Old Blue Eyes is Back

Technique: A 2:1 extension tube was mounted to a Nikonis III camera with a 35mm lens attached. Strobe was centered over lens approximately 5" away from subject and fired on low power. Film used was Kodak Kodachrome 64 ASA.

Summary: A very large, adult hermit crab is peeking out from his shell to try and escape my camera. They dart inside to hide and come out cautiously slow to look for predators before emerging completely and scampering away. Photo taken off San Salvador, Bahamas.

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Hermit Crab | San Salvador, Bahamas

Hermit crabs are fun to shoot. Especially the big guys like this one. Don’t be mistaken by thinking they’re going to just sit there and let you blind them with a dozen flashes. These guys like to get out from the protection of that borrowed domain (shell) and head for cover. They are big because they are wise … they are wise because they are old … they are old because they have been cautious their entire lives.

I set this shot up. I found this fellow, placed him on a coral head that was eye level with me and the camera, and patiently waited for him to make his appearance. FLASH!!! Got the shot, he darted back into the shell and started to come again within a minute … FLASH!!! We repeated this process for about 6 pictures. I picked him and placed him right next to the crevice he was headed for when I interrupted his journey. If you just left him, he could have been “gone in 60 seconds”. Trigger fish love crustaceans as do octopus. Some large wrasses even peck away at these fellows. I never kill anything to get a picture. That also includes laying on or across coral.

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