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While I am mostly a wildlife/nature photographer, one of the most interesting books on photography that I have read in a very long time is "Magnum Contacts Sheets" - link below (and no, I don't get a commission if you buy it 🙂) https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Contact-Sheets-Kristen-Lubben/dp/0500292914 This book shows the contact sheets of the photos taken by various Magnum photographers in trying to get their shot. It provides an absolutely fascinating insight into the mindset and creative process followed by some of the best photographers in the world. One of the biggest take-aways for me was the degree to which these photographers "work" the subject, in terms of exhausting various angles, perspectives and compositions. It took a lot of waiting to get the fusiliers aligned just right While this may not be news to some of the old hands here at Wet/Waterpixels, this is something I have rarely seen divers do in the real world, especially those new to underwater photography. Regardless of whether they are carrying a Go Pro, a TGx or a housed system, most photographers I see will swim up to a subject, spend a few seconds composing the image and adjusting their lights, take the shot and then swim off to the next subject. While this may be good for getting clean documentary shots of the subject, the results are generally lacking a little in artistic value. Yes, I did say "artistic value". As the art of underwater photography evolves, well-exposed, sharp photographs of various marine life (documentation) have become pretty much common-place. So how does a photographer evolve his/her images to make them stand out? The next step up from simple documentation is showing behaviour/action - and while this requires the photographer to be alert and technically proficient, there isn't necessarily a lot of creative input here either: the subject does the heavy lifting in terms of making the image. There wasn't much creative input into this image other than the choice of angles - replace the tiger shark with a less interesting fish and this photo would not be very interesting The highest level of photography (IMO) involves creating images where it is the design and composition that makes the image stand out - not merely "look, here is a cool subject". In wildlife, for example, it is much harder to take a great image of an antelope than a lion - similarly, it is much harder to take a "wow" shot of a coral head or some reef fish underwater than a whale shark or manta. You have to spend time thinking about what to include and exclude in the image, how to compose the frame, how to light it, etc. etc. When it comes to artistic design, your first shot is unlikely to be your best shot - atleast not consistently or unless your name starts with "Henri" and ends with "Cartier-Bresson". It takes time to work through the various compositional aspects in order to find the best image - ie, you need to work the subject. If you do, you can be rewarded with images that go well beyond the obvious. I'd like to illustrate what I mean with an example of how I went about taking one of the shots I really like. To set expectations, I have the natural creative talent of a brick and have to take a very methodical approach to taking images. So this process may seem a little plodding to the creative geniuses out there. For the rest of us, perhaps it may be helpful. This was a coral head I came across on a dive during a trip to Raja Ampat: I found the glass fish sheltering under the coral to be quite interesting and got into position, angled my strobes, set the exposure and fired off a shot, resulting in this: Ok, it's a shot showing the coral and the fish. But there really isn't much else to redeem it. It's lacking colour and pop, and there really is no unifying theme to the image other than "here's a bunch of stuff". And most that stuff is adding nothing to the image (and would not, regardless of how great the corner sharpness was 😜). So I decided to get a little closer and see what I got. It took around 10-15 shots from various angles before I found something that looked promising: Ok, now the image has a little more pop and there are no extraneous elements. But it still seems a little haphazard. Hmm, maybe having the glass fish appear more synchronised would help? This led to a few more shots (well, 60+, actually) trying to get the pesky fish to be aligned the way I wanted. Some of them: There were quite a few other variants of the above, with the fish facing one way or another. All were pretty nice but from a design element, there was something lacking - these images were still not giving me a sense or scale of being on an amazing reef in Raja Ampat. While nicer than the earlier images, these were still simple "look, here's some fish" images. So I decided to go a little wider to see if that would help capture the essence of the underwater world a little better. Ok, now this felt better. The blue water on the other side of the coral balanced the glassfish a little more, and gave a greater sense of the reef, and I was quite pleased with the image. But then I started thinking about how all the visual elements were only on one side of the coral whereas the blue water was completely lacking in any point of interest. Some more shooting and gesturing to my dive guide resulted in this: Bonus points to the coral grouper for a serendipitous appearance This (to my eyes, at least) felt like the best photo of the bunch - a good 100+ exposures after the initial image. I could have stopped after the first few images, I could have stopped after 20-30 images but by spending 30+ minutes in this one location, I found a photo that truly appealed to me. Is it perfect? Of course not. There is perspective distortion with the diver that could have been mitigated by having the diver move away from the edges. I'd have also have liked him to be holding a torch. That's a testimony to the fact that despite the time I spent, I could have always worked the subject more. So what's the takeaway here? Pretty simple: too many divers spend their entire dive swimming around, taking a couple of photos here and a couple of photos there. That's perfectly fine when you are starting out and is a good way to hone your technical skills and build a good foundation of documentary images and also action photos. But as your skills evolve, a good way to improve the quality of your images is by becoming more selective. Try to get a few really great shots as opposed to a large number of average ones. And in order to achieve this, shoot fewer subjects - but the subjects that you do shoot, shoot them really well. By that, I don't mean just blindly fire away and hope for the best. Instead, take a deliberate approach to positioning yourself, your perspective and exposure/lighting. Think about different ways you can compose the image. Then review the results, decide what could improve and repeat. Starting thinking like a photographer who happens to be on scuba - as opposed to a scuba diver who has a camera. Sure, this isn't always easy to do: unless you have your own private guide or are diving with a group of photographers, you rarely have the ability to spend as much time as you prefer on a subject. But if your goal is take the best possible images, you will have to find a workaround to that. Most dive centres are generally very receptive to (and slightly dread!) underwater photographers, and are willing to work with them in terms of guides, groups, etc. Make that extra effort and you will find the quality of your images improves significantly. Footnote: the series of images above is not a statement about how awesome the final image is. I like it a lot (and I shoot to please myself), but I have photographer friends who aren't that impressed by it (which is perfectly fine). The goal is to illustrate the approach to working a scene, and hopefully, this sequence illustrates it well. Sometimes, no matter how much you try, the animals don't cooperate. I spent a lot of time working through various compositions till I found one that appealed to me - all it needed was an appropriate subject swimming through at the right location. Despite waiting for almost 30 minutes, I didnt have any luck better than this.

Last year I decided to go big - switching from the tiny RX100 to FF (FullFormat). In my case, it was the A7IV as the best value for money. But having made the decision on the camera model is only one step - lens, housing and port is much more difficult. But with the support of the nice guys here and the old forum, I am now the happy owner of a sleek combination that is tailored to my needs. But how do you know what you need? This article might help. The most common type of camera used by underwater photographers is one that is inserted with lens into a housing and has either a flat (flat port) or curved (dome port) front glass at the port. Even in the days of analogue photography with the Nikonos system, for example, water contact lenses were developed that explicitly take into account the refraction of light at the water-to-glass contact surface. This reduces distortions that would otherwise occur when light hits the port at an angle and cause blurring at the edges. Nauticam has therefore developed some different types of water contact optics that evolved and serve different purposes. FCP (Fisheye Conversion Port) and WACP (Wide Angle Conversion Port) are "dry" optics designed to turn a mid-range zoom lens on the camera into a wide-angle zoom when the combination is taken under the surface. WWL (Wet Wide Lens) is the older version, somewhat less compact and made of more components, wet lens, but otherwise very similar to WACP. EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) takes a different approach: different underwater lenses are placed in front of a macro lens and a flat port in order to be able to adjust on different subjects - from macro to large fish. First and newest: FCP Picture courtesly provided by Alex Mustard A dry lens that is attached directly to the housing with the appropriate (depending on the camera and lens) port extensions. In concrete terms, you can imagine the FCP as an ultra-wide-angle lens for underwater use. A lens such as the Sony 28-60, Canon 24-50 or Nikon 24-50 is attached to the camera and the FCP is mounted on the housing. This achieves a maximum field of view of 175° - a real fisheye. In the zoom position, the field of view is still 85°, i.e. still quite wide-angle, comparable to a 24mm lens over water. Next WACP: Still new, especially the WACP-C The WACP ports with the endings -C for compact, -1 for the "normal" variant and -2 for the maximum variant are not quite as extreme. Also "dry" optics - see above. They are intended to cover a field of view of approx. 70°-130° - i.e. comparable to a lens with a normal focal length (approx. 30mm) to a slight fisheye wide angle (11mm). On the camera, the WACP-C and WACP-1 require similar lenses as for the FCP (for example Sony 28-60, Canon 24-50 or Nikon 24-50), but the largest variant requires a wider-angle lens such as 14-30mm to achieve the same field of view. These water contact lenses are quite bulky and heavy (WACP-C: 2.3kg, WACP-1: 3.9kg, WACP-2: 7.0kg) and offer better sharpness than dome ports, especially at the edges, but above all they provide a wide zoom range under water and focus even directly at the glass. The WACP-C, although labelled as a compact version, also fits some of the full-frame cameras and is the most suitable solution for me personally. WWL-1(B): AFAIK the two WWL ports (WWL-1 and the newer WWL-1B) are the predecessors of the WACP ports. The area of use is the same as with WACP: field of view approx. 70-130°, i.e. wide normal focal length to slightly ultra-wide angle/fisheye when using zoom lenses with a focal length range of approx. 25-60mm. The difference to the WACP solutions is the technical design. With WWL, you have a compact plan port on the housing and the WWL is mounted wet, i.e. with water between the front glass of the port and the WWL lens. Advantage over the WACP solutions: lighter overall, and you can remove the WWL under water and then have a lightweight telephoto lens (...no one ever does...). Disadvantage: The telephoto lens is rarely needed and air bubbles between the port and the WWL can be annoying. EMWL: One size matters fits all The EMWL wants to be and can be an "all in one": The basic here is that an 90 mm macro lens is mounted on the camera and the corresponding port with flat glass at the front (flat port) is mounted on the underwater housing. A close-up lens (e.g. SMC-1) for magnification or the EMWL can be used on a flip port. The EMWL consists of two or three elements: The focusing unit, which is available in variants for Nikon, Canon and Sony, is located directly in front of the macro port An optional extension piece (relay lens) then follows, which turns the image upside down and brings the front glass closer to the subject The actual lens, which is available in 160°, 130°, 100° and 60° angle of view versions, is located at the top. The 130° lens is particularly popular and is ideal for CFWA, but also for large fish or panoramic images. In contrast to FCP and WACP, the EMWL is a wet lens, so there is water between the port glass and the focussing unit, but also between the relay lens and the objective lens. Image quality is high in every direction but bubbles between the parts can be annoying and there have been issues about focus breathing. The main areas of application are thus: FCP: Fisheye wide-angle zoom, medium volume, compact WACP: Wide-angle zoom, medium to large volume depending on version WWL: Comparable to WACP, Lighter and slightly cheaper, but with technical disadvantages EMWL: fixed focal lengths that can be changed under water, somehow bulky, objectionable appearance To show the differences in size and appearance here a pic from Alex Mustard, showing (left to right) FCP (prototype), WACP-C, WACP-2, WACP-1 (Thanks, Alex!) Cost (€)? You have already camera, housing and lens. And focus gear. And port extension. And arms, flashes and so on. Just the port: Rough estimates FCP: EDIT Jan 14th: Now on Nauticam website €6.482,00 (incl. VAT) WACP-C: €2.9k WACP-1: €4.5k WACP-2: €8.2k WWL-1b: €1.9k (with flatport) EMWL: €8.5k (with flatport, 60°, 100°, 130° optics, rely, focusing unit, flip-holder, SMC-1) If I made errors or incorrectness anybody please feel free to add or correct

Negative Space The two main tips on starting underwater photography are Get Close and Shoot Upwards. The idea being that the closer you get, the less the water interferes with the image. By shooting upwards there is a better chance of increasing the impact of subject by separating it from a messy background. Those two elements of guidance, especially the latter, can go a long way to improving image-making. But there comes a point for many underwater photographers where images become all a bit routine - yet another fish portrait? A FRESH APPROACH I hit this plateau some years back whilst running a dive resort in the Lembeh Straits. Just how many xxxxfish/seahorse shots could I take? I wanted fresh ideas. A fresh approach. I wanted to create something that wasn’t a fish portrait. A resort guest, a very talented underwater photographer, pointed me in the direction of using “negative space”. What? Negative space is “a term used in art to describe the space surrounding a subject. Also called white space, it is typically empty and lacks details as to simplify an image. Negative space surrounds positive space in a work of art”. “Typically empty” and “lacks details” are the key elements. A blank canvas. So how do you find or create “negative space”? A very simple example: if you shoot upwards, into the blue, you have lots of negative space - the whole ocean. Lighting can be tricky but is manageable. SEARCHING FOR NEGATIVE SPACE How about searching for a piece of coral that produces effectively a blank canvas? Corals can come in all sorts of interesting colours, shapes and sizes: think, for example, of Elephant Ear corals with their vibrant orange colour. A blank, orange canvas. Then see what lives there, what lies there, what might come on to that canvas and create a visually striking image against the negative space. What about a colourless rock? Or one covered in red algae? With this technique, you think about the dive in a different way and new ideas emerge: graphical images, images of perhaps only one or two strong and contrasting colours or shapes. The fish portrait starts to disappear and the image becomes one of lines, colours and contrasts. The subject might become an accessory to a strong visual impression. Try a dive where, instead of going hunting for a subject, you go hunting for a good negative space, a canvas, and see what might be there or, with patience, what might show up. Take some time to weigh-up the canvas: angles, colours, contrasts…. you might end up spending the whole dive in only one or two spots. CREATING NEGATIVE SPACE Inevitably though some dives sites just don’t offer negative space. So create your own. There are several ways. Using the widest aperture setting, so reducing depth of field, can turn a fussy background into a creamy, indistinguishable canvas. This is using the “bokeh” effect beloved of portrait photographers. This works very well if shooting low and upwards. (I can recommend 45-degree viewfinder for this!) and for subjects that are parallel to the camera sensor rather than being at right angles. Or the opposite: a fast shutter speed will reduce the amount of light the camera sees and turn the background into that classic black canvas. Or maybe not quite so fast and get a mid or dark blue canvas. Rather than shoot at, say 1/100, try 1/250 or the fastest your camera can sync with the strobes. High Speed Synchronisation - HSS - equipped strobes and triggers are a major bonus allowing much higher shutter speeds. Or use a snoot. Snoots are a great way of concentrating light onto a subject. A negative space is then created in the shape of a black or unlight canvas for the areas the snoot does not light. SEE THE DIFFERENCE Hunt for negative spaces, play around with these techniques and you may well find a whole new style of diving and a whole new way of image-making. Images which are strong graphically or in their simple and contrasting colours. And if that doesn’t work, you can always go back to fish portraits. A fast shutter speed creates a black canvas A red canvas of algae A wide aperture creates a blurry background Coral creates a canvas for a graphical image Snoots create negative space and highlight subject

Raja Ampat is universally known as "The Heart of Coral Triangle”, for its unrivaled wealth, including: 540 hard coral species (more than 75% of the world's coral species); 60 types of crayfish; 1,070 types of reef fish; 699 types of mollusks. Also on land, Raja Ampat has incredible diversities: over 874 plant species that 9 are endemic and 6 are protected species, of which 360 species are trees. Also there are 114 species of herpetofauna with 5 species of which are endemic and 5 other species are protected. There are also 47 species of mammals, of which 1 is endemic and 3 is protected. And lastly, there are 274 bird species with 6 species of which are endemic and 8 species are also included in the protected category. This mega-biodiversity and various types of endemic flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere in the world. For that reason, 66% of Raja Ampat's terrestrial area is a Nature Reserve or Conservation Area, and 5 Regional Water Conservation Areas or KKPDs cover an area of 1,125,940 hectares. The epitome of Raja Ampat's beauty is found in the Misool area, which, due to its distance from the more frequented areas, and the very strict management policy of the marine park, allows marine life to continue to thrive. I’ve visited Raja Ampat 3 times, and every time I go back I feel that, unlike many other places I have visited, the marine life here doesn’t seem to suffer the anthropic pressure, a sign that environmental protection and public awareness are working extensively. The heart-shaped lagoon of KARAWAPOP Geosite The last time I visited Misool, I was on a cruise aboard the Gaia Love vessel, after a long crossing from Ternate (Halmahera), which I have already talked about in a previous article. The first stop in the Misool area was at Pele island. We dove sites as Pele’s Playground, Kaleidosoope and Toblerone, all with wonderful corals and pelagic life. I was amazed by the colors of Kaleidoscope, and I understood why this site was named like that. The Gaia Love at sunset, moored in the Pele area Moving east from Pele, we arrive in the Fiabacet/Warakaraket area, near the Misool eco resort. Here we can find some of the most iconic dive spots in Misool, such as Nudi rock, Magic Mountain, Boo Windows, Four Kings, just to name a few! The abundance of life and color in these areas is absolutely astonishing. We stayed in the area for the rest of the cruise, being able to count on an infinite number of fantastic dive sites in a very short distance. My favorites were, once again, Boo Windows and Four Kings. Between the spectacular cliffs of Boo and the pinnacles of 4 Kings every encounter is possible, even with our beloved winged friends, the Mantas. Here we had the privilege of swimming in very close contact with a majestic oceanic manta that stayed with us for almost the entire dive, making some laps and then coming back to greet us. Finally, after 11 days of fantastic diving, we set sail for our port of disembarkation, Sorong. I must say with a lot of melancholy, since these places enter your soul and you never want to leave them. Conclusions. My experience on this cruise, which started in Ternate and ended in Sorong, touching the most beautiful places in Halmahera and Misool, was absolutely extraordinary. I have to thank all the staff of Gaia Love who made sure that every moment of the crossing was unforgettable, starting from the top-quality food, to the diving guides who were always very attentive and who always made us feel safe and protected. I would also like to thank the officers on board who were always able to manage all the moments of the cruise with the highest professionalism. As for the photographic equipment, for those who are curious, I recommend reading the previous article where I detailed everything. See you next time! Pietro Cremone

Disclaimer: Thanks to Pietro Cremone, the Italian distributor of Nauticam, I had the opportunity to try out this interesting lens on a recent trip to Anilao for blackwater dives. Blackwater diving is a form of night diving that involves exploring open waters off oceanic coasts. Unlike traditional night dives, which take place near the shore or in shallow waters, blackwater dives occur in deep waters, typically offshore over deep ocean floors. During these dives, divers immerse themselves in dark waters, often with depths exceeding 100 meters. A bright buoy connected to a variable-length line (20-30 meters) is placed in the water, to which very powerful torches will be attached. The lights are used to attract plankton and marine creatures to the surface, offering divers the opportunity to observe these unique creatures up close and appreciate their beauty in a completely different environment. Additionally, the lights serve as an optical reference for divers as they drift with the currents alongside the buoy and line. Blackwater diving can be an extraordinarily fascinating experience, but it requires adequate preparation and some experience with night diving. Divers must have excellent buoyancy control and perfect self-management skills, including with their photographic equipment. In recent years, these dives have become very popular, especially among underwater photographers, who can capture stunning images of animals that normally inhabit oceanic depths and, thanks to currents and the upwelling phenomenon, ascend towards the surface. Among these creatures, one can find zooplankton, larval stages of many fish species, mollusks, shrimp, etc., and even rare encounters with Paper Nautilus or the Blanket Octopus. Locations for this type of diving are scattered around the world, and the most famous ones with dive centers with greater experience can be found in: Anilao in the Philippines, Hawaii in the USA, Palm Beach in the USA, Lembeh in Indonesia, and Cozumel in Mexico. For photographic equipment, it is recommended to use a macro lens with a 1:1 ratio and a good field of view (ideally 50 or 60 mm equivalent full frame), with good AF speed, two strobes, and a focus torch positioned on the housing to assist the AF system of the camera body, and a narrow-beam torch for searching subjects, which can also be positioned on the housing or held by hand. For photographers using Nikon or Olympus, they are fortunate to have two excellent lenses available: the Nikon AF-S 60mm f/2.8 G ED Micro and the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro, which are perfect for Blackwater photography. However, for Canon and Sony photographers, it is unfortunately more complex because the available optics have very slow AF (Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art and Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro), and in Blackwater, it can be frustrating to try to focus as we really have to seize the moment: subjects are free in the water and besides drifting, they move constantly, making it much more difficult to capture correctly. Using more performing lenses like Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro or Canon 100mm f/2.8 L Macro unfortunately becomes more complex, even though they have a good AF speed, due to the narrow field of view. An interesting solution to solve this problem is provided by Nauticam. In recent years, Nauticam has been investing heavily in "wet" optics, such as the WWL and WACP-C series, to name a few. In 2020, Nauticam launched a new system of wet optics on the international market, the EMWL series (Extended Macro Wide Lens). The EMWL is designed to work with various macro lenses and is optimized for both photos and videos. It is a "wet" mount design so that the lens can be attached and removed underwater. This increases the versatility of the entire system. EMWL is a modular system composed of three main parts: the focusing unit, the relay module, and the lens. Plus, an accessory for quick mounting. On the Nauticam website, you can find a detailed description of its features and the modules that compose it. Being a Canon user, I have strong limitations on the lenses to use in BW, and I thought this lens could help solve them. The setup I used is as follows: Canon R7, Canon EF-S 60 macro, Nauticam NA-R7 housing, N100 flat port 74, Reverse Angled Viewfinder 32º, EMWL Focusing Unit #1, and 60° objective lenses. Pre-Dive Considerations It is important to note that the EMWL is a lens designed for underwater use and must be immersed in water to function properly. When testing the flash before the dive, it is necessary to get very close to the object, about 1 cm, to make the camera's autofocus work. If you photograph in the air, the autofocus will not focus on anything; immersion of the lens in water is essential. However, at a distance of 1 cm from the lens, autofocus works and allows testing the flash dry. The EMWL is composed of heavy optics. On the Nauticam website, you will find tables for each part of the EMWL. In my specific configuration, the Focusing Unit weighs 728g, the Objective Lens 60° 378g, the Reverse Viewfinder 700g, and the M77 to BM II 122g, for a total of 1,928 grams to add to the normal configuration without a 45° Viewfinder. In my case, I use the normal 45° Viewfinder and should subtract the weight of mine, which is about 480g. So, compared to my base configuration, I add a weight, out of the water, of 1448g. I emphasize this point because on my first dive, I didn't worry at all about the additional weight, but using the camera with this extra weight was a bit more complicated in normal BW use. I recommend neutralizing this additional weight as much as possible with floats or floating arms. In-Water Use With a 60° field of view, framing subjects becomes significantly easier, which is definitely the strong point of this system. This allowed me to quickly and better frame the subject through the Viewfinder. Locating and focusing on the subject was significantly simpler with this lens, allowing me to track it and get as close as possible. The autofocus was not affected by the additional lenses of the Nauticam EMWL system. The focusing systems, single-point AF or AF tracking, worked perfectly. I did not notice any differences compared to normal use. I only experienced a worsening when using the red color of the focus lights. With subjects more sensitive to white light, such as Squid or Paper Nautilus, I usually use only the red color of the focus lights. However, with the EMWL, changing the color of just one focus light from red to blue or white, the autofocus work perfectly again. The Objective Lens 60° has the ability to adjust the minimum focusing distance in 3 modes; surely the 55mm-infinity adjustment is preferable for blackwater photography. Searching for the minimum focusing distance, especially for smaller subjects, framing becomes more complicated, but I noticed a greater magnification of the subject. Comparing notes with Pietro, he confirmed that the 60° lens can achieve a magnification of 4x at the CFD, and this is another advantage of this system. Obviously, for smaller subjects, it is always more difficult to get a good shot, but with this lens, we could photograph other subjects that we normally give up on because they are too complex or have obtained poor results due to the 1:1 ratio of the lenses used up to now. Another impression I had is that the lens provides a greater depth of field. Reviewing the shots taken of a male Paper Nautilus attached to a tunicate, I noticed that a good part of the tunicate and the Paper Nautilus were well in focus. However, I did not have many similar shots during this test session. The only "negative" feedback I can provide from my experience using it in blackwater is that occasionally, on slightly overexposed shots and with highly reflective subjects, the lens produces a white halo around the subject. In the shots taken, the number of files with this issue was negligible, but I felt it was important to mention it. Final Thoughts I was thrilled to use this system, and I would like to thank once again the Italian distributor of Nauticam (Fotosub-shop.it - Pietro Cremone) for giving me the opportunity to test it in black water. Certainly, this system requires various trials in the water by the user, but once the right balance is found, it can provide incredible images of both typical subjects in blackwater and smaller subjects. The cost of the complete configuration may not be within everyone's reach, but as we know, our hobby is expensive, and we do enjoy expensive toys. If you have the opportunity to purchase it, you could overcome the limitations we have with the lenses used in blackwater. If I have the chance to try it again, I would like to use the 100° lens for larger subjects, such as a Blanket Octopus (if they are easy to find), a beautiful female Paper Nautilus, or a large jellyfish; it could be very interesting, considering also that changing lenses can be done underwater, being very careful not to let it slip, though... I will keep you updated. Hydrozoan Jellyfish - 1/320 F14 ISO 320 Tube anemone larva - 1/320 F14 ISO 320 Flounder larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Mantis shrimp larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Crab larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Unidentified - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Juvenile benthic octopod on a salp - 1/250 F20 ISO 320 Juvenile benthic octopod on salp - 1/250 F22 ISO 320 Seahorse, Hippocampus sp. - 1/250 F18 ISO 320 Dotterel Filefish - 1/250 F20 ISO 320 Veliger larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Shrimp larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320 Mantis shrimp Larva - 1/250 F18 ISO 320 Fish larva - 1/250 F16 ISO 320

Text and images: Davide De Benedictis - Claudio Valerio Cover photo: Marco Bartolomucci If we told you how long we've been diving, you'd immediately know how old we are. We'd just tell you that we've been diving for a long time and that our passion for the sea has always been a part of us. We've spent most of our time in the Mediterranean, and by diving year-round, we've seen the gradual changes in the sea we love the most. A while back, we observed some novice divers during our decompression stop and wondered what it was like for them exploring the seafloor. Are they aware of the changes they're witnessing, or are they unwitting victims of shifting baseline syndrome? Unfortunately, this is what we've been observing for years in the Mediterranean during the summer: a carpet of mucilage in the first few meters of depth. The video text is based on Greta Thunberg's famous speech at the Youth4Climate event in Milan in 2021. This speech, with its great impact and appealing style, has been used in lots of different contexts. However, to my knowledge, it hasn't been used in relation to the marine world. When we were editing the images, we thought of the old saying "Once it was all countryside here", which makes you think about the past in a nostalgic way. But even the most overused clichés have a grain of truth. To paraphrase the cliché, we could say that "Once it was all sargassum and Cystoseira here". These seaweeds, which are common in the Mediterranean, were an important part of the marine ecosystem. There were large groups of Sargassum and Cystoseira, which alternated with Posidonia oceanica bushes and seafloors covered with calcareous algae (maerl). Some of the algae were the size of a fist. The bottoms were also decorated with white gorgonians, which are typical of these shallow waters. Today, although these species are still present, many of them are difficult to observe and suffer from a thick layer of mucilage covering them. This is now so common during the summer months that only those with long diving experience, or observing the seabed in winter, can tell the difference. When we showed these images to a non-diving audience, even though we had a marine biologist explain them, they were still pretty skeptical until we showed them exactly the same places filmed in winter and spring before temperature rises. Then they finally understood what we were talking about: These two short videos show how challenging it is to communicate the changes taking place in the oceans. The warming waters and human activities are affecting underwater ecosystems just as much as they are affecting land ecosystems. But underwater, the problem is even more pronounced. There's a lack of historical data, which makes it tough to grasp how marine environments are changing (again, it's the shifting baseline syndrome). Plus, our direct experience of the underwater world is limited. Everyone can see the effects of fires in the Amazon rainforest on the news or watch the urban landscape change from the car window. But what's going on underwater? This is why it's so important to communicate the importance of marine ecosystem conservation in a clear and urgent way. This is the challenge we're up against. Given the lack of inspiration in our recreational diving, we've been wondering if there's somewhere where these changes haven't happened yet. It's probably the so-called "mesophotic zone or twilight zone", which is the bathymetric range in the Mediterranean from fifty to one hundred and twenty meters deep. As depth increases in this zone, plant life gradually makes way for animal life due to the decreasing levels of light. Recently, this zone has become really important for studying how climate and human activities are affecting our oceans. It's a completely undiscovered world that could be home to species that could be valuable resources for addressing problems related to global warming and overfishing in the surface marine zone. The trailer on our Underwater Italy channel gives you a sneak peek of the mesophotic seafloor of the Mediterranean. A while back, whenever we talked about our passion for deep diving, the response was always the same: "Why go to the trouble of going deep when there's so much to see here on the surface?" And then, of course, there was the inevitable warning about the dangers of deep diving. How could they be blamed for that? Back then, going beyond the limits of recreational diving was all about deep air and not much else. As it turns out, today in the Mediterranean, we can only observe intact ecosystems through deep diving, and the tools of technical diving allow us to do so in reasonable safety. However, even in these environments, things are changing. For years, we've been seeing signs of suffering in marine animal forests, even in the shallowest parts of the "mesophotic zone". This shows that the effects of climate change are constantly evolving. Here's an example of what's happening to some of the seabed in the Tuscan archipelago, between 50 and 70 meters deep. It seems that the damage is not only proportional to depth, but probably also depends on other factors such as currents and the morphology of the seabed. To get a full understanding of this phenomenon, further scientific studies will be needed. As divers, our role is simply to observe. It's crucial that we keep an eye on these changes in marine ecosystems and keep documentation up to date. Every observation and piece of research helps us to understand our underwater environment better. It's essential that we pay attention and put in the effort to adapt our conservation strategies so that we can meet the challenges that climate change poses. It's an ongoing process, but it's vital to preserve the wonders of the sea for future generations.

In April 2024, I took a memorable cruise, with the itinerary covering from Halmahera to Sorong, crossing some of the most iconic dive sites in Indonesia. In this article I will cover the first part of the journey, the one from Ternate to Pisang. I will add a second article focusing on the Raja Ampat and Misool area. I was onboard the beautiful GAIA LOVE vessel, a beautiful modern motor yacht, purpose built to explore the far-reach regions of Indonesia. This was the itinerary: The embarkation point was in Ternate, a city steeped in history. Once a major spice trading center, Ternate still exudes a colonial charm. Ternate Island is known for its historical sites and stunning beaches. Ternate, Al-Munawaroh Mosque, also called it “Masjid Terapung”, or "the floating mosque" because the structure was built by the sea, looking like floating on it. The first dives of the trip were in the Halmahera/Jailolo surroundings, and since the first jump I was delighted by the wonderful and pristine reefs of the region. The highlight of this sites are the big sponges, often covered with white sea cucumbers that give the sponges the effect of a decoration. Aerial view of one of the Goraici islands After Jailolo, we headed to the Goraichi islands, where we stay for 2 days and six dives. The small archipelago of Goraichi lies around 50-kilometres southwest. Another small cay of Goraichi's archipelago The locals here have a reputation as environmentalists, and the healthy coral reefs abound with macro marine life, offering fantastic opportunities for photography and night diving. In addition, there are also beautiful coral-covered walls to explore. Left the Goraichi's, we headed to South Halmahera, where we had another day packed with wonderful reefs and the highlight of a night muck dive in Penambuan. A small village in South Halmahera Then, we left Halmahera, crossing to Pisang. Pulau Pisang is located around 70-kilometres southwest of Damar Island, where the Halmahera and Ceram seas meet, making it a common stop for liveaboards as they cross to and from Raja Ampat. The diving here focuses on a series of underwater ridges that connect the main island to several smaller surrounding islands and feature large pinnacles covered with branching corals. I still found wonderful and healty reefs, teeming with life and, apparently, not yet polluted with plastic. During all the trip, we had calm seas and good visibility, that granted me the opportunity to get many good shots. The equipment: For this trip, I used the SONY A7RV, in a Nauticam housing, teamed with the Nikonos RS 13mm, adapted for SONY mirrorless by Isaac Szabo. I am using this fantastic lens since 2014, but with the adaption for Sony, Isaac made a fantastic job, making the lens yet more performing! Lighting was granted by SUPE D-pro strobes, with an even and powerul beam that well couples with the great field of view of the RS 13mm. The Boat: I was onboard the GAIA LOVE, a 40mt. steel motor yacht. The GAIA LOVE in front of Pulau Pisang The Gaia Love offers the guest contemporary settings, plenty of space and comfort, and a wonderful experience. I have tried many liveaboards before, but since when I boarded on Gaia I felt like it is a different level from the other boats! As a photographer, I was amazed by the great spaces that are available for the equipment, starting from the gorgeous and climatised camera room, and ending to the personal rinse tank that you havd on the diving deck, just in front of your personal place. The experience on board was then completed by delicious gourmet food , and a fantastic crew always ready to pamper the guests. The spacious camera room Conclusions: The first leg of the trip, covering the Halmahera region, was a great experience for me. It was the first time I dove these waters and I was really amazed for the richness of the reefs and the absolute sense of wilderness, we found maybe a couple of other liveaboards during the journey, and we always were the sole boat diving in any place! I will cover the second leg of the trip in a next article, please stay tuned.. Cheers! Pietro Cremone

Underwater photography is an incredible experience because it offers enthusiasts the opportunity to discover the underwater world in its most authentic beauty. To capture these extraordinary images it is essential to have the right equipment, and one of the key elements in underwater photography is the strobe. SUPE Scubalamp is a company specialising in the design and production of underwater lighting equipment, including torches, strobes and related accessories. The company, a world market leader for many years, recently launched the new SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro underwater strobe, successor to the glorious D-Max. This product caught the attention of the underwater community due to its exceptional quality, light uniformity and battery life, and these features immediately placed it among the best in the industry. Another distinguishing feature is the high-speed continuous shooting mode, with the strobe supporting 10 frames per second in the first mode, making it much easier to capture shots in quick succession. The D-Pro, with its 4800 degree Kelvin circular lamp with a 160W power output and 150 degree beam angle, ensures an even spread of light over the entire framed area. This means that captured subjects and scenes will appear in natural, vivid colours - in short, your shots will be outstanding. A crucial feature for underwater strobes is battery life. While in the deep sea it is complicated to change batteries easily, so to avoid any kind of problem it is always preferable to do the replacement only at the end of the dives. SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro also excels in this respect, thanks to its 37.8 Wh rechargeable lithium battery (3x 18650), which guarantees from 500 strobes at full power up to 3000 strobes in the first mode. The large battery capacity supports long underwater photo sessions, allowing every moment to be captured without interruption. The strobes also feature a display that shows the battery charge status, allowing you to keep track of the remaining battery life at all times. I have been fascinated by these strobes since their launch and, after hearing feedback from other underwater photographers, I finally had the opportunity to test them first-hand during my recent three-week trip to the breathtaking tropical waters of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The setup I used for the test consisted of: Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye, Nauticam NA-R5 housing, Nauticam 140mm Dome, Nauticam Trigger and Flex-Arm carbon arms. During the first dives I studied the light behaviour of the strobe in order to position it in the best possible way. The circular lamp guarantees excellent uniformity in light distribution and the D-Pro, with its coverage angle of about 150°, provides a considerable amount of light perfectly distributed over the entire frame of the shot. Power adjustment is easy thanks to the power selector. To balance the weight I added a pair of floats, as the strobes tended to be slightly negative. Looking at the shots underwater, previewed on the camera, I was impressed and couldn't wait to review them on my computer once back on land. Upon review I was even more surprised by the quality, quantity and uniformity of the light, everything was simply amazing. While diving, I tried to 'exploit' the strobes to the best of my ability in a variety of situations, and they never let me down; on the contrary, they always provided the best of their light. I was particularly satisfied with the battery life. I always recharged the batteries after 6 dives, with an average of about 100-130 shots per dive, the display allowed me to accurately monitor the remaining charge, eliminating uncertainty about whether I could continue shooting. Recharging the batteries was simple, just remove them from the compartment and plug them into the supplied transformer, waiting for the LED to turn green to indicate a full charge. I'm not sure of the exact hours needed, I always did this before going to sleep, in the morning the batteries were ready, fully charged. As an optional extra Supe supplies a diffuser (D200-Diffuser) for wide angles. It is a hotly debated topic among underwater photographers whether they should be used or not. Not being able to provide scientific measurements with appropriate instruments, I can only give you my personal feelings. I felt good in both cases, with and without, the difference I noticed was only in the type of scene shot. I shot very often without a diffuser, because I had the feeling that the strobe had more penetration and the light was more incident on subjects with a greater distance to the lens. On the other hand, with very close-up shots, I found the shots with the use of the diffuser with a softer and more even light more pleasing. After three weeks of diving I did not experience any problems with their operation, the strobes were always ready to fire. The size and weight did not have a major impact during the dives, I appreciated their ease of use. I personally think that the SUPE Scubalamp D-Pro is currently one of the best underwater strobes available on the market in terms of value for money. However, it is important to emphasise that I have not been able to assess its reliability in the long term; my testing period was, in fact, limited. However, I am also confident in terms of reliability because the quality I found during use was evident. I would like to thank my friend Scipione, who allowed me to test these strobes, and Raymon Bao, owner of SUPE Scubalamp, who was always available to answer my requests for further details about the product. F8 - 1/125 - ISO 100 F11 - 1/160 - ISO 320 F13 - 1/160 - ISO 250 F10 - 1/125 - ISO 250 F8 - 1/160 - ISO 250 F11 - 1/125 - ISO 250 F10 - 1/125 - ISO 200 F8 - 1/125 - ISO 160 F9 - 1/125 - ISO 200

How to I can still remember me sitting in a hotel lobby after a Lake Baikal tour in 2014, reading a dive operator newsletter about “Snorkeling with Orcas in Norway”. I just thought, “ Are they crazy, snorkeling with Orcas?! Definitely not, that’s too dangerous!” Well, the years passed and everyone returned in one piece from these tours. Over all these years the Orca action doesn't seem to be letting up, based on reliable first-hand information, and because I upgraded my camera setup, I decided to travel to Norway too. More specifically, to Northern Norway. I flew in to Tromsö, took the fast ferry on the same day to an island called Skjervoy. The ferry ride is 2 1/2 hours, by car its a 3 ½ hours (250km) drive. World map with Skjervoy Europe map with Skjervoy Skjervoy detail maps What actually happens there During the winter months uncountable tons of herring migrate to the fjords to overwinter and apparently to rest there. Orcas, Humpback-, Finn- and Minke whales follow the herring and eat their fill. Even Sperm whales have been seen there. The fjord of Skjervoy has been a reliable place for this for 8 winters now. Before the action happened around Tromsö, in Andfjord and Senja or Tysfjord. As a result, Orca watching and snorkeling has become a big business in this area. This is a picture from the sonar screen. On the left side of the screen you see the seafloor topography and the depth under the boat with 164m. On the right side you can see, that the sonar measures only 139m. What’s wrong? The herring gathered so tense the sonar didn’t reach the actually seafloor and assumed the herring as the seafloor! The red color on the screen are the fish. The fish start at around 115,5m, probably all the way to the seafloor - around 50 to 60m of fish in the water column. How amazing is that!? In the blue area of the screen, right under the top white line, on the left side, you can see greenish dots - that’s a Finnwhale. Another one is at around 75m on the right side of the screen Liveaboard or landbased There are several large liveaboards that offer short trips of just a few days, up to a week. The large ships have the advantage that they start in Tromsö, can travel long distances in any weather conditions to find Orcas and avoid so the fleet of small boats, which don´t have such a big ranges. But once you've found Orcas, you're sitting on a dingi and are exposed to the cold wind. During my stay it was plus 3 degrees to minus 6 degrees Celsius. I booked with my long trusted tour operator for Nordic regions: Northern Explorers. He put me on a small cabin cruiser boat. In my opinion, sufficient enough for the fjord, protection from the wind, spaces to sit in a normal position, a toilet. What else do you need? Orcas, of course. I booked two trips in a row to have more opportunities to get footage and in case of days lost due bad weather. I have been to such northern regions many times and had, the one and the other, day lost due weather conditions. So I thought two tours are a smart decision. And it was again. 13 days on the water, 3 days without Orcas sightings (due high waves the searching area decreased and even if we have found Orcas it would have been too risky to get in and out of the water), 1 day we found Orcas, but the group was avoiding us, so we didn't get in the water. Freedive equipment Anyone who has ever tried snorkeling in a drysuit knows that's not really possible. I was advised to get a Smoothskin - Open Cell freedive wetsuit. Water temperature was around 5 to 6 degrees Celsius. I decided for a 7mm. Normally wetsuits have a layer of fabric over the neoprene to protect it. Open cell smoothskin apnea suits do not have this linen. Open Cell inside is a porous neoprene layer without any coating. And because it’s porous, the open cells/microscopic bubbles attach to the skin by creating a vacuum and therefore, the suits usually fit like a second skin and keep very warm. Unfortunately, this advantage also makes the wetsuit much more fragile than the nylon lined insider. If you want to put this suit on or off, you definitely need water and soap. Smooth Skin on the outside has also no fabric and dries immediately. In addition is used freedive fins and a weight vest. For the case I wanted to stay longer underwater, like at a bait ball, I used a 7 liter tank on a backplate. I did a test dive in a lake before, to check the approx weights and how to manage the buoyancy without a BCD. Looking for orcas Approaching a pod of orcas Orcas and a small humpback whale in the background Camera gear I used my Red Komodo due the larger sensor size and left the Panasonic GH5 at home. Although the smaller GH5 housing would have been much easier to snorkel and free dive with. I switched between 18-55mm (with IBIS) and 28-70mm (no IBIS) lenses. Behind the WACP1 they give me 123 and 90 degree converted FOV. Filmed in 6K, 17:9, 24fps. For the topside shots I used a DJI Mavic 2Pro and Panasonic GH5 on a gimbal with a 12-60mm and a 100-300mm lens Daily routine At this latitude the sun in November just barely comes over the horizon and days get shorter loosing 12 minutes of daylight every day. Due the low sun the colors in the sky can be unreal and reminded me sometimes on Old Master paintings. Beautiful mood under the water surface. Orcas are missing in this shot We headed in the areas where herring fishing was going on during the night. Apps, like Marine Traffic, are very useful for that. As we headed out we have always been on the outlook for Orcas. We also oriented at the Marine Traffic locations of the liveaboards. It was a good sign, if they didn´t move the vessels. Hints from other boats were also shared. Once we had found an Orca pod, we followed them at their side for a while. If the Orcas seem to accept us, the guide gets the boat in a good position to drop us. Then it was all up to the Orcas. Is it just a quick swim by, a dive down or an interested interaction. Ready to go! Due a hint from a liveaboard guest and Marine Traffic position we headed far north. The weather and the sea forecast was okay, so the long way was doable. We encountered a very relaxed Orca group, swimming back and forth, circling around us several times. Unfortunately we had to finish this interaction too early, it was a long way back, and the night slowly fell, shortly after noon. Two uncut clips from this group below. Clips are not slowed down. This is where we found the group. The farthest point we travelled The main goal is to find Orcas at bait balls. That’s where the action happen! The Orcas rotate and hit the herring with their tail fin. Dazed herrings are eaten then. Bubble feeding is also possible. At my first bait ball I suddenly found myself right in the bubbles. I knew I had to get out of here - immediately! You can't see anything and a Humpback whale can shoot up from the deep at any time. Herring bait ball Trying to find a good position After I found a good position, I let the camera roll and tried a free dive. The free dive was interrupted at 3,6m by heavy oncoming traffic! I saw two white fins coming up from the dark „a Humpback! Keep the camera steady!“ Humpback whale close encounter Humpback whale close encounter Humpback whale close encounter Humpback whale close encounter Conclusion It was a lot of fun and I would do it again! I like the challenge of cold weather, wind and waves, and it were good cardio exercises too. I only wished to get more detailed feeding scenes underwater and by drone the next time. Getting good video footage of Orcas is not easy. I cannot compare it to anything I have ever filmed underwater. Often it is a matter of seconds. If it seemed to be a good boat drop, I visualized the shot, or what might happen under the surface, before jumping in. Planning the shots in the water first, it's way too late. I realized this after a week. You can watch the movie from this trip here. And like always…feel free to share, comment, like, dislike and follow! You can make an old man very happy! See you at the Orcas - cheers, Alex.