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In September this year, we are escorting a mixed group of keen u/w photographers on a live aboard trip to Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia to photograph the friendly whale sharks in this huge bay in West Papua. We also dive on remote atolls & reefs, some fantastic rarely dived WWII Japanese shipwrecks and even some muck dives. The trip currently has only 2 vacancies (1 twin share cabin). Price Includes all domestic flights from Bali, 7 full days diving on the liveaboard. USD$3280 ex Bali 13th September to 21st Septemner 2015. We offer FREE underwater photo help and informal photo editing instruction for anyone wanting assistance. Join us on the adventure of a lifetime in West Papua, Indonesia. For full details visit our website: Cenderawasih Bay - Whale Shark Photography Cruise in West Papua - Reef Wreck & Critter

I would really appreciate if you took the time to look at my pics and give me critique or tips how to improve. I had an opportunity to go diving with the Cenderawasih whalesharks last September. I had bought uw photo gear just for the occasion and was practically using it for the first time on that trip. My gear consists of Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm and two Inon Z240 strobes with 4900K diffusers. I've edited the pics somewhat in PS4: I tried to remove backscatter which was plentiful in most of the pics (there were a lot of particles in the water + I was struggling with positioning my strobes), did some sharpening and adjusting curves and WB. I also tried to remove a diver in pics 5 and 9... I'm sure that could have been done more elegantly, but I don't have much experience with PS either. Here's one sample image. The rest of the pics can be found here: http://www.kolumbus.fi/uwphotography/ Additional info for those who are still reading: - The weather was mostly cloudy or rainy, so I didn't get to experiment with bright sunlight a lot. - Picture 7 on my website is taken with a compact camera that I had as a backup. - I've read the book by Martin Edge twice, so I know some of the uw photography theory, but putting it into action turned out to be something else - My screen isn't calibrated

A mini movie of the Bittenbysharks team's most recent imaging expedition to the amazing whale sharks of Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua.The travel to Manokwari and ultimately, to the southern end of Cenderawasih Bay, was long and arduous, but well worth it! At the end of it all we found fantastic weather, glass calm seas, guaranteed whale shark sightings, we spent hours in the water with them each day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UdFaq9tqTM&feature=share&list=UUY1kD6sXVahMZJ9ki2W2U4w

I was a late addition to this trip – someone had to cancel and I was able to wangle some last minute leave. Now that the trip is done and I’m cooling my heels in Jakarta waiting for my flight home tomorrow, I can still hardly believe my luck. What a fantastic trip – terrific bunch of divers, good boat and great crew, some pretty nice Raja Ampat reefs, wobbegong sharks, a nesting leatherback turtle, manta rays, pilot whales, beautiful, beautiful whale sharks, and of course, the fab Mike Veitch. Really, what’s not to love about Mike. This was my second liveaboard dive trip and second outing with my Canon G12, Fisheye Fix Housing and single Inon Z240. The first trip, last year’s Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia, also on Damai II, was fabulous, but left me with a pretty long “what I wish I had had with me” list. This time I was better prepared. The itinerary for this trip – embark Sorong, 5-6 dive days in the northern part of Raja Ampat then a couple of days diving and motoring around to Manokwari, stopping on the way to check out a rare leatherback turtle nesting site. Down through Cenderawasih Bay to spend the final two diving days and last day snorkeling with the whale sharks, disembark - Nabire, fly to Jayapura, Jakarta and home. This was not just a dive trip, it was a photo workshop with Mike and my aim was simple, try to improve wide angle shots, without backscatter and preferably not green. Like this - Not everything went to plan but the experience of diving with whale sharks, and the results of the photoworkshop for me worth the awful travel days. And you have to have a sunset Seriously, what is not to love about Mike Veitch ... except maybe that Facebook photo with guns. I've written a trip report - too long so have saved it to a website, enjoy because it drove me mad to make a website! Trip report here: http://oldladyholidaysnaps.com I’m home now, unpacked and back at work. It was minus 4oC last night. Nothing left now but to embrace the suitcase within and hang out for November - except maybe buy a new camera. Shout out to Mike, Mandy, Shallum, Cheryl, Jeffrey, Grant, Dimitry, Lester, Eliana and the Damai II Captain and crew. It was a pleasure travelling with you. J.