December 2009

During a great week aboard the Cayman Aggressor liveaboard, we dived sites at Grand Cayman before heading over to the Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The “Keith Tibbetts” wreck is a Russian Destroyer that was towed from Cuba to Cayman Brac and deliberately sunk to assist the diving and tourism industry. It’s a great wreck and very photogenic, with this image being one of the several pleasing vistas that I captured during a single dive. Image taken on 29th July 2009 using a Nikon D200/Subal housing combination, a 10.5mm fish eye lens and a Subtronic strobe. Camera settings were 1/80th second, f8, ISO100.

November 2009

The Cayman Islands are something of a diving and watersports mecca, with a huge number of dive sites and good snorkelling beaches. This image features our son Zac just off the beach on Grand Cayman enjoying a bit of snorkelling. Image taken on 5th August 2009 using a Nikon D200/Subal housing combination with a 10.5mm fish eye lens. Camera settings were 1/320th second, f11, ISO200.

October 2009

The giant mantas are one of the reasons for visiting Mexico’s Socorro Islands. This image, taken from above, shows a manta cruising past a diver over the rubble strewn ridge at El Canyon at San Benedicto Island. The size of the manta compared to the diver gives the image that extra “context” where you can’t fail to be in awe of the animal’s size. Image taken on 28th May 2009 with a Nikon D200/Subal housing and a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Settings were ISO 100, f8, 1/100th second.

September 2009

Roca Partida in Mexico’s Socorro Islands offers excellent “shark action” diving. This image shows a group of Silky Sharks out in the blue, arranged in a particularly pleasing way.Image taken on 30st May 2009 with a Nikon D200/Subal housing and a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Settings were ISO 100, f8, 1/160th second

August 2009

In the Mexico’s Socorro Islands, there were opportunities to photograph the mantas from above and below, with a couple of nice chances of hiding the sun behind the animal. I also attempted some self portraits with a manta cruising the surface in the background, with this image being the most pleasing – I’m not really sure if I got the image I wanted, but it’s given me a theme to develop further during future dive trips. Image taken on 1st June 2009 with a Nikon D200/Subal housing and a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Settings were ISO 100, f8, 1/250th second.

July 2009

Roca Partida in Mexico’s Socorro Islands is a fantastic place to observe and photograph White Tip Reef Sharks, which can often be found snuggling together on the numerous ledges at around 15 metres. I found that if I edged towards them slowly, they would sometimes tolerate a close approach which was a real opportunity for me. I’ve never managed to get good images of white tips until this trip – usually you can get “so near, but so far”. Image taken on 31st May 2009 with a Nikon D200/Subal housing and a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Settings were ISO 200, f8, 1/125th second.

June 2009

Schooling fish can be frustrating subjects to photograph, often thwarting valiant attempts by photographers to herd them into visually pleasing aspects and to within striking distance of the lens. This school of “Silversides” were no different, being difficult to approach and unpredictable in movement. Around the jetty at Loloata Island Resort in Papua New Guinea, I spent time trying to capture this resident school, with this image being one of the most pleasing. Image taken on the 20th November 2008 using a Nikon D200, Subtronic strobe and a 10.5mm fish eye lens. Camera settings were ISO100, f8, 1/100th.

May 2009

This image is still on the theme of Jeremy’s “nightmare trip” to Loloata Island in Papua New Guinea. It was taken underneath the jetty after having to sit out the real diving thanks to a nasty sinus/ear infection and is a different kind of self portait, also featuring one of island’s boatmen. The image taken on the 20th November 2008 using a Nikon D200, Subtronic strobe and a 10.5mm fish eye lens. Camera settings were ISO100, f13, 1/125th.

April 2009

Although the trip to Loloata Island in Papua New Guinea was “a nightmare” for Jeremy in terms of whole experience, thanks to an illness and sinus/ear infection, which meant sitting out all of the diving except the first day, it was possible to float around in the mangroves close to the jetty and restaurant. This image represents a pleasing view of this unique environment. Image taken using a Nikon D200, 10.5mm fisheye and a Subtronic strobe at 1/40th, ISO100, f8 on 20th November 2008.

March 2009

Each week, at the Loloata Island Resort in Papua New Guinea, a group committed to preserving traditional dance visits to entertain guests. I tried a few things to capture their performance and found that a slow shutter speed combined with flash set to rear curtain sync created a liveliness, colour and intensity that the other images didn’t have. Taken on 28th November 2008 with a Nikon D200, 12-24mm lens, Nikon SB800 flash, shutter speed 2.2 seconds, f8, ISO400.

February 2009

Still on the theme of Hawaiian Monk Seals, this image shows one individual checking out his reflection before visiting the surface for air. Taken at the Vertical Awareness site, close to Hawaii’s “forbidden island” of Niihau, to the south west of Kauai, the diving is excellent and offers chances of some splendid underwater encounters and stunning topography.  Image taken using Nikon D200/Subal housing combination with a 10.5mm fisheye and Subtronic strobe. Settings were 1/60th, f8 and ISO100. Photograph taken on 2nd August 2008.

January 2009

This image was taken at the Verticle Awareness site, close to Hawaii’s “forbidden island” of Niihau, to the south west of Kauai. The diving in this area is excellent and offers chances of some splendid underwater encounters and stunning topography. This image shows a critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal appearing to “laugh” at Scott, one of the dive guides. Image taken using Nikon D200/Subal housing combination with a 10.5mm fisheye and Subtronic strobe. Settings were 1/40th, f8 and ISO100. Photograph taken on 6th August 2008