What's the best place for beginner Macro? - Anywhere in the world

[brianeck]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to get into some underwater photography. I do have experience with photography on land. I have about 130 dives the past 18 months so I'm finally feeling comfortable enough to make the jump from a GoPro + Tray to a bigger DSLR setup with dual strobes.

I've got some free time in Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr in 2015. I plan on getting my camera rig working with enough time to do some "test" dives in the Florida Keys.

What's your opinion on the best place for beginner macro? The trip length will be 9-14 days. Obviously the place needs to have excellent critters. Water should be relatively calm so I'm not bouncing around. Ideally, there would be enough dives that end in shallow waters so I can mess around for some extra photos in shallow water.

I was thinking of Kungkungan Bay Resort in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. They offer the 3 boat dives a day as well as the diving on the nice (supposedly) house reef.

Thank you for your help!

Here's where I've been the past year or so:
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand - liveaboard
Sipadan, Malaysia - liveaboard
Malapascua, Philippines - land-based
Roatan, Honduras - CoCo View - land-based
Alaska - liveaboard

 

[diver 85]

Somewheres in the S. Pacific would be my guess----------that does narrow it down about 75%..???.....

 

[T.C.]

Good News! One of the best places for Macro is only a short drive away!

Head up to the Blue Heron Bridge, and have a a blast with the seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfish, mantis shrimp...and tons of others.

After that; I'd vote for the Philippines; just because I love Nudibranchs.

 

[supergaijin]

The good thing about macro is that it can be done just about anywhere- especially if that 'anywhere' has a lagoon.

 

[KeithG]

bonaire is a little closer to home. lots of opportunity for calm shallow dives. the dives are simple enough that additional task loading due to new photo rig should be manageable.

one other item to consider is availability of rental / repair services and even photo guide / courses. the more remote you are, the less options you will have.

 

[PatW]

I would recommend starting out at the blue heron bridge. Reef photo and video in Fort Lauderdale runs macro workshops there that are well worth taking.

 

[SKMoss]

I'd consider Tinian Island. Northern Marianas. I dived there in the 80s. We brought our one compressor. It was largely in touched. I believe there are dive resorts there now. But I would think they would be new enough that there ought to be great critters. There's also a lot of WWII wrecks in the water.

 

[KeithG]

Hang on a minute. Realty check. I change my vote to BHB (to which I personally have never been). Cancel Bonaire and all of the other much more "exotic" locations.

The OP was asking for a location for a macro beginner. They did not ask for the world's most exotic macro local for incredibly advanced and very skilled photo divers. I claim brianeck is not asking for the "ultimate" macro destination. So let's focus on macro & beginner. Screw expensive & exotic. Unless brianeck is paying and is willing to take ME as their spotter / dive buddy.

I claim the OP should concentrate on simple diving so that they can focus on the photo issues. A new DSLR presents many new challenges. In my book this means easy dives with "some" subjects. Not world class subjects. That will hopefully come later.

 

[TSandM]

Judging from my experience in mastering a camera, you don't want to blow a huge amount of money to travel across the world to do your first macro work. Isn't there anywhere in the Keys where the water is quiet? If not, I give another vote to the BHB, where the macro subjects are fabulous, and you can drive there.

 

[KeithG]

judging from my experience in mastering a camera, you don't want to blow a huge amount of money to travel across the world to do your first macro work. Isn't there anywhere in the keys where the water is quiet? If not, i give another vote to the bhb, where the macro subjects are fabulous, and you can drive there.

kiss?