Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
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MY JOURNEY – how it all began
Above: At 22 years of age I returned to When I was nine years old, my father gave me a face mask, — the first commercially available underwater camera.
Adelaide from Jervis Bay to show off my new
snorkel and fins for Christmas. By the time I was twelve, I I was overjoyed, although the camera was little more than
underwater housings to Igo. He was still using
the same camera and housing I had used for was swimming way offshore, spearing fish and dragging a toy. It performed very poorly, and soon flooded! Thankfully,
my first picture six years prior! them back behind me attached to a plastic float. Of course, before long another life-altering event occurred, one that
it did not take long for the bronze whaler sharks in South would spin me in a new direction. During a trip to Kangaroo
Opposite: In 1961 pioneer photographer
Igo Oak introduced me, as a shy sixteen- Australia’s gulf waters to pick up the scent! I frequently had Island with the South Australian Museum, I dived as a fish
year-old boy, to the wonders of underwater to defend my catch. At the time, I did not consider sharks collector with pioneer underwater photographer Igo Oak.
photography. His gentle guidance directed very dangerous and shark attacks were rarely reported in the On one dive, he handed me his camera and gestured for me
me away from spearing fish and towards
photographing them. This photograph was
media. However, before long a personal encounter with a to take a photograph of a small silver fish. Leaning forward,
taken just before I made my first in-focus 4-m white shark — which munched up my entire catch and I brought the fish into focus through his twin lens reflex
colour underwater photograph. Search as we the large plastic float — caused me to review the idea of rangefinder and pulled the trigger. The large flash bulb
may, Igo and I have never managed to find a
spearfishing offshore. In the same area where my fish were erupted and, for a split second, the fish sparkled silver. At
copy of my first image, which is still clear in
my mind. seized, a succession of attacks on spearfishers occurred, a reunion some weeks later, Igo screened images from the
some fatal, which reinforced my decision. trip. “This silver fish image was created by Steve Parish,” he
Pages 16 & 17: Surface reflections create a told the audience, “and it is the lad’s first in-focus colour
natural abstract as a bottlenose dolphin Dangerous sharks or not, I was besotted with the
speeds past. photograph.” The audience spontaneously applauded.
underwater world and excited by the adventures it offered.
When underwater images began featuring in National I am sure it was the applause that did it; after all, I was a shy
Geographic magazine, I plastered my bedroom wall with boy and here I was being noticed. I had found my voice at
tear-outs. These wall decorations were a constant reminder last — photography.
of my connection with sealife and, I am convinced,
motivated me (or brainwashed me, if you like) into being
passionate about natural history publishing. On my
fourteenth birthday, my father made good with another gift
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Above & left: The senior curator of fish at the and with the hope of winning John’s favour,
Australian Museum, Dr John Paxton, had an I captured four specimens and handed them
interest in pineapplefish, also known as knight over to the museum. I was a mere twenty years
fish. His studies focused on the symbiotic of age and my aim was to “get inside” the
bacteria that inhabit a depression on the fish’s museum, learn more about how it functioned,
lower lip. When the fish withdraws a thin, and have my pictures identified by experts.
concealing membrane, the bacteria glow red, The strategy worked!
becoming a “headlight” that can illuminate
prey on the sea floor. After receiving a tip off,
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Above & left: During the sixties and early When disturbed, its colour intensity increases,
seventies as a navy diver, I had all the time in it raises its dorsal fin to reveal a false eye (a
the world to spend hours watching fish and trick device that lures attackers away from
trying to get as close to them as possible. the fish’s vulnerable head region), and then
Having been trained in breath control, I was begins to slowly “walk” away on its extended
pretty good at sneaking up on fish in those ventral fins. If threatened further, it spreads
days. As a result of my submarine stalking, its pectoral fins to create a false impression of
the beautiful butterfly gurnard became the size. If all of this is ineffective, the fish darts
first animal I developed a picture story about. away with alarming speed. I wanted images
The butterfly gurnard is usually seen resting in that told this story in entirety and, with time
the sand, well camouflaged from its enemies. and patience, I got them.
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Above, left & opposite: Australia has and is the marine emblem of South Australia.
two endemic seadragon species — the It is also arguably the most bizarre of all fish.
common seadragon (above) and the leafy Unusually, male seadragons and seahorses care
seadragon (opposite). To my mind, they are for the eggs. Seahorses carry them in a pouch
as characteristic of Australia as the kangaroo on the belly, while seadragons attach the eggs
or the koala and they have remained my two to the underside of their tails.
favourite fish species for many years. The leafy
seadragon dwells amid Macrocystis kelp (left)
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Above: With such intriguing and colourful Left: A sponge-encrusted sea squirt.
animals dominating my fish pictures, it stood
to reason that before long I would widen Opposite: A blacksaddle filefish, a mere
my interest to include marine invertebrates. 3 cm in length, swims through a garden of
This pink anemonefish is snuggling into the vivid, sponge-encrusted sea squirts. This tiny
protective tentacles of a bright magenta sea fish mimics the colours and markings of the
anemone. The two species share a special, poisonous blacksaddle toby. Perceived as
mutually beneficial relationship in which poisonous by other predatory fish, the little
the anemonefish lives among the otherwise filefish is left alone.
stinging tentacles in return for keeping away
the anemone’s predators.
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LEARNING TO PLAY
The element of “play” in my work in rock pools, movement of shadows,
came to the fore in my thirties. A friend the repeated markings on butterfly
gave me a little book written by artist, wings, or the scales of fish or reptiles,
printmaker and teacher Desiderius and the list goes on. Nature is filled
Orban entitled What is Art all About? with gorgeous patterns, shapes and
My friend, Irene Amos, herself a noted forms. Most look wonderful as they are,
abstract artist, inscribed it with the naturally, but can also be accentuated
words, “Read between the lines”. in montages or triptychs.
Orban wrote: “…Competitiveness
and the desire for success should be Left & opposite: The many species of
eliminated. We are happiest when we angelfish are adorned with wonderful colours
and patterns, so they are ideal to “play”
are most unaware of ourselves and of with as elements in design; the striking blues
what we are doing, but enjoy doing and yellows of the angelfishs’ markings are
it. This process leads us through the presented as a repeating pattern to celebrate
the beauty of their design. Similar experimental
wide open gates to creativeness”. montages are shared throughout this book.
He goes on to say, “If the play brings
results without conscious effort, that is
excellent”. This stopped me dead in my
tracks. I began to understand Orban’s
idea — art was a process, not the
preconceived notion of an end result.
With that in mind, I began to cultivate a
more playful approach to photography.
I created images that were meaningful
to me, images that allowed me to
express areas of my work that had more
to do with “art” than science. Whether I
used them in my professional work was
irrelevant. Playing with my camera or
modifying images using my computer
had the added benefit of furthering
my technical skills. In “playing” I
also developed a fascination with
juxtaposition and pattern. Today I still
become easily mesmerised by reflections
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Variations in colour, pattern, shape and Above, left to right: Sponge; feather star;
gorgonian coral.
texture abound in invertebrates, as seen
in the images on these pages. Corals Opposite: The sea floor off Lizard Island,
receive their bright colouring from algae Queensland, is often covered with numerous
that live in their tissues. invertebrate animals, especially in the shallows,
where light can easily penetrate.
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THE ART OF
MARINE INVERTEBRATES
Something that has long amazed me choose subjects based on their design
is how the shades and patterns seen in appeal, because I want to make eye-
the surface tissues of molluscs, sea slugs catching images that hold a viewer’s
and anemones can be so aesthetically attention.
“perfect” in their design, at least to my
eye. Even when the colours fluctuate
Left: The mantle of a giant clam displays a
within a pattern, they always seem magnificent design.
to work. The best artist would find it
impossible to achieve so many visually Opposite: The tentacles of this anemone
appear to be replicas, yet each differs in its
perfect variations in a lifetime. minute, intricate patterns.
With my photographer’s eye, I tend to
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Above: Echinoderms, such as feather stars When photographing sea jellies, it pays to know
(above) and their relatives the sea stars, sea which species are capable of inflicting painful,
urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, or even fatal, stings. Sea jellies have delightfully
inhabit tropical and temperate waters delicate colours and textures, and come in
around the continent. Each fits into different a multitude of shapes and sizes, but they all
niches and over the aeons they have evolved employ stinging cells, called nematocysts, to
extraordinary colours, forms and textures, not kill prey. Some are so venomous they can kill a
to mention lifestyles. I find these creatures grown man within minutes.
irresistible, especially feather stars, which are
usually seen attached to the sea floor, their Page 39: During mating season, giant
wispy arms undulating in the currents in Australian cuttlefish can be territorial and
search of food. aggressive. These two male cuttlefish are in the
early stages of rivalry. Once, in very deep water,
Opposite: Imagine a stomach that left your a giant male about a metre long charged
body when you dined. Incredibly, sea stars like out of the gloom directly at my camera and
this multi-coloured firebrick sea star actually wrapped its tentacles around it. Cuttlefish
have this odd digestive system. Some are able are capable of changing their colour and
to evert a stomach out of their mouths, on the texture within minutes, either for camouflage,
underside of the body, to cover their food. to escape predators or to communicate
during courtship or when dominating a rival.
Page 38: I took this photograph of blubber Relatives of squid, nautiluses and octopuses,
jellies at midnight (hence the inky background) these creatures are thought to be the most
while diving in the centre of Jervis Bay. I loved intelligent invertebrates. They have certainly
to dive at night, especially during rain when intrigued me throughout my career.
the surface waters were calm.
36 www.steveparish.com.au
THIS TITLE CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE FROM OUR WEBSHOP:
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Steve Parish sees himself as a storyteller with a camera. His career behind the lens
began in his teens, when he photographed fish. As his passion to photograph
all of Australia’s habitats and fauna evolved, he acquired the skills to capture
diverse subjects and styles, from documentary to abstract. Today, he is one of the
world’s most versatile, prolific and widely published natural and social history
photographers.
Now in his mid-sixties, Steve keeps busy collecting new images for his well-
established publishing company. He spends around half of each year in the field and
the remaining time assembling books from his home on a bush block in Brisbane,
which he shares with his wife and business partner, Catherine, and with Quincy,
a demanding shorthaired pointer.
Steve likes to approach his work from both a naturalist’s and artist’s perspective.
In 2010, he set out to “re-photograph” Australia with some of the world’s most
advanced digital cameras. His challenge now is to expand on previous work in
terms of content, style and quality. He has also immersed himself in the ambitious
“Art of Land Project”, which involves creating major new image collections that tell
the story of this continent’s unique flora, fauna and ecosystems.