Under water photography in Bahamas

Right eye of a Stingray. 

EOS 1DS MarkII, 100mn macro, 2 flashes (left one TTL, right one manual 1/2)

other angle of previous image. 

Since March 2007 have not be doing under water photography. I am still a beginner, but I love it. So I am back in Nassau to Stuart Cove's where I did my under water photography course with Sally. Every year I have been back here to keep learning, that a so hard job. It's a big challenge to learn something when you pass 50.... and underwater photography is very demanding. 

I did start to do a PADI in Cairn (AUS) and in september 2006 I came here for a week. I had only 15 dives... not much but I could not wait to do images under after 20 years shooting boats from the surface or from the air. 

Scuba diving is a magic way to discover the sea life .

I had the choice to buy a new camera an the housing.I have already a lot of camera, so I decided to keep my Canon EOS1DS Mark II and buy the SEACAM housing for it. At the end I got for nearly the same price a great under water system with the best digital camera which was on the market at that time ( now the Mark III is probably the best one).

Last winter I spent a lot of time in Maui (Hawaii) practicing under water photography in the morning  , and shooting windsurfers at Hookipa beach in the afternoon. My main goal at that time was to try to do heli shoot of surfers in JAWS.But Jaws does not happen often. I did 2 time from heli and one time from the cliff with the help of my great friend Jono Knight and the Hawaian frenchy Charles Oreve both very good windsurf photographers ( you will find images on my website).

For under water photo there is not secret , you need to practice, practice and more practice.

When I arrived in Nassau last week I did find hard to shoot again. 

9 months busy shooting AC in Valencia, Medcup, Barcelona World Race and other races. 

All my reflex where gone. after 4 dives it was slowly coming back. 

Two Scrawled Filefish 

 EOS 1DS markII, 100mn Macro, 2 Canon Flashes (left one TTL, right one manual 1/2)

Juvenile Filefish 

EOS 1DS Mark II, 100mn macro, with 2 flashes (left one TTL, right one manual 1/2)

It's always hard to make a choice before a dive. what lens?? 

14mn, zoom 16/35 or 100mn macro ??? 

When you have the macro you meet big animals and when you have the 14mn you see very small fishes. And impossible to change any thing when you have started your dive.

When I got the Seacam housing I choosen to go for flashes housing. That's mean I have housing to put the flashes I use every day. The good thing is that you got TTL light control on one flash ( great in macro) and must use the second flash in manual ( I set up second flash half power in manual). With 14mn or 16/35 mn lenses I use 2 flashes in manual, 1 full power, and the 2nd one half power. 

On 26th Jan I did 4 dives and the last one was on the 2 boats wreck.  With my body we visited inside  and we find a room with 10 Lionfishes and some maquerel  chassing for lunch.

Inside a wreck, lunch time for Lionfish and friends...

EOS1DS mark II, 16/35mn with Super Dome and 2 flashes manual.

On the way to the surface we met that group of Atlantic Spadefish which let me come very close for few minutes... that's make a good day.

School of Atlantic Spadefish.

EOS 1DS MarkII 16/35mn with Super Dome and 2 flashes manual.

Don't forget , comments are welcome!