Coronavirus is not the end of the world

Let’s talk POSITIVE!!!!
I know it's a long post but bare with me. What else ya got to do? ;)

I’m not gonna talk about washing your hands or social distancing or what you should or shouldn't do physically, because that's all been talked about ad nauseum. But let's about our perception of reality.

With all the news and craziness in the world right now , it’s no wonder many of us, including myself are feeling some level of stress, social awkwardness or down right fear. As I began to notice these things in myself over the weekend, I made an active effort to shift my perception in a more productive and uplifting direction and thought I might share some of my feelings here to break up the doomsday posts we are all seeing.

And as is life and physics with every action there are equal and opposite reactions.

As I decide the best ways to move forward in life and how much to distance socially there are some things I began to notice.

There have been some aspects of everyday life I have wanted to change. My diet, my art, writing more, my home work ethic. My budgeting, chores, my friendships, calling old friends, spending less time doing things that don't serve me. Starting a garden, drinking less, going to bars less, creating less carbon emissions, being less of a consumer, working out more, doing more yoga. Perhaps even…… MEDITATING?

So many of these things have been difficult for me in the typical day to day, because in our privileged “normal” lives it's easy to put off until tomorrow. Suddenly it seems the whole world has woken up overnight.

Carbon emissions have gone down, essentially, in a week. Wouldn't it have been amazing if concerns about global warming had spread as rapidly as the hysteria of Covid-19? Instead it took a coronavirus to curb our travelling, our driving, our factories. But at least the result has been the same. Air testing and satellite imaging worldwide has shown massive pollution reductions.

Consumerism inflicts nearly all of us. We buy too much, we eat more than we should. We waste. And... we know this. But it’s hard to stop. Addiction comes in many forms. I don't wish financial issues on anyone, but perhaps we can make the best of this economic hiccup. Learning how to create fiscally responsible menus and stop letting food to waste is something most would benefit from. No longer buying unnecessary material objects that oftentimes get sent to the landfill in the end will push us a little more in the right direction.

Learning more self sufficiency, planting an edible garden, canning or smoking our own foods, going without some of the conveniences in life will heal not only our need for independence but the planet globally as well.

I’m not saying we should isolate entirely. This time has shoved right in my face, something I've struggled with for a long time. And that is sorting the societal noise. I've begun to realize who I am happy to go without seeing or spending time with, and who I will focus my efforts to keep in touch and communicate with. Dropping toxic and “comfortable” relationships and replacing that time with more intentional interactions. Reaching out to loved ones that it can feel harder to connect with, but that matter the most.

Not all these things are easy, but like ripping off a bandaid, it gets better once its done.

I am not saying this isn't a serious situation. Some people will die, that's a fact. Some of us will know people that get sick. Please follow the recommendations to keep yourself and those around you safe. But those of us that are able, let's do our best to see the positive in the situation.

I know times are tough. I personally have two jobs, one in the tourism industry working on boats (obviously taking a hit) and as a photographer (also slowing as people cancel their photoshoots in Hawaii due to travel restrictions and economic hiccups). I have friends and family hit as bad or worse than me. I have friends in mandatory quarantine and worse. :(

This new and likely temporary way of life, full of buzzwords like, social distancing, self isolation, quarantine, flattening the curve, and social responsibility, doesn't have to get us down. We can remain socially responsible while also feeling good about our personal direction. Perhaps once this all settles down. We will move forward with a new appreciation for the lives we’ve had, how comfy and easy it has been.

Anyway that's my opinion. Thanks for reading.

Aloha.

Today I'm doing my best to enjoy the moment. I often get so caught up in the day to day, the rat race, social media, the "what if"s, and the "I wish"es. I forget to look up and see the beauty around me. I often become overwhelmed by what I think I ought to be doing, and forget to appreciate the things I am doing. I'm slowly remembering to live in the moment, to enjoy today for all its provided me. I wish I could live everyday the way it looks in pretty instagram posts but alas, life isn't what we show on social media. It's not always that easy and it takes work to live up to our ideas of happiness. That's not to say it's impossible, it just means we need to make the effort. To stop comparing ourselves to others and the vastness of the internet, embrace our sad moments as clues to what we want to change and move forward at a pace that is possible for us. And to recognize the little smiles that we can come up with every day. Here's one of the most incredible sunsets I've ever witnessed. One that helped remind me that all the other stuff didnt really matter right then, because there was supreme beauty in that moment, and this moment is all we have. Those who saw this sunset, I'm sure will remember. #newyears2015

#sunset #gratitude #remember #itsnotallrainbowsandbutterflies #now #bereal #life#anotherinstapic #dontgiveup #itgetsbetter

"When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the Sun rises." ~ Paul Coelho ~ *The Alchemist*

Blackwater Photography Tips

by Joshua Lambus

Equipment for Black Water Macro Photography

SLR and mirrorless compact users will find better success with a shorter focal length macro lens (like the 55//60mm). I’ve found that the longer focal length and minimum focus distance of the 105/100mm makes you feel like you’re trying to fight a fly with a sword. Recently I’ve even modified an 18–55 kit lens to close focus so I have a range of focal lengths to play with.

A low powered focus light is also a must, as it gives better visibility at night—some subjects are invisible when not illuminated. It’s also instrumental in helping you or your camera achieve focus. I prefer a less bright focus light over a 2,000-lumen monstrosity as it seems to light up less backscatter and is, overall, less blinding. For lighting, try just using a single strobe: Having a smaller kit is very useful when maneuvering around in the water column. An electrical connection will eliminate the delay in your pop-up flash’s recycle time—a critical function when shooting in quick succession during manual focus.

While black water macro photography is possible with compact cameras, it be nearly impossible for cameras with no manual focus to lock in on the often-translucent subjects in low-light conditions. Although more challenging than with the superior low-light focusing ability of DSLRs, compact users shouldn’t shy away from giving the dive a try—just make sure you have a good focus light, a lot of patience, and some luck.

Other optional but helpful accessories include floatation devices for your camera. Your wrists will thank you for having a neutrally buoyant system after 60 minutes in open water. Also, having some sort of tether connecting your camera to your BCD is not a bad idea to prevent it from falling two miles to the ocean floor. Even if the water is warm, make sure to have a full wetsuit, and even gloves and hood, in case you don’t see a box jellyfish headed your way.


Lighting and Focusing on Black Water Dives

I don’t trust autofocus to lock in on the exact point of an ultra-rare pelagic seahorse in nearly dark conditions. Even if you trust your camera’s autofocus, you might find it less frustrating and more efficient to manually focus on the subject as it comes into view. Rather than trying to constantly change the focus as the subject drifts along in the current, I find it easier to lock the focus and move my camera slightly back and forth.

For focus bracketing to work, you need to be able to rattle off shots in quick succession. For this reason, use lower strobe output combined with a more open aperture to expose your subject (typically around f/11). For the most part, you can count on your exposure settings to remain the same during the dive, adjusting the strobe power as you encounter more and less reflective subjects.


Black Water Composition

Once you’ve gotten to the point where you can comfortably focus and light black water critters, then it’s appropriate to worry about creative composition. I usually try for two kinds of images: the first is one that I find artistic, filling the frame with techniques like rules of thirds, diagonal lines, and S-curves. After I’ve satisfied my artistic side, I’ll try and get a “boring” side shot to help with ID of the creature after the dive. The more you do these dives, the more you appreciate having multiple images of each animal to assist the scientists in telling you what the heck it is.


Final Thoughts

The images from your first black water dive might not be award-worthy—but do not get discouraged. Success on these dives really comes down to practice and familiarity with your equipment working in what seems like endless outer space.

But all the challenge and work and danger is worth it for the reward of witnessing these creatures.

To learn how you can do this dive with Joshua CLICK HERE

For tips on how to photograph this dive CLICK HERE

Never Say Die - Behind The Photo Process

Never Say Die

by Eric J. Franke

For a behind the scenes video of this shot be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this page.

Lava. Sand. Lava. Sand. Lava. Man, this camera gear is really getting heavy. Today is the day, though. I’m finally going to shoot it.  I’ve hiked past this photo dozens of times. Dozens of times, planning how I want to shoot it. This is common for photographers --- to visualize photos, to plan the shot. This particular shot, the one I’m trying to finally bring to pixels is of a curiously shaped rock on the west coast of the island of Hawai'i. It’s about a 40-minute drive from Maka headquarters, and about a 30-minute hike across an ever changing variety of landscape. We are almost there now, and my eyes can make out the back of the curious rock formation, the one I have given the name Skull Rock.

I look back at Smith, my young and talented assistant, laboring with the rest of the gear. She is as pleasant as she is resilient. If she has ever regretted agreeing to help me capture a photo, you could never tell. I have put her under crashing waves. I’ve placed her in old cars with questionable brake systems. Deep into pitch-black lava caves. She has followed me over miles of raw earth. She’s even had the ocean scrape her across sharp a’a lava, all for sake of my imagination. Always with a smile and the intention to press on to finish the job. In a few months she will start her first semester of a photography degree in Canada. She will do well, assuming she survives whatever repercussions come from trailing a photog whose sanity in the field has been questioned more than once. But hey, gotta get the shot, right?

Not an encouraging assessment upon arrival. 

Miles from any man-made structure; we are finally here. This small stretch of sand is as fantastical as ever, aside from the crummy light, of course. And this is always the plight. The conditions will do as they will. So many times when you are not ready to properly execute a photo, you will be bathed in glorious light. Light that softly dances around your subject, kissing it with golden beams, caressing its edges, bringing a symphonic excitement to your subject. Right now: dull gray. I set up for the shot anyway. 

In order to get the shot that I want we will need to place two strobe flashes into the two spaces on the rocks that resemble eye sockets. And when I write that “we” need to place the two flashes, what you should really read is that Smith will place said flashes. Swimming out to and then climbing up a big chunk of razor sharp lava rock while ocean swells pound against it is an acquired skill. Only a Pacific pro, someone who has spent years growing up in and around the ocean and lava should attempt such a perilous task. Someone brave and cool under pressure. Someone exactly like Smith.

With the two flashes in a waterproof Ewa Marine bag to protect them on the swim out, Smith makes the short trek from shore to Skull Rock, places them, and makes it back to shore.  We need maximum light from the flashes, which means no protective covering while they are in the “eyes.”  The bag is only for transport. We do a test frame or two. All is ready. Then: sprinkles. Then harder rain. I face a tough decision: call it quits and hike back empty handed, or wait it out and hope the gear doesn’t fry in the rain, with the chance that the clouds might break, and a worthwhile photo might be had.

“Just a quick shower. It’ll pass soon,” says Smith with her ever certain optimism. She goes back out to the rock to get the strobes out of the weather.

Smith packs up the gear as best she can to keep it dry. She then stands next to a mysterious pair of loafers belonging to neither of us, while I silently weigh the situation. Lately I’ve been re-visiting some old Spielberg films, and last night was one of my favorites: The Goonies. Many films instilled a strong sense of awe and adventure-thirst in me when I was a kid, not the least of which was this one, where a group of friends embark on a quest for the gold that will save their families and friendships. So I had to ask myself, “What would a Goonie do if he were standing in my size nines? A Goonie would press on. A Goonie wouldn’t give up searching for the gold. Goonies never say die!

A small patch of clear sky starts to open up and the rain subsides. It is still pretty gloomy and void of color, but if the sun hits that area where there’s a cloud break we could be in for a few minutes of dramatic sky, and perhaps a decent photo after all.

We scramble to get the gear pieced back together. The daylight is quickly fleeting, and it’s all going to be about timing now. Smith sets up the tripod and delivers the flashes to the rock once more, and I put my go-to wide lens on my Nikon D800. I want to show a bit of motion with the water so I’m going to need to stack some filters on my lens. A B&W Circular Polorizer pretty much stays on this lens. Onto that I screw a B&W 2 stop Neutral Density filter*. This starts to give me a bit longer exposure. Still a very dull scene though.

Time ticks. We are waiting for the ambient light level to reach a dark enough point to make the amount of light from the flashes have an impact on the scene, all the while hoping that that moment will coincide with a peek from the sun through the clouds.

Getting close but not quite the one.

After a bit, the light starts to get a little more interesting. Color creeps onto some of the clouds. This is good. I take a test exposure. Getting there. To help the scene a little bit I decide to try to bring more color out by warming up my White Balance setting a little. I start with auto or daylight white balance most of the time, but in some cases, this being one of them, I find that cranking it up or down manually can introduce some great results. I eventually crank the WB from 5050K, close to daylight, all the way up to a ludicrous 12166K, introducing some wonderful golden tones to the scene that would not be pleasant for many images, but works quite well for the scene in front of me. I take another exposure.

“This is the moment,” says Smith. She’s right. Light fades quickly at this time of day, and with each exposure I shoot taking thirty seconds, I have to get it right in this next frame or we walk away empty handed. At this point I have stacked three more pieces of glass in front of my lens, all Gradual ND filters to bring the brightness of the sky more even with the brightness of the foreground. I look at my previous image on the LCD display, close but not a winner. I pull two of the grad filters off and leave just the one for the sky. I have to adjust my aperture to compensate for the extra light now coming into the lens. There’s no time to do another test exposure, so I leave my shutter at :30 and open my aperture a few clicks to f/13, hoping for the best. Thirty seconds of held breath. The sun pokes through and the scene looks great. Up to this point I hadn’t been getting quite the amount of light from the flashes that I was hoping for. I fire the test button on the wireless triggers many times during the thirty-second-crawl, hoping that as the frame is being recorded each burst of light will compile in the final exposure of the image. I look at Smith, and we exchange hopeful half smiles. After a bit of silence I start to say, “I hope this wor…” and before I can finish we hear the crash of the shutter slamming back down. The LCD lights up and it becomes immediately clear: we got it.

The final image with warmer tones and bright enough strobe light. 

The sun ducks under the horizon as we scramble to pack up the gear in hopes of making it back to the car before the darkness of night completely falls. As we put the last piece of gear in the bag my mind is going over the events that just took place. What worked, what didn’t work, what to remember in the future. Smith notices my preoccupation.

“You ready?” she asks. “Everything all right?”

“Never say die!” I blurt out before I have time to think.

“Huh? OK, I won’t.”

“Never mind,” I say. “Let’s get back.”

Smith shrugs her shoulders, used to this kind of thing from me. With the weight of the gear on our backs once more we start the last of our journey. Sand. Lava. Sand. Lava…

*Editors note: in the video I mistakenly state that I used a 4-stop circular ND filter, not the 2-stop that I mention here, which is correct. I'm not sure where I got the 4-stop idea from, since I don't think B&W makes one. The 2-stopper is great, though. I use it all the time. 

What's in my bag?

by Joshua

Over the years, people have come into the gallery, and the most common question I get asked is, "What camera do you shoot?"

And while I try to explain that it's not the camera creating the image, and in fact many cameras have the ability of creating similar imagery, I figured I'd put together a post showing my favorite setup that you'll find on me most of the time. I do a lot of hiking and climbing with my gear, and therefore have become quite a minimalist when it comes to shooting, using the least gear for the most visual impact.

Without further adieu..... my camera bag:

A: Lowepro TLZ AW Camera Bag, which has now been replaced with the Lowepro Toploader Pro 75 AW II. -  Small enough to take anywhere and just the right size for all the essentials. It also has a built in rainfly which comes in handy during rainy hikes.

B: Canon 7D - Crop sensor DSLR. Pretty old model these days but still works for everything I need it for.  You can pick it up here, or check out the updated versions 6D and 7DmkII.

C: Tokina 11-16mm 2.8  - Nice wide angle rectilinear lens for landscapes, architectural work, and other shots where you need to capture a lot of the scene. Also, nice large aperture making it ideal for nighttime shots.

D: 50mm 1.2 - A beautiful low light lens. With an aperture of 1.2 which can create nice creamy background, and a crop factor that makes it equivalent to 75mm, this has become my go to portrait lens. Its also great for shooting events and concerts where ambient light is dim at best. I also like the smaller lighter 1.8 version. Still great in low light, and plenty sharp for most uses. Nikon Version.

E: Nikon 105mm 2.5 - This vintage classic is easy to come by these days fairly inexpensively.  I use it for portraits but it tends to be a bit long. You have to back way up to get whole subjects in frame, but it's nice when I need a little more reach than the 50mm can give me. Great for interviews because of its beautiful look and being able to place the camera far from the subject hopefully seeming less intimidating.  Because it is an older lens aperture, it is controlled right on the lens and is manual focus only. You can slap this right on to any modern Nikon DSLR but it needs an inexpensive adapter to work on a Canon body. You can also add a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter to give you an effective focal length of nearly a whopping 300mm!

F: Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Microphone  - A must have for anyone shooting films that include interviews or in-field narration. This little microphone clips to the speakers lapel and effectively records their voice while substantially cutting out background noise. With a 20ft cable it can be plugged into a camera audio in or directly into an audio recording device like the Zoom H1. and then placed in the pocket of the speaker for a mobile solution.

G: Zoom H1 Audio Recorder - This small device has its own stereo microphone and records stereo audio in either WAV or MP3 format. You can use the on board microphone for picking up ambient noise or recording voice in a quiet setting, or use it how I do and plug in a different mic for a range of audio recording options.

H: Tripod - Though I often carry a larger tripod like the Dolica 60" Carbon Fiber, the one pictured here is an inexpensive minipod.  I use them often with light cameras like a gopro or when doing really long hikes or canyoneering.

I: Intervalometer - These are inexpensive pieces of equipment that can used to create long exposures, time lapses, timer delayed photos, and plenty other functions.  These days, many newer camera bodies are being built with them included.

J: Battery Charger - Though I carry 4 batteries with me, adding a charger takes up room but ensures you can stay on the go and keep shooting as long as there's an outlet nearby.

K: Batteries - I always carry one in the camera and 3 backups. Some think its a bit excessive, but with my long exposures, and timelapse shooting I tend to burn through battery life quickly. Also helps battle battery drain in colder climates.

L: Circular Polarizing filter - Great for making those skies pop, cutting down on glare, and creating rich colors. Another addition you might use is step down rings to make your largest filter compatible with all you lenses.

M: Backscatter Red Filter for GoPro - Balances blue looking video for shooting underwater.

N: Media - Important to have back ups and all the different cards you need.  I use Lexar CF cards for my DSLR and microSDs for my audio recorder and GoPro. And SD cards for misc things.

O: Selfie Stick/Monopod - Great for getting a stable shot, using it either on a stable surface or using it as a counter balance while filming video with the Gopro.

P: GoPro HERO4 - great little sport camera in case I want to set a timelapse, jump in the water, film in a water fall, or as a general backup.

This plus a few other pieces of equipment gives me most of the equipment I would want to use.

Other things that can be brought a long in another "expansion pack" would include:

Glidecam

Strobes - Nikon SB700 speedlight, or the more modestly priced Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon.

Radio Triggers - Yongnuo Radio Triggers

CMT Housing or Aquatech Housing to make things water and impact resistant.


Here's what it looks like all closed up and ready to go.  The perfect minimalist setup.

The Blackwater Night Dive

by Joshua Lambus

This is easily my favorite dive, and you will see lots of things about it here on the Blog. For starters you can check out this video that Discovery Canada did on our dive operation and gallery, or you can read about it below.

So what is the Blackwater dive?

A black water is a pelagic (open ocean) night dive, done in deep waters far from shore to observe several species of pelagic critters that glow a rainbow of colors in our lights.

Read on for more Details:

Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on planet earth. If measured from it's base, 14,000ft below sea level, it stands nearly 1000ft taller than everest. Along with 4 other mountains, it makes up Hawaii Ne, the largest of the islands that make up the most remote archipelago on earth. Situated smack dab in the middle of the Pacific ocean, this massive upheaval of volcanic earth, makes for some of the steepest and deepest waters located this close to shore. This makes Hawaii a uniquely suited place to experience this open ocean night dive we call the Blackwater.

We begin our night by venturing out to sea late in the evening from the west side of the island, where the underwater topography is steepest. It doesnt take long to get where we are going. Once several miles from shore, we slow the boat to a stop above several thousands of feet of water. Here we start to gear ourselves for a pelagic dive. (a pelagic dive is an open ocean dive, no where near reef or shore, just in the middle of the vastness of the ocean.)

We start the dive by checking currents and winds, deciding whether we need to deploy a sea anchor. Once determined, we lower weighted tethers down to 60ft. Each diver will be attached to their own tether via a short tag line. This way divers can maintain their depth and relative location, even lacking the normal reference of a reef or bottom.

Without the typical references of a day dive, it can take a few moments to settle in. Soon upon leveling out you will begin to notice thousands of small specks floating by you in the water. As you take a closer look with your lights youll begin to notice each speck is a tiny creature.

Many deepwater light sensitive animals that live in total darkness deep in the ocean during the day, will make huge vertical migrations to the surafce each night, to feed or respirate in the shallow nutrient and oxygen-rich surface waters. Most of these will be animals you have not seen before. Many of them will have strange body structures that are gelatinous and nearly transparent. Some of the translucent jelly-like animals seem to produce a rainbow of colors when our lights bounce off of them. Most animals on this dive are very small only a few inches in length or less, but some animals like siphonpohores have been known to have tentacles that reach lengths of several hundred feet.

Several speices of larval reef fish and invertebrates are seen in these surface waters. Often looking like exact replicas of the adults except transparent and the size of a quarter. Some look nothing like their terminal phases and are draped with ornate filaments and colors.

Many kinds of larval shrimps and crabs dart in and out of our lights like moths to light.

Often the animals are found in free floating colonies or commensal, symbiotic, or parasitic relationships. It's not uncommon to see Lobster larva riding the back of a jellyfish seemingly steering the animal to it's whims while munching on a tentacle all the while.

Seeing large schools of squid on the edge of our lights is always an exciting moment, especially if we get visited by a predator like the Hawaiian spinner dolphins that come into feed on these tasty morsels. On some dives the squid come and hide behind the divers to stay away from the dolphins, skidish and spewing ink everywhere they go.

Often toted as the “Holy Grail of Blackwater Diving” Hawaii's endemic pelagic seahorse, is a rare but real possibility to see on this dive.

I've even seen and captured the first images of a living cookie cutter shark in 2008. An incredibly rare and unique deep water shark, that had not been documented alive before.

Every now and again bigger animals besides dolphins show up too. Pelagic sharks like Blues, Silkys, Oceanic white tips aren’t entirely uncommon, and in winter humpback whales Serenade our out of this world journey through the dive.

Usually at one point in the dive, I will go around to all of the divers, and have them shield their lights for just a moment. As our eyes adjust we will being to see the small light producing plankton and the water around us becomes a sparkling scape of magic. Any kick of a fin or wave of an arm will light up the tiny beings and produce a light show that rivals the most beautiful meteor showers.

This dive is not for everybody, and all dive shops including our selves require some experience before attempting this dive.

The thing to really take away from this dive is the absolutely vastness of the ocean, the un discovered beings and ecosystems beneath our waves, and the exploration that can be achieved on such epic frontiers and proportions so close to our own home.


-Joshua Lambus

To learn how you can do this dive with Joshua CLICK HERE

For tips on how to photograph this dive CLICK HERE



Authur C Clarke once said:
Curious we call this planet earth, when it is so clearly ocean.

Everything is always as it should be.

by Joshua 

Morning thoughts:

Yesterday I put $22 dollars in my pocket. A twenty dollar bill and two ones. By the time I got home, it was gone, apparently having fallen from my pocket somewhere along the way. This morning on my way to work I was walking and looked down at something blowing in the wind.  Low and Behold, $22 dollars. Not the same as before, this time two $10 bills and two ones.

Though I personally believe this is just a coincidence, as opposed to something more cosmic, it was a stark reminder.

Sometimes in life we are sad, sometimes we are happy. Life ebbs and flows in ways we dont see or understand.

Those that are religious sometimes think "an eye for an eye". Those that consider themselves "spiritual" may refer to it as "karma". Even the strictly scientific believe in the second law of thermodynamics, or the conservation of energy. It is the same. Order to disorder, randomness and chaos. Serendipity and coincidence. Simply put:

Life.

During our struggles or triumphs, whether we know it or not, it is correct. It is balanced. Words  like "fair" and "just" are human words we have created to explain our emotions in these situations, not they reality of our world. I for one hope to streamline my understanding of this and see things for what they are.

I hope to remember more often, no mater what the situation:

Everything is always as it should be.