Bobbing Carp

Photograph Story | Bobbing Carp

Many people ask if I captured this photograph while in the water. As it turns out, I am slightly afraid of being in the water and I am allergic to fish. As much as I would love to explore underwater photography, I will likely never jump in.

While visiting the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, I found myself walking along a small boardwalk to a marina. The moment I stepped foot on the boardwalk, I was instantly surrounded by carp, swimming in from every direction. It was almost comical watching hundreds of them appear.

As I walked along, they continued to follow me, piling up on top of each other to the point where I could no longer see the bottom of the lake in the shallow water. Once I reached the middle of the boardwalk, I noticed a small boy dumping bread into the lake, attracting the carp to his location. A few hung around, swimming beneath me, looking up out of the water while bobbing just below the surface.

I stood on the very edge of the boardwalk, leaned over the water and zoomed in on this carp. Bobbing vertically below the surface of the water, this fish seemed to have all the time in the world as I clicked away.

Even though I have a bit of an aversion to fish, this photograph is one of my favorites. I love the color of the water, the natural feel of the scene with debris floating around, and the carp filling the frame while looking right into the camera.