The Underwater Photographer
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at May 18th, 2012An inside look how serious enthusiasts and pros endure the most arduous of conditions just to take that perfect underwater shot. Poisonous marine life, sweeping currents, unpredictable water visibility, limited bottom time juxtaposed high risk to expensive photo gear & self are just some of the variables which make underwater photography one of the most difficult yet highly rewarding branches of photography.
Photos and Video by Jun Lao.
I joined my first underwater photo competition last week. There were a total of 82 participants from the Philippines and beyond and it was a literal breath-taking experience. I did a total of 5 dives over the weeek end, two spent in San Agapito Reef with some of the strongest currents experienced by man. It was so strong, we had to abort one dive because we got swept away into the blue.
Holy Week Hiatus: Beijing
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 4th, 2012
It’s that time of the year where most Filipinos pull themselves away from the computer and run to the beach. In our case, it’s Beijing! Here are some photos of the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the lake surrounded by Beijing’s night life and alleyways.
On a related note, the Android version of Instagram was released early this morning. If you’re on Android, download it now!
Photos taken with Instagram for iOS. Follow me at @jayveef (not to be confused with my Twitter account which is @jayvee.
P.S. Got to experience first-hand the Great Firewall of China. Most blog services are banned (self-hosted WordPress is safe), Twitter + Facebook are blocked as well. If I wanted to post to Twitter or FB, I’d have to use apps like Instagram, Foursquare or Path as these are unblocked. Our local tour guide told us that she really doesn’t feel the need to use these anyway as none of her friends are in it. To her, the mobile phone is more important and China has gone a long way since.
Gorgeous Guimaras: An underwater exploration
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 28th, 2012
Gorgeous Guimaras from Robert Suntay on Vimeo.
NUDI was invited by the Department of Tourism and the governor of Guimaras to do an exploratory dive and see what the islands have to offer. This is an enthralling video by Robert Suntay showcasing the relaxing waters of Guimaras.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 24th, 2011
Christmas Tree Worm
Spirobranchus giganteus
Found abundantly in the Philippines
Happy Halloween! Weird Sea Creature Encounters
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 30th, 2011Happy Halloween! Here are photos from recent trips I made showcasing some of the weird creature encounters in the past 2 years. A lot of these critters I actually encountered at depths no deeper than 20 feet. Such a thin like separates the norm from creepy.
This is a side view portrait of a giant frogfish. I’m particularly drawn to the pattern around the eye. The thread-like thing dangling in the BG is a lure that the fish uses to entice prey and vortex them into its huge mouth.
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A Life Underwater
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at September 7th, 2011
A rogue with an eye for salvage – and the ladies – Ray: A Life Underwater is an affectionate portrait of one man’s deep sea diving career, told through his extraordinary collection of marine artefacts.
Like a modern-day pirate, 75-year-old Ray Ives has been scouring the seabed for treasure his whole life.
The former commercial diver has plundered the deep for over fifty years, bringing to the surface anything that glittered — even gold.
In a shipping container near the water, Ray tends his museum of cannon, bottles, bells, swords, portholes and diving gear.
He even still takes to the water in a 1900s diving suit.
Produced and Directed by Amanda Bluglass www.amandabluglass.co.uk
Editor and Director of Photography: Danny Cooke www.dannycooke.co.uk
Dive photography: Neil Hope www.divingimages.co.uk
Soundtrack: Tony Higgins www.tonyhiggins.org
The journey underwater reflects the awe of parallel worlds. When man looks to the stars, he sees a longing for his knowledge to fill the vacuum of space. If a man closes his eyes underwater, it is in all likelihood that this is the same feeling. Of weightlessness. Of conquering new frontiers. Of being where the human body was not built to be.
My DIY Solution to Buoyancy Arms for Underwater Strobe
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at August 28th, 2011
INON Mega Float Arm (Medium) sale price PHP 3,300.00
DIY Kids R Us Floaters price ~ PHP 250.00
Small fad among my dive buddies. It just so happens that these foam funnels from Kids R’ Us (they’re everywhere!) have a perfectly sized donut hole that fits the standard size arms for underwater strobes. Yay, cheap!
Buoyancy arms are there to balance out the heavy weight of your underwater camera so that you have an easier time carrying it underwater. Mine’s made of foam.
Dive Fair 2011 in R.O.X. — Now is the Perfect Time to get SCUBA into your Bucket List!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at August 18th, 2011
Always been curious about SCUBA diving? Already diving but can’t seem to find a good deal on gear? Well, you’re in luck kind sir (or ma’am) — ROX in partnership with Mares will be showcasing the world of SCUBA diving to the public for the next two weeks starting this weekend.
If you’ve always been curious about one of the world’s most fascinating hobbies (which by the way is EPIC in the Philippines), do drop by the Dive Fair 2011 from August 20 to September 4 2011 at R.O.X Bonifacio High Street.
On a more personal note, I’ll be doing a short talk on basic underwater videography on one of the fair dates thanks to Gigi Santos. Our underwater photo club will also be showcasing a gallery of underwater photos throughout R.O.X.
So there you have it! If you’ve been putting off SCUBA for the longest time, this moment is opportune. This is the most convenient place to ask all the questions you ever wanted about SCUBA Diving.
When you dive in Basura, you find the oddest things
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at August 16th, 2011
Smile! I’m a hairy frogfish
Whenever SCUBA is marketed to the public, the point of entry is always how pretty everything is underwater. Go to any SCUBA marketing collateral and you’re guaranteed a photo of healthy coral reefs with schools of red anthias and other fish swimming in nonchalance. Don’t forget the diver in the pink wetsuit and huge yellow mask. I spent more than a year diving reefs, going to average depths of about 60 ft and deeper to catch glimpses of the “busy” underwater life.
After a while though, you start wanting other things. Even if they’re less beautiful and more bizarre.
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This Week is Shark Week. Here are photos I took diving with sharks.
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at August 4th, 2011This week is SHARK WEEK. We commemorate one whole week to the shepherds of the ocean. They keep the population of other fish in check, affect movement patterns of other fish and ensure that the groupers and other big reef fish do not explode in population and kill off reef life. Our lives are tied so closely to sharks, it is ironic we have created the biggest smear campaign against them.
I dive with sharks. Here are some photos I took of some of them. Some of these are 3 feet long. Others 6-10 ft long. There are a couple of sightings in Anilao and that’s a big deal. Diving Tubbataha, sharks are everywhere — in the hundreds. From the boat, you can see 80 ft down. They’re circling the chase boat welcoming you as you backroll into their domain. The most graceful are the thresher sharks that dive deep into the ocean and surface for food. Their whip-like tails stun their prey. The most peaceful are the whale sharks — the gentle giants, the labradors of the ocean with mouths that look like airconditioners sucking up all the plankton it can find.
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When you’re with them, you can’t help but feel a deep respect for these ocean shepherds, and they feel very disconnected from what Hollywood and the media show us on television.
The best moment of my life (so far) was caught on video with a whale shark making eye contact with me.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to SCUBA dive?
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 28th, 2011
A pink skunk clownfish (Amphipirion perideraion) hovers above its host anemone while scouting its surroundings. Photo by Jayvee Fernandez
I’m taking a few friends out diving this weekend in Puerto Galera. We’re doing a DSD course, more commonly known as the Discover SCUBA Diving or “Introduction Dive.” It’s a short half-day course for those who are iffy about SCUBA diving. People have different reactions towards being submerged into the flora and fauna of the ocean; it is so much different from snorkeling. The course’s main objective is to help you become more comfortable underwater while breathing from a regulator. The course consists of a classroom lecture about SCUBA, familiarization with SCUBA equipment, a confined water session with exercises and finally, the most exciting part — the dive!
I think SCUBA diving is one of the best ways to get away from the heat of summer as you’re (1) already in the beach and (2) enjoying the warm tropical waters of the Philippines. Puerto Galera is one of the best places to dive as it is very close to Verde Island, one of the centers of biodiversity.
We’re staying at GULI Diving (Facebook) at White Beach over the weekend and I’d like to thank Gus and Lisa for hosting us.
