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Great White Sharks - Shot on Epic

Johnny Friday

Johnny Friday

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Location
La Paz, Baja Ca. Sur, Mexico
Website
bajaproductions.com
Recently shot on for Telcel & WWF here in Mexico....Telcel & WWF make what are called cine-minutos or one minute advertisements showing off the work they do with their environmental partners--scientists from many regions and areas of expertise. This particular cine-minuto highlights the work of Great White Shark scientist Mauricio Hoyos, a leading Mexican Shark scientist that has spent a large part of his life studying the White Sharks of Guadalupe Island off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Mauricio Link: http://www.tiburonblanco.org/

This is actually quite a large production and Telcel & WWF spare no expense when it comes to gathering images and producing a finely crafted product. Aerials were shot, various still photographers shot time-lapse and an eight bladed roto-copter flying and epic and master primes was also used. Myself & Alfredo Barroso shot underwater segments using R1mx & Epic. We shot from cages that we could exit and shoot from the top of them as well as utilized a unique motorized submarine shark cage where i was able to shoot from the front of this vehicle at speeds of up to 6kts while traveling along at 150 feet below the surface with white sharks. This great little machine allowed for some unique up close and just plain different images as apposed to what we previously had done which is stand an cages and shoot video.

Some frame grabs to follow:

8031790346_8dfc8cc97b_z.jpg
[/url] White Shark by RedCineUnderwater, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
sick stuff

sick stuff

You don't happen to need an intern any time soon do you lol? I got a Red Scarlet and some scuba gear, still gotta get certified though, its my families scuba stuff and I don't have an enclosure yet. I have been doing nothing but cooking shows since March and at this point I'd get in the water with a great white for free just to shoot something more interesting lmfao...

really cool stuff man!!!
 
Brian,
it's first a passion with underwater shooters...and add to that many more years of shlepping around with no pay then very little pay....and then back to no pay....it take years of just getting proficient in the water before moving to the camera--that is when shooting nat. hist. underwater....

that said, i would say it is more rewarding than being on set shooting food or people....maybe not monetarily, but certainly for other reasons which each has their own.
 
Jason Sturgis said:
Nice stuff Johnny! You can't beat that vis at Guadalupe for filming the man in the grey suit. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

That and having just one perfect day where sharks interacted with us and a great sub driver/pilot - Lawrence at: http://www.seesharks.com/guadalupe_island.html

I feel like i could have just taped the housing to the sub and pushed record and let it roll.....and go have lunch.
Thanks Jason...
 
Russ Campbell said:
Visibility looks amazing. Wish we could have similar conditions in South Africa.
Click to expand...

thanks Russ.....i don't think there is any other place on the planet that can compete with viz & number of sharks, calm waters than Guadalupe....But S.A. is like leaving the planet when comes to underwater.....I'll trade you mine place for a month if you like.
 
John, when you say going to South America is like leaving the planet, do you mean its "out of this world" or do you mean that hauling gear to South America is the equivalent of having to ship it to the moon in terms of difficulty?
 
Jason Comparetto said:
John, when you say going to South America is like leaving the planet, do you mean its "out of this world" or do you mean that hauling gear to South America is the equivalent of having to ship it to the moon in terms of difficulty?
Click to expand...

Jason, i meant S.A. as in South Africa....i probably should have spelled that out since S.america and S.africa are easily confused. But i just meant that it's an incredible wildlife place underwater and above...i'm speaking specifically underwater which is quite amazing.

But, now that you touched on the subject of getting gear in and out of S.America--well, it can be a challenge depending on where you are going, but with good research and some someone with S.american experience it's much easier to do....
 
Johnny,
Great quality in your GWS images, congrats. Never seen that kind of clarity in Gaansbaai. Too many seals and their sh.t in the water for it to get that clear.
 
Johnny Friday said:
Brian,
it's first a passion with underwater shooters...and add to that many more years of shlepping around with no pay then very little pay....and then back to no pay....it take years of just getting proficient in the water before moving to the camera--that is when shooting nat. hist. underwater....

that said, i would say it is more rewarding than being on set shooting food or people....maybe not monetarily, but certainly for other reasons which each has their own.
Click to expand...

but seriously man i have nothing but respect for what you guys do, love the images and content. all i watch is the wildlife stuff, shark week, whale wars, docs. i actually shot some sharks myself recently (at a aquarium so it doesn't even count compared to what you do lol). I am not sure what I did wrong but I clipped it so bad, it was too dark even at F2.8. I guess non long island sound water shoots crisper though, these were "local" specimens at an exhibit about my own community. the things are so amazing in real life, I gotta get them to turn up the lights if I am gonna have any hope at all!
 
Water here at Guadalupe can get so blue that it's sort of mesmerizing and hard to bring out contrast on animals with a big white patch. Then you just have to look for good angles on the animals relative to sun and go for some close shots. We got plenty and had one very very good day that was quite memorable with animals swimming up to and beside the cage with no fear and just pure curiosity. Next day, they were skittish and swam away when the cage came near.
 
absolutely amazing, thats always been my dream, to do some 5K shark filming...dont think the conditions here in Australia would be as good though for the big guys....most great whites hang around neptune island in the south where the water gets quite cold and rough.
 
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