Michael Braunstein
October 2026 - Nudibranch
About the Image(s)
This is a nudibranch in the sea slug family. The nudi part of the word is because They have no shell. Their defense is that they are poisonous to eat. They do not have eyes so the focus should be on the sensory organs in front. The upright part in back is the gills. They live on the bottomed will sometimes call up on an object or a wall. There are rare in the Atlantic but fairly common in the south Pacific. They are a favorite critter to photograph in the Philippines and Indonesia. They are usually 1-3 centimeters in size. I like to shoot them because of the variety. There are thousands of different ones.
I used a Canon 5d Mark 1/V with a 100mm macro lens and two flashes (1/200 sec, f/25, ISO 640). I use photoshop Camera Raw to enhance photos to my liking.
8 comments posted
Very colorful sea life positioned well on a slight diagonal in the frame.
Exposure seems spot on, I would consider darkening down the background somewhat, it is a bit bright as is and your very interesting subject would stand out better.
You have good sharpness on the subject that is possible shooting with a 100mm macro lens at f/25 at this high magnification. Posted: 10/06/2026 05:37:23
I have included a version of this image where these suggestions have been applied to illustrate my thoughts. Let me know what you think …
Posted: 10/08/2026 19:47:58
The color of the sea slug really stands out. I would also add a little more contrast.
Underwater photography is a new area for me. I am looking forward to more. Posted: 10/11/2026 20:25:32
Welcome to our group.
Very nice image and description of a nudibranch.
Good orientation, very colorful, nice crop. From the head to mid-body the focus is sharp on, but then less so further back. Would have been nice to have it all in focus, but this is not a major issue (in this case it is difficult to have the eyes in sharp focus!).
Looking forward to see more of your images.
No further suggestions for improvement.
Posted: 10/16/2026 15:07:03