Hello from Bermuda

This is a huge forum, and it will take an eternity to sift through all the threads for the pearls of wisdom that lie here, but.....

I have been browsing the FOTW competition pictures and I think I already know one of the secrets of underwater photography - pure blind luck.

I live in Bermuda and dive all year round. I have traveled extensively for diving holidays around the world, and I have never even seen a tenth of the awesome marine life that some of these guys have photographed. If I ever see a frogfish I will be happy, if I spend long enough with one that I can get a blurry photo of one I will be ecstatic.

No matter how good a photographer we may be (and some of you are awesome) we must all remember how lucky we are when our award winning subject appears.

Cheers

Hal

OK, having now looked through many of the threads and photos, I concede that there is more to this than blind luck. Some of you are spending an enormous amount of time and effort (let along LARGE amounts of money) planning your photos. For example there is a topic about someone who wants to search for a jawfish with eggs in it's mouth, thus planning the right place, and the right time etc.

I am in awe of some of these pictures - if I ever even come close, I will be delighted

Cheers

Hal

Welcome to WetPixel Hal, these folks are friendly and helpful. Never been to Bermuda and it doesn't get mentioned a lot, so post a few pics for us.

SS

OK

Bermuda is a UK overseas territory which is a 21sq mile island, 600miles into the N Atlantic, off S Carolina.

We have temperatures of 15C to 32C (water 17C to 28C)

The reef is the most northerly coral reef in the world, and as such is "hardy" - meaning dull. Only a few types of coral, and Caribbean fish that can survive the distinctly lower temperatures of our winter waters. There are a vast number of swim throughs, caverns and sandy bottom areas that make exciting diving (just not so good photography)

However the lack of coral interest is more than made up for by the abundance of wrecks that litter the reef. Most are in the 30-70ft range, and hence are largely broken up by tidal action, but this is where the action really is.

Some surface picture are here.. No underwater pictures as yet, as I have only had my photo rig over the winter, and have only just braved the waters again last week.

It really is an idyllic place to live and work (tax free!), but it's main difficulty is getting out. You cannot fly anywhere direct, always via the US, which for me is a pain in the butt (see Airports that suck!)

As the summer warms the waters and I take my rig down, I will post some U/W photos - watch this space.

Cheers

Hal

>>> You cannot fly anywhere direct

You can fly to and from both London and New York City directly ...

Don't those two cities count as "somewhere"?

>>> You cannot fly anywhere direct

 

You can fly to and from both London and New York City directly ...

 

Don't those two cities count as "somewhere"?

To my knowledge neither London nor New York are rated as "the greatest diving of all time". Sorry to the 20+ million residents of those two great cities, but if there isn't any diving where you live, then IMHO you're in the middle of nowhere

Bermuda flights actually connect to 8 cities with less than decent diving (London, Toronto, Atlanta, Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, Halifax and Washington DC) - which are all great transit cities to somewhere more interesting. The only dive-worthy flight is to Miami, but then you have to go to MIA (see Airports that suck!)

Bermuda is part of the caribbean economically and politically just not geographically, however there is no direct travel between the two areas - dive frustration!

Cheers

Hal