Chariot of Fire - Fire Urchins with Coleman Shrimps, Zebra Crabs & Urchin Crabs

Not quite sure what happened here... Wanted to try something different and it turned into this pompous piece.

Coleman shrimps (Periclimenes colemani), urchin shrimps (Allopontonia brockii), and zebra crabs (Zebrida adamsii) live and travel on fire urchins (Asthenosoma varium) in Anilao, Philippines.

Shot with my Panasonic GH4 in a Nauticam NA-GH4 housing. I used an Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens and 60mm f2.8 macro lens.

Err... feedback welcome... I think...

OK, the video is a bit overcooked (pun intended!) but I like it! It's a fun take on a subject that can sometimes go too far the other way toward scientific earnestness. There is a role for those videos too but I am glad to see some lighthearted creativity applied here.

In any case, this is some beautiful photography, very well done. You got great results from that Oly 60mm lens, with more DOF that I would have expected. What light(s) were you using?

Thanks for posting.

Nice one Nick.

I'm off to Crystal Blue in May. How did you find it there?

Cheers

Steve

Thanks guys.

@troporobo I was using 2 Keldan Luna 4X lights.

@SWink Crystal Blue is well run and the food is especially great.

As always, I am amazed at the videography here, just wonderful. The production is a bit over the top for me, but the photography more than makes up for it.

Hi Nick,

Good one.

But, for non-divers, you need to explain the significance of the fire in this film.

You could do that with some more text or you could shoot some footage of you putting your hand on the urchin's spines then bursting into flames as the poison "burns" your skin...

regards

Peter

Could you do the acting for me Peter?

I thought the words "fire urchin" in the title and in the film would explain it to an extent. Sometimes I don't like to explain too much. This one's a "sketch".

Could you do the acting for me Peter?

 

 

Yes, but I bumped one of those beasties with my knee once so I know what to expect - it'll be expensive:

- Lead actor fee (I'd want top billing ahead of the shrimp and the prickly ball)

- Stunt man fee

- Speaking role fee (I get to yell "F%$k!" at least once)

- Danger money

- On site medical response team (in case I have an allergic reaction or a heart attack)

- Medical Fees

Total: $1M

So, if you can stump up the money, I'll shove my hand onto the fire urchin.

Rgeards

Peter

Nick

A great change from "what I did on my holiday" clips

What profile are you using with the GH4?

Cheers

Col

Lol Peter.

Thanks Col. I was using Natural, -1, -2, -3, 0, 0. 0-255. iResolution standard. But what you see here has been changed a lot in post.

I'm going to turn off iResolution for my next trip, and probably reduce the contrast more.