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Wet
and wild landings:
It's not easy to land the equipment without an "oops splash"
situation. Especially when some of our shores are rather inaccessible
by land (here we were at the
rather tricky Tuas shore). And landings often made in the dark.
A strong back, good footing and skin thick enough to withstand stinging
hydroids and sand flies come in handy for our trips. |
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Down
and dirty:
Beauty is in the beholder, and getting close is critical to capturing
the fascinating features of our creatures (here we were stalking the
Really Scary 1m worm at Sentosa).
The Patience of Job and a rock steady hand are important. It's also
vital to remember that equipment such as batteries to power lights
do not dip into the water; also known as an "oops zap" situation.
Not pleasant for any lifeforms within a 10m radius of the event... |
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Where'd
he go?
Generally, at least five highly evolved beings are required to ensure
good footage of an invertebrate (translation: squishy creature without
a backbone).
The smaller the creature, the more people are required to get the
perfect shot.
Here we were grappling with lower lifeforms at Kusu
Island. |
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Too
much sun...
Is it because we are too used to groping about in the dark? But sometimes,
there's just too much sun. The blue skies of Sekudu
that day just didn't help with the closeups.
This, by way, is yet more evidence that lots of people are needed
to deal with what appears to be simple seashore creatures. |
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Stalking
people...
We've found people are almost as ellusive as the creatures we try
to film.
But eventually, just as with seashore animals, the trick is to be
unobstrusive and wait until they are distracted by their activities.
Here we are filming volunteers at work on Chek
Jawa. |
