Rachel Moore (@moore_rachel)  is a professional photographer specializing in documenting ocean visuals and conservation efforts. “I have been sailing around the world for the past eight years, and my mission is to inspire others to protect our planet and ocean through the imagery I create,” she says. We came across this surreal, rare and powerful eye contact shot she took that has reached millions and is at the top of the list when it comes to humpback whale photos. Keep reading as she shares the story behind the captivating image in her own words.

Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 1
–Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II

Photo by Rachel Moore. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/400-sec., f/5, ISO 500

Swimming With A Humpback

I took this image in French Polynesia while swimming with a humpback whale. This was my sixth season swimming with humpback whales, and this encounter was the most special I’ve ever had. It was one of the most profound experiences of my life.

I first met this whale the day before shooting the image. I swam with her for over an hour before I decided to stop swimming away and let her approach me. She had already shown me through her behavior that she was very careful and aware of her body, and I trusted that she would not touch me. Once I stopped moving, she came very close and wanted to be eye to eye with me.

Photo by Rachel Moore. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photos during the 10 minutes we spent sitting face to face, as I wanted to be fully present with her and give her my full attention. It was a deeply moving experience, and I had only dreamed of having an encounter like that.

That night, when reviewing my images, I regretted not capturing that moment better and I wished I had taken a better photo of her eye contact. Luckily for me, the very next day I had the chance to meet this same whale, whom I named "Sweet Girl." She swam straight up to me, went vertical in the water column, and positioned her eye right next to mine. This time, we stayed eye to eye for five minutes, and I remembered to take a photo.

I zoomed in to 35mm on my 16-35mm GM II lens and trusted the animal eye-tracking feature would keep her eye in focus. I didn’t want to take my eyes off hers. At one point, she rolled over, belly at the surface, and the light hit her eye just perfectly. I quickly took the shot, and I’m so happy the image turned out as it did. It’s a moment I will never forget, and it truly touched my soul.

Photo by Rachel Moore. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II.

Sadly, just four days after taking this image, this beautiful whale was struck and killed by a fast-moving ship. The impact broke her lower jaw and severed her upper jaw completely. She suffered for hours before finally drowning. We are now working on a petition asking the local government to create a law to reduce ship speeds during whale season.

Using Animal Eye-Tracking & A Second-Gen G Master Zoom

I shot this image on my Sony Alpha 1 camera with my Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II lens. I almost always use the 16-35mm when shooting whales, as they are so large and often come very close. For this shot, I had the animal eye-tracking setting turned on, which usually doesn’t work as well with whales because their eyes are so small and surrounded by wrinkles, making them difficult to track. However, since Sweet Girl was so close, the tracking feature worked beautifully.

I shot this photo at 35mm and my settings were 1/400-sec., f/5, ISO 500. I usually shoot whales at an aperture between f/4 and f/7.1, and for this shot, I settled on f/5. I also typically set my shutter speed to a minimum of 1/320-1/400 when shooting whales, and for this shot, I chose 1/400.

Photo by Rachel Moore. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II.

I keep my ISO on auto, as the whales here in the Southern Hemisphere have very white bellies, and if they quickly roll over, it can easily blow out the shot. I trust the camera to adjust the ISO correctly. I also usually dial the exposure compensation to -0.3 or -0.7, depending on the lighting conditions.

For underwater photography, I use a SeaFrogs housing with a glass dome and do not use artificial lighting.

Cropping, Contrast & Clarity

I used Lightroom to edit the image. The main adjustments I made were straightening the image and cropping it in. There was a natural gradient in the light, so I added a bit of contrast using the curves tool and enhanced clarity slightly. The image is very close to what I captured in-camera, with minimal editing.

For more underwater photography see Rachel Moore’s work on Instagram @moore_rachel.