I was really looking forward to a deep dive today to the wreck of the Kelloe.

Alas the dive got canned as the sea’s were up. It was blue outside but green inside the heads and viz down to 2 metres but I still got wet, only dive of the weekend…put a macro lens on (Sigma 50mm) and had to get very close (and personal) to get this Anemone shot.

Here is a link to one (Almost Erotic) thats similar but not exactly the same. This one (Fire) has minimal processing other than sharpening and colour balancing where as Almost Erotic has had a bit more processing and is now an image from a photograph rather than being a true photograph

Rock on calmer sea’s next weekend, I’m gagging for some wide angle and an opportunity to try some shots using a tripod and what could be nicer for that other than a wreck.

Special thanks to Damien who arranged diving today from Scott Egginton’s boat. Great boat, thanks Scott!

The link above takes you to Redbubble where I have some prints available for sale (and a calendar). I was chuffed to have a Sea Lion shot featured on the front page of Redbubble last week. Only there for 24 hours but resulted in over 500 extra viewings of the shot and what was best of all, some really encouraging comments. Alas no sales so I wouldn’t be quitting the day job just yet.

Final comment, the movie Slumdog Millionaire has made it to Australia, went to it last night, good flick, if you haven’t seen it yet, well worth going to. Cheers!

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Happy New Year!

And what a great start with my first nephew, Conor, arriving on the scene! I hope to get back to Ireland later this year to meet him and also my niece Mary who arrived late last year, looking forward to meeting both of them.

Well not even two weeks into the year and I have managed 3 dives and have 7 images to show off. They are all macro (ish) but hopefully next Saturday morning I’ll have not just some wide images but my first underwater images taken with a tripod…more on that next week.

On the New Year weekend I got two dves in at Clifton Gardens (also known as Chowder Bay);

It was typical holiday time at the site, a million fishermen and a dangerous exercise diving on the sand between the jetties with heaps of boat traffic about, so we stayed under the main jetty on both dives.

Being “confined” to a tight area I decided to take some time taking some cuttlefish shots. I see them so often I tend to ignore them but this was a good opportunity to get a few images and I’m chuffed with what I got.

I’ve also come to realise the effect my strobe has on the critters, Seahorses in particular, and I have now resolved to try to never take more than two shots of a Seahorse with my strobe firing. As I was shooting over the two dives I noted how often the Seahorse wouldn’t turn away or run from the camera, but when the strobe fired they clearly reacted negatively. many of you will say of course they did, but you would be amazed as to how many critters don’t react to a strobe firing (possibly because they are blinded?)

Last weekend my friend Julie buddied up with me and we went to my local shore dive, Bare Island.
Not too much here to see there although the guys in after us reported a Turtle which is a rare for Bare Island although not too surprising as the waters are warm at the moment (20 C). Only one keeper out of the Bare Island images, a Weedy SeaDragon.

I can’t finish off this port without stating my anger at the actions of Israel in Gaza. If I could send Israel a message it would be that it hasn’t worked before and it ain’t going to work again… the only thing that will bring stability and security to you is prosperity and hope for your neighbours…when people have something to lose, they think twice… the people of Gaza have nothing to lose..your making sure of that…this opinion piece in the Irish Times reflects my thoughts as well.

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