Robert's Ramblings

One day I will do a beautiful lover's silhouette by full moon. It is yet another on my rapidly expanding photographic bucket list.

In the mean time it is quite amazing the potential substitutes! This image of a couple's silhouette was created by using the reflected light from a Walk-On-Water ball at a popular amusement ride.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 436, Contemplating The Moon' 1/80s f/2.8 ISO1250 200mm

Friday night's dive with Alexius, Ken, Damian and Alistair was sensational!

More than two hours underwater down at Rapid Bay presented so many photo opportunities. The only problem was being stuck with one lens configuration, a 100mm macro. During this dive I could have used a wide angle 15mm fish eye or perhaps a 24mm prime on any number of subjects from eagle rays to congregating spider crabs.

We only found the leafy seadragons near the very end of our time underwater, three all together in fact. At that stage we were all getting rather cold but it is amazing how getting excited over a new photo opportunity can warm you up again, at least for a while. Having a macro lens I took the opportunity to go for the head shot!

I love diving at night. It's great to see so much life down there and I am looking forward to the next one already.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 420, Leafy Seadragon Up Close and Personal' 1/100s f/8.0 ISO320 100mm + 2x strobes

There's a bit of action down at Rapid Bay at the moment.

It seems that spider crabs are pairing off to do their thing. This pair of majid spider crabs ,Leptomithrax gaimadii seem happy enough to make a spectacle of themselves though I am not sure that the smaller female has any say in things the way he has her in his pincer like grasp!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 416, She's Mine so Back Off' 1/200s f/10 ISO640 15mm

Sunday was hot, very hot and at 39 degrees C in the shade being underwater was one of the best places to escape.

The visibility was not too bad and the warm 23 degree C water was like being in the bath, I could have stayed under all day if I could have made my air last. Here my dive buddy Alexius captures my lens in his down at Rapid Bay.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 414, Underwater Respite' 1/400s f/10 ISO320 15mm

The Bluespotted Goatfish, Upeneichthys vlamingii is a common fish through all our coastal areas and we personally include it in our list of 'usual suspects' when ask what we saw on any typical local dive.

It's not the prettiest of fish but many are striking colourful and this one looks right at home nestled in a broken jetty pylon at Rapid Bay.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 380, One Colourful Goatfish' 1/30s f/7.1 ISO200 15mm

I don't know how long this part of the Rapid Bay Jetty has been underwater but by the amount of algae covering the platform it must be quite some time now.

This was my first dive for the year and even though it was a grey rainy day and the viability was poor it was wonderful being under the water again.

This collapsed section of the jetty has created a wonderful little habitat for the critters that hang under ledges and in the shadows. I am looking forward to keeping an eye on this to see how it develops.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 379, Broken and Forgotten' 1/100s f/7.1 ISO200 15mm

Sunsets are always beautiful but often clichéd.

Creating a sunset image which is different is really about just seeing differently. Looking for the relationships between horizon, foreground and the setting sun. Seeing an unusual combination come together perhaps only for a brief moment as the sun rapidly descends though the scene.

Finally there is luck. Just being at the right place at the right moment when the backlight is perfect.


Photo: Robert Rath, '366 Days of 2012, Day 264 - Perfect Backlight'. 1/2500s f/14 ISO640 200mm

I looked up at the clock and it was just 14 minutes until sunset.

I had not captured any images yet so I grabbed my camera and headed down the to the beach to see how the last rays of light for the day would fall. As I approached I saw the last vestige of sun descend behind and be obscured by cloud. There would be no sunset images made here tonight!

Although I found myself on a cold, windy and drizzly beach, the light was soft and almost warm albeit rapidly fading. I made quite a few images in the receding light and this one was my favorite.

For this image I liked the composition of rock, jetty, seaweed sand, sea and sky but it needed something extra. A little patience paid off as a series of large waves came through right up the beach to where I was positioned and this is the result.


Photo: Robert Rath, '366 Days of 2012, Day 206 - Henley Beach Twilight'. 4/13/30 secs f/16 ISO-320 19mm hdr

I know this one is a similar to day 139, St Peter's Cathedral, but the similarities rapidly end when you compare them.

This is the third HDR image in my collection and was composed of 3 exposures of 2.5, 10 and 30 seconds respectively. I just happened to be attending an event at Adelaide Uni this evening and Bonython Hall would have to be the single most impressive building on campus. How could I not photograph it?


Photo: Robert Rath, '366 Days of 2012, Day 144 - Bonython Hall'. 2.5+10+30 secs at f/11 ISO 400 24mm

If you spent six months in this leaky boat you'd be be well fed, have a fantastic water view but the rest of the experience would deteriorate rapidly from there!

The challenge is to work out where it is!

This is my third HDR image and I must admit that it is a lot of fun with endless possibilities for artistic input. This is however my first image with my image workflow under control. It goes something like this.

1. Capture the raw frames and store in my primary workspace.
2. Edit the render settings for the raw images and export them as temporary 16bit tiff input files (discarded later).
3. Process the HDR image and then export both the XMP settings file with the tone mapping details and the HDR output file as a 16bit TIFF back to be stored with the original raw files.
4. Complete any post processing treating the HDR output files as a new raw file.

Basically this process ensures I can recreate verbatim the same processing from raw files to final rendered JPG again in the future so I never ever need to store a range of rendered JPG files. I simply render the JPG files I need when I need them and I can revisit the HDR process if I need using virtual copies of the original raw file in order to distinguish different HDR processing paths. This last point is imported as I may want to use multiple HDR images in a layer stack for more artistic control. Then again maybe I won't.


Photo: Robert Rath, '366 Days of 2012, Day 130 - Leaky Boat'. 1/(125,640,2500) sec at 40mm f/11, ISO 500 hdr

Yesterday's dive at Port Hughes heralded the beginning of a new world for me with my first foray into underwater DSLR photography. Over the past four years I have been using Olympus compact cameras for all of my underwater photography. For the last two years I have been planning my transition to taking a DSLR camera underwater. Finally all of my research, planning, purchasing, customising and doing came to fruition as I stood looking out over Port Hughes Jetty with new rig in hand.

I was very nervous taking 'so much' camera down with me. I double-checked all the seals. I fitted the camera and snapped shut the housing. I fired a few shots to test the strobes. Something was not right but I could not put my finger on it. Then a few more shots revealed to my annoyance that the lens was switched to manual focus mode. So off came the back, out came the camera and I switched the lens to auto focus mode before reassembling everything.

Note to self 1: check lens auto focus switch.

My walk to the dive site was like carrying my buddy's weight belt. This rig must be five times heavier than my compact! When in the water, however, the beast became gently positively buoyant and I forgot about the weight.

Note to self 2: attach a lanyard so it doesn't float away.

My first 10 minutes in the water were spent in a state of paranoia and fear of a drowned camera. I continually peered into the front of the domed port looking for any hint of leaking seawater. After about 20 minutes I had calmed down enough to actually start using the camera only to discover that when I re-assembled the housing I had misaligned the focus preview lever.

Note to self 3: check the focus preview lever when fitting the housing back cover.

Here are my first impressions.

I found the rig clumsy and awkward. Swimming with it felt like I was dragging around a sea anchor. The strobes poked out at all angles and kept bashing the bottom or the jetty pylons. The quality of my shots was all over the place. The photos ranged from being drastically overexposed to being patchily lit as I struggled with all the controls being fully manual. I was rapidly starting to wonder why I had spent all this money. I realised for the first time how reliant I had become on using automatic aperture priority with TTL. I wondered what I had let myself in for.





But now for the good part! Operation of the controls was an absolute delight. The shutter performance through the housing felt amazing, with a sensitive but positive action. I could fire off shots as quickly as I wanted (strobes permitting) without having to manage the eight seconds per frame I was used to from my Olympus in raw mode. The ultra fast low-light auto focus caught me by surprise again and again as the camera was ready to take the shot before I was! In short, every gripe I had ever had with my previous compact experience was not only put to rest but done so spectacularly.

So, even though I did not get any fantastic images from my first dive, I know this will only be a matter of time, practice, lots of diving and just getting to know my way around all the controls.

Maybe I'll never really tame the beast, but we've got off to an excellent start. I know we'll make a great team.

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

Photos: Robert Rath, 5DMkII, Port Hughes Jetty

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

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

This week's photo, a juvenile (baby) Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques, was taken yesterday under the jetty at Rapid Bay. Many thanks to my dive buddy Serdar for spotting this little guy. Very embarrassing, as I was supposed to be the dive guide.

I regularly take international guests on 'Leafy Tours'. Even though Rapid Bay is a 'sure bet' I still breathe a sigh of relief when we find our first one. The rest are a bonus. Thanks to Julius (South Africa), Rick (USA) and Serdar (Sweden) for a great day's diving. Looking forward to seeing you all back again.

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

This week's photo, a pregnant male Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques, was taken yesterday under the jetty at Rapid Bay. I've not been too spoiled by the warm northern waters of P.N.G. to jump back into the cold water again. of course, these magnificent creatures make it all worthwhile.

Notice that this guy has a clutch of eggs attached to his tail and is diligently looking after them as any good father would! That being said he will totally ignore them the moment they are born.

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

This week's photo was taken back in January under Rapid Bay Jetty. Same time as my last photo, in wonderfully warm summer!

Perhaps now best known as the home of the Leafy Sea Dragon, Rapid Bay Jetty is a wonderful dive all of its own. The tall close packed pylons create a deep forest feel within which hundreds of schooling Yellowtail, Olds Wives and other fishes meander.

The old jetty is falling down now but the marine life does not mind one bit. Rumor has it that a facelift of sorts is in the pipline so keep an eye out for future developments.

Get down there and see for yourself just how fantastic a dive site we have here!

This week's photo was taken back in January under Rapid Bay Jetty. Ah, remember way back when the water was a balmy 22degrees! Jennifer was almost in tears the very first time she met one of these beautiful creatures. They still take my breath away even now...

Leafy Sea Dragons are actually quite common along all of South Australia's more protected coastal waters. It's just that they are so good at blending in with their surrounds. In my first 14 years of diving I had only seen two of these amazing dragons. In my last two I have seen 50 or more.

Popular locations to see Leafy Sea Dragons include Rapid Bay Jetty, Edithburgh Jetty, Wool Bay Jetty and The Bluff at Victor Harbor. So brave the cold, open your eyes and behold one of natures most extraordinary creations!

Australian Federal Government Releases Copyright Whitepaper

The Government is aware some common personal uses of copyright material infringe copyright. Examples include transferring music from a CD onto an MP3 or iPod player or copying a television broadcast to view later. Those engaged in such uses do not believe they are or should be considered copyright pirates. Many observers believe copyright law should be reformed to reflect public attitudes and practices. Some interest groups feel a copyright balance might be better maintained in a rapidly changing digital environment if the Copyright Act were to include an open-ended ‘fair use’ exception that would allow the courts to determine whether a particular use of copyright material is ‘fair’ and should be lawful. Others argue the present specific exceptions in the Act should be amended to make certain uses of copyright material lawful.

In this "White Paper" the Federal Government is seeking submissions on ways of addressing these conflicting views and canvass options in this paper. In particular, they seek views on whether the Copyright Act should include more specific exceptions or a fair use exception which would facilitate the public’s access to copyright material. Submissions deadline is July 1st, 2005.

http://www.ag.gov.au/agd/WWW/agdhome.nsf/AllDocs/E63BC2D5203F2D29CA256FF8001584D7?OpenDocument