7 replies to this topic

[Matt Siebert M.D.]

Hi Folks,
late, but at least I worked it out to put some of my favorite U/W-photos from December 2001 here. I was backpacking all through Myanmar and South of Thailand, when I stopped at Ko Lanta for a couple of weeks for joining some friends who run the "Ko Lanta Diving Center" over there. I knew the divesites because of former visits, but it was a little bit different this time: I was used to U/W-photography since 1990 (reflex camera), but I never used a digital one so far and I was impressed about this small Olympus C4040 in the PT-010 without any additional strobes.
There is excellent boat diving and beautiful marine life at the Andaman Sea; so have a look and enjoy the photos...
(Comments are welcome!)

http://de.photos.yah.....rc=ph&.view=t

Matt

[Edited on 21-3-2002 by Matt Siebert M.D.]

[David]

The mantas were taken at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (Red and Purple Rock), did you notice any signs of fish bombing? Was it bad?

[Spinner]

Great photos--I especially like the manta shots. Did you have a wide angle lens?

[herbko]

Nice shots! I'm amazed that you did all that without an external strobe.
Did you adjust the color balance with a photo editor?

Herb

[Matt Siebert M.D.]

Originally posted by David
The mantas were taken at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (Red and Purple Rock), did you notice any signs of fish bombing?  Was it bad?

Hi David,
actually yes it's true: there was some dynamite fishing at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang just a couple of days before I went there around December 10th 2001.
Fortunately there was no damage of the reef, but there had been thousands of dead and dying fishes ... a dreadful scenario! Some days later there was nothing to see anymore and there were millions of other colourful coral fishes (alive ones this time, not to forget the manta ray performance, one of my personal top ten dives).
Nice to know that those guys who did this dynamite fishing have been punished pretty soon thanks to the news of Thai television and Bangkok Post and a strong public interest. I hope this will be deterrence enough and it seems that the new Marine National Parc Officers work quite well (although if it is an additional 200 bath per day per diver that makes them work. It's obviously worth it!!).
Matt

[Edited on 21-3-2002 by Matt Siebert M.D.]

[Matt Siebert M.D.]

Originally posted by Spinner
Great photos--I especially like the manta shots.  Did you have a wide angle lens?

Hi,
no wide angle lens (because there was no space in my backpack for any additional camera equipment beside the Olympus C4040Zoom, the PT-010 housing and 4 smart media 128MB cards).
No, sorry for joking, I don't own special equipment like this so far and perhaps you can understand me being surprised about the results (as a digital newcomer...).
There was just the normal camera zoom lens, which is comparable to a conventional 35 mm lens ... Thanks!
Matt

[Edited on 21-3-2002 by Matt Siebert M.D.]

[Matt Siebert M.D.]

Originally posted by herbko
Nice shots! I'm amazed that you did all that without an external strobe.
Did you adjust the color balance with a photo editor?

Herb

Hi Herb,
yes, I used a photo editor for the color balance, but in January 02 it was only the Camedia Master 2.5 that came with the camera.
And it took me only a few seconds per photo to correct the brightness and the greenish part of those distance-photos, that I took not only without any external strobe but also without any internal camera flashlight.
For the macros from 0,2m up to 1m I naturally used the weakened camera flashlight but not the color balance afterwards. They still have their "original colours". Thanks!
Matt

[Edited on 21-3-2002 by Matt Siebert M.D.]

[David]

Because I thought Hin Daeng and Hin Muang was 'destroyed', I did not visit Phi Phi and neighboring island in 2002. Now with this info, I may go back in 2003.