Wakatobi Videos

[ScubaBob92651]

Hi all! I have finally finished and posted all of my videos from my September 2008 Wakatobi trip aboard the Pelagian.

For those interested:

Wakatobi by Full-Moon Light (Night Dives)
YouTube - Wakatobi by Full-Moon Light

Wakatobi - A Closer Look (Macro Madness)
YouTube - Wakatobi - A Closer Look

Wakatobi - The Nudibranchs (all the slug action one could ever want)
YouTube - Wakatobi - The Nudibranchs

Wakatobi - Wide I Go Back (not so macro.)
YouTube - Wakatobi - Wide I Go Back

The above videos are HiDef YouTube videos. These videos can also be viewed in HiDef on Vimeo (I think YouTube plays and looks a little better..):
Wakatobi on Vimeo

Enjoy!

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Very nice Bob, videos are great. I'm interested in hearing how the trip experience was for you and how the boat was. Our group had some problems earlier last year on the trip.

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Thanks Mike. I swear I plan to write up a trip report eventually - there were problems on our trip as well. I am extremely tolerant, and pretty much spend every waking minute on a dive or preparing for one or just relaxing in the sun or buried in a critter book - but I still saw some issues with the operation (and quite franky, a particular dive guide.)

Highs of the Pelagian:
Great food
Nice camera room
Good rooms (at least the top two suites)

The lows:
A particular dive guide (wasn't my guide u/w - but this person still did most of the briefings)
Paying US$2 for a soda, same for a beer (and we all know how much we fork over for these trips as it is)

These are from my perspective - there were some others on the trip who were much more aggravated - as well as a few who thought it was their best dive trip ever...

 

[Video rookie]

Awesome videos as always. Love all the macro shots, which always give me so much trouble....yours are outstanding...

I really want to do the Wakatobi trip, but I don't see that happening for a couple of years.

 

[uzun]

Fantastic videos. The pacific marine life seems to put the Caribbean stuff to shame!

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Thanks all. Any yes, Asia has some awesome diving - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Can't wait to go back (if it were only as close as the Caribbean!)

 

[NAIBdiver1]

You videos were very good !!! Thank you for sharing ! I'll be going to Indonesia (Komodo) in Sept. and if you don't mind I'd like to ask a few questions - OK ???

1. What camera and housing are you using? I have a Sony HC3 + Ikelite housing and lights.

2. Colour correction filter(s) - did you use either a blue water or green water filter - or both at different times ? Lights ? It looked as though for many of the wonderful closeups that you were using lights - right?

3. Manual White Balance or automatic white balance ?

4. Post production colour correction ?

5. Editing (NLE) software ?

Thank you for the time
and again really nice videos

NAIBDiver1

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Thanks NAIBDiver1!

No problem on the questions, please let me know if you have more.
1) Camera is Sony HDR-HC7 with Gates Housing (with MWB control)
2) I use the Gates blue-water flip filter for all ambient light shots - which are mostly in the Wide I Come Back video, and some in the Closer Look. You're right - most shots were taken using lights (NiteRider Pro20 HID lights). The ambient light (and the viz) in Wakatobi wasn't great.
3) All MWB
4) Yes, I correct where needed. Many of the shots I leave alone, and I just concentrate on the ones that really need it. Sometimes I will come back and do a once over of all the shots to see if a little CC will help.
5) I use Premiere Pro CS3, with Cineform Aspect HD (you don't really need this anymore, but as I go back and forth between a newer laptop and an older desktop, this helps).

Have a great time in Komodo! Based on the pics I've seen from there - the place looks awesome!

 

[NAIBdiver1]

Thank you for sharing your answers, they are very helpful ! For a moment I was thinking of not taking my lights, but that idea is out the window.