aquabluedreams

Sorry the better half found typos in the version I posted, lol. So here his the correctly spelled version....

If you are bored, have a cup of coffee here is the long version, 17min, Anilao trip. The classic Mark Twain quote, "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one instead". Next cut it down to under 6mins....

Thanks! Use Final Cut Pro for videos. Is there any tricks to improving the audio? Never really played with this aspect.

For decades now we have let guides know we appreciate them bringing us to special spots but we accept that there are certain shots of certain creatures we will just not get. Again, understand our traveling to these spots, our presence in this environment is detrimental. It's just my/our meager attempt to minimize our impact.

Using Artlist for music for videos. When you download they give you option of MP3 or WAV. Often when I watch the YouTube final product the music sounds "mushy". Is there advantages to one format over the other for YouTube?

Our first Macro trip in years and I reaffirmed I just see the world in wide angle, lol. Few ok shots but nothing I really love. We stayed at the Solitude Acacia Resort and really liked it. Food was good, room nice, guide was excellent and so much less expensive than your typical live aboard. Can definitely recommend it. RANT TIME. We are a muck stick or one finger on dead rock photographers. No lying on the sand or wedging into the reef for a shot. Watching guides turning over creatures to expose shrimp, crabs, etc was sad. Seeing them physically putting hands on coral fans to maneuver pygmie seahorses was heartbreaking. Even worse was clearly guest, fellow photogs, promoting the behavior as they covered themselves in crinoids, sand and bits of reef to get a "better shot". Ugh. Having to witness that every dive will temper my desire to repeat this destination. (Yes, I to bump the reef, sand, and wall on occasion)

In the end both are 20% the size and weight of her camcorder + Gates housing rig.

Sorry Chris but I'm a little confused, lol, what system has the larger sensor?

Thanks! I think I lean somewhat to the iPhone because you do have their typical ".5 1x 2" feature vs. the GoPro where you have to zoom with your fins, lol, little more flexibility for someone who may not be a strong free diver.

My wife shoots video with a Canon Vixia G50 in a Gates housing and loves it. But......we are planning a Dominica sperm whale trip. She has used the Canon/Gates combo in Tonga with the humpback whales but just feels it's getting too big for free diving, not her strength. She is not a "camera" person just wants to point and shoot. I do have the GoPro Max wide angle lens with a budget housing in hand for the GoPro10. Trying to keep costs down as it might be a one time use situation. Thoughts on GoPro 10 vs iPhone 15 Pro for natural light shooting of whales? Preferred housing and I assume some form of WA lens for the housing? Filters? Any settings I can use to set up either to improve image quality? Thanks!

I like the effort. Emphasizing being reef friendly photographers may help. Just thinking someone is watching you may make some think twice about more than a muck stick or finger in the sand. Just back from Anilao, great trip, but was sooooo disappointed with my fellow divers/photographers at the molesting of the reef, creatures, and corals. Witnessed guides pushing pygmy seahorses around for their clients. The posing of creatures for shots, the laying all over the bottom, the herding of macro creatures for "better" images was shameful.

Thanks!

Planning one of our Bucket List trips for 2026. Dominica Sperm Whale Trip! We have snorkeled with humpbacks in Tonga and had very different experiences. Any suggestions for operators? Also when snorkeling are you allowed to get off the surface a few feet so you are not bouncing around in the chop? Thanks!

Thanks, really appreciate the input. 1. Fixed 2. Here goes the rant...Like many I don't like what AI is doing to photography. BUT I do use Sky Replacement on rare occasion, I keep it to skies I have shot. Yes, I admit I have replaced Spot Healing and Clone with Photoshops Generative Fill. My pathetic rationalization is only to remove items, people taking selfie shots, not to add anything to the image. So the asterisk is an attempt at truth in advertising and I need to put a note in the About Us page. 3. Being old it just feels odd to put personal info on the Web. Even the site feels like bragging in a way. 4. Agree, I have to find the function that will give an enlarged view of an image. Thanks again.

For videos +3mins do you have a preference for voiceover, text slides or just music? Goal usually will be simply giving a location, information about a unique creature, setting or occurrence. Not in love with the sound of my voice but now you can use AI generated voices.

Excellent! Almost makes me regret selling my drysuit.

First attempt, still over 3min but a start. Pulled from two "old school" +15min Bilikiki trip/travel videos.

Updated the website, still a work in progress. As we dive less and travel more becoming more generalized. Total hack and new to Squarespace so feel free to critique! https://www.aquabluedreams.com

Reworking the website and have many "trip videos", basically made for ourselves, all in the 15min range. I have tried cutting that down to 7-8mins for posting. Is 7mins still too long? What is the max you are typically willing to browse through? I'm thinking no more than 3mins.

Sorry, I'm an idiot! The Gates housing has an internal "flip down" red filter, lol.

My wife's current video rig is; Gates, Canon GF50, 2x 6000 video lights. While an enthusiastic shooter and lover of macro wide angle is secondary for her. She will never white balance nor adjust settings while diving. Is there a 58mm filter that she can use when committing to WA at typical >60ft depths? Happy to do some correction in post with FCPX. Thanks!

#1 get back in the water!!!! Life and Covid kept us out of the water for almost 8yrs. We did our first trip back in October, Cozumel, and loved it. We have booked Philippines Anilo and Raja Forgotten Islands trips. Can't Wait! We did order new Kraken 6k video lights for the Better Half's video rig. But have come to terms that are gear, 4k video, Sony RX100IV for stills, are plenty good for our needs. Be more WAY MORE creative with images. Abstract underwater nature photography? Fewer fish ID pics. Just months from retiring so going through the process of updating our website, www.aquabluedreams.com. Getting old, memory fading so one way to document the journeys, lol. Our new motto is Real Images from the Real World.

Very nice, going in April, looking forward to it.

Thanks! Found two Kraken Hydra v6000 for a good price.

Time to update decade old video lights. In hand we have one Big Blue 4000lumen light with extra batteries. How much longer will it last, who knows? Its mate died awhile ago. Budget is an issue so for wide angle video what do you think is better; two 4000lumen lights or one 10000 or 15000lumen light? Her first love is shooting macro. Shooting a Canon Vixia GF50 in a Gates housing. Thoughts?