The fourth quarter was a busy time for me. My excursion to the far eastern edge of Indonesia, quickly followed by the family-focused holiday season, prevented me from composing any thoughts regarding underwater photography.
My primary objective in Raja Ampat was to capture the pygmy seahorse image I failed compose two years ago in Sulawesi due to a very inconsiderate diver. Armed with my new hybrid camera, lens and diopter, I was confident in attaining my goal as I stepped aboard the Paradise Dancer for a 10-day journey. My conviction rose even higher when I encountered the same guide that created my photographic safari in Sulawesi. Unfortunately, I immediately discovered my equipment configuration was not strong enough to focus on the tiny creatures. (Before the trip, I had practiced focusing on the letters of a Durcell AA – I should have used a AAA.)
The guide found me at least two pygmy seahorses every day, but I had extraordinary difficulties in getting the right magnification and focus combination. I delved deep into the manual camera settings and took dozens of shots day after day to no avail. Confounding me even further were two other photographers who were taking wonderful pictures without any effort. Finally, I luckily managed to capture one “wall worthy” image after about seventy attempts.
Focus lock was a key component to my success. This is a camera feature every macro photographer should master. Focus lock is not holding the shutter button down halfway and waiting for a subject to wander into the proper position. Instead, the technique involves manually focusing the camera on a small area within the frame. In automatic mode my camera, for example, uses sixteen points as focal references. In focus lock, a small reticule appears and what is inside the box is brought into focus by how far the camera lens is away from the subject. By extending or retracting my arms focused is achieved similar to old film cameras. This is a difficult skill in the topsy-turvy ocean surrounded by delicate soft coral and other divers. I must have stumbled upon the magical spot where my lens distance was perfect and the reticule was over the seahorse’s eye.
Experiment with focus lock before an upcoming trip. Also, if you add a diopter to a camera, purchase the most powerful one you can afford and ensure it has a solid connection to the camera housing. (Mine accidentally fell off along a wall mid-trip. I found it laying on a tiny ledge at 93’.) Another recommendation is to borrow another photographers diopter and screw it onto to yours, if feasible, to increase the magnification.
