The Lembeh Strait is known as the “Mecca of Muck” or the “Critter Capital of the World”, whichever name you choose it’s undeniable that Lembeh offers incredible underwater photography opportunities for all divers. The Lembeh Strait is renowned for its abundance of weird, bizarre and rare marine life species. We understand that many divers would like to capture some of their underwater discoveries on camera so we’ve put together a guide for diving the area and how to take home pictures that you will be proud to show your friends and family!
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Buoyancy:
Almost every photography Blog you come across will mention the importance of buoyancy – here in Lembeh it’s essential. The fine, black sand silt at our dive sites is very easily stirred up. Maintain neutral buoyancy and keep you fins up and behind you to avoid leaving a cloud of silt in your wake. Being neutrally buoyant when taking your pictures will help you to avoid making contact with the bottom – which is where many of our critters like to spend their time.
Maintaining neutral Buoyancy while taking pictures is essential in Lembeh
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Use a Pointer Stick:
To avoid “camera shake” when taking your pictures use a pointer stick in the sand to help you to stay still. You can also rest your camera on the stick to keep it stable. Please do not use your pointer stick to disturb our critters!
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Shoot Macro:
Most compact cameras have incredible macro facilities – if you remember to select it! Your macro setting will enable you to capture close up images with all of the details in focus. For the macro setting to do its job correctly, you need to be close to your subject – this means as close as 5cm. Don’t get glued to your LCD screen – take a look over the top to see how close you really are.
Compact cameras have excellent macro capabilities. Macro is usually identified by a “flower” symbol
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Think about your Subjects’ Behaviour:
Frogfish in the Lembeh Strait rarely move when photographed as they rely on their excellent camouflage to keep them hidden in plain sight – this means you can get very close without the frogfish moving away. If you are shooting a ribbon eel though, and get too close you will scare it into retreating into it’s hole.
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Take your time:
Think about your shot before you take it. Look at what backgrounds you have and choose the angle you want to try before you start shooting. If you take a shot and it doesn’t work out, move to a different position. Don’t take the same picture again and again – nothing changes if nothing changes!!
Shoot from low down – at the same level as your subject to avoid flat looking images
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Get down in the Lembeh Strait:
Remember you are trying to shoot images that are pleasing to look at. If you shoot from above a critter you will usually find you have a “flat” looking image which may be suitable for a fish ID book but not necessarily something you would want to hang on your wall. Get close to the bottom and shoot the critter from its own level. Try different angles – side on and head-on. If you can get low enough you can angle your camera upwards towards the critter and this will also allow more light into your camera lens which will give better definition and better colours.
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Lights, Camera, Action:
As well as shooting up to maximize the amount of natural light, artificial light is a must in the Lembeh Strait. Make sure your flash is turned on and you are super close if you don’t have strobes. If you have strobes, make sure they are angled correctly and try to avoid over-exposing the image. It’s easy to add light when editing but an over exposed image is difficult to tone down.
When shooting frogfish from the side or head-on, aim to get the eye in focus
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Frogfish Tips:
The Lembeh Strait is home to 8 different species of Frogfish and they make wonderful photography subjects. If it is a larger species don’t try to capture the entire critter. Focus on its head and try to get the eye in focus. Having good “eye contact” in your image will make it easier for a non-diver to understand what they are looking at.
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Nudibranch Tips:
As nudibranch don’t have “eyes” as we know them, try to get the rhinophores (the horn-like appendages on their heads) in focus. The Lembeh Strait is home to countless species of nudibranch so you will have plenty of subjects to practice on! Try shooting the nudibranch head-on for an image that really pops.
Nudibranch do not have “eyes” so aim to make the rhinophores the focal point of your image
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Capture Behaviour and Tell a Story:
The Lembeh Strait is THE place to spot critters in action, whether they are hunting, feeding, mating, laying eggs or nesting you’ll see it here. If you spot a critter that is displaying interesting behaviour, approach it gradually and slowly until it gets used to you being in its space. If you move in too fast it will feel threatened and stop what it is doing or swim away.
Lembeh is a phenomenal destination for capturing interesting critter behaviour on camera
At Two Fish Divers in Lembeh we love to look at our guests’ images so please feel free to share them with us at dinner time – it’s always exciting to see what others have spotted during the day.
To ensure you have the best photography experience possible, our boats carry freshwater for rinsing your camera after dives and for keeping them cool during the surface interval. We have separate wash tanks for cameras at the dive centre and our accommodation has plenty of power outlets for charging batteries for the next day.
If you need some help or advice about your pictures or camera equipment, talk to one of our Dive Guides or Managers – they will be happy to help!
Want to dive, shoot awesome images AND save money? Check out our latest Special Offers here!!
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