Luko

Everything is SOLD now. Thanks

Thanks for your article, Vandit. Nice to read some photo writing that doesn't focus on fisheye angle definition nor on a rare camouflaged nudibranch (guilty of both). I'm parisian, originally a BW street/travel film photographer on a Leica M6 (darkroom addict as well) every bit to become a long time ago an afficionado of HCB, as a photo theorist, an image maker and a free person as well. So you got my attention there. I completely agree with you on the "artistic" effort you must first engage into photography. (However as a complete fan I don't like to use "artistic" for photo since dear Henri abandoned photo in his late days assessing he denied any form of "real art" lying into photo but rather looking into painting or drawing. A Photo just needs an eye and a finger, he explained. Eventually he didn't use any camera but spent his days drawing for the last 20 years.) It may not be a different take from yours though, I think the utmost effort should be applied on thinking and trying to visualize the context possibilities, the evolution of the scene and the expected result of your image before starting the shooting : visualizing sounds more Anseladamsish here but that's also what HCB recommended, being a Zen archer, ie anticipating and waiting for your scene to compose BEFORE shooting. The geometry inside your framing is paramount, this can be depend on either on a fixed (background, sides) or an evolving fish movement) context. Hence you should exercise your eyes into recognizing the immediate geometrics patterns or when it become something interesting. Oppositely, I am not an advocate of shooting hundreds of images of the same scene until you get it right, I'd rather stop and think, take some time to remember some photos or paintings that have very little to see with the scene I am shooting and try to get some inspiration. I remember for exemple taking an image of a turtle surrounded by snorkelers that I tried to get in position to remind a painting of Matisse. (Though only me finds the reference when I show this pic to others... skill gap with the original I guess... hahaha...) FWIW at my very humble level, I often realize that composition wise (ie . apart from lighting adjustment) my first frame in a series of 5-6 photos is the first take. I hardly take more than 7-8 shots on a single scene, I feel like I have no idea left. Personally I think the most efficient way would be to inspire yourself and your photo outside diving, browsing through photobooks of legendary land photographers (in that respect, Magnum is an excellent agency) or vistiing photo exhibs whenever possible. Anyway great topic and I'm totally in with your suggestion

Retra strobes are SOLD Retra LSD snoot still on sale : The Snoot Retra with its pouch is sold at 190€. (EU shipping charges are extra and payable by the buyer)

I have purchased Fotocore GTX strobes which are a rebranded version of the Supe/Scubalamp D-Pro with additional features such as strobo/multiflash available in slow shutter mode (3 or 6 flashes in one click, funnily enough these two modes replace the 8 and 9 power levels that seem quite redundant on the D-Pro). I'm using a Nauticam manuaI trigger and like you, I have had much trouble firing them at first tries with my older Inon/Nauticam optical plugs and fiber cables. It just didn't work, neither inon "small bell" nor S&S plug connectors were working, none of them could fire the bl$*dy strobes... After contacting the owner as well as 2 other Southeast Asia based photogs I know who are sucessfully using such strobes, I switched to thicker kind of connectors like the ones that are present on Weefine fiber optics : it worked like a charm. Now firing every time. The thing is that I was confirmed that it wouldn't work with double cable bush so I changed all my older fiber optics with single cable S&S type bushes. Since the S&S plugs are also too loose I inserted them into a Inon "small bell" connector that screws on the strobe connector socket : it works fine as well. Hence I can confirm it does work with Nauticam manual trigger, it's only a matter of bush/plug type on the strobe socket side.

Hahaha. Yes, he's been my guide every year since he began freelancing 8 or 9 years ago. Very nice chap. I warned him when he started with colored lights (I think some asian photog showed him) I didn't want any of that stuff, he still tries but that has become a running joke between us. I see sometimes he recreates similar photos with various guests (thats' how I can recognize the guide)

I am selling 2 original model Retra strobes, delivered at the start of 2018 plus a Retra LSD snoot compatible with this model of flash. Selling price, EU shipping only : The 2 strobe units with their accessories are being sold as a package for 900€. The Snoot Retra with its pouch is sold at 190€. (shipping charges are extra and payable by the buyer) I've used them for a little over 4 years and 12 dive trips (about 250 dives) without any problems except for the leakage of a set of batteries into the battery compartment of one flash unit, which led to the compartment and contacts being cleaned and the battery compartment cover replaced by a new one after being returned to Retra. The strobe has been used again since the repair, with no after-effects other than cosmetic: the immediate exterior of the compartment is slightly marked by battery acid, but this has no effect on its waterproofing or operation. I have just changed and bought new strobes, I wish to finance part of this purchase. The flashes are available with various accessories. The full kit I am selling includes : 2 original Retra flash units with ball & neoprene protection 2 wide-angle diffusers 2 reduction rings 2 sets of macro+super macro rings to be fited on the reduction ring. 2 helicoidal optical cables as is (Inon bell type ends on flash side and S&S insert on housing side). 2 sets of 4 AA Eneloop Pro[/b] batteries (less than 5 charges/discharges). Retra LSD snoot compatible with the original Retra bayonet includes : a Retra nylon fabric pouch to protect and attach the snoot to the stab. a set of 3 ‘light shapes’.

Nice pics. Were you diving with Ajiex?

AFAIK Seraya resort was reopen end of last year (I saw them mildly active when I was diving Seraya dive spot) however the owners/management changed from what I have been told locally. Your best bets in Tulamben : - high end/all inclusive : Villa Markisa - mid market : Liberty dive resort - Budget although excellent dive guides : Utama villa Personally I always stayed at Tauch Terminal for the last 13 years for the accoms comfort and the conveniency, although using a private freelance guide or another dive operation.

September may not be the best season for Raja Ampat, Dampier straits can get really cloudy and rainy (think PortVila start of august ... taem ren i foltaon ), moreover with waves that can make the divetrips quite unpleasant and longish. Other criterias worth mentionning : - Dampier "star" sites are located around Mansuar/Kri or near to Waigeo/Gam, however the western part and the small islands get less rain, it's worth at that time settling closer to west Gam/Yeben, that's a shorter trip to Fam/Piaynemo or the Passage and gives access to great sites as well (Mayhem, Citrus ridge, Rufas, Melissa's garden that I mention even though I think it's not photographically that interesting) but you'll be far away from the classic sites. - Lots of operations like Cove Eco resort or Papua Explorers make a 15% discount for off season staying until sept30th. Agusta have even more spectacular discounts (NOT in july-august) up to 20-25% but you must ask them first as they're not all published, Biodiversity offers 10% discount in September. - My take upon some of the "reasonably priced" resorts (that checks Sorido, MIsool and Raja4Divers off the list) : Cove Eco resort. Loved it in August, very flexible dive organization, with a party of 3-4 you may get your own boat if you tell them youre a photographer, the only resort that will lead you to their own manta place when other resorts say mantas in Dampier are not seen (last dive with Cove : 70 minutes of mantas dancing over a cleaning station) . Good food with french flair, comfortable accoms. Agusta resort, last I visited in April. Italian enthusiasm, you're sure to have fun on their boats. Great to dive with Marco the owner who's also a photographer. Will take all of your requests seriously. Comfortable de luxe bungalows right on the beach, though no house reef too much current, good italian-indonesian food, sometimes even too much with their 5 course dinner. Raja Ampat Dive Lodge, one of the oldest with Kri, used to be good when I dived there (myself and two guides, with my own boat), accom with aircons, a bit of a let down from the most recent feedbacks. Food was the main problem. Papua Explorers, spacious accoms bungalows built over water although without aircon, good dive center, good and plenty of food. A powerful speedboat used for further trips. Kri Eco was the first resort in Raja Ampat, only the renovated bungalows (4 out of 10) have ensuite bathroom, no boat diving on saturdays for religious reasons (Sem olsem churchy pipol blong Vanuatu, eh?) but does well thanks to its agressive marketing from the start. I wouldn't really call it a "house reef" like a dive that you would do by yourself or shore diving. You need to take a diveboat (and for sure a guide) when diving Cape Kri which is further off the resort, it can be a very currenty dive leading to a washing machine bordering east to the shallower plateau. hence you must consider it like a regular and very popular dive spot that is in front to their Sorido resort, which you certainly dive also using other resorts (usually lots of dive boats and liveaboards on this site).

Looking for 2nd hand Nauticam macro port 41 (#18704) Would buy if located/traveling in the EU & shipping to France, otherwise taxes and shipping are hitting too hard.

Thanks. Yes that's the original model with single O-Ring. Will do as soon as I am back home (first days of january).

Calling to anyone who experienced such problem. A couple of hours ago, on my last dive of the trip (as well as the last one of the year) and second dive of the day, some very little bubbles and a strange mineral foamy texture exsuded from the battery cap of one of my Retra strobes (original model). I had changed the newly charged batteries (Eneloop pro) the night before and very slightly greased the joints. The dive was shallow not more than 23m similar to all the 19 other ones I had during this past week in Tulamben/Bali. When I opened the battery compartment, there was a dark greenish brown "paste" coating all the inside of the battery case, the whole didn't look flooded but rather "melting". My first reaction was to remove the batteries, most of the dark liquid paste and to wash as much as I could the inside of the battery compartment with clear water in order to stop the chemical reaction in there. I then tried to dry everything with paper tissues. Now what should I do and expect? flood everything with WD40? or even Coca Cola as I read somewhere? I'm quite sure I'll have to send it to Retra in order to see whether they can repair/clean the battery compartment, but should I try something in between?

Rich, Tim : done, thanks!

How can I get my french flag back? My profile has been automatically tagged as indonesian since I am posting from Bali. Oh well, I can stay there if that's what you want. 😄

Hello waterpixelers, I'm Luko/Ludovic/Ludo from Paris/France currently writing my intro from Tulamben/Bali, my usual playground for macro a few times per year. Even though not a "regular of the pub" I kept the same nickname as the one "on the other board" (and ALL the other boards where you might find me). I have been diving since a tad more than 30 years, mostly if not exclusively in tropical waters, mostly in SEA. I used to practice film photography even before that, therefore I found the urge to have an UW camera in hand a year after I was certified : firstly hired a Nikonos V whenever I could (was too expensive in the days), flooded some, then bought the first Oly digital compacts 4Mp, flooded some, then Canon digital dSLRs, flooded some with different housing brands, and since end of last year I haven't yet had the time to flood my latest R7 Canon in a Nauticam housing + addon wetlenses. I'm using Retra strobes -the original ones- as well, I'm looking to change them for another brand. My main interests in UW photo are mostly macro critters where I modestly try to perform my best and use various techniques (except for - god forbids- ... colored lights), I have the utmost respect for wide angle/big animal photographers but I feel it's too complicated for me to master everything. Hence I try, and I try, and I try but I can't get no... (hey hey hey) Other than that I think i'm more of a photographer than a diver, and may be more a traveler than a photographer. Sorry if I'm not a compulsive writer nor an hyperactive member, I generally don't discuss techniques or tools unless I have myself a technical problem to solve, though I find it is often very interesting to reading these discussions. You might find me more in the bio or the travel sections (esp. if it concerns Indonesian/Philippines destinations). Thanks for reading. Luko