Your ONE best shot of 2005

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching it seems an appropriate time to start a thread of everyone's favourite shot of 2005.

There rules are simple. You can only enter one image ! And you must have taken it underwater during 2005.

Hopefully we will see some great stuff from loads of members.

Alex

p.s. it is not easy to choose!

- EDIT - I know that this is totally breaking the rules, but I have completely changed my mind. This is my favourite!

"Diver and spawning hamlets"

This image was one of the hardest I have taken this year. I really wanted a shot that showed what it was like to watch fish spawning, but considering how rare photos of the behaviours are, it was never going to be an easy task to get a shot with both the behaviour and a correctly positioned model. Furthermore the spawning occurs at dusk so there is no ambient light to help light the model. I lit this picture with two flashes: one on low power aimed at the fish in the foreground and one on high power aimed at the diver. This image is unlikely to feature in many other people’s favourites from my pix. But it is my personal favourite. This image features Giles "digitallywet" as the voyeur and was taken in April at Sunset House Reef, Grand Cayman.

Nikon D2X + 28-70mm @ 48mm, Subal housing. 1/80th @ F5. 2x Subtronic Alpha flashes.

Great idea for a thread Alex. I chose mine more based on difficulty to get the perfect shot than anything else. Here it is:

"Prime Real Estate"

Taken on September 12 at the Pearl Islands, Pacific Panama.

Nikon D2x + 105mm. 1/200 @ f25. Ikelite 200 and 100a.

This was my first choice because it was an extremelly difficult shot, and I was very pleased with the final result. I spent about 50 minutes trying to get this shot, it was very shallow, a lot of current and surge, and all the other 20 shots of the same subject are out of focus because of the surge.

This wasn't an easy one for me. I BEGGED Alex to let us choose three photos but he smacked me down. So I picked a macro photo, when I have wideangle tiger sharks. Go figure.

This one was taken in August at the dropoff in Tulamben, Bali Idonesia. My first pygmey seahorse. I was using a Sigma 150mm lens + 500D and Macromate. It was just such a tough shot to get, and was taken literally one minute before going into deco...

Cheers

James

James, here's a WA Tiger Shark

Karl

Since there's already a pyg and already a tiger shark, I'll offer something different. Although I'm a rank amateur (noticeably more rank towards the end of dive trips ), here's my favorite shot of schooling barracuda:

Taken in Raja Ampat in March -- 50mm lens, f6.3, 1/100th

My best in the last year

D70 1/160s f/11.0 at 18.0mm with SB105 Flash

I'm sure like everyone, there are several shots I took this year that are favorites. Each with a story or mood that makes it a "special" shot.

But, since this is such an expensive hobby, I'll go with the shot with the best ROI...

Turks & Caicos, D2x w/ 105mm-2x TC & Woody's diopter.

Rand

favorite is very different from best . This picture hasnt sold a single print while some of my other ones are doing just fine. anyway here is my favorite although noone else seems to really like it so much...

Nikon D100, Aquatica Housing, Ikelite DS125 strobes, Nikon 12-24mm at 20mm

Yep I did mean favourite! I just used best in the title as it was shorter and does not have a disputed spelling!

Alex

Tough tough choices so i went with this one, I like to call it "Bite Me!" taken with a 105mm and +2 diopter...

Come one Alex... Its not so easy to pick a favorite.

Anyway I have pick one that I think its shows best what is freediving for me.

It's not a extrem sport, not eather competitions or recordevents.

Its about be one with the sea be like a mammal.

The freediver is Alex Molchanov. He is follow the competition that take place some meters in front of him.

He is not staying on the surface like most of the other freedivers but just laying under water and watching.

Blue Hole - Dahab - Red Sea, November 2005, D70s - 10,5mm - Magic filter.

Lambis

Don't know if it is the best but it's my favorite. D100, Aquatica housing, 17-35mm.

Someone has to try to dispel the myth that digital is no good at sunbursts.

I could not decide on a salmon shot so I picked a fav from my trip to B.C earlier in the year. We needed some invertebrate representation too. For your eyes only!

Tom

Here's mine.

I am fond of this image not because it is a great subject or even my best image ( in my opinon) - I just had a lot of fun getting it.

Image details:

Lembeh Strait - August 23rd 2005

D2X

70-180mm Zoom

F22 @ 1/125

I am fairly weak at letting emotional attachment interfere with objectivity when it comes to my own photos...

This is definitely not my best shot of the year, but it is probably my favorite. Much has to do with how many failed mandarinfish dives I've been on... To finally get something...

To date, an older story by Phil Slosberg best captures my long, long quest:

The Great Mandarinfish Hunt

Those who have been on the hunt, wil understand.

This is my favourite shot from this year. Just show it recently in the photo section but oh well... can't think of other shots I took this year that I like better!

From Tachai Island, Thailand, D2X , 10.5mm, F16, 1/100 November 2005.

Some really great shots in here folks! Keep em comin!