Ross Gudgeon’s Image
Ross Gudgeon (Australia) reveals the exquisite forest-like structure of a cauliflower coral from the inside out in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.
Ross is always looking for ways to photograph from unusual perspectives.
He used an extended macro wide lens, which is an underwater version of a probe.
He carefully threaded the lens between the coral branches. Then he backlit the scene with two flashes.
Soft corals are filter-feeding invertebrates found in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean.
Unlike other corals, soft corals do not use photosynthesis for sustenance.
Instead, each polyp-tipped branch has feathery tentacles that comb water currents for floating phytoplankton.