Happy Birthday D2X!!

Yesterday my D2X was 1 year old (and my Subal housing one year and one day old - yes I actually got the housing before the camera was released and actually had a D2X in it before Subal had!).

Anyway I thought I'd celebrate my camera's birthday by posting a selection of 10 of my favourite shots that I have taken with it. In a similar style to the thread I started just over a year ago to celebrate my own birthday:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7445

So here are a selection of my personal favourites from my first year with the D2X. Those who regularly visit my website may well recognise most. And please excuse my self indulgence.

Alex

This shot was taken in April, in Grand Cayman. And features Wetpixel member Kriptap (standing on the boat). This shot made use of the fast frame rate of the D2X as i took about 15 shots of the diver backward rolling and then chose the most representative 3 to make the composite.

Alex

This shot was also taken in Cayman in April, shorediving at Turtle Farm Reef. Teh vis was particularly good this day and as there was a bit of current running the fish were holding station in the current. It took me two dives to get such a perfect pose of this goatfish. I like this image as this style of shooting fish is very recognisably mine.

During the summer I was stuck in the UK doing the submission of images for my first book, The Art Of Diving, and was itching to go in the water. So with a couple of friends we went snorkelling in Dorset (our closest sea), which is where I took this shot with the 10.5mm. This shot was always envisioned as a toned black and white. But ironically it was rejected from the book because of its "religious connotations" according the publisher! Everyone else loved it, but he signs the cheques so it didn't make it!

As a photographer I didn't really do much here. When a school of fish form a perfect sphere in front of you all you have to do is snap away! Taken in May in the Maldives with the 17-35mm.

Alex

This was an image I'd imagined for a long time, but never thought I'd be able to get because the filter I needed to shoot the wreck in colour is not compatable with the fisheye lenses needed to fit the whole wreck in the shot.

So I had to invent my own filter. Intended as a personal project to allow me to get this shot, I was persuaded by the folks here at Wetpixel to share the idea. We have now sent filters to photographers in over 50 countries! The downside is that it means everyone can take this shot now. Damn it. Taken in Egypt in June with the 10.5mm.

I like blue backgrounds in my shots. It is part of my shooting style. But they are very hard to get in murky Indonesian waters. In this case the blue comes from the sky as this picture was taken at Seraya's Secrets - shooting lionfish living on that dome structure. I waited paitiently for the lionfish to swim across the gap in the structure and when it did I grabbed this shot. I think with the 60mm macro lens. I really like this image because I think it shows a very original view of this dwarf lionfish.

Shooting fish behaviour is a big interest of mine, and rock beauties are a particular favourite. This is probably my second favourite from the year, but my blue background version is really doing the rounds at the moment so I thought I'd give you a break from it. This was was taken in january with the 105mm.

As is pretty evident I really like vertical compositions, which I think have more impact that horizontals. I could never be a videographer!

I didn't really like this shot when I came back from Cayman, but it has really grown on me since. Especially after seeing it printed really big to give as a birthday present. Although this may at first appear like just another Alex b&w stingray shot, I like it because it is an attempt by me to expand my portfolio and start using light in a different way. Shot with the 10.5mm on New Year's day.

Although i shoot a lot of macro the pictures rarely excite me. Also other snappers do patterns, abstracts and super macro much better than me, so I rarely show the images I take. OK, this shot is none of those - but it is a macro picture I like because it is full of character. Also getting a seahorse head on like this is also a great test in not stressing the subject! Taken in Bali with a 105mm and +1 dioptre.

Just a couple to go, in this self-absorbed post! I like black and white and I like this shot because it is clean and simple. I'd get very bored with a whole portfolio in this style. But once in a while this type of image really works. Taken in April in Cayman with 28-70mm.

Another behaviour shot. This one was total luck as I happened to have the 28-70mm on because I wanted to shoot model shots with spawning. And luckily for once I had a wide enough lens on to catch these large spawning flounder. The female is the smaller fish on top of the male.

And finally I like this one. I have to say on another day, in another mood I could easily have selected a completely different set! But I like this encounter shot because of its simplicity. This encounter occurred pretty much by accident, and yet the clean composition and bright blue background were perfect for the style of The Art Of Diving. If I had imagined this picture beforehand we would have probably wasted dive after diving trying to get it. But luckily Patrick just stretched out his finger to the squid and I took the shot. He actually then withdrew his finger thinking he was ruining rather making my shot - so I only got one image!

Thanks for bearing with me.

Alex

Happy Birthday Alex's D2x

Good stuff Alex. As always I find your shots very inspirational.

Great Stuff! I assume your going to put these images in your book along with the photo data??

Great images Alex but try not to get the D2X drunk during the celebration... it's not as tough as a Canon when it comes to getting splashed

Hi Alex, I really like the 'religious' image you took while snorkeling. How deep were you? 10 feet or so?

Cor

Great set Alex. Some pictures, you never get tired of looking at, and all these fall in that category.

I can't remember when I bought mine But I was thinking it was getting close to a year old. I did roll the counter over in Lembeh last week (10,000).

Really looking forward to your book when it's out.

Rand

Great selection that proved that this DX2 done something in the last year.

oh dear we are wishing a camera happy birthday now.

well i do like most of these photo's Alex .. especially proud to see that 7 out of the 12 are from Cayman

however You mention your style quite a lot when talking about them .. and i know 'your style' doesn't always swing over to Macro, but, the seahorse doesn't seem to have you're normal 'is that oversaturated' look to it. You know what I mean.

I am used to seeing unbelievable colours on your images, and the seahorse seems to be more like real life colours .. if there is any such thing.

Would this be a lack of style in Macro .. or just you trying new different things ?