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Patwa
01-08-2014, 09:20 PM
Hey!

I'm slowly getting back into the hobby after a good 5 years off. During that time i've been on some awesome dive trips......here are a few select shots from my recent trip to Easter Island. This trip was the first time using my SLR camera. I've still got a lot to learn about how to take the best shots (and even what lenses I need to use!), but I think I did alright, eh?

posing with a fake Moai (was sunk here for a scene in the movie "Rapa Nui")
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/9346139833_aa1e8cae66_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feTpKX)

was told this is an anchor from an old Spanish ghaleon
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7435/9345739993_dac157072c_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feRmUa)

lots of the same coral (porites)
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/9348800104_61ac4725cb_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/ff83yG)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/9349118536_4ecd182189_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/ff9FdU)

banana wrasse
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7340/9348713344_2ee15db592_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/ff7ALQ)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/9345915855_e444bc9a7f_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feSgbg)

trevally photobombing my shot
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5510/9345949599_dbb7f7cfe0_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feSrd4)

Easter Island butterflyfish feeding on an urchin
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2889/9345937023_06be6d4807_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feSnte)

1000+ year-old porites lobata colony
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/9348759950_ac1960c6b5_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/ff7QCo)

teardrop butterflyfish
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5518/9346070585_229cd07634_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feT4b2)

the money shot - about $10000-$15000 or more dollars worth of rare fish here: Hotamatua pygmy angels and femininus Wrasses. I had to crop the heck out of my image to get this (shooting RAW and high megapixels ftw!)
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3815/9349015868_22abe07eba_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/ff99GL)

me next to a porites colony
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/9345773137_f24975e357_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feRwKB)

yellow pocillopora colony...one of only TWO colonies I saw on my dives (the other was a baby blue colour). Easter Island has LOTs of coral, but very, very low coral species diversity
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2841/9346315337_6679e5cd3d_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feUiVT)

Easter Island is located in some of the bluest waters (nutrient-poor) on the planet....makes for excellent visibility!
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3793/9346282239_b8ef5e9bd5_b.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/feU96e)

many more pics on my Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58353057@N07/sets/72157634752882333/

z

Azzkr
01-08-2014, 09:57 PM
Amazing Pictures. Would love to go there one day on vaction. Good resorts there?

Jakegr
01-08-2014, 10:15 PM
Gorgeous shots. No comparison between underwater SLR and digital cameras!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

mark
01-08-2014, 10:24 PM
very nice pictures, clarity of the water is something.

Lance
01-08-2014, 10:30 PM
Nice! Thanks for sharing

Ram3500
01-08-2014, 10:30 PM
The photo bomb picture is amazing. Thanks for sharing.

hillegom
01-09-2014, 04:45 AM
Love the pics. Great shots.
Thanks

Dearth
01-09-2014, 01:21 PM
Great pictures

Liked the Contrast of the banana wrasse on the plain background made the colours really stand out

Patwa
01-09-2014, 02:20 PM
Amazing Pictures. Would love to go there one day on vaction. Good resorts there?

lots of resorts at varying price points, so you can't go wrong :) I stayed at a hostel, but was given a pretty pimped-out house with 3 beds, and a full kitchen - my friend is close with the the owner and had done some consulting work for her so we got to stay for FREE! more money to put into diving! :)


about the pics..thanks for the comments!! :D

I used an ultra-wide Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 for most of the shots, and gave my best shot at using my Nikkor 105mm f2.8 macro . It's amazing how deficient that lens is underwater, but how amazing it is on land! Virtually all of the underwater shots I took with it were not up to snuff....

for my next trip i'm going with a lower focal length macro...most likely the 60mm f2.8 AFS

and of course my strobe conked out halfway through my dives....grrr.....im going to upgrade the battery for the next trip!

z

lastlight
01-09-2014, 02:57 PM
awesome shots hard to believe that's your first go with an DSLR!

and wow that banana wrasse is hands down the nicest supermale i've ever seen.

Patwa
01-09-2014, 03:36 PM
awesome shots hard to believe that's your first go with an DSLR!

and wow that banana wrasse is hands down the nicest supermale i've ever seen.

yah that wrasse was a fattie for sure! about a foot long or so.


haha :) no, no....first time using a DSLR underwater ;)

i've been shooting with a DSLR since 2008!

check out my flickr stream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58353057@N07/sets/

hillegom
01-09-2014, 11:40 PM
nice album
You have been all over

aaronc
01-10-2014, 03:27 AM
Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing.