420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

These cameras are waterproof to 15 metres without a housing, so they can be used on their own for shallow-water photography. Adding a dedicated housing protects the camera’s seals, extends the usable depth and provides the basis for a modular system. I can attach a tray, handles, arms, action cameras, video lights, external strobes and a wet wide-angle lens, or keep the setup comparatively small for a long surface swim. That flexibility matters because the ocean does not organise its subjects according to the lens I selected before the dive. During the same session I may find something only a few millimetres long and later encounter an octopus, a turtle, ray or shark. Depending on the accessories fitted, the TG system lets me move between close-up and wider subjects without carrying the physical and financial burden of a large interchangeable-lens system. It also has clear limitations. Its small sensor cannot match the low-light performance, dynamic range or fine detail of a larger mirrorless or DSLR camera. The fixed lens restricts some creative options, the 12 megapixel files leave less room for heavy cropping and exposure errors are less forgiving, particularly in deep, dark or low-visibility water. Photographers who require the highest possible image quality, very fast autofocus or extensive manual control will eventually encounter the boundaries of the system. I work with those limits rather than pretending they do not exist. Underwater, the distance between the lens and the subject can have a greater effect on the final image than the size of the sensor. A more expensive camera still loses colour, clarity and contrast if it is photographing through too much water. Reducing the camera to-subject distance and choosing the right angle often improves the photograph more than changing cameras would. The TG-6 has accompanied me through daylight dives with and without strobes, night dives, macro sessions and wide-angle encounters. It is not the most powerful camera available, but it removes several obstacles between seeing a photograph and being able to make it. Its compact size, durability, macro performance and expandable system suit the way I freedive, while leaving the decisions that matter most in my hands.

Finding what does not want to be found Finding a subject is often more difficult than photographing it. Marine animals are exceptionally well adapted to their surroundings, and many depend on camouflage rather than speed to avoid detection. A small octopus can imitate the colour and texture of the reef almost perfectly, while a nudibranch, seahorse or tiny crustacean may disappear into growth that initially looks lifeless. During the day, I search methodically instead of trying to cover as much ground as possible. I look for movement, unfamiliar shapes, breaks in texture and details that seem slightly out of place. Sometimes I do not see the animal itself at first. Its behaviour reveals it: a fish returning repeatedly to the same crevice, a shell moving against the current or a pair of eyes visible beneath the sand. she approached. When she continued straight towards me, I took the opportunity to capture this portrait from less than 20 cm away. Top: The result — a close-up portrait of Josephine, a beautiful four-metre tiger shark. Bottom: The process — one of the situations where a wide angle lens really comes into its own. At around 7 metres deep, I was photographing Josephine as

49

DIVE LOG Australasia #420 October’ 26

www.divelog.net.au