The water was really merky,(Visibility was all of 20 feet)it was like diving through mud more than water, which I think gave all of the dives a really iery feeling. So many people died in that lagoon, in 1942, and as my dive buddy and I swam through the recks we boath felt realy out of place, almost as if we were being disrespectful by being there. I have never seen her unconfortable in the water before. Truk Lagoon is a giant grave sight filled with sroties and things none of us will ever know, and I think this image caught that feeling perfectly. I hope this is a fair tribute to all ot those people who served the ship. -All Comments Welcome- -Gabe-

Really nice pic, Gabe - the atmosphere really is conveyed in the picture. That lighting is brilliant.... Mike (",)

Great pic...I think you have done more than a tribute to those who served..Its wonderful. Great job!! Leigh

I've always been fascinated by underwater photography..even though I know nothing about it. This photo really has an atmosphere to it, yeah. I realised that before I read the words that go with it.

Marshmallowpie, The first thing you need is, obviously, to get dive sertified. The secound thing you need to do is forget everything that you have ever learned about photography, with the exception of composition. Water is 700 times dencer than air (If my memory serves), so light travals and affects the expoture in much diferant ways. There is also alot more microscopic things in the water that will cloud up your sceen if you don't know how to shoot underwater. Acording to Cathy Chirch, (She is on of the Gods of underwater Photography) Above water photography knolage becomes a bad habit when your under the serface. I agree with her on this 100%. Alpha: well I have three systems, Kind of, (I'm trying to get rid of one.) I have a "Nikon f100", and a "Fugi Fine Pix S1 Pro Digital SLR" that I use depending on the job. they boath use the same housing, which is a "Sea&Sea NX 100 Pro" housing that was modified by a custom housing maker in CA, to fit the Fuji camara. That housing uses 2 "Sea&Sea substrobe 120" Under water Strobes with ultra light boyancy compensation arms, and a "Nikon 17-35 MM Wide angel zoom lense", and dome port with extender. I also use the "Nikon 60 mm macro" lense for macro work, with the flat port lense housing. that's why I say kinda 3 systems, two chamaras work with 1 housing, Gates did a nice conversion, but it killed the warenty... The third chamara system is a Nikon Collpix 990 with Ikelite housing and a sub strobe 200. I used it once, and found it to be a really nice camara system, but I'm too used to the SLR's to really get cumfortable with it, and I already have too much invested in the other system to really deck it out the way I want to. (secondary srobe, boyancy arms, EXC.) Digital camaras though are definatly the way to go under water. Since you cant change film until you serface, it really gives you a new kind of freedom. the image capacity of the coolpix was what made me decide to convert my sea&sea housing to fit the Fuji digital camara. -Gabe-

I'm going to hit the water tomorow here in New Hampshire. One of the guys on the under water resque teem asked me to shoot a roll at a drill there doing so, Since I have to greese up all of the O-rings tonight any way, I might as well Take some shots of it for you. -Gabe-

Of all the underwater photography that you've sent till now, this image is best according to me, haunting infact..! Diving, and especially wreck-diving always fascinates me...shivers down my spine...adrenalin surge... Also, I find the composition and the light and your choice of b/w very successful... :)

He's got an S1? I hate him. Love his pictures - hate him. HEAR THAT? I HATE YOU!!! Lol, only joking Gabe! Sounds like one hell of a setup you've got there.... Mike

Dorukasal: Thank you ... Ireally apreciate that. The one thing that I will say that I don't like about it is the way that it fades to black. I think It is really harsh. I acualy shot it in black and white, and screwed up the expoture by 2 stops, but also had alot of trouble with my scanner. I have an old "HP Photo Smart s20", which in it's day was great, but is starting to realy get out dated. It scans much more contrasty than I would like it to. JordyArt: That's OK, I hate me too at times. Example 1: When I bought my first digital camara (A Canon D30) I really didn't think about it too hard, I just went and bought it in a rush of excitement on a trip... Hay, tax free!!! Then I realised I had no lenzes for it $2000.00 more to the price, no housing for it, $3000.00 more to the price, and I couldn't return it because I was no longer in that country... I think I sold the first Canon D30 on E-bay with in a week of owning it... (I lost alot of money on it) Example2: When I closed my housing with my brand new unused S1 Pro. (I had to send the camara to gates to get the housing modified) And a strand of my long hair, got caught in the O Ring that seals it. At 60 feet... well... It just... UM... dicided that... wel... it Died OK. I really hated my self for that one. Statefarms though is really good with replacing stuff when you need it. Final Example: My F100 also once took a little unexpected trip, when I was climbing once. I really hated my self that time because it was on the secound day of a two week expedition in Cambodia, and I was trying to travel light and didn't take a good backup. Oops... But that's how I make my living, so the equipment quality is nessesary. The S1 Pro also has a few really serious draw backs. 1: TTL Sucks!!!!!!! I think they forgit to even put in the feture. 2: It is a very delicate chamara. All plastic. 3: It is missing alot of fetures that could really com in handy that most mid level camaras have. (It was bilt on the old Nikon N60 Body to cut cost.) 4: It is incompatible with some of the high end Nikon AF lenzes. Ie the auto focus doesn't work, and sometimes even the on camara apoture controle won't work either. That is the worst of the 2 because the camara then becomes more of a pig than anything else. Well this message got realy long, so... take care -Gabe-