420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

for the weather and even the overcooked baked beans. Indeed, anything and everything that impinges on the quality of the days’diving is our fault. Sometimes, I think that dive knives are just for stabbing underwater photographers in the back. Maybe, I just have a lot of really grumpy dive buddies or maybe it is really true! In fact, the implication here is that if you do not carry an underwater camera, you are perfect in every way, a model diver and a most sanctimonious and holier than thou perfect specimen of the underwater explorer. Personally, I have broad shoulders and do not mind the jovial nature of deprecation afforded to us by non-photographers. (If you are not sure, this humorous section is a light hearted response to nasty, unfeeling divers slagging off at

take. The main challenge is to frame the photo and get plenty of light. That is, by having the sun at your back. Even better if you can get a mother and calf. Taking a photo of a dancing luminescent flashlight shrimp in total darkness is far more diffiuclt and a serious challenge. Same goes for capturing a perfect portrait of a Shrimp Goby or a dancing Jawfish. So I score really difficult photos appropriately. After, doing photogrpahy for nearly fifty years, you develop a differenct view of the art form. I like shots like waves breaking over sand showing ripples of light; this is a fairly easy shot to take and it is just capturing light but it looks wonderful. On the other hand few divers have the patience and or equipment to capture a Flasher Wrasse portrait. They are such an extremely difficult subject technically that most do not even try. These days, I like experimenting with the 16mm Fish Eye lens and dome port. It opens up new perspectives and challenges. Lighting up several Grey Nurse and a few Wobbegong sharks on the sea floor simulataneously is a very difficult project.

underwater photographers!) Challenging yourself I have judged some Underwater Photo

competitions. Some of us who are judging use a criteria that I called technical difficulty. So many competitions feature Whale photos in blue water and sunshine. In my view, they are snapshot photos that look sensational but are very easy to

Michael explores this colourful coral grotto from Mellow Yellow, Voli voli Fiji

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Dive Log Australasia #420 October ’26

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