420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

using it again. Returning to familiar water One of the most effective ways I have found to improve my photography without placing repeated pressure on an individual animal is to return to the same dive sites. Familiarity with a location is not a lack of imagination; it is a form of preparation. On a first visit, much of my attention is spent learning the site—finding the safest entry and exit, understanding the bottom structure, judging the current and discovering where marine life is likely to shelter. On later visits, much of that mental work has already been done. I know where the reef changes direction, where sand gives way to weed or rock, where the light is likely to fall and which areas deserve a slower approach. That knowledge makes my dives more efficient and safer. I spend less time searching without direction and more time observing. I can plan the descent, anticipate where a subject may appear and approach with greater control. Instead of treating every encounter as a surprise, I arrive prepared for the photograph that might develop. The same site never remains entirely the same. Tide, season, weather and time of day alter the visibility, current and quality of light. Different animals appear as the water temperature changes and breeding cycles progress. Over time I begin to recognise patterns: when a species is active, where an animal prefers to shelter, how the current affects its position and which approach is least likely to disturb it. This knowledge does not guarantee a photograph or make a wild animal predictable. It simply places me in the right area with a better understanding of what may happen. Familiarity must never become entitlement. A resident animal is not a permanent photographic subject waiting for me to return. If it is absent, hidden or showing signs of disturbance, I leave it alone. Many images that appear to be the result of perfect timing are actually the result of patience accumulated over numerous dives. Luck will always play a part, but returning regularly increases the chance that preparation and opportunity will eventually meet. Knowing one

or other debris. Where lubrication is specified by the manufacturer, I apply a very thin layer of silicone grease. I also make sure threaded components are seated correctly and tightened securely without overtightening, which can damage threads, distort seals or make them harder to service later. These small checks greatly reduce the chances of water finding its way into the system. Once the housing has been prepared, I keep it out of direct sunlight and avoid leaving it inside a hot vehicle. Placing a heated housing directly into cold water creates ideal conditions for condensation. Between dives, I avoid opening it unless necessary. If it must be opened, I first dry the outside carefully so water cannot run inside. If fog appears during a dive, there is little value in continuing and hoping it will disappear. I return to the surface, dry the housing thoroughly and deal with the moisture before Top: The process — Vadim Belakhov on the hunt for baby seadragons. Bottom: The result — one of the few usable photographs from the session. Only a few weeks old and around 3–5 cm long, these tiny seadragons were extremely difficult to find and photograph. It took dozens of dives and almost an hour of accumulated bottom time during a 2.5-hour session to come away with just a handful of usable images.

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DIVE LOG Australasia #420 October’ 26

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