Calling all Underwater Image Makers

Dive site: Mini Log, Anilao, Philippines

Diver operator and resort: Buceo Anilao (nice place to stay and a good dive operation)

With special thanks to troporobo for all his terrific help when my partner and I were looking for advice on Philippines diving

Nikon D500, Nikkor 105mm lens ISO200 1/160 f13. A pair of Inon Z240 strobes

Some years ago whilst working as the dive manger of a resort in the Lembeh Straits, I hit a real plateau in u/w photography. One of the guests who was staying at the time talked to me about "neutral space". This, for me, came to be a patch of background which would allow the shape or colour of the main subject to stand out and form either perhaps a pattern or highlight a colour. The background was, in fact, a neutral, effectless platform. (I hope that doesn't sound too pretentious!).

So I saw this goby sitting up on a  bit of coral with the colour of the eyes in contrast to all around it. I wanted the eye on the rule-of-thirds intersect line - and set the aperture so that I would have enough of the head in focus - especially of course the eyes, but blurred out the rest so that it became a neutral canvas. Only the eyes were to be sharp, colourful and striking.

Here few pics from my archive.

Location: Tulamben

Location: Fakarava south

Location: Pandar Island

Location: Alor

Location: Protea Banks

Br Markus

Nice, Marcus! The turtle mirror image is lovely.

Some from Bonaire (2 years ago).

20180916-IMG_3194 by Gerard Wijnsma, on Flickr

20180917-IMG_3380 by Gerard Wijnsma, on Flickr

20180917-IMG_3361 by Gerard Wijnsma, on Flickr

20180916-IMG_3056 by Gerard Wijnsma, on Flickr

20180917-IMG_3332 by Gerard Wijnsma, on Flickr

Really nice goby pic, Gerard!

that one was with the subsee +5 or +10 attached. I should write these things down. Was at yellow submarine I think. Som nice big blobs of coral with quite a few of these in sand

I always think most macro images benefit from either shooting up or, at least, shooting on a level with the subject. Hence my post about using a 45-degree viewfinder a couple of days ago. I found this made a huge difference to how I could compose images.

This ?Goldentail Moray (Gymnothorax milaris) was on the Windsock dive site in Bonaire.

If you havn't dived in Bonaire, I can heartily recommend it for u/w photography. Easy shore diving, 3-4 dives a day perfectly manageable. Not too difficult shore entries at many sites. An island environment that caters very well to divers - but isn't crowded or over run. Mainly macro but also some good wide-angle stuff. A couple of wrecks. Water in the 27-28 degree range. The reefs in fairly good shape and recovering nicely after a major hurricane hit (unusual for Bonaire) really damaged them. Fairly easy to access - about an 11 hour flight from Europe via Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam

Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm lens. ISO 200 1/125 at f/16 and a pair of Inon Z240 strobes.

Two terrific pics, Adam.

Black and white images are not something that usually springs to mind when shooting underwater. But as a couple of Adam's terrific pictures above show, it is well worth trying.

This one was shot on Elphinstone Reef - a very popular dive site in the northern Red Sea. Despite the appearance, the Gorgonian fan coral was maybe 1 metre from the camera. I took several shots with my partner moving towards the fan to get her into the position I wanted... and then legs/fins in a nice position.... and exhaling.....and her eyes open.....

Dive operator: Emperor Divers on their terrific boat, the MV Superior

Nikon D800 with Sigma 15mm 1/60, f/11 and two Inon Z240 strobes

would that not just look better in colour? I dont mind black and white, but that is always what I think firstly.

Another older freshwater video (sorry again for the German text)

If you are looking to photograph pygmy seahorses, then the Lembeh Straits in North Sulawesi, Indonesia is a great place to go.

There are loads of excellent resorts to chose from - including a couple that advertise here on Wetpixel.

Pygmy seahorses generally sit on gorgonians at about 20m-25m and camouflage incredibly well. They are also VERY shy (not to mention very small) and will turn away from a camera in a blink.

This one, a hippocampus bargibanti, was happily sitting on the Batu Merah dive site.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm lens ISO 200 1/250 f/11 and two Inon Z240 strobes.

Great picture Tim.  Looks like a baby swaddled in a blanket!

Tim, that is a great shot of the pygmy.  I love the depth created by the foreground and background bokeh.  Well done.

I have been obsessed with trying to get a great head-on bargibanti portrait for years.  They are fiendishly shy and will turn their backs before you've even spotted them, which is itself difficult to begin with.  Fortunately, I get to dive year round in Anilao so have had my share of opportunities.  The yellow pygmy in profile was at Kirby's Rock.  The pink one was at one of the "on-shore" sites near Acacia. Finally, one looked at me!  But I had not really thought about the fact that their eyes swivel independently.  Bugger.  I'll have to keep trying.  

Both taken with Olympus m4/3 60mm lens and Subsee +5

8 hours ago, troporobo said:

Tim, that is a great shot of the pygmy.  I love the depth created by the foreground and background bokeh.  Well done.

I have been obsessed with trying to get a great head-on bargibanti portrait for years.  They are fiendishly shy and will turn their backs before you've even spotted them, which is itself difficult to begin with.  Fortunately, I get to dive year round in Anilao so have had my share of opportunities.  The yellow pygmy in profile was at Kirby's Rock.  The pink one was at one of the "on-shore" sites near Acacia. Finally, one looked at me!  But I had not really thought about the fact that their eyes swivel independently.  Bugger.  I'll have to keep trying.  

Both taken with Olympus m4/3 60mm lens and Subsee +5

 

Woah, those are two cracking images - the pink bargibanti especially. I've never spotted the swivel eye thing. Little devils!

While we are on Pygmy;s here a a few more. 

Tim love the peeping Pygmy shot and the swivel eye one is really special, may not have noticed if not pointed out 

The pregnant yellow one was my very first sighting of this colour and so was the barbiganti vertical shot. Had never seen these colours.

I love pygmy images with the polyps out!

Lembeh Straits, with Critters at Lembeh Resort

Nikon D500, Nikon 60mm f/2.8, Inon Z330 strobes