Manado - Diving with the weird and bizarre

[Barracudas]

Just sharing some photos I've taken while diving in Manado during early June.

This is my second time taking photos underwater.
Using Canon A640, own housing, no strobe, no additional lenses.

Majid (Decorator) Crab


Flying Gurnard


Octopus


Paddle-Flap Scorpionfish (Rhinopious eschmeyeri)


Pygmy Seahorse -

[Barracudas]

Banggai Cardinalfish -


Snowflake Moray -


'Butterfish' -



For the trip report, please see my blog entry - Manado Trip Write Up 07

For more pictures, please see Flickr

Thanks for ur interest~!

[cityofangels]

Gorgeous pics Cudas! Makes me wanna go to Manado too! How was the water temp like?

[Barracudas]

Haha! COA, you see pictures only, already feel like going?

What if you read my report and see that we saw Pilot Whales?

Don't know why, I don't feel that the water is cold like what people have said before. Maybe I was expecting refrigerator water?

[cityofangels]

Originally Posted by Barracudas Haha! COA, you see pictures only, already feel like going? What if you read my report and see that we saw Pilot Whales? Don't know why, I don't feel that the water is cold like what people have said before. Maybe I was expecting refrigerator water?

Pilot whales?? Eeks! Ok now, I am absolutely jealous!! Were you using a dive comp? How many degrees was the water? Low 20s?

What is the thickness of your Bare wetsuit? 3/2mm?

[gargamel]

Hi Eileen,

Those are nice pictures considering the bare st up

[tchuanye]

Exxcellent pics! And taken with A640? and 2nd time? Wow!

What mode did you take it at? My first try was at redang and had to do some PS to get nice colours.

[Barracudas]

Originally Posted by cityofangels Pilot whales?? Eeks! Ok now, I am absolutely jealous!! Were you using a dive comp? How many degrees was the water? Low 20s? What is the thickness of your Bare wetsuit? 3/2mm?

Average water temp
Bunaken: 28.7 Lembeh: 27.8 degrees

Wow, COA, you know what I'm wearing?!

Originally Posted by gargamel Hi Eileen, Those are nice pictures considering the bare st up

Originally Posted by tchuanye Exxcellent pics! And taken with A640? and 2nd time? Wow! What mode did you take it at? My first try was at redang and had to do some PS to get nice colours.

Thanks gargamel & Chuan Yean~!

The set up really is very simple.
I was using special scene: underwater mode. Macros using manual focus (great function!)

Chuan Yean, your 'land' pics are also very good~! hehe

[Lumiere]

how much is the accomodation at the sedona hotel for a night?

[cityofangels]

Originally Posted by Barracudas Average water temp Bunaken: 28.7 Lembeh: 27.8 degrees Wow, COA, you know what I'm wearing?!

Man.. That temperature is perfect! And people were complaining of cold waters?

I saw the picture which you posted on Flickr. That's why I knew that you were wearing a Bare wetsuit.

[Barracudas]

Originally Posted by Lumiere how much is the accomodation at the sedona hotel for a night?

So sorry! I don't really know the rates wor
Because I got the 3D2N free and extension nites was at special rates. *see blog entry for reason*

But I pm-ed you a couple of links to follow~

Originally Posted by cityofangels Man.. That temperature is perfect! And people were complaining of cold waters? I saw the picture which you posted on Flickr. That's why I knew that you were wearing a Bare wetsuit.

I think it Can get very cold bah.. Even more to a diver who might be wearing rashguard n boardshorts.

And yesh, I was wearing the 3/2mm type =)

[tchuanye]

Originally Posted by Barracudas Average water temp Bunaken: 28.7 Lembeh: 27.8 degrees Wow, COA, you know what I'm wearing?! Thanks gargamel & Chuan Yean~! The set up really is very simple. I was using special scene: underwater mode. Macros using manual focus (great function!) Chuan Yean, your 'land' pics are also very good~! hehe

ha ha thanks.

For manual macro, you must be very steady to move in and out and be spot on in relation to the moving fish.

I had problem locking on to the moving fish so I used AF even for macro and wide shot....but than I was snorkelling....not sure if that will cause any problem.

[Barracudas]

Originally Posted by tchuanye ha ha thanks. For manual macro, you must be very steady to move in and out and be spot on in relation to the moving fish. I had problem locking on to the moving fish so I used AF even for macro and wide shot....but than I was snorkelling....not sure if that will cause any problem.

For those sharp macros using manual focus, most u/w photographers would choose slow or not moving creatures.

As for swimming creatures? The best result, I find, is to stay at a close distance but not too close until scaring away the subject. Then stablise position, zoom in (or out) and steadily press shutter. If got chance then take a few more shots at different angles to increase possibility of a sharp picture lor

Snorkelling will be abit more problematic as you are at the mercy of the waves, but the waters at this level is bright enough for faster shutters

Hope these info help =)
Must also teach me how to take chio 'land' pics hor~

[lovells19]

I could not enough of lembeh haha

and it makes me reluctant to get out from the water!

[limonello]

Cold is subjective. I think the problem with shorties is more that you can get cut up and stung when going for the macros.

If you want a dose of warm water around Manado: try diving Paradise Jetty in Likupang (just south of the Bangka Islands).

There's an underwater hot spring under the jetty... shiok.

Also saw a couple of giant frogfish and large nudis under the jetty when I was there last week.

[talbazar]

Hi Barracudas,
You pics are great, I really love them.
If I can make a remark, I think you posted the best encounters, but maybe not the best shots.
Having a look on your Flickr gallery, there some shots which are just amazing: the one with a prawn on a Nuddi for example.

For other readers, if you haven't, go and have a look on the gallery, it's worth it

Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Pierre.

[Barracudas]

Originally Posted by talbazar Hi Barracudas, You pics are great, I really love them. If I can make a remark, I think you posted the best encounters, but maybe not the best shots. Having a look on your Flickr gallery, there some shots which are just amazing: the one with a prawn on a Nuddi for example. For other readers, if you haven't, go and have a look on the gallery, it's worth it Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Pierre.

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Pierre!

I also love those pictures as they are reminders of my wonderful experiences at a spectacular diving destination. Although my skills are still not 'power' enough to fully justify the beauty of its waters, I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the process.

Got many responses after posting the write-up, which is now acting as a great moral boost for me to do better next time!!

*Handing out big Thank-Yous to all who've visited and read my trip stories and pictures and those who have commented here*

[tchuanye]

Originally Posted by Barracudas For those sharp macros using manual focus, most u/w photographers would choose slow or not moving creatures. As for swimming creatures? The best result, I find, is to stay at a close distance but not too close until scaring away the subject. Then stablise position, zoom in (or out) and steadily press shutter. If got chance then take a few more shots at different angles to increase possibility of a sharp picture lor Snorkelling will be abit more problematic as you are at the mercy of the waves, but the waters at this level is bright enough for faster shutters Hope these info help =) Must also teach me how to take chio 'land' pics hor~

Thanks for the tips! And you are right....snorkelling is tough....thats why for some shots, had to get my son to stand on me to keep me still!

Sure, sure....can share tips for landscape and land macros....we are all learning from each other in CS!

[limonello]

Cuda,

The shots are great.

The one that really blows my mind is the pygmy seahorse shot. So much colour and great 3D sense in this shot.

It must have been a real challenge getting focus on those tiny hippocampi...

Would you mind posting the uncropped version of this shot just so we can get a sense of the macro capability of the A640?

The manual focus sounds darn useful, I was really struggling with the focus of my Fuji F30.

[Barracudas]

Originally Posted by limonello Cuda, The shots are great. The one that really blows my mind is the pygmy seahorse shot. So much colour and great 3D sense in this shot. It must have been a real challenge getting focus on those tiny hippocampi... Would you mind posting the uncropped version of this shot just so we can get a sense of the macro capability of the A640? The manual focus sounds darn useful, I was really struggling with the focus of my Fuji F30.

Thanks limonello! That was a lucky shot.

I couldn't hold the divelight on one hand and take pictures with another.
Thank goodness the two guides came to the rescue, so you can see there were two different coloured lights.

If you want something to see macro capability (the pygmy seahorse shot had been cropped quite abit), how about this? :



Absolutly no cropping from the original photo.