Exploring the Salish Sea

The cold waters of the Salish Sea contain many beautiful and colorful marine creatures. With the world in challenging shape this past year, I feel fortunate to be able to visit them every now and then. Here's a compilation of various visits throughout the pacific northwest.

Comments and critiques welcomed.

That is really cool. Which lenses did you use to shoot this?

Stunning macro!!

Very nice work.  It brings back many fond memories of when I dove around Tacoma in the mid 70s.

Wonderful!  Really great cinematography and editing, and good choice of soundtrack. 
 

I learned to dive in the Sound a long time ago, but haven’t been in cold water since. This whets my appetite for when we will finally return to the PNW later this year. Thanks for sharing. 

On 3/6/2021 at 12:59 AM, hyp said:

That is really cool. Which lenses did you use to shoot this?

Thanks hyp. I put the full gear list in the YouTube description but used these lenses on a GH5:

M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
M.Zuiko ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO and Nauticam port
M.Zuiko Olympus MZ ED 7-14 f/2.8 PRO and Nauticam port
M.Zuiko ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ and Nauticam port

On 3/6/2021 at 6:35 AM, PhotoJunkie said:

Very nice work.  It brings back many fond memories of when I dove around Tacoma in the mid 70s.

Thanks! Wow, I bet the marine life was much more abundant back in the 70s. I hope you're still diving!

On 3/6/2021 at 3:15 PM, troporobo said:

Wonderful!  Really great cinematography and editing, and good choice of soundtrack. 
 

I learned to dive in the Sound a long time ago, but haven’t been in cold water since. This whets my appetite for when we will finally return to the PNW later this year. Thanks for sharing. 

Thanks! Let me know when you're back in the PNW and want to dive.

Good stuff-thansk for sharing-makes me want to be there NOW.

I dive keystone every early August past 27 years myself. Been out to the San Juans a few times as well over those August trips on boat trips. I do a show every August(1st weekend)  and spend the rest of week diving with a camera. before returned to Nor-cal.I have seen some shnages over all that time as well.

Mark 

Really a wonderful video Stephen, great cinematography and perfect pace.

21 hours ago, stphnmartin said:

Thanks! Let me know when you're back in the PNW and want to dive.

We’re looking for property on one of the islands now, so if you’ve got any tips they would be much appreciated!

After watching the video again, my only critique is that some of the jump cuts are a bit too quick for my taste.  I get that they are well timed to the soundtrack but when the image is only seen for a second or two I struggled to identify it. The rest of the mix between macro and others is perfect.

Great stuff, a real inspiration.  Thank you

20 hours ago, troporobo said:

We’re looking for property on one of the islands now, so if you’ve got any tips they would be much appreciated!

 

After watching the video again, my only critique is that some of the jump cuts are a bit too quick for my taste.  I get that they are well timed to the soundtrack but when the image is only seen for a second or two I struggled to identify it. The rest of the mix between macro and others is perfect.

A few others have mentioned the short clips. It's kinda like Billy Joel's song "We didn't start the fire". You have to slow it down to figure out what he's saying in the fast parts. :-) 

I'm not much help about real estate on the Islands. I can say a few of my favorite dive sites are on the south side of Lopez Island. :-) 

Wow!    I am in no position to critique, just loved it.   Thanks for posting.

Loved the macro shots

Absolutely fantastic!!

Outstanding. Love the GPOs, big yelloweye rockfish, and tiny puget sound king crab. Great edit too.

I usually don't like watching videos, but that one is compelling.   The only think I didn't like about was the use several times of the quick-take-zoom-in sequences.   A bit too quick for my taste.  (I wonder what they'd look like about 1/3rd longer takes.)

On 3/27/2021 at 1:42 AM, phxazcraig said:

I usually don't like watching videos, but that one is compelling.   The only think I didn't like about was the use several times of the quick-take-zoom-in sequences.   A bit too quick for my taste.  (I wonder what they'd look like about 1/3rd longer takes.)

Thanks phxazcraig. Appreciate your comments!

Great video!   Where was the kelp forest at?  I haven't seen any in Washington yet!