Some of the best pics ever.

To see more of JP Trenque’s work visit: http://www.jptrenque.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/in_pictures_capturing_life_beneath_the_waves/html/1.stm



Photographer JP Trenque specialises in underwater photography and in 2005 his picture (above) won our Photographer of the Year award. Recently he undertook a photographic expedition to Borneo, here he presents some of the stunning pictures he captured.




"Watching the sun rise over the Malaysian island of Kapalai gave me the best inspiration to go and capture the beauty of Borneo's aquatic wonders.




"Diving off the nearby island of Sipadan is a privilege for underwater photographers. Teeming with aquatic life, it is a haven for Green and Hawksbill Turtles.




"As I slowly moved the camera closer this green turtle became curious. Using only available light with no flash, I managed to get several shots without disturbing the animal. I chose to use a sepia tone on this image to hide the dull colour of the sand.




"Approaching an animal is often difficult underwater. Unlike on land, long lenses are of limited use due to the reduced visibility. A lot of patience is therefore required to get the fish used to the diver, but the reward can be worth the wait.




"Some smaller critters, like this Ghost Pipefish rely on camouflage rather than speed to avoid intruders. Dressed like the surrounding algae, it was difficult to spot but allowed me to get close once discovered.




"Dressed as a sponge, this Frogfish relies on its camouflage for capturing prey. Dangling a lure in front of its mouth, like a fishing rod, it will wait patiently until a careless fish gets too close, then it strikes at lightning speed to devour the unsuspecting prey.




"Some fish rely on numbers for safety. This school of jacks makes a great subject to photograph, but getting all the fish to swim towards the camera is no simple matter. Too many bubbles from the diver and the whole school will swim away.




"Perhaps with some help from this white-tip reef shark, I could herd the jacks into a better position to be photographed.




"Eventually, when the fish are just under the surface and can't go any further, I get a few shots. There is a lot of light reflecting onto the fish, which creates interesting patterns on their silver bodies.




"Playing with sunlight through the water can produce interesting results but is often difficult with digital photography. I swam underneath this turtle so that its silhouette would hide the sun.




"Totally unfazed by my presence, the turtle took residence in this barrel sponge for a quick nap. Turtles have to come up to the surface to breathe but they can spend a long time underwater without breathing, especially if they are asleep.




"Too soon it was time to leave the magical environment of Borneo and return home. The Celebes Sea provided me with wonderful marine encounters, many of which are too beautiful for a picture to do them justice."

1/2/2007 7:14:16 AM

wow those are amazing!

1/2/2007 7:18:18 AM

Quote :

" "Totally unfazed by my presence, the turtle took residence in this barrel sponge for a quick nap. Turtles have to come up to the surface to breathe but they can spend a long time underwater without breathing, especially if they are asleep."

That reminds me of spotting a sea turtle off Roatan. They really do live in their own little world, completely oblivious to divers.

1/2/2007 7:40:08 AM

the turtle in sepia makes me happy

1/2/2007 9:17:21 AM

Beautiful pics

1/2/2007 9:57:07 AM

death to america

1/2/2007 12:25:29 PM

Ironically enough, those pics that are "some of the best pics ever" are more "acceptable" than "the best". If you'd like I'll put up some much better pictures...because most of the ones that you posted suck.

1/2/2007 1:55:21 PM

Quote :

"because most of the ones that you posted suck."

you are only allowed to say that a picture sucks IF you can take or have taken a better one.

otherwise, you can only say, picture X is not as good as picture Y (or pic Y is better than pic X).

1/2/2007 4:00:39 PM

The first picture is cool (if very noisy), but the only other one that's remotely impressive is the underneath of the turtle, which is nothing new and would've been better if he'd waited to get the fish out of frame.

1/2/2007 4:55:40 PM

I haven't taken a whole lot of underwater photographs, but I would think that that type of picture would be difficult to take without at least bubbles getting in the way.

1/2/2007 5:05:59 PM

why don't you close all of the quotes in the middle?

1/2/2007 6:18:08 PM

Depends on whose bubbles you're talking about. If you're talking about getting a picture of another diver without bubbles in the frame, you have to time it correctly. If you're talking about your own bubbles...they won't be in the picture. They come out of your regulator and go up, you're not holding the camera right up to your mask as a general rule.

1/2/2007 6:20:00 PM

Now these are pictures :
http://homepage.mac.com/echorowe/Underwater/PhotoAlbum40.html

1/2/2007 11:50:10 PM

Here's a few I like...and IMHO they're all better than the crap in the first post.
















































[Edited on January 3, 2007 at 12:10 AM. Reason : ]

1/3/2007 12:09:51 AM

1/3/2007 12:24:42 AM

You win this internet

1/3/2007 12:51:57 AM

theres some scary lookin shit down there

1/3/2007 1:01:35 AM

The first set of pics I posted were taken in Asia. The second set from the bay area in California. There are plenty more where they came from...

1/3/2007 12:32:28 PM