Pics from Australia (sharks and others)

[mmm 0]

Hi, I'd like to share a few pics from my recent trip to Australia (middle of Great Barrier reef and Osprey reef further into the sea). The highlight of the trip was a shark attract (no feeding, just teasing with the dead fish smell). The pics are taken with a Fuji F30 with a wide-angle lens and an occasional strobe. (Unfortunately, I got a bit too excited with sharks at arm's length and forgot to put my zoom to wide, so no interesting shark close-ups, they just swam by too fast.) A few thumbnails are attached, and the whole thing is at the link below. Any comments welcome!

 

Great Barrier Reef 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

[photovan 0]

looks like you had a nice time, did you enjoy Undersea Explorer?

[DeanB 19]

I hope that was a dead reef the divers were all sat on..

 

Looks like they were waitng for the bus.

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

[mmm 0]

looks like you had a nice time, did you enjoy Undersea Explorer?

Oh yes, they're great, and an interesting group of divers onboard as well. Will have to go back sometime to see the rest of Australia (topside), such a nice place you guys have there.

 

I hope that was a dead reef the divers were all sat on..

It's pretty dead. It's the standard place where this is done every week or so by this boat and presumably others - forms a perfect stage with a big rock in the middle surrounded by amphitheater.

Edited January 13, 2007 by mmm

[MikeVeitch 0]

looks like good images from that camera. Do you like its performance?

[mmm 0]

looks like good images from that camera. Do you like its performance?

 

No, actually, I wouldn't recommend it as an u/w camera - those pictures took hours in PS, the exposure was all over the place. The lack of full manual mode (you can set either aperture or shutter speed but not both) makes it difficult to use an external strobe, especially with any ambient lighting. Also, it seems as though the camera sometimes fires 2 flashes and sometimes 1 or 3 (?), and my external strobe is triggered by the 2nd flash, so often it just misses. (I can't reproduce this topside, so wouldn't insist on it.) I suppose the automatic mode with just the internal strobe should work fine, but didn't try. I would switch to my old full-manual Canon S50 for u/w, if only I hadn't decided to give up diving altogether after this trip.

[jbonehoss 0]

if only I hadn't decided to give up diving altogether after this trip.

 

Why would you go and do that? Did something go wrong?

 

The F30 couldn't have been *that* bad!

[mmm 0]

Why would you go and do that? Did something go wrong?

 

The F30 couldn't have been *that* bad!

 

No, no, just some weird thing with the middle ear (inherited from dad), which I realized one fine day would make me drown - decided not to wait for that day. Thinking of trying skydiving instead

[jbonehoss 0]

Well, I am very sorry to hear that, ears are really a tough deal when it comes to diving.

 

On the other hand, I can't wait to find out what kind of housing you need to design for your S50 for Skydiving Good Luck!

[photovan 0]

.... if only I hadn't decided to give up diving altogether after this trip.

 

Ouch. very sorry to hear that. your last trip should leave you with some lasting memories...like a champion sports start...go out on a high, not when you're washed up... or in the case of a diving /medical situation something worse.

 

all the best

darren