Red Sea Workshop June 07 - Gallery

I am just back from running my Digital Techniques Workshop in the Red Sea, which I enjoyed a great deal. With many Wetpixel members on the trip I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread were all on board can post images and/or links to galleries.

We had a very productive time, starting the week with a couple of days on the wrecks of Abu Nuhas before taking in a few reef dives and then relocating to Ras Mohammed for 3 days to photograph the impressive spawning aggregations that gather there at this time of year. There were 19 of us on board, hailing from the UK, USA, Holland, Bermuda and Finland (and Guernsey!).

For you techies: camera-wise this is an all DSLR trip. The most popular combo was Aquatica D200 with 6 on board and the D200 was the most popular camera with 8, followed by 5D, D100 and D70. Inon strobes were the most popular choice. Housing-wise we had Aquatica, Subal, Seacam, Hugyfot, UK Germany, Ikelite and Sea & Sea on board.

Anyway here are some snaps of the photographers at work:

Plunging through a spawning aggregation of snappers

Finding angles on the Giannis D, shot with my Fuji F40

Afternoon light on the seaward side of the Giannis, you need to dive the wrecks at different times of the day to get the ambient light illuminating different parts:

Working with a model on the Giannis D

Shooting the bow of the Carnatic

Snapping at the snappers, Ras Mohammed

Thanks once again to all who came for making this such a fantastic trip,

Alex

Fantastic images as always Alex, thanks for sharing! I hope one day I can find time to go in one of your Red Sea workshops...

Luiz

HI Alex,

Very quick work getting your pics on here. Brilliant week Alex!!!!

Just one thing Paul C & Timmo were buddy pairs but never together

you can see why Paul at Ras Mohammed & Timmo at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas

on the same day HAHAHA

Andy

That is a bit harsh Andy - Timo and I did always meet up at the end - often around the bar area back on the boat......

Anyhow we were simultaneously in the same ocean.

Paul C

I think we should also remind Andy, that his buddy was the only one to get totally lost during the week. I accept that Jarret could probably get lost in the cabin, but I think that this is a case of Mr Pot versus Mr Kettle.

Paul, you should post your black and white wrecks, when you get a chance.

Alex

To get the ball rolling, I thought I would post some images that I was really excited to get during the week - as I managed to get a nice sequence of mating lionfish (Pterois radiata). I have photographed their spawning before - there are a couple of shots in The Art Of Diving - but I very much stumbled across that pair and wanted to go back and watch the whole event, so I could make more sense of it.

The mating occurs in the run up to sunset, and is initiated by the larger male (I was surprised that the male was larger as in many scorps the female is) going and visiting the female and displaying. The male in this photo had two females in his territory, suggesting to me that they problem live in small harem systems. The male visited first one female, then the other. The female that he spawned with was clearly swollen with eggs.

After a bit of display the female swims up out of the corals onto the reef crest. The male swims beside her, occasionally circling in front of her displaying. It is a delicate affair with both fish clearly trying to avoid the others poisonous spines! This last about 10 minutes - so she clearly needs time to get in the mood (well, hydrate her eggs).

The large male is behind in this photo:

Here the male circles the female, displaying:

When she is ready the female swims up above the reef, about 30cm the male following. The male then accelerates, swooping below the female, forcing her upwards. She then releases two circular egg rafts, and with him below her, he is perfectly placed to fertlise them. They then both dive back down to the reef, and the male quickly swims off in search of other females in his territory.

This is the top of the spawning rise, with the male below the female fertilising her eggs.

And this is moments later as both fish dive back to the reef - you can see the egg rafts above them:

Alex

Paul, you should post your black and white wrecks, when you get a chance.

Not had much of a chance yet Alex but here are a few from the wrecks.

And this one which got a bit arty with a tint and some noise added.

I have a B&W series from the shoals of snappers also but have not got that far in the processing yet.

I am still grinning after having so much fun taking them - that they came out sort of OK is a bonus !

Paul C

HI Paul,

great shots, just imagine what you could do if you could see through the view

finder . joking apart very well done. Alex makes it look so easy when Im

sure he said it is very very difficult to get shots of mating fish. what am I doing

wrong

Andy

Not had much of a chance yet Alex but here are a few from the wrecks.

And what awesome pictures they are, Paul!

Andy, after abandoning your buddy to the ruthless mercy of the hordes of snappers, I'd rather keep a low profile about the buddy system for a while...

timo

Thanks for getting the ball rolling Alex. Kim and I got caught up in the Heathrow evacuation so we were 3 days late in getting home (our bags just showed up today!) In any case, I haven't had time to process my photos to the extent that I would like but here they are...

http://www.nakatsus.com/kory/RedSea/index.html

I thought I would also include my favorite behavior shot

Thanks again for a great week!

Kory and Kim

OK,

Finally I have something processed to a point that I can show.

I'll add some more material later, but meanwhile you can browse the pictures at:

http://www.ahomaki.net -> Red Sea 2007.

Share and Enjoy,

timo

Your fish are better than mine Timo - you are just going to have to give me some lessons.....

Paul C

You are just going to have to give me some lessons.....

Well,

as it happens, I still have one berth available fon a liveaboard departing Turku on the 5th of Sept...

timo

Aw cr*p - she would kill me Timo.

The domestic half has planned this French trip (inland with no water in sight, how did that happen?), if I take off with you on yet 'another' dive trip .............

I can't even come over and live with you permanently as Guernsey is not part of the EU and I am not allowed to work in the EU.

Unless I marry you that is - mmmmm - is that legal in Finland?

Unless I marry you that is - mmmmm - is that legal in Finland?

Legal yes.

I mean, don't get me wrong, but I think it's better if we remain just friends... B)

timo

OK - I will take that as quite a firm 'NO' then......

[Thank goodness for that]......... Shirley will be pleased........

Seems I still have to go to France though

Paul C

HI,

Its nice to know you love each other so much

I have been able to get another trip to Malta 29 Aug so hopefully

able to take more pics.

Andy