[UW Photo A077] Corals on rock

(Location: Flare Point, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A076] School of fish

(Location: Lighthouse Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A066] Nemo .. in two minds

(Location: Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A065] Swell

(Location: Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A064] Hope..

(Location: Pixie Wall, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A059] The Fall

(Location: Lighthouse Bommie, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A058] Stonefish

(Location: Ribbon Reef 3, Steve's Bommie, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

This is one of the most venomous fishes found in the world. Usually, injecting of venom occur through their needle like dorsal fins if accidently step on it. Its quite possible, since its camouflage body is very hard to identify by someone walk in the coast or a casual swimmer. This strong venom is produced in a gland located in the base of the dorsal fins. Anyway, this fish doesn't attack you.

Aboriginal people in the northern parts of Australia had known how to cure this venom and also they have had the knowledge how to prepare this fish as a food, carefully avoiding the venom.

I captured this image in Steve’s Bommie  of Ribbon Reef 3 of northern Great Barrier Reef. This site has been named to commemorate enthusiastic diver Steve who said to have died in a motorcycle accident (there are different other stories also). Still his name appears in a plaque beneath 25m below, which were placed by his friends. Anyway, Steve’s Bommie is one of the best dive sites in Great Barrier Reef.

[UW Photo A057] Swell Patterns

(Location: Flare Point, Ribbon Reef 3, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

There are advantages if the sea is calm… strong waves or swell on the surface not only challenges your entry to the water and exit, but make poor natural light bottom down the water. Some creative photographers do miracles with patterns of water swell and waves. This is my humble attempt of capturing such a pattern with a fish eye lens.

[UW Photo A056] Black tip reef shark

(Location: Pixie Wall, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A055] A Macro

(Location: Gotham City, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia) 

[UW Photo A054]

(Location: Flare Point, Ribbon Reef 3, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A053] A winning pic

(Location: West End, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia) 

This got first place in an ‘’armature” competition conducted by Mike Ball Expeditions after four days programme of shooting underwater in north of Great Barrier Reef. There were 21 divers/underwater photographers from many countries.

Team and winning photos;

Still, I am not fully satisfied about this image. If you see the enlarged version, you can see some white spots which are bitter evidence of back scattered light. In a way, it makes me realised, strobe positions are not the optimum which I have used.

I personally think, photo selected to the second place is a much better one. It was taken by Donna Hampton (USA). I was down there, when she was shooting this sea snake. It was a difficult exercise when consider the fast movement of the creature. In fact, I told Donna about my honest opinion.

Anyway, which makes me thrilled is, photos were judged by an acclaimed and world class underwater photographer, Julia Summerling. She has done wonderful work for National Geographic and Discovery channels and etc., including shooting Blue whales in Sri Lanka.

[UW Photo A052] Aesthetic value

(Location: Lighthouse Bommie, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

I am always thinking of the aesthetic value of an underwater photo. Usually, there is lack of interest in that department because the trend is more towards identifying some scientific value. It’s more into exploring the details of ecosystem, diversity and challenging subjects.

Now this is an attempt of shooting something with and artistic arrangements. This was captured in the last dive of the day, late evening, in far north of Great Barrier Reef. Sun is going down, light is pale and most of the divers have left to the boat leaving the reef to its own character. Water is becoming colder and pushing us back to our own civilisation. May be the glittering “sun ball” is the civilization. Diver is heading that way. The unicorn fish in the image contrasts with the isolation and mystery.  So this photo has a story, which I felt in that moment.

That particular fraction of time is just a memory in my life. This photo itself is having a link to that fraction.

And that’s the story of this photo to me…. for you it could be different.

[UW Photo A051] Red and Black Anemone fish

(Location: Cod Hole, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

This is Red and Black Anemone fish (Amphiprion melanopus) captured in world famous Cod Hole of Great Barrier Reef. Cod Hole is famous for its giant potato cod, but I didn’t have much chance of shooting a good photo of them.

Since wide lens gives you more range, though the fish is small, it’s best to try capturing some background that would improve the photo.  In fact, this photo gives some idea of the surrounding of the reef, though clownfishes themselves are smaller as the primary subject.

[UW Photo A050] Abstract – B&W work

(Location: Gotham City, Ribbon Reef 10, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia) 

If you are equipped with a macro and you don’t have any interesting subject nearby, there is another choice always. That is to see if you can find something with abstract flavour.

[UW Photo A049]

(Location: Jorgeys Patch, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A048] Dramatic lines

(Location: Jorgeys Patch, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

Apart from shipwrecks what else we should present in B&W in underwater photography. This is a question I am thinking again and again. I very much prefer B&W in land photography, particularly when it comes to portraits. I though this photo would give little bit of abstract feeling when remove the diverse colours to emphasise the rhythm of lines.

[UW Photo A046] Clownfish at Great Barrier Reef

(Location: Jorgeys Patch, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

This is a Clownfish (anemonefish) captured in outer reef of Great Barrier Reef. They are significantly colourful and magnificent fishes.

By doing “Finding Nemo” movie, it was expected to convey the message opposing the hobby of keeping captured reef fishes. Ironically, it affected adversely since more people wanted to keep clown fishes in their aquariums all around the world. Now it has been a threat to the survival of different species of clownfishes.

[UW Photo A043]

(Location: Jorgeys Patch, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

[UW Photo A041]

(Location: Hastings Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Australia)

Though nothing special about this photo, I like the two uncommon colours contrasting each other. Texture of Coral too seems very different.