From Magdalena Bay to Lembeh: One Diver's Unexpected Macro Photography Obsession

Sat in the panga, bathing in sunny, happy smiles after having just experienced a very close interaction with a hungry Bryde's whale. Two, in fact! The last hour had been stolen from a further three-hour Dorado/mackerel baitball experience that had already seen dolphins and the ever-present sea lions taking turns on the feast. The Bryde's whales continued to lunge at the baitball until nothing was left but some very happy people! Very happy indeed.

We had spent the best part of a week searching for this very type of experience, and it's only the lucky few who get to do such things. Of course, with searching comes some quiet time, and tales of other seas and adventures were thick and fast.

One of the many interesting conversations in our group surprised me. I don't mean our friend Bonnie's turtle interaction at depth, as it tried to "engage her"! Ooer. No, this was one of the other guests exclaiming that big cetaceans and amazing things like sharks, marlin, sailfish etc, were… OK!! But his real preference was tiny little nudibranchs, or some seahorse I'd genuinely never heard of and thought looked more like a sweet (candy) than an animal.

I was intrigued immediately, as I just couldn't fathom it for myself. My eyes and vision were on the way down with no sign of improvement, and I had no idea of the "little kingdom" beneath all these leviathans, let alone its beauty. I was all about great whites (when you could see them at Guadalupe), giant mantas and all things massive.

The trip ended with a group of people parting company after a fantastic, free-diving safari full of hilarious moments together. They're friends I still call today, and we've gone on to have further amazing adventures since.

That single conversation, though, rattled around in my noodle. Soon enough I took up a very kind and welcome invite to the most wonderful and special place — previously unknown to me — Lembeh Strait, to embrace this thing called muck diving.

I attended the first workshop, delivered by my now good friend Byron Conroy and his equally good friend Andy "he's a very naughty boy" Deitsch!

On my first dive I had a new angled viewfinder to negotiate. I found myself immersed in what looked like a littered dive site — sadly full of plastic trash, old rope, fishing discards etc. — and I thought, oh no, I've made a mistake in coming here! The viewfinder and I did not get on, we were not friends, and I was regretting the purchase. Then, at that moment, I saw a blue-ringed octopus, and a light-absorbing black frogfish. Things were looking better. My shots, however, maybe not so! I got them — the blue ring and froggy — clearly, but the actual style of the shot was bland. Plus, I was lucky to even see through the now ever-so-annoying viewfinder.

For me, though, I'd just seen a creature I'd wanted to see since I was nine. It was in an old Nat Geo publication at my grandmother's that first opened my eyes to the tales of this blue-ringed octopus with its deadly toxins. That small book also had great whites and Portuguese man o' wars, and my fascination grew from there.

Things started to click after some gentle persuasion by Byron to stick with the viewfinder. It just clicked, and then the learning process began. The workshop was designed to deliver some very unique and interesting techniques, as well as getting the maximum potential from a scene — say, fish carrying eggs or fry, or nudibranchs in their environment. Lighting, used correctly and with controlled purpose, opened up some amazing effects and storytelling.

My photography skills were enhanced immediately within that short time, and with practice they've continued to improve (humbly), which is a testament to the value of this workshop. But truth is, I've really fallen for macro. I've enjoyed three such adventures now and have made it part of my yearly pilgrimage since that first workshop — not just to see Byron and the gang, but also the most wonderful and gracious team, led by Steve and Miranda Coverdale, at Dive Into Lembeh, North Sulawesi! The local team are all simply awesome in every aspect, like a big happy family with the warmest of welcomes!

I've since dived the Red Sea with Byron and Andy, and a good few of the very people I met those years ago at Magdalena Bay. We're all using those skills and learning new ones besides.

Reflecting on that first conversation and where it has taken me so far, I now have a large number of new and extremely skilled peers who I'm learning with and from. This is addictive, and I truly love macro photography. I've also embraced land-based macro with my son. Yes, I absolutely love my viewfinder and can't actually work without it now! Ironically, Byron won an award for a shot he took at Magdalena Bay with that same Bryde's whale. He strives to improve himself and continues producing new and amazing shots, with plenty of well-earned competitions along the way. I've now fully embraced macro and will keep enjoying learning more.

I still have a passion for the big stuff, but I'm ever eyes open and eager to see and learn more.

Thanks for that conversation, Byron. And the introduction to some awesome people and adventures. The photography is the bonus!