Underwater Videography: Milne Bay

Rolling in the Deep #6 - Milne Bay from Dustin Adamson on Vimeo.

New Underwater Photography Section at andreasrmueller.com

I restructured and simplified my underwater photography archive page on andreasrmueller.com in order to better reflect the biodiversity of different marine areas on earth.

Follow the following link for an impression: link

My first pictures diving the pacific ocean will be available in a years time when diving Cocos Island off the coast of Costa Rica.

Underwater Videography: Silfra Crack Iceland

Silfra Crack Iceland from Wethorse on Vimeo.

Underwater Videography: Pharaoh Cuttlefish

Pharaoh cuttlefish from Steve De Neef on Vimeo.

Black and White - Schooling Fish Photography

Wade Hughes - Wade Hughes (500px)

Eagle Rays - uncovery (500px)
"No fish but still nice picture"

underground - JL Jamali (500px)

Got some fish b&w - Thomas Conrad (500px)

sardines vortex - Mathieu Foulquié (500px)

Black and White - Underwater Shark Photography

Tranquility - Leighton Lum (500px)

Up from the Depths - Leighton Lum (500px)

Big Sucker - Thomas Conrad (500px)

Shark Trek - Thomas Conrad (500px)

Loving the Sun - Leighton Lum (500px)

Black and White - Maldives Photography

Tropical Darkness - Michael Rosenwirth (500px)

swimming on heaven - Paulo Penicheiro (500px)

White Rain - Sebastian Lee (500px)

Water Villas - Philip Joseph (500px)

The elements of water - Olesia Prisiazhnaia (500px)

Photography Tutorial: How To Get Better Shark Photos Underwater | Scuba Diving

There is still some time to go until my big Cocos Island scuba diving adventure starts. In preparation I am reading a lot on taking pictures of big fish.
While diving the last couple of years the reefs of the coral triangle in South East Asia I was mainly facing macro wildlife and beautiful coral seascape.

Here another photo tutorial worth reading:
Photography Tutorial: How To Get Better Shark Photos Underwater | Scuba Diving

Underwater Videography - Underwater Indonesia by Eric Cheng

Underwater Indonesia: Alor and Komodo, November 2011 from Eric Cheng on Vimeo.

Scuba Diving Cocos Island - An underwater photographer's dream

Cocoas Island off the coast of Costa Rica in the pacific ocean is a dream to visit for most passionate underwater photographers.
No where else there is literately a guarantee to see schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks and other big fish.

See the blog post by Mary Frances Emmons on experience visiting Isla del Coco:
Scuba Diving Cocos Island Aboard Okeanos Aggressor II | Sport Diver

Underwater Videography - Micro Life in the Red Sea

Red Sea Micro Life by Camel Dive Club, Sharm El Sheikh from Camel Dive Club on Vimeo.

Underwater Videography - Documentary on researching Maldivian Manta Rays

Hanifaru Bay - Researching Maldivian Manta Rays from Danny Copeland on Vimeo.

My Underwater Wide Angle Photography - Reef Scenes

Octopus on the reef - Raja Ampat, Indonesia

In underwater photography, taking wide angle pictures is quite difficult.

The main challenge is to find the right exposure balance between available light exposed background and brought in light from strobes in the foreground.

Local boy - Arborek Island, Raja Ampat

A second challenge is to find the right framing of the image. This is not only about spotting an interesting scenery - such as the giant octopus sitting on top of the reef (see left) - but also around framing that scenery in a way not to capture bubbles from other divers, not to have unwanted light effects when the sunlight is shining in from the wrong side, and being able to isolate the main subject in the wide frame of the underwater reefscape.

In order to get the right framing and brought in light it is important to move as close as possible to respective subjects. Since light refraction is stronger underwater than on air and light from strobes is absorbed on short distance through the water there is no way around using extreme wide angle lenses and moving to a very close focusing point.




The underwater photographers challenge here is not to make too much noise and bubbles in order not to scare away the marine protagonists.
While for the boy on the right this was not a topic, the octopus needed to be approached slowly until he adapted to the presence of a scuba diver with big camera gear and making strange bubbles.

Exposure of schooling fish - such as the school of glass fish (see left) - can be difficult too. Given the fact that part of the skin of fish is highly reflective or on the other extreme completely transparent just automatic exposure metering does not work out.
However, in the digital times a series of exposures and varying strobe positions will do the job.

Featured Photographer - Nu Parnupong

I am impressed by the work of underwater photographer Nu Parnupong.

I can recommend having a look at for example his flickr portfolio.

Here Nu is showing amazing images of whale sharks. He is a true master of wide angle underwater photography.

Furthermore there are images from mobula rays feeding on sardines. A spectacle captured in wide angle still images which allow to feel the dynamics of that scenery.

Or more images of humpback whales in sardine run in South Africa.

A true master of underwater photography.

Nu Parnupong - Flickr

Diving Alor and Flores

Diving in Alor and Flores (Indonesia) underwater footage from Undersea Productions on Vimeo.

Underwater Videography - Socorro Island, Mexico

Underwater Footage - Reef Life

4K UltraHD underwater stock footage Demo Reel 60p from Undersea Productions on Vimeo.

Underwater Videography - Palau

Underwater Paradise (Palau) from Eladio Arvelo on Vimeo.

Underwater - Computer Desktop Wallpapers

Working in front of the PC is hard enough. - How about bringing some underwater magic to your daily work life?  

Download the underwater wallpaper in your resolution from my website at: link

Squadron of Hope - Raja Ampat

A short video by Nu Parnupong documenting the richness of reef life around Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia.