Bali - August/September 07

I am just back from a most productive trip to Bali. It was an unusual trip in many ways. First the main aim was shooting wide angle model shots (although I have not put that many in the gallery as many are staying under wraps until the book they are for comes out). Second I got to take my girlfriend with me (a rare treat indeed) and third we did almost all of our diving without a guide (which meant we had to find the blasted critters ourselves). We also met plenty of Wetpixel folks, including Mike Veitch, Simon Buxton, Drew Wong and Jeff and Dawn Mullins.

Diving wise we really covered many sites along the north coast, from Gili Selang right across to Gillimanuk. And while it was a predominantly wide angle trip we did have plenty of exceptional marine life encounters. Highlights included a sequence of mating Ghostpipefish (i'll post them at some point), my first Wonderpus (which we found ourselves and returned to for three days running), many mimics and a cone shell snail that had caught and was eating a fish. I decided not to go after the Mola mola on this trip, but as luck would have it we had a fantastic Mola mola encounter, all to ourselves, in the warm waters of the Liberty Wreck in Tulamben.

Photographically, it was more about doing standard shots that experimentation. Although I have to say it was fun shooting wide angle on the muck sites like Seraya, Cafe Garam, PJ and Secret Bay. Here is a Pterois kodipungi species of lionfish, that I think looks great shot in wide angle, rather than macro for once (at Secret Bay). The main lenses I used were 10-17mm, 12-24mm, 10.5mm + 1.4x TC, 60mm, 105mm VR and 150mm + 500D.

Anyway the gallery is here. Also if you are planning a trip to Bali check out FiNS Blog over the next few days to read my 5 part diary about the trip.

Alex

stunning! i love the flounder and the second octopus.

maybe a trip to bali is not a bad idea ... looks great.

serge

Hi Alex,

beautiful images as always.

I have a question about the tokina 10-17 lens. How did you like it in comparison to the 10.5mm and the 16mm FE. what about chromatic aberrations and purple fringing (color blooming? did it occor? how did you get rid of it (photoshopping)?

Rob

Supurb work Alex.

A great collection from many perspectives.

Cheers

Todd

Wow, these are outstanding Alex - thanks for posting. It really takes me back to my trip there - I can almost pick the dive sites for each photo :-) That wonderpus is impressive!

Cheers

James

A fabulous collection of shots there!

What a nice collection!! love all the WA

Awesome collection. My flight for Indonesia leaves in 36 hrs... talk about whetting my appetite!

Nice gallery. We remember our time hanging with Jeff and Dawn quite fondly. They were like an Aussie version of us.

I have a question about the tokina 10-17 lens. How did you like it in comparison to the 10.5mm and the 16mm FE. what about chromatic aberrations and purple fringing (color blooming? did it occor? how did you get rid of it (photoshopping)?

Hi Rob,

Underwater, behind a dome, shooting real world subjects I really see little difference between the Tick-Tok and the Nik 10.5mm. I certainly do not make an corrections to the images I take with it.

Alex

Awesome as always Alex. I really like #3 in the gallery, of your girlfriend (I'm guessing) swimming through the school of fish.

alex, nice report and great photos as always... you're report brings back memories..

my wife and I have dove bali twice during the past 2 years, most dives on our own, unguided. we like trying to find the critters ourselves!

how was your selang dive? we saw a few larger whitetips and a couple napolean wrasse when we dove it.

that's awesome you saw the mola at the liberty... we only saw the bumpheads, great barracuda, and the jacks there.. our big mola encounter was at tepekong, off-season.

Scott

One disadvantage of taking the other half away on trips is that I end up with lots of embarrassing photos of me. Which unfortunately my girlfriend finds hilarious and insists that I post on Wetpixel for general amusement (otherwise she will).

Here is a particularly charming one of me "at work" - how elegant (taken with the Fuji F40 modelling camera):

Also the first of five parts of my Bali Trip Diary are on the FiNS Magazine Blog:

http://www.finsonline.com/blog/fins/

Look out for a photo of Mike Veitch and Simon Buxton in part 2.

Alex

uh oh....

But i won't have a milkshake in my hand i know that..

Mike, you are up!

http://www.finsonline.com/blog/fins/200709...ali-part-2.html

Alex

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

That finally gave me reason enough to register.

I have done more than 100 dives on the Tulamben wreck and more on other places on Bali.

But I never had the luck to see a Mola.

=> Alex, care to tell on which part of the wreck your were that lucky ?

I am just curious and know that this was puer luck.

Alex,

Lucky you, seeing the Mola at Liberty. Must've been mid-August? I was told by the operator I was with, that the guides went nuts as there was a Mola at Liberty Wreck! How crazy is that! Can't complain seeing as I saw my 1st Mola at Blue Corner!

Whereabout were you when you saw that returning mimics and your 1st Wonderpus? Thanks!

As always, wonderful shots!