Choices – Colour & Monochrome

The vast majority of the images we have created at Below the Skye Line have been in colour.  The reason, in many ways, is obvious, as it is often the colour in the underwater environment that captures and captivates.  Whether this is the young mussels from earlier this year, a brightly coloured wrasse or vibrant seaweed brought to life by sunshine as it streams through the loch waters.  One of the most vibrant creatures we have created images of has to be the Lion's Mane jellyfish.  However does its colour mask some of the beauty of its detail?  We recently ran a series of 4 images in monochrome which was chosen to bring out some of the detail and below we have reproduced the same images along with their colour counterpart.  Life, after all, is all about choice.

When we create images we make our own choices either through camera settings or what we choose to do in post production.  With the Below the Skye Line project we rarely use filters, relying instead on the powerful adjustments of light levels, contrast and white balance.  At the end though the aim is always to highlight the environment we are capturing.  Whether that is its detail or interaction of colour viewed through a wider canvas.  Having these choices brings its own responsibility that we do not stray from the inherrent beauty of the underwater world.  We are fortunate that around the ISle of Skye that beauty is both colourful and detailled.

Double First for Below the Skye Line

No we are not talking about grade inflation and the current situation with exam results!

Yesterday saw a dive at location number 31 around the Isle of Skye and some more great underwater photography to add to the project's growing archive.  You have already come to expect vibrant colour from Below the Skye Line but we also try to catalogue and create images from a variety of the underwater life that we find.  So from our new location at Braes we also have added a new species for us.  Which is?  Well keep following our blog, Facebook and Instagram to find out.

Colourful rock at Braes

Moon Jellyfish - an old favourite

Dragonet Fish

Wonderful Lion’s Mane Jellyfish at Fiskavaig

A new dive location but the return of an old favourite.  On the first dive at Fiskavaig Bay the Lion's Mane jellyfish were in abundance and generated some wonderful underwater photography.

Fiskavaig, ISle of Skye Lions Mane jellyfish near the surface 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

A classic image of the Lion's Mane jellyfish with its delicate upper lobes and the vibrant crimson underneath of the bell, surrounding the jellyfish's mouth.  The name comes from the long tentacles which trail out from the bell and these can cause nasty stings if caught unawares.

Lions Mane jellyfish reflected in the surface water 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Abstract of the reflection of aLions Mane jellyfish in the surface water 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

A couple of abstract images created by the reflection of the jellyfish near the surface of the relatively calm waters during this visit to Fiskavaig Bay.

Lions Mane jellyfish near the surface 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Lions Mane jellyfish close up showing underneath detail 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)Lions Mane jellyfish near the surface 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Whether underwater or above, one of the advantages of still photography is to capture form and allow delicate features to be studied.  For many the view of a lion's mane jellyfish is from above and their true beauty may not always be appreciated.  It was certainly good to once again create some images of them as we continue to explore new underwater photography locations around the Isle of Skye.

Lions Mane jellyfish reflected in the surface water 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Reflections

Underwater photography around the Isle of Skye - Reflections.

Below the Skye Line is a joint project between photographer/diver, Gill Williams, and photographer/non-diver, Geraint Ashton Jones.  We both live on Skye, both love the environment and both wanted to capture some of the superb natural environment found in the waters that are on and surround the Isle of Skye.

Now well in to the second year of the underwater photography project we are approaching 400 images available on line.  For this post I have put together a small creation called 'Reflections'

To see all the images we have created then please click on the link below.

Go to BelowTheSkyeLine images

Blue moon jellyfish at Carnach Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)
Blue jellyfish photographed at Carnach

Jellyfish are frequent in the waters around the Isle of Skye and for many who venture into the water they are a creature that is feared.  However they have a striking beauty and the underwater camera easily captures this.  When they are close to the surface there is an opportunity for the photography to highlight both the colour and the form of these wonderful and mis understood inhabitants of our waters.

A single dive with the Canon EF100mm f2.8L IS macro lens at Fanks, Isle of Skye to explore the detail of the Lion's Mane jellyfish Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Blue Jellyfish 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Blue Jellyfish 2020 Image from the Below the Skye Line project. Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

These are only a small selection of the underwater photography images we have that showcase jellyfish.  To see the full selection then click on the link below.

Below the Skye Line - Jellyfish Images

Variety of seaweed, urchins, a jelly fish and light captured at Fanks, Isle of Skye Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)
Golden seawrack is abundant all around the coastline
Blue Moon, Lions Mane, star fish and urchins captured at Carnach, Isle of Skye Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)
A moon jellyfish being 'lasooed' by seaweed
Reflections in Loch Shiante Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)
Reflections in Loch Shiante, a freshwater loch on the Isle of Skye

Loch Shiante is a beautiful fresh water loch on the Isle of Skye.  Its crystal clear waters are ideal for underwater photography and as the surface is often calm it is also a good spot for creating images involving reflections.

Click here for images from Loch Shiante.

Reflections in Loch Shiante Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Reflections in Loch Shiante Photographer: Gill Williams Post Production: Geraint Ashton Jones https://www.belowtheskyeline.com (Below the Skye Line / © Gill Williams & © Geraint Ashton Jones)

Just the Two of Us

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Do not expect these blogs to be too full of words, we would rather let the images tell their own story.  This inaugural blog if from a single dive at Fanks.  Using the Canon EF100mm f2.8L IS Macro lens Gill has created a number of images that study in detail the Lion's Mane Jellyfish.  For my part I have done a little post production to take the images from their raw file to the finished photograph.

Click on image for Lion's Mane Jellyfish wiki page

The Lion's Mane Jellyfish - A king of the Ocean

Tim Rice's lyrics from the Lion King song the Circle of Life seem very apt:

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found

Well through the course of our project and our blogs we hope to scratch a little way beneath the surfcae of the waters in and around Skye.

The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest of the jellyfish found around Skye and is characterised by the dense, centre tentacles that are tightly clustered and provide a blaze of colour as the jellyfish gently propels itself through the water or simply drifts with the tide.

But what about close up?

Well we invite your to explore for yourself, looking over Gill's shoulder, as she captures some of the fine detail of the Lion's Mane jellyfish from all angles and allows you to exmine these fine creatures closely without the risk of being stung!  None of the colours have been changed during post production although some images have had the background reduced to blackness to better contrast the detail captured underwater.

If you click on any of the images you will be able to flick through a carousel of the images in a larger format.

Gill & Geraint

28 July 2019