Maui Underwater Perspective

Even though your classes will tell you to never do it, sometimes for the underwater photographer a solo dive can allow you to go your own pace. It does increase the risk a little but as long as you stay within a breaths distance of the surface the added risk is minimal.
Today I headed out to visit one of my favorite location off the South Maui coast to get a different perspective. I often look for very small nudibranchs but today I aimed to get a bigger picture and different views. I punched up my shutter speed to get some fish pictures and worked with my white balance to get some contrasting reef scenes. And what turned out to be one of my favorites shown here to the right was taken from inside a cave where you can freedive into and then surface inside of. The light entering the cave is reflected off the surface of the water inside the cave. Two turtles shared this space with me as I set up for this shot.

I don't often spend alot of time taking fish shots unless its something I've never seen before because initially the fish will run. If you wait and let them get a little acclimatized to you then you can snap some close up shots. This orange and blue potter's angelfish was keeping a close eye on me even when he was facing the other direction. I inching my way forward got me close enough to this arc-eye hawkfish to snap his picture before he jetted off.
 Then something really fun happened. I was watching a moray eel when I noticed a few millet-seed butterfly fish zipping around me. Then there were a few more...and a few more. And soon they started cleaning me. Nipping at my hair, hands, and face, it was a yellow blur. They didn't hurt and I thought it very funny, especially when they would stare into my goggles looking at their reflections. I've seen these butterfly fish clean turtles before and I had them clean me on two other occasions but for some reason they won't do it every time. And I did take a shower last night, if that's what you were thinking.


Trumpet fish always make for good photo subjects with there long body sliding into the photos background and out of focus. And something that I've wanted to try for a long time but always forget was so take a picture of a moving fish while panning. I finally remember with this Moorish Idol and the outcome was pretty fun. Its almost like a Moorish Idol at warp speed with his long white banner billowing out behind him.

Raccoon Butterfly Fish

Something else I wanted to capture with these photographs was the contrast of the reef. Dark overhangs and sun rays lighting up different parts, the texture of the waves overhead with the silhouettes of turtles and fish, there are just so many variables when you are out there taking photos. Even if you dive the same place over and over you will always see something a little different. Even before I got in the water for this dive I noticed these purple flowers at the waters edge. Still makes me think of my mom's garden.