Some pics from Borneo - 56k don't bother

[Captain Starfish]

Some of you may have noticed that Starfish went quiet for a couple of weeks, it was coz I went on a dive/touristy trip to Sabah.

First couple of days were spent diving from a converted oil rig near Pulau Sipadan, realising that I have a hell of a lot to learn about underwater photography.

The rest of the time we spent doing touristy stuff out of Kota Kinabalu.

Gotta go back

[Barfridge]

sheer awesomeness Looks like you had fun

[Supercharged1600]

you do realise that the professional who took those photos has copyright on them ;P
good pics mate!

[dugy]

Great stuff!

[Bendito]

Awesome stuff dude

[Gresh]

great pics, cheers for posting em up

[Arwon]

wikid shots simon.... looks like the underwater stuff is working pretty damm good to me....

[kwakas]

nice pineapple shot! Looks like it was a great trip

[Fastgirl]

wow.:oawesome shots.

[Mungus]

We went to Sabah around the beginning/middle of October. I'd never really heard of until then. It appears as though we didn't go to the same spots as you, but it was great for a bit of R&R as well.

Great pics Mates, thanks for sharing.

[Sunshine & F'n Rainbows]

OH GOD WHY

[Snowlady]

They are absolutely stunning shots

Do you know the name of the orchids with the horns by any chance?

[taint]

that scorpion shot is like something out of indiana jones

[Captain Starfish]

One morning I decided I'd had enough monkey business, and wanted some more macro stuff. So I grabbed a van and guide and headed out to an orchid farm. They had something like 300 different species. As we walked through, the guide was gabbing off the names of each one - but they went in one ear and out the other so sorry, I can't help you with specific names.

We were walking along one path and the guide start hopping around - "Look at this, I've only seen this once before" - pointing at the scorpion and centipede engaged in mortal combat. As a scale reference, the scorpion's body (sans tail) about the length of a coke can.

Not sure which was hunting which, but by the end looked like the scorpion was gonna get some lunch. :yum:

The pineapple was a mini-job, inedible, and at full size about the same dimensions as an 8 year old boy's fist. Should be introduced to the popo here, mebbe

Underwater photography was an interesting experience - everything is a little bit harder, a little less tolerant. Just physically trying to stabilise yourself, fight small controls on the camera through bulky gloves, see what's going on etc are bad enough. Then add the amount of crap in the water betwixt lens and subject causing backscatter (snow), the weird colour casts that you get underwater (and change every couple of metres in depth), the fact that fish etc are pretty skitty and you don't get much time to get a shot in, and it gets even more interesting.

Finally add in the fact that I'm using an arsemaster point-and-shoot for the first time in my life instead of the DSLR, and at post-production cleanup time this makes for MUCH less leeway for cleaning up settings, compensation etc.

It's a bloody nightmare. I have new appreciation for a good underwater photo now, and a new challenge for summer

Thanks for the kind words too, peeps!

[Chyna]

Wow, fantastic shots Cap'n