Swimming with the Sharks

On "The Early Show," underwater photographer Don Carpenter explained this great white shark wasn't attacking the cage; it was being "wrangled" to help the photographer achieve the best photo angle.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Say "Ah!"

Photographer Don Carpenter said he was glad three-inch stainless-steel bars separated him from this shark. However, he added that the shark was "very docile" during most of the shoot.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Sharp Edges

Carpenter said on "The Early Show": "First rule of underwater photography is get close, and when you think you're close enough, you get closer."

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Angling for Shark Shots

To achieve shots like this one, Carpenter said he holds a special 25-pound camera as close as he can to the animal.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Sleek Shark

A great white shark seen during one of Carpenter's shoots.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Smile for the Camera

The mouth of a great white shark as seen on one of Don Carpenter's shark shoots.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Capturing Sharks

Underwater photographer Don Carpenter on "The Early Show" with his 25-pound Nikon camera that he uses to capture stunning shots of sharks and other marine wildlife.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Moving In for the Shot

A great white shark inspects the cage where Don Carpenter and his "shark wrangler" wait, armed with only a camera.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Biting In

Carpenter said a "shark wrangler" attempts to get the shark to open up its mouth so the photographer can snap a close-up photo of its jaws.

Swimming with Great White Sharks

"A Little More Brave"

Carpenter said on "The Early Show": "I'm not going to kid you, I was very pleased that there were three-inch stainless steel bars between us, but for the most part, (the shark) was very docile. We were something odd to her and we probably had bizarre electrical signals because our hearts were beating out of our chests. So for two days, she hung out with us. And then on the second day of the trip is when she started getting a little more brave and she started mouthing the cages and coming up to them."

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Wild Wildlife

Carpenter said, "What you're seeing in like the big wide-angle shots where (the shark wrangler who) is actually pushing up on her nose and his happened comes down around her, what you're seeing there is shark coming in checking us out. And (the shark wrangler) is pushing on the nose, he's trying to give the underwater photographer just a few seconds to get back into the cage so he doesn't get hung up on her bottom jaw."

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Don't Try This at Home

Carpenter said, "We (photograph sharks) for a living and we went here specifically to photograph and have experiences with these animals."

Swimming with Great White Sharks

Ready for a Close-Up

Carpenter says for shots like this, the shark's jaws are just inches from his camera's lens.

Swimming with Great White Sharks