Robert's Ramblings

I have just had the pleasure of spending the last two days diving with my new Japanese friends, Yuko, Hiroko and Masashi, who all made a special trip to Adelaide in South Australia to see our wonderful Leafy Seadragons.

Two things that always go through your mind when organising to dive somewhere are that you hope that the weather will be nice, and you hope that you get to see or do what you are planning.

The same goes for those who host such dives. We always want to show off South Australian diving in its best possible light. I had been very stressed in the days leading up to these dives as South Australia had just experienced some of its worst weather in years. Our beautiful waters had turned into silty chaos and the sea was looking decidedly uninviting. As luck would have it, the two days we had planned turned out to be the calm between two storms. We at least got blue sky and gentle seas, but the visibility would be a challenge.

We spent a day at Rapid Bay and a day at Victor Harbor. Although visibility ranged from 1-3 metres both days, that did not stop Yuko and Masashi from going camera crazy and being the cause of future Leafy cataracts with their strobes. I do not envy them the backscatter they will have to peer through when they get home. Hiroko was happy to just look on; I'm sure I heard her squeal with delight on more than one occasion.

Thirteen beautiful Leafy Seadragons and one stunning Weedy Seadragon; result, three ecstatic Japanese guests taking photos and stories home.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving (if that's what you do!) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/90s at f/2.8 ISO200 Inon UWL100-28AD Lens, Natural Light

I took some quite ordinary photos at the beach yesterday and was about to throw them forever into the eternal pit of hard drive wilderness but then decided instead to play around a little first. Inspired by some of the photographic art of Stephen Kiernan, I took a very average JPG photo with blown out exposure and all sorts of other faults. The only thing going for it was that I liked the composition.

I then started plying around disrespectfully with the controls of my photo editing program. Colour saturation was the first casualty, set to maximum. I played around with the gamma on individual colour channels and finally did a little colour replacement. All very uncool things to do to a photograph but the result is quite interesting.



For some really stunning examples of HDR (High Dynamic Range) images, visit Stephen's Flickr Stream and let me know what you think.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep doing stuff ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Just in case any of you wondered, yes I do take photographs on dry land from time to time.

I had just finished a tutorial in lighting and was eager to try out some new ideas. Looking around the room I spied a beautiful vase of lilies Jennifer had bought to brighten up the house. A likely candidate I thought and started playing with various combinations of natural light, strobe light and composistion.

This final image was made using mostly strobe light bounced off the ceiling with only a small amount of natural daylight coming in through the windows. The dark background is from the dining room table.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep taking fantastic photos ( if that's what you're into! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath 40D 1/15s at f/6.3 ISO500, Zoom 73mm, Strobe + Natural Light

Well the new Rapid Bay Jetty has been open now for a few weeks and I can honestly say it is worth the wait and worth the cost.

I have been diving Rapid Bay Jetty for more years than I care to remember. I remember the long walk to the old T-section and the original diver's platform. Back then you would cart your day's diving gear out in the morning, set up camp and dive and enjoy surface intervals right there where you jumped in the water. All that came to an end with the closure of the old jetty some years back.

For many years now diving the jetty has meant an ankle twisting rocky shore entry and exit and a very long swim out and back leaving little strength or enthusiasm for multiple dives. That has all changed now with the opening of the new jetty along side the old one.

The new jetty runs parallel to the old one and for about half the original jetty's length providing a nice easy walk from the car park to the new divers platform. The divers platform has been staged so that there is 'walk in' access over quite a range of tide heights. On a really low tide you might need to use the ladder on the bottom platform. All this beats scrambling over an unstable rocky beach by far.

Rapid Bay Jetty is a wonderful dive and a photographer's dream when the visibility is good. It is famous as a haunt for Leafy Seadragons and attracts visitors from all over the world who come to see these fantastic creatures. With the new jetty they can now dive in safety and comfort.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/125s at f/2.8 ISO100, Inon D2000 Strobe + Natural Light, Jetty - Courtesy ten.com.au

All my friends know I love gadgets and so it will come as no surprise that Jennifer gave me a very, very cool gadget for my birthday called a 'Chumby'.

What is a Chumby? Well it kind of looks like a little bean bag with a LCD screen. The real question is what can you do with a Chumby or more importanly what can a Chumby do for you?

Wired magazine dubbed chumby one of the cool gadgets of 2008, praising it for bringing "the friendlier face of the Internet into our homes...it did it while disguised as a teddy bear for the 21st century".

The first thing my Chumby did on being brought to life was to show the time in San Diego and stream snippets of late night American chat shows. Impressive but not useful. However after a short time my Chumby, renamed Scuby, was showing my Facebook updates and streaming my favourite podcast at Killer Innovations.

So a Chumby is a WiFi multi-media marvel in a bean bag. It will sit on your desk, the mantelpiece or by the side of your bed and do what ever you want it to do. Just install the widgets you like or roll your own as it is fully 'open source'.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep playing with gadgets ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

The Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus , is also one of our two famous and unique Southern Australian seadragons.

There is much debate in our diving community here in Adelaide if the Weedy Seadragon is more common than the Leafy Seadragon. I guess that depends on where you dive. In my experience with shore based shallow diving here in South Australia I would say that the Leafy Seadragon is more common and the Weedy Seadragon is less common. On deeper off-shore reefs I have only ever found Weedy Seadragons. Even so, I have dived other parts of Australia where I have seen plenty of Weedy Seadragons in shallow shore based diving. In any case these dragons are hard to see even when right in front of you due to their magnificent camouflage.

This photo was taken at Victor Harbor a couple of weekends ago. It was a juvenile, around 10cm in length and was spotted by my dive buddy. Note that this little dragon is all covered in white silt! Many thanks to my buddy who left both of us in a cloud of muck and silt has he raced off after a cowfish swimming past. Note to non-photographer dive buddies; be aware of your fins and fragile bottoms!!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/90s at f/8.0 ISO100, Inon UCL165AD Macro Lens, Inon D2000 Strobe + Natural Light

A recurring theme in conversations with successful individuals is some defining moment, an 'aha' moment often prompted by a saying or a quote. Suddenly veils and obstructions vanish and what needs to be done becomes clear to achieve your gaols.

Jennifer Liston in her post 'Revelationary Statements', shares one of those moments. Read about Jennifer's 'Aha' moment at http://www.wordsworx.com and share your own experience.

More of my thoughts and insights on innovation, creativity and business can be found at - http://www.innovation-mentor.com

I dive with Leafy Seadragons often as part of being a tour guide for visitors to Adelaide who want to experience them for themselves. So far I count myself lucky that I've never disappointed anyone and have always been able to find them.

Following my last 'Leafy' dive, a group of us were discussing these creatures and how to find them. We all agreed that until you actually see your first Leafy, you have no idea what you are looking for. They are true masters of camouflage. All the photographs in the world do not prepare you for how they really look in their natural surroundings. As soon as you see your first one for real, it becomes somewhat easier.

When I was asked how do I find them, my first reply was that they are obvious. Of course this is not a very useful answer to anyone at all. I thought about it a little more and I came to realise that familiarity is everything. While I am diving, I look for those places where I know Leafys like to be. They like to be tucked in close to their surroundings, yet still free to move about quickly. They like to be in opportunistic locations, where plankton-like animals are likely to swim by in swarms. They don't mind a little surge as long as the surge deosn't separate them from their cover. They don't like ledges or dark places because there is not much for them to eat. So I pretend I am a Leafy Seadragon, I look for a cosy little broad-leafed spot with plenty of passer-by morsels. More often than not I will find one already there!

This photo was taken at Victor Harbor last weekend and as usual, stunning and beautiful.

Jennifer has written a short log about about the dive at her 'Dive Blog' so please visit her site and leave a note at http://scubacailin.blogspot.com/2009/02/dive-133-lovin-local-leafies.html

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/90s at f/4.8 ISO100, Inon UCL165AD Macro Lens, Inon D2000 Strobe + Natural Light

The Smooth Stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata, grows up to 2m across and 4.3m in length making it the largest of all Australian stingrays. This fellow who we dubbed 'Mr Ray' was at least 1.5m across and was the highlight of our first dive in Edithburgh last Saturday. Mr Ray was quite curious about us and buzzed us a few times during the dive usually by sneaking up from behind and scaring the daylights out of us!

This first dive set the scene for a great underwater photography course with Mark, Bel, Peter, Jennifer and myself. With the recent hot weather we have been having here in South Australia the water temperature is way up. 25 degC made for almost tropical diving and all of us lamented our limited air and camera battery life. We all could have stayed underwater the entire weekend!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/90s at f/2.8 ISO80 Inon UWL100-28AD Lens, Natural Light

I'd been shown this mask some time back now and last Friday I borrowed one for a dive. I loved it so much I bought my own the very same day.

I have been hearing the pros and cons of black masks for years. I have always loved the extreme peripherial vision that comes with a mask with a clear silicon skirt, in spite of the lack of clarity through the skirt. The need to be aware of other divers on the extreme periphery has always been the priority for me as a dive instructor.

Enter Aqualung's Micromask...

This mask is simply amazing in how it sits so close to your face and how little volume it has. I can nearly touch the glass with my eye lashes. Doing a mask clear requires little more than a puff of air. With this mask sitting so close to my face, the peripheral vision is excellent. Maybe it is not quite as good for that extreme peripheral awareness, but the peripheral vision you do have is through glass - and uncompromised.

Black Is Best ... or My Unbiased Product Review ( honest I paid full price for mine! )

So why are black masks popular? Well, the disadvantage of having any source of light coming from behind the mask lens is that of internal reflection and glare. This light can come in through a clear mask skirt or through side lenses. At best, it will reduce the perceived contrast of your primary vision. At worst, it will be distracting and annoying.

The Cons

I think I only found two points about this mask which could be improved. The first is the design of the buckle. Even though it does its job very well, it does have multiple plastic parts, which increases its potential for failure. In comparison, a mask like the Mares X-Vision binds to the skirt giving the same flexibility with no breakable parts. My second point of issue, although minor, is the extreme shininess of the black silicon on the inside of the mask. I found that this shininess can also lead to reflections and glare, so I will be getting stuck into it with some fine grade wet-rub until it is nice and matt.

Summary

In 18 years of diving, the Technisub Micromask is my first ever black mask. It solves my old complaint of poor peripheral vision, prevents the glare from side and back lighting, clears with the slightest puff of air and most importantly it fits my face like a glove. I am very happy with my new mask and have to agree that black really is the new black!

As an aside, trying to take a good photograph of a shiny black silicon mask was much more difficult than some of the marine life I photograph! Try it yourself!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

The Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus is endemic to South Australian temperate waters. Like its close relative, the Leafy Seadragon, you will not find it anywhere else in the world.

Seadragons are closely related to seahorses but, unlike seahorses, they do not have an egg pouch for brooding. Instead, the males brood their young by attaching the eggs to their tail and looking after them until they hatch. Meanwhile, mum has long gone! Actually she's probably not far away, but will have nothing to do with raising children!

This was my first dive for the year and was an opportunity to take my Argentinian guest, Gustavo, on a mission to see and photograph Leafy Seadragons. In all we found seven 'leafys' so the Weedy was a delightful bonus. It sure is nice to be back in the water again.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070WZ 1/30s at f/8 ISO80, Lens Inon UWL100-28AD Lens, Inon D2000 Strobe

Ok, so the use of the iFrame tag is a way to place rich content into a blog post if supported. The question for me now is, can you all see the rich content?

As an experiment, here is a Flash demo of some of my photos using an iFrame. Please comment on what you end up seeing in your own browser.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep using iFrames ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

While looking at how to make the content of my blog posts richer I happened across the mechanism of embedding a GoogleMap right where I want to show you something.

So here it is, one of our favourite places to go for coffee, dinner, a swim or maybe catch an awesome Henley Beach sunset. My next challenge will be to work out how to do a low pass fly by!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep Googling ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

If your are starting to suffer RSI from removing backscatter from your images then you might like to look at this tutorial by Daniel Brown of http://www.downloadculture.com.

In his article Daniel provides an Adobe Action which largely automates the process. There is still some work required hence the need to watch the video tutorial at http://www.downloadculture.com/uw/bs2007.html

To do this yourself you will need a copy of Daniel's Actions, http://www.downloadculture.com/uw/backscatter.zip or here adobeAction_backscatter.zip

I have spent a little time now with this tool and it is very effective for some kinds of images. It is especially useful for silhouettes where the backscatter is not mixed in with the detail. If there is a lot of detail where the backscatter exists then it's back to the old tools such as the clone stamper or the healing brush ... and the RSI!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

This photograph taken of a clutch of Anemone Fish eggs clearly shows a bunch of youngsters patiently awaiting their escape into the world. These eggs were attached to a smooth rock on top of which was large Anemone along with doting parents.

When I took this photo the detail was not evident. Later on it was obvious how much detail there was in the developing babies. I have included a detailed close-up of a small section which really emphasise this. Next time I come across a clutch of eggs like this I plan on taking macro images.





So where are Mum and Dad? Jennifer was fighting them off while I took this photograph!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C5060WZ 1/90s at f/8 ISO100, Inon D2000 Strobe

The small coastal township of Edithburgh in South Australia hosts one of the world's best jetty dives. It comes as no surprise to me that it is here I did my very first dive as a newly certified open water diver on the 23rd of February 1990 and to this day it remains my favourite dive.

I have lost count of how many dives I have done here now but still it never gets boring. On almost every dive (where I am not teaching) I see something new, take better photographs than the time before or just experience being in this very special place as an absolute privilege. When I am teaching I am reminded of the thrill and exhilaration of experiencing this world for the first time.

This photograph of a Black Cowrie on one of the jetty pylons is typical of the beauty here. Ascidians, sponges and algaes abound covering every available surface. The fact that this image was taken earlier this year is testimony to the respect and care divers afford this site. As for describing the other marine life to be found here, I'll just say come and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed and you will be back for sure, many times over!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/15s at f/2.8 ISO200 Inon UWL100-28AD Lens, Natural Light

As I see it there are two main problems with the idea of 'best practice'. They are suitability and mediocrity.

... to read more please visit my complete article is 'best practice' really best? at innovation mentor.

The Wavy Grubfish, Parapercis haackei is endemic to Southern Australian inshore waters and found on rocky reefs and sandy/rubbly bottoms. A wonderful place to see these cute little critters is of course under and around Edithburgh jetty. Simply rest gently on the sand for a few minutes and you will soon fine at least two or three coming to check you out.

This photo is a classic example of one of the macro photographer's most challenging problems and also most creative tool - depth of field. You will see that in this photo both the mouth and gills are out of focus with a very narrow field of focus through the eyes. Although the depth of field is very narrow, as long as the eyes are in focus the whole picture works. This leaves a wonderful expanse of colour with no detail - negative space, to contrast the subject image.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070WZ 1/60s at f/4.8 ISO100, Lens Inon UCL165AD Macro Lens, Natural Light

Have you ever found yourself in a business meeting and from nowhere comes an idea which may have some value but is not in keeping with the current conversation? How often have you simply made a mental note to yourself to remember it for later?

Did you?

... to read more please visit my complete article 'ideas - get rid of them as fast as you can' at 'innovation mentor'.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep being creative ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

I bet you didn't know that Jennifer's a telented muso too! Here's a link to her and Paul's new dance track. Listen and review it at www.mp3.com.au and download it free!

You can also read about Paul (aka the Krakafaktri) and listen to this tune and others of his at the krakafaktri.

Please feel free to give feedback!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep on singing, dancing and writing tunes. ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

While recently watching someone playing solitaire during their lunch break I found myself wondering if this was a healthy break from the job, a sign of problematic undercurrents or just a mindless addiction. This got me thinking ...

... to read more please visit my complete article do people play solitaire at your work? at innovation mentor.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep play solitaire ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

It is wonderful and often surprising the events which unfold when you ask questions! In this case the question was 'what crab is that?' At first I thought through photo's on the web that this little guy was called Cryptodromia octodetata. I then discovered that the scientists decided back in 2003 that they got the genus wrong and renamed him Austrodromidia octodentata. Either way, 'Sponge Crab' will do nicely.

In the process of asking 'what crab is that?', I stumbled upon Google Book Search and found this awesome book dedicated to Southern Australian crabs,

'Marine Decapod Crustacea of Southern Australia By Gary C. B. Poore, Shane T. Ahyong, CSIRO'.

Just click on this link to browse the actual book on-line. Very cool!

Keep an eye out for this guy next time you dive. If you see one she will probably be adorned with a huge sponge or ascidian cap. If you are really lucky you might find her brooding a clutch of live young too!


Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070WZ 1/45s at f/4 ISO100, Lens Inon UCL165AD Macro Lens, Natural Light

A truly powerful wiki comes from enthusiastic participation of all the users in a wiki community. The diverse nature of that community, however, means that participation by all almost never happens! ...

... to read more please visit my complete article making wiki's work - part 1 at innovation mentor.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep wikiing ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

The last 6 weeks has seen a dramatic change to the water temperature over in Edithburgh. I mean really dramatic! Six weeks ago I recorded 12C degrees and this weekend we recorded 18C. That's 1C per week. Winter is officially over!

Sadly I was not able to take any photographs this trip as I had a very large class of new divers who I will add are all now certified open water divers. Congratulations to Belinda, Sandi, Peter, Jenni, Claire, Harry, Cherrie, Scott, Kerry and Dave. Welcome to a whole new world of scuba diving! Thanks also to Brent for racing around keeping everyone under control and to Jennifer for being the wonderful host she always is and for posing for this photo taken back in May.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/180s at f/2.8 ISO100 Inon UWL100-28AD Lens

I believe ideas are far more abundant than we realise. Many of us have simply stopped offering them. Others seem more resilient. Ask yourself ... If you are still interested you can read my full article at 'Ideas are Abundant, Dont Ignore Them'

Robert Rath - http://www.innovation-mentor.com

Well done Jennifer on bringing http://www.wordsworx.com back to life!

No longer just another web based flyer. The site has been transformed into a blog centric podium for Jen to woo with her wordly wisdom ( www )

Check out her first words here! 'mark my words'

I recently came across this little gem of a Microsoft HotFix description.

Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 (KB953432)
Brief Description

This update (KB953432) resolves an issue where Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 behaves unexpectedly in some circumstances.

Now that sounds like a politician speaking to me! See more at http://www.innovation-mentor.com

This stunning image is something nearly every South Australian diver has seen, especially in and around our local jetties. Have you guessed yet what it is? Meet Coscinasterias muricata.

The Eleven-armed Sea Star is the largest sea star you will find in South Australian coastal waters and is very common. The next time you come across one, take a close look and you will find the upper surface of this sea star is covered in small spines. These spines are called pedicellariae and they can be manipulated like tiny claws to either catch food or ward off predators.

Pretty scary from this vantage point!

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C5060 1/60s at f/8 ISO100, Lens Inon UCL165AD Macro Lens, Inon D2000 Strobe

Think very, very carefully before you sign up to Facebook, to MySpace or to LinkedIn. Oops ... too late is it?

I recently wrote a short article on your 'digital footprint'. That trail of information you create out there on the internet that tells anybody who cares to look, all about you. Or, does it?

Intrigued? You should be! Read my full article at http://www.innovation-mentor.com

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Well spring may be here but the water is still as chilly as ever. Give it a month and we will start to see it begin to warm up.

Going through some old photos and found one I'd never published before. I can't tell you much about this photo other than I took it with one of my student's cameras on a recent Advanced Open Water course. I think it was a Canon Exelim (thanks Kirstin) but that's all I have to go on. This gorgeous leafy Seadragon posed beautifully with just enough grass and algae for interest and just enough blue water for the dramatic.

You do not need to spend a lot on an underwater camera to get some stunning photos. This photo, taken with a point-and-shoot camera, demonstrates that being close, composing well (this photo is un-cropped) and taking plenty of photos will result in photos any new underwater photographer can be proud of.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert