Appearances - Namena Marine Reserve, Fiji

One of the things I've realized about this blog is that I have never posted an underwater shot, and to be honest, that is where my passion for photography began. I always took snapshots back in college, mostly of nature and landscapes, but they were always just snapshots. No tripod, no filters, just point and shoot with 200 or 400 speed negative film.

It wasn't until I had 2+ years of diving experience that I realized I needed a camera to take underwater. Losing my old SLR off the top of a moving car and two friends investing into UW rigs motivated me to invest in one of my own in the year 2000.

Shooting film was challenging underwater as strobe lighting was new to me and the lack of instant feedback meant nice images were difficult to come by. I did improve, but ultimately my last roll of film was shot in the fall of 2005.

Fast forward to 2010, and I am much more familiar with the skills involved with underwater photography and my patience, admittedly short in the beginning, has grown. This is key for any style of photography, especially underwater.

This shot was one of many, as I battled the ocean's energy that was pushing both the two anemone fish and me all over the reef.