Senorita poses in front of a red gorgonian. Nikon D7000 in Sea & Sea housing, Tokina 10-17mm at 10mm. 1/200, F16, ISO 200, uncropped.

Wow.  Just wow.  Get it while the gettin’s good!  Warm, blue water, and amazing viz awaited us as we made our way from the Catalina Express to the Dive Park at Avalon this past weekend.  When I say “warm” I mean 69°F at 70fsw.  Viz was easily 70’+.  It was gorgeous.  We planned on three dives, and we made the most of every descent.

Kelp bass stalk the vast schools of bait fish in the Dive Park.

This trip was designed to get my friend, Tracey, used to her brand-new MDX-7000 Sea & Sea housing that she bought from Scott at Bluewater Photo.  She’s preparing for a long trip to Raja Ampat in December with Underwater Photography Guide.  She and her husband flew in from Chicago to dive for the weekend.  Boy, did they get some great conditions!  Our first dive took us to the Sujac, and subsequent dives took us to the other end of the park.  For me, I enjoyed watching the kelp bass prey on the massive schools of sardines and other bait fish.  The sun shone brightly through the blue water throughout the day, making for some amazing underwater photo ops!  Get out there and dive!

A Garibaldi greets me at the west end of the Dive Park. Viz was amazing!

The post Great Conditions at the Dive Park first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Shooting in shallow water that is not too clear can result in very nice sunbeams, like this turtle photo taken in Kona, Hawaii. The trick for turtle shots is to use a wide-angle lens to get very close. Sunbeams are easiest to get in shallow water that has a small amount of sediment in it (water that is not *too* clear).

Hint – if you want to shoot a particular subjects, ask the locals where to go! After asking 3-4 photographers, I decided that Puako was the best place to go for a turtle encounter.

Settings – Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, F9, 1/320th, ISO 200

The post Turtle and sun rays first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.