We have been asked by a number of viewers how we were able to get macro shots of the Redlip Blennies. Well, in Bonaire you are not allowed to use tripods as it is a protected marine park. So, that leaves the hard work up to you. Here are some tips and for many professional cinematographers I know these are a given but here you go: 1. You need really good buoyancy both for you and your camera rig. Like you, your rig should not be floating up or sinking like a stone. This makes you have to fight to keep it still 2. Try not to blow bubbles. At times I can go up to a minute without releasing bubbles. So, dive classes tell you not to hold your breath but if you are not changing your depth it is irrelevant as gases are not expanding. Again good buoyancy. 3. Approach slow, be calm, and be patient. A lot of marine life you want to have them come to you. Marine life can tell when you are not calm. This is there home and they are right at home. If you are not they know something is up. 4. Try to keep your video lights from blasting them in the eyes. Some fish, like morays can be permanently blinded. Others, like squid and eagle rays don't like lights at all. Keep the lights down as low as possible and for macro put them out wide. If you can stay still and have your lights off squid may actually come up to your dome port if you are not blowing lots bubbles. Once they are close I have found you can pop on your lights but low and because they are out wide they are not in their face. 5. Learn when a fish wants to be left alone. Don't spend cycles on one that is darting all over to avoid you. They may not be int he mood for paparazzi. :-) 6. Get close to your subject. 7. Practice all of the above.
I don’t remember ever seeing a knobby anemone. I’m still trying to figure out how you were able to get that close to the red lip blenny without it darting away! I love this video and thank you for sharing it! Is this dive site only accessible by boat?
You can get there from the lake dive entrance if you stay shallow. You could also cut through one of those unfinished houses just south of ocean oasis but I am not sure about how easy the entrance is
TH-cam had a problem when generating the video from the one we uploaded and the audio cut out for some devices. Chrome and Firefox sound great. Our Sony TV was fine except the audio was off in the effected section. Some youtube apps on mobile phones cut out. The TH-cam back end had problems where the subtitle creation disappeared during the segment where audio was lost. They are regenerating the video and they said this can take 48 hours.
Fish are amazing!
Yes they are!
Lovely!
Thank you
Beautiful thank you 😊
Our pleasure!
Thanks for the identifications. Beautiful video.
Thank you
As always enjoying very much your videos. Such a beautiful Island!
thank you
Always beautiful!!
Thank you
We have been asked by a number of viewers how we were able to get macro shots of the Redlip Blennies. Well, in Bonaire you are not allowed to use tripods as it is a protected marine park. So, that leaves the hard work up to you. Here are some tips and for many professional cinematographers I know these are a given but here you go:
1. You need really good buoyancy both for you and your camera rig. Like you, your rig should not be floating up or sinking like a stone. This makes you have to fight to keep it still
2. Try not to blow bubbles. At times I can go up to a minute without releasing bubbles. So, dive classes tell you not to hold your breath but if you are not changing your depth it is irrelevant as gases are not expanding. Again good buoyancy.
3. Approach slow, be calm, and be patient. A lot of marine life you want to have them come to you. Marine life can tell when you are not calm. This is there home and they are right at home. If you are not they know something is up.
4. Try to keep your video lights from blasting them in the eyes. Some fish, like morays can be permanently blinded. Others, like squid and eagle rays don't like lights at all. Keep the lights down as low as possible and for macro put them out wide. If you can stay still and have your lights off squid may actually come up to your dome port if you are not blowing lots bubbles. Once they are close I have found you can pop on your lights but low and because they are out wide they are not in their face.
5. Learn when a fish wants to be left alone. Don't spend cycles on one that is darting all over to avoid you. They may not be int he mood for paparazzi. :-)
6. Get close to your subject.
7. Practice all of the above.
I don’t remember ever seeing a knobby anemone. I’m still trying to figure out how you were able to get that close to the red lip blenny without it darting away! I love this video and thank you for sharing it! Is this dive site only accessible by boat?
You can get there from the lake dive entrance if you stay shallow. You could also cut through one of those unfinished houses just south of ocean oasis but I am not sure about how easy the entrance is
Redlip blennies: be calm, good buoyancy, don’t blow a lot of bubbles, lights out wide, approach slow, lot of practice. :-)
So... did Maureen catch the lion fish?😂
Doreen did not this time . Went in deep before she could get it. :-) crafty fish.
Sound disappearing
TH-cam sometimes does this with a lot of videos. I sometimes have to reload them. Where in the video are seeing this?
TH-cam had a problem when generating the video from the one we uploaded and the audio cut out for some devices. Chrome and Firefox sound great. Our Sony TV was fine except the audio was off in the effected section. Some youtube apps on mobile phones cut out. The TH-cam back end had problems where the subtitle creation disappeared during the segment where audio was lost. They are regenerating the video and they said this can take 48 hours.