MK2 4 Posted August 7, 2012 Went out today for my weekly trip.....It was EPIC! whalesharks coming at you in every direction! Crazy stuff....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nrosewarn 3 Posted August 7, 2012 Hi all, Here's my shot of the Mobula, I looked around and was mobbed (pardon the pun!) 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Williams 0 Posted August 7, 2012 Congratulations Neil! One heck of a first post on Wetpixel. Salud, Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 7, 2012 Not going out today. Just a bit too rough at present. :-( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 7, 2012 A couple of pictures from my time in the water: 0906untitled006.jpg by tomeyer, on Flickr I seem to be studiously photographing its tail! Anyway, back at you Tom. Here you are with a shark: You are the one on the left! ;-) Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 7, 2012 Some people pictures from Week 1. Captions to follow after edit (I've lost too many posts mid-way because of the internet connection dropping out here. Catherine G, Jaxie and Suzy take the fast way to dinner. The rest of us take the slow road. High street in Isla Mujeres. A hazardous place to walk as a large group looking for dinner. Food has generally been very good (with much advice on restaurants from photographers who have been here before) Sausages. Don't ask. Eleonora shooting a shark Catherine G helps Capt David and Guide Gaio to prepare cerviche Brian GoProing Brian still GoProing Ryan in the blue. Probably pondering camera options. I have never known anyone come on a trip so well equipped with the latest hot cameras. Ryan had housings for the Nikon D800, Nikon D4, Canon 5DMk3 and Olympus OM-D E-M5. Which he chose and when was actually very interesting. Me - photo by Eleo Neil and Catherine D take a break from shooting to pose with a shark. Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
col 0 Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Hi all - we've been land locked today due to 'choppy' seas so here are a few images from the 1st day. One of the many spotty fish here feeding on bonito eggs: Nana shooting a self portrait of herself and her spotty friend: Nana and another one of her spotty friends: cheers! Edited August 8, 2012 by col Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loftus 42 Posted August 8, 2012 Alex, what lens are you shooting the circular images with? Canon? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davichin 18 Posted August 8, 2012 Great images from all! I have to admit that the ones I like most are the mobulas by Alex and Neil. It is like giving whalesharks for granted and then finding another great unexpected subject ¿are they easy to see there or is it just a casual fast pass by? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pats0n 0 Posted August 8, 2012 Alex Mustard - on post #23 - is it proper circular fisheye ? Looks cool ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 8, 2012 Week 2, Day 3. Storm is passing, blue sky reappearing this morning - but the sea is still up. So we'll be sitting out again today. Alex, what lens are you shooting the circular images with? Canon? Nope it is a Sigma 4.5mm on the D7000. I bought it second hand from Tim P when he got his D800. However, the lens does have a small problem with the Nauticam D7000 - as it pushes against the lens release lever by a couple of mm, which decouples the lens slightly and disconnects the AF. So these were all on manual focus. Not a big problem with this type of lens. Circular fisheyes are great fun for the first half an hour. I wouldn't buy a new one. Col has the Sigma 8mm for FX here - although we've not had that one in the water yet. Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 8, 2012 I'll add a few more thoughts on Ryan's camera choices (as people have been curious). I think it was interesting because I doubt anyone else has had all four of this year's new cameras 100% at their disposal on a trip yet. Hopefully the man himself will add his some thoughts too. My take on Ryan's thoughts on them were: 5DMk3 - best for video. Despite Nikon's gains the Canon is still the nicest SLR to shoot video with. 8-16mm works very well behind mini-dome. D800 - Ryan's choice for stills underwater over the Canon. Always used biggest 230mm dome. D4 - stayed on the boat doing topsides. Until Ryan swapped camera with me for a bit and tried my D4 underwater and then he used the D4 preferentially over the D800 underwater. Back to back the AF performance of the D4 is noticeable better in this situation. OM-D E-M5 - a very capable camera, but you're always going to use a SLR if you have one. Lent out a lot. I noticed this the other way too swapping to the D800 from the D4. But money no obstacle I'd use the D800 preferentially for tropical reef photography (scenic) and the D4 for action/big animals and cold water scenics (and I'd still use the D7000 for macro/mini-dome work). But the bottom line is all 4 are excellent cameras. And most of the differences are not significant and only noticeable to camera geeks (like us) specifically looking for them. Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SlipperyDick 2 Posted August 8, 2012 Ryan had housings for the Nikon D800, Nikon D4, Canon 5DMk3 and Olympus OM-D E-M5. Classic overcompensation! Seriously though, I'm incredibly jealous of you all! Awesome shots everyone. I hope the weather clears up quickly! I'd love to see more videos, if you've got them (anyone). Keri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 9, 2012 Almost back to full strength of the team here. Ron, Erin and Honda are back from a day diving in the Cenotes. It was a good call to head down there while the storm was stopping us heading out here. Fingers crossed that we can go out in the morning and for two great days on the water and hopefully lots of sharkies! Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Longimanus1975 1 Posted August 9, 2012 This trip looks great, any plans to do it next year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cgarcia 6 Posted August 12, 2012 Alex, thanks again for leading us during the first week. It's been said several times already but one more time won't hurt.....this was an awesome trip! Going from never having seen a whale shark to being surrounded by them is an experience I won't forget. Carlos 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomeyer 3 Posted August 12, 2012 Awesome pictures Carlos, really love the black and white. Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 12, 2012 Very nice, Carlos. Hope you're enjoying being home with the family and Jake! Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pats0n 0 Posted August 13, 2012 I absolutely love pictures with mobula rays. Well done ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
col 0 Posted August 14, 2012 Despite being stuck on land for 3days during the 2nd week due to Ernesto, Nana and I still had an awesome trip It was the 1st time she had seen whale sharks before - her expressions were priceless on the 1st day when the boat was surrounded by a few of them feeding. Below is a quick timelapse of one of the many drives we took around the island during one of our land days. [vimeohd]47379428[/vimeohd] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 14, 2012 Catherine G sent this photos around the group from Week 1. I thought I'd share them here as she's not a WP member - as she's not an underwater photographer. Her photos below, with her captions and comments from me - where in-jokes need explanation. Where are these bsfish!!!!!????? [Alex - note that before the trip we banned people from using the world whale shark on superstition until they had seen one underwater. The had to call them big spotty fish] No,no,no THIS is our nightly consumption!!! [Alex - actually there is rather a lot of light beer here] Swiss national day! [Alex - the Milk and Vodka cocktail was unforgettable!] My personal best shot of a whaleshark!!!! [Alex - Catherine is not an underwater photographer!] The whole gang full of beans... Tom, the swinger!!! So what shall we eat tonite??? Above water magic! THE flag! What a miserable lot!!! Our so very amorous leader!!!! Our last view of the isla from the ferry!!!!! yezzzzzz the weather had changed dramatically!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blam 1 Posted August 28, 2012 Hey there, Brian Lam here--I am new to Wetpixel but I got to go along on the Isla Mujeres trip. I wrote about my experience, in brief, on my site, The Scuttlefish and I posted some photos there, too. You might note that my shots are of fairly low quality. That's because I took them with an iPhone, most of the time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex_Mustard 0 Posted August 28, 2012 Brian - I think that they are amazing! Do you have a photo of you iPhone in the housing. I forgot to take one. I am still struggling to get through my images from this trip. Finally made a first cut edit down to 2600 to be backed up! Alex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seadweller 0 Posted August 30, 2012 Awesome shots! Looks as though everyone had a blast! I love isla mujeres and was down there for a couple weeks earlier this summer as well. It was incredible! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVeitch 0 Posted August 30, 2012 Finally made a first cut edit down to 2600 to be backed up! Alex haha, ok, that sounds like my recent whaleshark trips too.. just something about these sharks that just makes you want to click click click! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
