Paul SoudersWant to see how this lovely July cover of_ Sport Diver_ came to be? Next slide...
Ken HowardPhotographer Paul Souders surrounded by a bum rush of Steller sea lions. They may be babies, but they're big babies. Next up, see if you can spot the photographer in the melee...
Ken HowardAnd...there's photographer Paul Souder's backup reg amidst a swarm of Steller sea lions. Never let it be said that our photographers won't go the extra mile for the shot! Thanks to Ken Howard for the behind-the-scenes glimpses of what it took to produce such a great image.
I wonder how many of your readers can appreciate the difficulty faced by photographer Paul Souders in getting his July Sport Diver cover shot of Steller sea lions near Vancouver. I accompanied Paul on a BC trip to Hornby Island and it took some time to get used to the “mob rush” tactic the sea lions favored — all juveniles, but some in the neighborhood of 600 pounds. And the BITES, as they tried to figure out what we were — fins, arms, hoods, hoses, camera housings and strobe cords were all fair game. Not hard enough to do any damage, but disconcerting when you’re trying to photograph them.
You can see Paul in the first photo, but about all you can see of him in the second photo is a yellow backup regulator, due to our swarming subjects. The photo opportunities were constant, but truly challenging!
- Ken Howard
