Underwater Photos from Anilao, Philippines

- Posted in Micro Four Thirds as well -

I finally got a gallery posted of some of my images from our Philippines trip earlier this year. I guess one good thing about staying at home is there is a lot of time to process images!

We spent 2 weeks there, 5 days diving in Anilao and the rest over in Puerto Galera. I will hopefully post the Puerto Galera shots soon but here are the Anilao shots.

https://www.elsasserphotography.com/Galleries/Anilao-2020/

I have been very happy with the EM1 MK2 underwater for underwater macro subjects.

Enjoy!

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

EvilOtter wrote:

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

Thank you very much!

Oly 60MM  - no wet lenses.

pelsasser wrote:

- Posted in Micro Four Thirds as well -

I finally got a gallery posted of some of my images from our Philippines trip earlier this year. I guess one good thing about staying at home is there is a lot of time to process images!

We spent 2 weeks there, 5 days diving in Anilao and the rest over in Puerto Galera. I will hopefully post the Puerto Galera shots soon but here are the Anilao shots.

https://www.elsasserphotography.com/Galleries/Anilao-2020/

I have been very happy with the EM1 MK2 underwater for underwater macro subjects.

Enjoy!

Beautiful shots! What's your set up for underwater photo?

Thanks,

Kevin

EvilOtter wrote:

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

the 60 is great there, where in other spots I often find it a bit confining, ponder the cost of the panasonic 45.   But so many really tiny objects in Anilao.

Now you're hosed when you set the 10" sea horse (unlike the pygmy in this gallery), or the plate sized frogfish, but that's always the trouble.   Just strap a Go Pro on top of the housing, or get your partner to carry a compact camera with more focal range.

pelsasser wrote:

I finally got a gallery posted of some of my images from our Philippines trip earlier this year. I guess one good thing about staying at home is there is a lot of time to process images!

I was (technically am) slated to go in 3 weeks.   I'm trying to get my video collections into something more presentable (6 years of backlog), but I'm still really bad at it.

It looks like you were really dialed in with the strobes on this trip.   All the color you want, and nearly zero on the background.

kpr1291 wrote:

pelsasser wrote:

- Posted in Micro Four Thirds as well -

I finally got a gallery posted of some of my images from our Philippines trip earlier this year. I guess one good thing about staying at home is there is a lot of time to process images!

We spent 2 weeks there, 5 days diving in Anilao and the rest over in Puerto Galera. I will hopefully post the Puerto Galera shots soon but here are the Anilao shots.

https://www.elsasserphotography.com/Galleries/Anilao-2020/

I have been very happy with the EM1 MK2 underwater for underwater macro subjects.

Enjoy!

Beautiful shots! What's your set up for underwater photo?

Thanks,

Kevin

thank you kevin!

I use an Olympus EM1 MK2 w/ Dual Sea and Sea YSD2 strobes in a Nauticam housing.

All of the anilao shots are taken with the Olympus 60mm macro lens (I also shoot the panny 8mm FE quite a bit underwater)

kelpdiver wrote:

EvilOtter wrote:

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

the 60 is great there, where in other spots I often find it a bit confining, ponder the cost of the panasonic 45. But so many really tiny objects in Anilao.

Now you're hosed when you set the 10" sea horse (unlike the pygmy in this gallery), or the plate sized frogfish, but that's always the trouble. Just strap a Go Pro on top of the housing, or get your partner to carry a compact camera with more focal range.

Yes, it is a bit of a bummer there is no gear to take the lens out of 1:1 macro mode while in the housing.  I have done it for a few dives before to be able to shoot larger animals.  In fact, for some of the Coconut Octopus shots, I had done just that.  They are slightly too large for the 6omm in macro mode.  With the second step in the focus limiter they are much better framed, but of course now you are a lot further from the subject which has its own challenges underwater.

kelpdiver wrote:

pelsasser wrote:

I finally got a gallery posted of some of my images from our Philippines trip earlier this year. I guess one good thing about staying at home is there is a lot of time to process images!

I was (technically am) slated to go in 3 weeks. I'm trying to get my video collections into something more presentable (6 years of backlog), but I'm still really bad at it.

It looks like you were really dialed in with the strobes on this trip. All the color you want, and nearly zero on the background.

Enjoy, just Anilao or Puerto Galera as well?

Where are you staying and who are you diving with?

pelsasser wrote:

kelpdiver wrote:

EvilOtter wrote:

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

the 60 is great there, where in other spots I often find it a bit confining, ponder the cost of the panasonic 45. But so many really tiny objects in Anilao.

Now you're hosed when you set the 10" sea horse (unlike the pygmy in this gallery), or the plate sized frogfish, but that's always the trouble. Just strap a Go Pro on top of the housing, or get your partner to carry a compact camera with more focal range.

Yes, it is a bit of a bummer there is no gear to take the lens out of 1:1 macro mode while in the housing. I have done it for a few dives before to be able to shoot larger animals. In fact, for some of the Coconut Octopus shots, I had done just that. They are slightly too large for the 6omm in macro mode. With the second step in the focus limiter they are much better framed, but of course now you are a lot further from the subject which has its own challenges underwater.

I own this lens but I have not used it underwater yet since my current rig is a compact. What happens if you leave the switch on 0.19 to infinity? Does the focus hunt too much to be useful on macro subjects? If not, can you get reasonable portraits on larger subjects? Thanks for any insight that you can provide.

pelsasser wrote:

Enjoy, just Anilao or Puerto Galera as well?

it would have been a return to Anilao/Crystal Blue.   Was there 3 years ago as part of a honeymoon.

No PG planned....I get more vacation time than my wife, so I try to get in a quick week trip on my own.  Shorter than I like for the length of the flight, but I leave her alone for the duration.

EvilOtter wrote:

I own this lens but I have not used it underwater yet since my current rig is a compact. What happens if you leave the switch on 0.19 to infinity? Does the focus hunt too much to be useful on macro subjects? If not, can you get reasonable portraits on larger subjects? Thanks for any insight that you can provide.

I've been unhappy whenever I've used the shorter limiter.   The hunting is most problematic for free swimming stuff (the squid for example, flat worms), or at night when I'm trying to use the red light to get a skittish subject.

It's essential to put the camera in back focus mode so you can a tentative focus lock and then rock the camera back/forth until the image is sharp.   That also requires you to get the camera buoyancy close to neutral, perhaps just slightly positive so you can use light pressure to steady it

kelpdiver wrote:

EvilOtter wrote:

I own this lens but I have not used it underwater yet since my current rig is a compact. What happens if you leave the switch on 0.19 to infinity? Does the focus hunt too much to be useful on macro subjects? If not, can you get reasonable portraits on larger subjects? Thanks for any insight that you can provide.

I've been unhappy whenever I've used the shorter limiter. The hunting is most problematic for free swimming stuff (the squid for example, flat worms), or at night when I'm trying to use the red light to get a skittish subject.

It's essential to put the camera in back focus mode so you can a tentative focus lock and then rock the camera back/forth until the image is sharp. That also requires you to get the camera buoyancy close to neutral, perhaps just slightly positive so you can use light pressure to steady it

By shorter limiter do you mean the 0.19 - 0.4 setting? I would have thought that this is the standard setting for macro.

Sorry to have derailed this thread, OP. I hope you don’t mind the brief tangent!

Absolutely stunning pictures!!!  You definitely know what you are doing!!!

Anilao is still on my list, have done Puerto Galera, do you think Anilao brings any added value or ist more or less same same?

Thanks,

Lars

EvilOtter wrote:

By shorter limiter do you mean the 0.19 - 0.4 setting? I would have thought that this is the standard setting for macro.

you're not always going to be able to position with .4m, and at 120mm equiv, there are a lot of critters that won't fit in the frame.  That value makes more sense above water.   For under, I think it needs to be at least 0.7.

EvilOtter wrote:

pelsasser wrote:

kelpdiver wrote:

EvilOtter wrote:

Stunning macro shots! Great job on the black backgrounds. The subjects really pop.

Are you using the Oly 60mm macro and are you using any wet lenses?

the 60 is great there, where in other spots I often find it a bit confining, ponder the cost of the panasonic 45. But so many really tiny objects in Anilao.

Now you're hosed when you set the 10" sea horse (unlike the pygmy in this gallery), or the plate sized frogfish, but that's always the trouble. Just strap a Go Pro on top of the housing, or get your partner to carry a compact camera with more focal range.

Yes, it is a bit of a bummer there is no gear to take the lens out of 1:1 macro mode while in the housing. I have done it for a few dives before to be able to shoot larger animals. In fact, for some of the Coconut Octopus shots, I had done just that. They are slightly too large for the 6omm in macro mode. With the second step in the focus limiter they are much better framed, but of course now you are a lot further from the subject which has its own challenges underwater.

I own this lens but I have not used it underwater yet since my current rig is a compact. What happens if you leave the switch on 0.19 to infinity? Does the focus hunt too much to be useful on macro subjects? If not, can you get reasonable portraits on larger subjects? Thanks for any insight that you can provide.

No worries on derailing this thread, happy to share my experiences with the lens underwater.

Personally, I don't think you are ever going to get a shot with strobes @ 60mm (m43rds) were you are further than the .4m focus limiter that will turn out well.  In my experience it is actually further than .4m that it will focus in that mode.  Also, if you are relying on strobes, backscatter becomes too much of an issue as you are getting that far away to produce an acceptable image to me.

ppronovo wrote:

amazing shots! and really showing the utility of micro four thirds. thanks for sharing!

You are very welcome.  For underwater macro, it is an incredible system.

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Absolutely stunning pictures!!! You definitely know what you are doing!!!

Anilao is still on my list, have done Puerto Galera, do you think Anilao brings any added value or ist more or less same same?

Thanks,

Lars

I think Anilao is much more macro / muck focused.  There was a few species in Anilao that we didn't find commonly in PG.  Mainly, the coconut octopus, which was worth the trip alone in my opinion.  We came up from a night dive in Anilao having seen 4 coconut octopus, 1 mimic octopus, 1 stary night octopus, 1 white beak octopus, and more bobtail squid and big fin reef squid than we could keep track of.

The coconut octopus is still my favorite.  You could interact with them in ways that isn't typical.  We would sit and watch each one for several minutes.  If you brought them a nearby shell, and placed it near them, they would unfurl a tentacle and start the process to determine if your gift was suitable.  If it was, well then the octopus would pick it right up and attempt to incorporate it into its collection of armor.  Incredibly entertaining!