We had such a great time on the National Geographic Explorer as we sailed through the islands of the Indian Ocean. I had lots of fun with the people who worked on the ship. They were all great and two of my favorites were Mike Greenfelder and Dennis Cornejo, so that's who I wanted to interview. Mike was the Lindblad Photo Specialist on this trip and Dennis was the Undersea Specialist.
First, here's my interview with Mike Greenfelder:
Q: How old were you when you first started taking pictures?
A: I began in high school, but I didn't get really serious until I was 27.
Q: How did you get interested in photography?
A: I got really interested in underwater photography when I worked on Catalina Island and wanted to try to photograph the kelp forest there.
Q: What are you most interested in taking pictures of and why?
A: Wildlife in action interests me most since for me it's a challenge capturing something running, jumping, flying or swimming.
Q: Do you have any favorite photo tips?
A: You need to learn your camera and what all the buttons do and then practice, practice, practice. There are pictures to be taken anywhere, at home, at school, in your backyard.
Q: How did you get to be such a good photographer?
A: Practicing and being in great places and spending the time to take the photos. For example, if you want to get great pictures of whales, you can't just take a one-day whale watch, you need to spend days and days with the whales.
Q: Did you go to school to become a photographer?
A: I didn't go to any special school for photography. I learned from my friends and from experimenting on my own.
First, here's my interview with Mike Greenfelder:
Q: How old were you when you first started taking pictures?
A: I began in high school, but I didn't get really serious until I was 27.
Q: How did you get interested in photography?
A: I got really interested in underwater photography when I worked on Catalina Island and wanted to try to photograph the kelp forest there.
Q: What are you most interested in taking pictures of and why?
A: Wildlife in action interests me most since for me it's a challenge capturing something running, jumping, flying or swimming.
Q: Do you have any favorite photo tips?
A: You need to learn your camera and what all the buttons do and then practice, practice, practice. There are pictures to be taken anywhere, at home, at school, in your backyard.
Q: How did you get to be such a good photographer?
A: Practicing and being in great places and spending the time to take the photos. For example, if you want to get great pictures of whales, you can't just take a one-day whale watch, you need to spend days and days with the whales.
Q: Did you go to school to become a photographer?
A: I didn't go to any special school for photography. I learned from my friends and from experimenting on my own.
And here's what I learned from Dennis Cornejo, the ship's underwater
specialist, but he knows everything about plants, insects and animals
too.
Q: Why are you so interested in plants and lizards?
A: It started when I was four and found my first toad. As an adult, I worked with someone who studied the use of plants by indigenous people and that made me very interested in plants. I like things I can touch and interact with.
Q: Are female fish as colorful as the males?
A: It depends on the species. The butterfly and angelfish that we saw so much of this trip are very similar. But with parrotfish and wrasses there's a lot of competition among males to find a mate, so they tend to be more colorful and bigger then the females.
Q: How many different types of giant tortoise species are there?
A: That's a hard question. In my opinion, there's two, the Aldabra tortoise and the Galapagos tortoise. Some people might tell you there are three or four, but genetically I don't believe they're different enough to be their own species.
Q: Do giant tortoises have any predators?
A: Not aside from people, but the baby tortoises do. Rats are an introduced animal that is a problem for the babies. Before rats were brought to the islands, crabs and cuckoo birds might attack the young.
Q: Are all white sand beaches really made from parrotfish poo?
A: Yes. The white beaches we were on were made from coral rubble and the bulk of it was made by the parrotfish.
Q: What type of school did you go to to become a naturalist?
A: I didn't go to school to become a naturalist, I actually always worked in research. I worked on sea turtles and trees and have my phD in botany.
All the people on the ship were really smart and fun and it was great to learn about the animals, plants and ocean from them.
Q: Why are you so interested in plants and lizards?
A: It started when I was four and found my first toad. As an adult, I worked with someone who studied the use of plants by indigenous people and that made me very interested in plants. I like things I can touch and interact with.
Q: Are female fish as colorful as the males?
A: It depends on the species. The butterfly and angelfish that we saw so much of this trip are very similar. But with parrotfish and wrasses there's a lot of competition among males to find a mate, so they tend to be more colorful and bigger then the females.
Q: How many different types of giant tortoise species are there?
A: That's a hard question. In my opinion, there's two, the Aldabra tortoise and the Galapagos tortoise. Some people might tell you there are three or four, but genetically I don't believe they're different enough to be their own species.
Q: Do giant tortoises have any predators?
A: Not aside from people, but the baby tortoises do. Rats are an introduced animal that is a problem for the babies. Before rats were brought to the islands, crabs and cuckoo birds might attack the young.
Q: Are all white sand beaches really made from parrotfish poo?
A: Yes. The white beaches we were on were made from coral rubble and the bulk of it was made by the parrotfish.
Q: What type of school did you go to to become a naturalist?
A: I didn't go to school to become a naturalist, I actually always worked in research. I worked on sea turtles and trees and have my phD in botany.
All the people on the ship were really smart and fun and it was great to learn about the animals, plants and ocean from them.
Are your adventures currently covered in, or will be covered in the National Geographic Kid's magazine?
Your questions are interseting? Did you organize this trip?