Meng Xiangyu Written by/Photographed
A boat, a cat, a fish... The ancients liked to use the "tail" to count fish, perhaps because the tail is more beautiful than the head. As an important source of protein in our daily diet, many people think that fish is delicious, but in fact, fish can also be beautiful, especially in the tail, which hides countless amazing colors.
Double-lined sharplip fish
This set of fishtail photos shows the colorful colors I collected in the South China Sea. My job is to pilot a marine research vessel, and most of these fish tails come from scientific samples caught during the expedition. In scientific investigations, researchers often need to record the full picture of fish with images. In this process, I will photograph the fishtail separately, so that the picture shows a variety of colors while retaining some mystery.
My approach to shooting was simple, most fish were just fished out of the sea and placed on a white background – a square composition plus the unique color of the fish's tail itself was enough. I rarely adjust the color too much after shooting, but maximize the color of the fishtail itself.
At present, I have taken nearly 1,000 fish tail photos of about 300 species of fish. I will continue to photograph it in the future, because even the same fish has a different shape and color of its tail. I don't know art, but in my eyes, nature is the best colorist. I am willing to always record and share my unique beauty from the ocean.
Nine-spiny perch
Silktail nosefish
Yellow-backed plum bream
Dewdrop helmetfish
Black-edged scaly fish
Silk butterfly fish
Guang Ming Daily(Version 11, March 26, 2023)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily