more so underwater. Fish gather in small
flocks in the shallow bays to take a breather after being split from
larger shoals by storms or hunting barracuda.
These
herring are as reflective as chrome to fool daytime predators hunting
from below who will see nothing more than the glinting underside of the
waters surface. By night the shoals are invisible until caught in torch
light when their mirror finish ‘camouflage’ picks
them out in dramatic contrast, not normally a problem as hunting fish
rarely carry torches.
|
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|
| Brown
Blubber jellyfish
(Catostylus
mosaicus) 4cm
high (Featured
EDP 16rd
April) |
|
 |
This
golden jellyfish was drifting just below the surface of the Andaman Sea as we came up from a
dive amongst Thailand's
Similan Islands.
They drift with the currents but can swim by pulsing
their bell, guiding themselves using light sensitive 'eyes'
around the edge. This makes them surprisingly difficult to photograph as they tend swirl around your
head. This one was only about 4cm high, lit from behind to enhance its
translucence and enjoyed until we'd used our spare air for the
best chance of a good picture! They can grow to more than 30cm high,
losing their delicate charm but much easier to photograph.
http://www.faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=17 |
| Juvenile
Sponge
Filefish
(Brachaluteres ulvarum)
2cm long |
|
| We
have treasured this picture ever since we took it in Indonesia.
This little filefish has such an air of innocent discovery as he rounds
his local coral it seems that he could be any schoolboy on the way
home. A cartoonish
expression won’t help him out with the big fish on the reef,
but his boxlike skeleton and toxic skin may. This species of filefish
never grows up, well not to more than 5cm. |
 |
|
| Christmas
Tree Worm (Spirobranchus
giganteus)
2cm high (the yellow bits) |
|
 |
Many
experienced tropical divers never see these
close up as movement makes them retract, instantly. From a
distance they are dots of colour on the surface of hard corals, as
though handfuls of sweets have been thrown down. These worms live in
tubes which advance as the coral grows and stick their twin spiral radioles into the passing water to feed, breathe
and even collect sand for building. They occur in many colours, but we
favour the yellow and blue ones.
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=543 |
| Ornate
or Harlequin Ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)
around 10cm long |
|
Related
to seahorses, and similarly strange, ghost pipefish float motionless,
head down beside coral, feather stars or vertical debris. They blend
with the cover in their very limited chosen territory, where they will stay
allowing you to return to observe them day after day.
http://www.dive-the-world.com/creatures-harlequin-ghostpipefish.htm |
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|
|
Orange
cup coral (Tubastrea coccinea)
3cm across
|
|
 |
Some
corals live in large, collective colonies building up vast reefs. The
cup corals plough their own furrow, and are often confused with
anemones – which is understandable.
They feed in the same way catching passing stuff with
their stinging, sticky arms and passing them into their mouths which
sadly have to serve another purpose too as their back ends are stuck to
a rock. Despite looking delicate they choose to live in the shallows on
the underside of rocky overhangs where the surge is at its most intense
– a charming location which makes taking pictures difficult
and a short cut to a nasty head injury. |
| Southwold
slug – no common name (Coryphella
lineata)
2.5cm long |
|
| In
the cold water of the North sea slugs are
often a little more demure than their tropical cousins but all the more
elegant and sophisticated for their glassy subtlety. This one is
poisonous and can be seen here harvesting venom from its favourite
food, the stinging hydroid Tubularia
indivisa,
rather like a little anemone on a stick. This image is the marine
equivalent of a cheetah bringing down a gazelle on the African Savannah
but at a pace which suits a photographer in the dark waters 30m down
off Southwold. |
 |
|
| Gozo V
for victory slug- no common name (Cratena
pergrina)
3cm
long |
|
 |
The
volcanic rock of Gozo,
Malta’s
much smaller neighbour,
is riddled with holes from ancient gas pockets and underwater this
provides a gorgonzola landscape. Sedentary marine animals enjoy current
as it brings the food to them, but it always appears that every life no
matter how small needs a little fun… if you
don’t have a car you have to improvise. |
| Pygmy
seahorse (Hippocampus
bargibanti
Whitley, 1970) about 1cm high |
|
|
The
pygmy seahorse is the current holy grail of diving photography. There
are a growing number of known species but this type is the
‘biggest’. They live only on
Muricella
gorgonian corals where their perfect camouflage makes them almost
invisible. They were only discovered when a seahorse
‘infested’ seafan
was harvested for environmental study and its fronds were seen moving.
These tiny animals cling on stoically with their minute tails in even the
strongest current but it is only with the still water between tides and
expert guidance that divers can observe them.
http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/hbargibc.htm
|
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|
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Most
sea slugs are more correctly called nudibranchs
(meaning naked gills) and occur throughout the oceans, those in the
far East are renowned for
their exotic colouring. This one is out and about on the black volcanic
sand of the Lembeh
Straits in Indonesia, I think he (and she) may be
mouthing something quite rude, look like it's forgotten to put its teeth in. |
| Ghost
Spearer Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquillina
maculata) 5cm
across |
|
|
Mantis
shrimps have been making an appearance and news around the Solent. They are normally warm
water creatures and have a fearsome reputation, explained by the names
of the two types; smashers
and spearers. This one
is a spearer and hunts
fish. Often growing up to 38cm long these ‘shrimps’
normally live in double ended tunnels, exposing only their eyes and
waiting to ambush the next meal. Occasionally they will scurry around
the reef which really puts the wind up the other residents.
http://www.edge-of-reef.com/stomatopodi/STOLysiosquillinamaculataen.htm
|
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|
| Picasso
pair (Rhinecanthus
aculeatus,
Linnaeus, 1758) 15 and 12cm |
|
 |
On
the last day of a trip to Egypt
we snorkelled in the shallow waters off the beach and were amazed at
the fish that were darting between the splashing legs of the tourists.
Triggerfish have box-like skeletons and beak-like teeth but it is the
over the top make-up which won this species its common name. Taken in
only 2-3 feet of water with a small compact camera this was the best
photo of the holiday.
Once
voted the State Fish of Hawaii it
remains so today in an unofficial capacity with the local name of Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu'a.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picasso_triggerfish |
| Mauve
Stinger (Pelagia
noctiluca) 10-15cm |
|
Common
in the mediteranean and
becoming more frequent around the UK
this jellyfish was photographed off Gozo
after a weather event which drove thousands inshore. Jellyfish are
hard to photograph as they pulse
around unpredictably – at least to humans since they have no
front or back!
http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Pelagianoctiluca.htm |
 |
|
| Secret Seas | |
| |
| Facelina auriculata on the Rosalie at Weybourne 2.5cm
long |
|
 |
Weybourne on
the North Norfolk
coast is an unassuming diving hotspot. Within yards of the beach there
are two distinct marine habitats which summer bathers never
suspect. The inshore is shallow chalky gullies, marked by lines of
lobster pots. Further up the beach the torpedoed Rosalie ran ashore
during the Great War and still lies where she came to rest. Spreading
50m wide and 150m long she reaches into the shallows
and concentrates wildlife. The North
Sea isn't renowned for colour but its sea
slugs are like glassy ornaments. This one is cresting a rise
beside a flask sponge. You have to be close to see how ornate they are
but in shallow, summer waters they are the highlights of a
ramble below the surface. |
| Long
spined sea scorpion
and Sea scorpion - Old Man of the sea (Taurulus
bubalis)
15cm
long |
|
 | Sometimes
just called Scorpionfish
or as the latin
name suggests Bullheads, these appear throughout the world. Related to
the spectacular Lion fish of the tropics they are also ambush hunters
protected by poisonous spines. They are popular photographic subjects
underwater as they remain motionless until you are very, very close.
Often only their sudden departure will alert you that they were there!
They aren't too small to
spot, if you can defeat their camouflage against their surroundings. The
fish become coloured to fool their underwater neighbours but aren't
sensitive to the scene as we are which can occasionally result in fish
standing out like a sore thumb amongst brick red undergrowth, or vice
versa.
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/bullhead.htm
(Featured in the EDP 23rd April) |
 |
|
Violet Sea Slug (Flabellina pedata) 1.5cm long |
|
| This little mollusc is one of Britains most distinctively coloured sea
slugs. It's relatively common here but properly regarded as exotic in warmer
seas. The tentacles on its back help it breath and also store stinging cells
from its spicy diet of tiny anemone like hydroids. |
 |
|
| Crystal Sea Slug on the Vera at Cley (Janolus cristatus) 2cm long |
|
 | In summer these are the most numerous sea slugs in Norfolk's
shallows, although they are extravagantly decorated they can wander freely as
their toxic diet means no other animals will touch them. |
| Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) 60cm long |
|
| Lobsters can be very long lived, living as long as humans if they are left
in their natural habitiat. They are one of the top predators on the seabed,
their crushing and cutting claws allow them to eat a wide range of fish,
molluscs and other crustaceans. |
 |
|
| Edible crab (Cancer pagurus) 30cm across |
|
 | Although they are heavily armoured these crabs are often nervous, and always
look surprised, they are picked on by lobsters and try to stay out of their way.
This one has recently shed its old shell so that it can grow, which is why it
looks so smart.
|
|
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| Common prawn (Palemon serratus) 7cm long |
|
Little crustaceans are no less complicated than the big ones. This armoured
animal is like a glass ornament, each transparent joint and body part is
impossibly fine and detailed.
Nigella Lawson thinks they look primeval, perhaps she should look at them in their natural habitat | 
|
|
| Lightbulb sea squirts (Clavelina lepadiformis) each 2cm high |
|
 | This colony of aptly named lightbulb sea squirts explodes from the wreckage
surrounded by red algae with a splash of encrusting orange sponge behind. Also
known as ascidians or tunicates these sea squirts are very simple animals but
in their juvenile planktonic stage, before they settle, they have a rudimentary
spine... so they are closer relatives than you think! |
|
| Elegant anemone ( 6cm across |
|
|
This firework like anemone is called elegant because of its perfect
proportions, if you tickle one you can see that they have a stylich spotted
base. They catch their food with their sticky, stinging arms which pass it into
their central mouth. |
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|
| Peacock fanworm (Sabella pavonina) 2cm across |
|
 |
Most of the worm is hiding in the drinking straw like tube, the only part
you can see is it's feeding fan. The fan attached to its head catches food
floating past in the current and can be drawn back in for feeding or it is
startled by divers or hungry predators. |
|
| Snake pipefish ) 40cm long |
|
|
Last year these appeared in huge numbers on the East coast, confusing the
bass and birds which caught but couldn't digest these tough, bony fish. This
year they are gone... Sometimes these boom and bust immigrants arrive due to
climate sometimes by chance - ongoing monitoring is the only way to see
which. |
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|
Triptychs
- Mini
collections to add a little marine colour to your home
or office. Obviously you can mix and match, this trio of triples are just examples.
|
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Invitations
– Awe Blenny, Chromodoris
Kuniei Slug, Sunset Cup Coral
For some eye catching invitations we used a selection of the
most striking creatures. You’ve already been introduced to the slug and the
coral but the fish, a fang Blenny, is worthy of note too. Although
he looks as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth he lies
in wait down abandoned Christmas tree worm holes and nips out to
bite passing fish when they aren’t looking.
They grow to about 10cm long and 1cm high. |
|
Indonesian
Trio - ‘Speedy’ (Chromodoris
Koi),
‘blue’ (Hypselodoris
bullocki), ‘Dougal’
(Chromodoris Kuniei)
Indonesia
is
the epicentre of a growing ‘muck diving’ movement
where divers seek out weird and wonderful things in relatively grotty
surroundings. One of the best places to go is the Lembeh
Strait
beside North Sulawesi
where reasonable visibility and black volcanic sand make it
easy to find exotic animals – which makes you wonder why they
don’t move somewhere else!
|
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|
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Shaggy
slugs
Again
you have seen some of these earlier in the catalogue. Two of them are
from the Mediterranean and the other is from Norfolk,
however we often see the purple Flabellina
pedata (left) off Norfolk
too. This family of slugs occur worldwide and never fail to impress
whether they are crawling near Cromer or living it up in the Celebes Sea. |
Media: All exhibits are professionally photochemical
printed on lustre Fuji
Crystal Archive DP II paper and will last as well as the best
photographic print. It is difficult to produce this lightfast quality
and
dynamic range using giclee (inkjet) prints but like any artwork they
should kept
out of strong sunlight. Prints are available in sizes up to the limit
of their
original quality - we
won’t recommend massive prints where they would be
compromised. Most can be
printed at 30x20”, ideal for a
statement piece. Single frame collections can be
compiled
for small spaces. If you don’t see something which is quite
perfect please ask
as we have more to choose from.
Price
guide:
Prints
can be collected or dispatched worldwide (sorry that’s extra). Whilst
they have been
made uniform for the exhibition other complementary frame materials can
be
requested and safety glazing, alternative hanging methods and mounts
can all be
specified. Contact us for
different versions and with any enquiries.
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Dimensions
|
Cost
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Print size*
|
Frame size
|
Framed
|
Unframed
|
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30x20”
|
39x28”
|
315
|
250
|
|
16x12”
|
21x17”
|
105
|
63
|
|
12x8”
|
17x13”
|
70
|
42
|
|
7x5” (Three)
|
23x12” triptych
|
90
|
55
|
*The mount aperture will be
slightly smaller than
this