Drone pilot and artist Joanna L. Steidle of Hamptons Drone Art in Long Island, New York, captured this photo (below) of a spinner shark and a school of menhaden fish in the North Atlantic Ocean using her DJI Mavic 3 Cine. “Spinner sharks are quite common in the area and traverse the large schools of fish close to the New York coastline,” she says.

When Steidle is making drone photos, she scans the water for disturbances. In this case, she noticed the school of fish jumping out of the water in the distance and flew her drone in to investigate. “Positioning for this photo was very important to avoid as much glare as possible,” she explains. “In the early morning light, sunrays penetrate the water surface at an extreme angle, which lit up the marine life on the surface and created a dreamy underwater background.” In post-production, she enhanced the natural lighting and shadows to add depth and to ensure the colors flowed seamlessly between the light rays. She also cropped the photo and rotated it for a pleasing composition.

Tips for Capturing Marine Life with a Drone

• Set a fast shutter speed (1/500 second or higher) to freeze the motion of fast-moving sea life.
• Use a low ISO (100-400) in bright conditions to reduce noise.
• Shoot in raw format for greater post-processing flexibility to enhance colors and details.
• Attach a polarizing filter to your drone’s camera to reduce glare from the water’s surface to improve visibility of sea life below.
• Seek out clear, shallow waters where sea life is visible, and calm days with minimal wind.

Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.