Alex_Mustard 0 Posted December 5, 2005 With Christmas and New Year fast approaching it seems an appropriate time to start a thread of everyone's favourite shot of 2005. There rules are simple. You can only enter one image ! And you must have taken it underwater during 2005. Hopefully we will see some great stuff from loads of members. Alex p.s. it is not easy to choose! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted December 5, 2005 - EDIT - I know that this is totally breaking the rules, but I have completely changed my mind. This is my favourite! "Diver and spawning hamlets" This image was one of the hardest I have taken this year. I really wanted a shot that showed what it was like to watch fish spawning, but considering how rare photos of the behaviours are, it was never going to be an easy task to get a shot with both the behaviour and a correctly positioned model. Furthermore the spawning occurs at dusk so there is no ambient light to help light the model. I lit this picture with two flashes: one on low power aimed at the fish in the foreground and one on high power aimed at the diver. This image is unlikely to feature in many other people’s favourites from my pix. But it is my personal favourite. This image features Giles "digitallywet" as the voyeur and was taken in April at Sunset House Reef, Grand Cayman. Nikon D2X + 28-70mm @ 48mm, Subal housing. 1/80th @ F5. 2x Subtronic Alpha flashes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocha 0 Posted December 5, 2005 Great idea for a thread Alex. I chose mine more based on difficulty to get the perfect shot than anything else. Here it is: "Prime Real Estate" Taken on September 12 at the Pearl Islands, Pacific Panama. Nikon D2x + 105mm. 1/200 @ f25. Ikelite 200 and 100a. This was my first choice because it was an extremelly difficult shot, and I was very pleased with the final result. I spent about 50 minutes trying to get this shot, it was very shallow, a lot of current and surge, and all the other 20 shots of the same subject are out of focus because of the surge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
james 0 Posted December 5, 2005 This wasn't an easy one for me. I BEGGED Alex to let us choose three photos but he smacked me down. So I picked a macro photo, when I have wideangle tiger sharks. Go figure. This one was taken in August at the dropoff in Tulamben, Bali Idonesia. My first pygmey seahorse. I was using a Sigma 150mm lens + 500D and Macromate. It was just such a tough shot to get, and was taken literally one minute before going into deco... Cheers James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kdietz 0 Posted December 5, 2005 James, here's a WA Tiger Shark Karl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmyates 5 Posted December 5, 2005 Since there's already a pyg and already a tiger shark, I'll offer something different. Although I'm a rank amateur (noticeably more rank towards the end of dive trips ), here's my favorite shot of schooling barracuda: Taken in Raja Ampat in March -- 50mm lens, f6.3, 1/100th Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arnon_Ayal 1 Posted December 5, 2005 My best in the last year D70 1/160s f/11.0 at 18.0mm with SB105 Flash Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randapex 0 Posted December 5, 2005 I'm sure like everyone, there are several shots I took this year that are favorites. Each with a story or mood that makes it a "special" shot. But, since this is such an expensive hobby, I'll go with the shot with the best ROI... Turks & Caicos, D2x w/ 105mm-2x TC & Woody's diopter. Rand Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diveh2o 0 Posted December 5, 2005 favorite is very different from best . This picture hasnt sold a single print while some of my other ones are doing just fine. anyway here is my favorite although noone else seems to really like it so much... Nikon D100, Aquatica Housing, Ikelite DS125 strobes, Nikon 12-24mm at 20mm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted December 5, 2005 Yep I did mean favourite! I just used best in the title as it was shorter and does not have a disputed spelling! Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVeitch 0 Posted December 5, 2005 Tough tough choices so i went with this one, I like to call it "Bite Me!" taken with a 105mm and +2 diopter... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
motionsync 0 Posted December 6, 2005 Come one Alex... Its not so easy to pick a favorite. Anyway I have pick one that I think its shows best what is freediving for me. It's not a extrem sport, not eather competitions or recordevents. Its about be one with the sea be like a mammal. The freediver is Alex Molchanov. He is follow the competition that take place some meters in front of him. He is not staying on the surface like most of the other freedivers but just laying under water and watching. Blue Hole - Dahab - Red Sea, November 2005, D70s - 10,5mm - Magic filter. Lambis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 43 Posted December 6, 2005 Don't know if it is the best but it's my favorite. D100, Aquatica housing, 17-35mm. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herbko 0 Posted December 6, 2005 Someone has to try to dispel the myth that digital is no good at sunbursts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom_Kline 143 Posted December 6, 2005 I could not decide on a salmon shot so I picked a fav from my trip to B.C earlier in the year. We needed some invertebrate representation too. For your eyes only! Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron Boyes 0 Posted December 6, 2005 I am fond of this image not because it is a great subject or even my best image ( in my opinon) - I just had a lot of fun getting it. Image details: Lembeh Strait - August 23rd 2005 D2X 70-180mm Zoom F22 @ 1/125 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mandarinfish 0 Posted December 6, 2005 I am fairly weak at letting emotional attachment interfere with objectivity when it comes to my own photos... This is definitely not my best shot of the year, but it is probably my favorite. Much has to do with how many failed mandarinfish dives I've been on... To finally get something... To date, an older story by Phil Slosberg best captures my long, long quest: The Great Mandarinfish Hunt Those who have been on the hunt, wil understand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ssra30 0 Posted December 6, 2005 This is my favourite shot from this year. Just show it recently in the photo section but oh well... can't think of other shots I took this year that I like better! From Tachai Island, Thailand, D2X , 10.5mm, F16, 1/100 November 2005. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVeitch 0 Posted December 6, 2005 Some really great shots in here folks! Keep em comin! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ornate_wrasse 0 Posted December 6, 2005 This is definitely not my best shot of the year, but it is probably my favorite. Much has to do with how many failed mandarinfish dives I've been on... To finally get something... Hi Linda, Glad you decided to post that pic here on wetpixel. Congratulations on finally getting the shot you wanted! Kind regards, Ellen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yahsemtough 0 Posted December 6, 2005 Ok this was tough because I have (like many others) shots I like for very different reasons. I chose this shot because I have seen these little guys many times and have always tried to get a more unique shot of them because friends who run the Dive op say they are their favoUrite. Anyway this one was found by Rand McMeins but, he did not notice the eggs behind it at the time. He was probably too busy trying to be nice and point the little guy out to me. I had seen a few of the Grunt Skulpins in the shells on Browing Wall in Port Hardy BC, CANADA that dive but never saw the eggs because the Grunts seemed to stick their heads out when I came by. My guess now was to hide the eggs and protect them from the big bad diver. Cheers Todd Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelpfish 15 Posted December 6, 2005 Out of all my Indonesia shots, I went with my Catalina shot....D100 (TITAN with ROC light control), 10.5, two Ikelite DS125's shot at F14, 40th sec. Joe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloustalot 0 Posted December 6, 2005 Not up to par with the rest of you guys...but this one's my favorite this year. C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATESG 0 Posted December 6, 2005 here is a link to one of my favorite pics from Curacao: http://www.public.asu.edu/~elliotg/Curacao_2005/ elliott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
