This is mostly an excuse for me to let y’all know there’s some pictures from Mexico up on Flickr now. But, for those too lazy to click, some thumbnails are below, and for the few that are actually interested, the below is a quick hash-up of what I learned on my underwater photography course over there.

The first problem, is backscatter: the diffuse reflection of light from impurities, such as sediment, micro-organisms or even just salty water. A big consideration, therefore, is to move without disturbing the bottom so as to avoid dirtying the water: this isn’t easy when the ground is sloped and you’re trying to get very close for a shot, or into a tight space. This can also be negated somewhat by trying to be as physically close to the object as possible, and using natural light where possible.

If some additional light is required, then an offset strobe is the option of choice. By keeping the strobe at a wide angle from the camera, subjects can be lit incidentally rather than directly, and both backscatter and overexposure can be tamed.

At depth or distance, colour becomes an issue too. Water is about 800 times denser than air, and absorbs light from the visible spectrum, starting from the lower end; so red is the first to go. You can either use a filter under the water, or try and Photoshop the light back in later, but this is pretty much always going to be a problem.

A final problem is that if you’re using an underwater camera case, and you try and take some photos at the surface afterwards, it’s a nightmare to clear the lens of water droplets. The textbook has no advice for that; maybe it’s in the advanced course.

Here’s some pics from our training:

Xx

Cavern diving is lot like making love to a beautiful woman. But, frankly, I can’t think of any tasteful way of continuing that analogy; diving is full enough of innuendo as it is, just read the PADI textbook on Deep Diving if you don’t believe me.

Novices want to know what it’s like, those with more experience who have been a bit deeper chat with excitement [...] there’s something a bit attractive, exciting and mysterious about ‘going deep’

We were diving in the Cenotes, a system of flooded limestone caves mostly set miles inland from the shores of Tulum on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. They’re hidden away in the jungle – new ones are regularly discovered – and sometimes require a bit of a trek (in full dive gear in >30 degree heat) to reach. Once you get there though, it’s simply gorgeous:

There’s a Planet Earth episode with a decent section devoted to the Cenotes if you want to see some more, or just sit hypnotised whilst David Attenborough describes how he designed the Earth. Is it just me that gets him mixed up with a Divine Creator after about 5 minutes of narration?

Back to the diving though: under the surface, it can vary from fairly open spaces with sunlight pouring in, to tight caverns through which one had just enough space to manoeuvre, and in which one could only see by torchlight. The best way I can describe it, is that it was like swimming through the flooded set of Alien.

Actually, scrap that, the best way I can describe it is to upload tons of photos to Flickr. I’ll do so shortly.

Xx

My latest visitor has been my wonderful ex-girlfriend, ex-housemate, sometime-bandmate and always good friend Julie, coming over for an unprecedented fortnight to go diving in Mexico (which you’ll be sick of pictures of soon) and help teach American girls to make tea.

We went walking over the Brooklyn Bridge; running along the East River, and cycling down an endless; palm-tree lined road to the beach and Mayan ruins. Best of all though was the discovery that my new city features a toy shop with a three-storey ferris wheel, a section devoted to Transformers, monoliths recreated in Lego and a giant T-Rex. Seriously. A giant, moving T-Rex.

I love this city. Even the overtly touristy bits.

Xx

I’m writing this from a hotel balcony in Tulum, México in 20 degree heat whilst waiting to go out for steak. Life is good.

Endless pictures of the underwater world around here – and of me not wearing much on beaches – will follow on my return. As will a long, rambling essay about how real Mexican food, whilst lovely, still can’t compare to my true love, Chipotle.

Just getting here was a challenge: American Airlines forgot to put our bag on the plane (it’s here now), none of the taxi drivers in Cancun knew the place we were going to, and when we arrived it was 11pm and fully locked up. It all worked out in the end though, and the diving is beautiful.

I’m off to enjoy the sunshine. See you all soon.

Xx