About the Portfolios and a Bit of Philosophy |
Over the years Phillip Colla has gathered a fine collection of natural history photographs of some of Nature´s superlative marine creatures. By "superlative" we mean creatures who exceed all others in some way :: the largest baleen and toothed whales (blue whale and sperm whale), the largest cartilaginous and bony fishes (whale shark and ocean sunfish), the fastest growing plant (kelp). We also consider humpback whales and Guadalupe fur seals special because of their elegant appearance, interesting behavior, endangered status and the extraordinary opportunities we have had to observe them. It is principally these superlative marine creatures that give rise to the portfolios on this web site. The
motivation for this site is twofold :: to attract parties interested in licensing our images and to communicate a small amount of natural history information about our subjects in the process. All images may be licensed for your use :: please Our first web site :: Philosophy
What was important in acquiring these photographs were the many enjoyable hours spent in and on the water observing marine life. The equipment used to accomplish these images, while necessary, was merely a
means to an end and thus ancillary. All underwater images were taken with either housed cameras or submersible cameras, some with artificial light supplied by submersible strobes. Breathhold diving was
the typical method of handling ourselves in the water :: most underwater images did not involve the use of SCUBA equipment. This is especially true of our photographs of marine mammals and open
ocean subjects. Some images are rendered on this web site in black and white, either because they look interesting this way or the subject matter is more easily viewed without color. Images shot in overcast
skies or through a lot of water often benefit from this treatment. The few images that received considerable digital manipulation to address technical shortcomings appear with indications noting this. |