Back from Galapagos... Sorting photos, cleaning stinky gear, and trying to give the body a rest.  But I did stitch together a pano from the trip.

This is Darwin Island (even though Darwin never saw it) and Darwin's Arch, which is the tiny thing on the left of the photo... To give you an idea, the arch is somewhere between 45 and 60 feet tall...

What makes this photo interesting?  Nothing.  Except when it was taken, it was recorded along side it's GPS coordinates.  Which I thought might be fun next week in Galapagos...

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.14887167,-94.53898000&spn=0.001,0.001&t=k&hl=en

If you were ever interested in joining NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals), the group that produces all those great books/tutorials that I endorse so heavily....   $99 bucks gets you a subscription to their magazine, yearly memebership, other free stuff, and it'll make you smarter when it comes to using your Adobe tools (not just Photoshop).

Use the following link and I'll get a kickback reward....

Click here for Referral Link

Today's storms gave me a little bit to work with....

Since I didn't have any open waters on Saturday.

I went and played second shooter for a stinky friend of mine.

I had met JoAnne and Tristan a few months ago when they were having their engagement photos done.  Cute couple, seem to complement each other well. Hope the groomsmen had a ride home =D

More to come...

I have always been interested in HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography. Think Harry Potter Movie / Dick Tracy Movie Color and Brightness. I've been putting in my time studying folks on the web, and seeing how they have been acomplishing the bright vivid colours. I wanted to get in my shots before sunset, but my neighbor Ruth and I started discussing the idiots in the neighborhood with motorcycles + children + dogs = disaster. I think I'm going to put a ski rope on their mailbox (they live across the street) so that I can knock the astronauts off of their rockets as they come by.... Anyhow, by the time we had finished, we had most of my favorite neighbors's input, but I had run out of light. I didn't really want to wait for today (good thing, it's raining like what Noah experienced) so I went and created a new genre of photography ULTRA-LONG-EXPOSURE HDR. Most of the shots were more than 10 seconds with really fast glass to get the result below. We'll see what the next bright summer sunset brings....

With exception of a few students that can't do their open waters until August, I'm DONE with my backlog of Open Water SCUBA diving students. 

Almost everyone this year was on a deadline due to a trip.

The new love of my life, Rosie's Quarry, was very good to us this year.  Clear water that eventually warmed up after some sunshine.  Lots of fish.  Yesterday we found ourselves constantly engulfed in fish.  Found some bass that were not afraid of being touched.  I'm thinking thats because I didn't wash my wetsuit the last two weeks, just let it dry.... =D

Everyone did real well, and I hope that the trip photos start rolling my way.  Its kinda nice to see everyone elses photos once and awhile.   One of my students from last fall brought in Volume 1 of her scrapbook from the cruise that she and her mother went on the first of the month.    My sister has done scrapbooking, as have a number of friend's wives, but I had never seen the results, just heard about these scrapbooking 'meetings'.  I must say, Daria put together a 3-Ring Binder Scrap book that puts all of my trip slideshows to complete shame.

This last weekend marks the opening of my local diving season.  Yeah yeah, I've been diving out of the country, but that doesn't really count, perfect conditions, perfect weather, perfect visibility.  Local lake season is chock full of adventure.  Cold water, Low visibility, Students that aren't as comfortable with their skill level as I am (I wouldn't take someone who I didn't think was ready), loads of lead, thick wetsuits, short dives, etc.

Day 1 was Saturday the 10th, up at Chris's quarry (Rosies).  All of my students were MSSU KINE 101 SCUBA students.  With graduation looming, and the way college students scatter after finals, we've come to the conclusion that the only way to get them done is to do it before finals.  And even still, we didn't get everyone there.  We had 4 MIAs right off the bat.

Anyhow, the sky was overcast and the water was cold, but clear.  I was getting a chance to try out my Galapagos gear, 5mm Aquastretch Aqualung suit, with my new kevlar gloves and my old trusty DUI Hood.  I'm sure I could jump into the water with this exposure suit on and not get my hair wet.  Buoyant as hell.... (Is hell really Buoyant?)   By the end of the day, the students were cold and ready to go, I was just getting started, but maybe next time.

Sunday, the sun came out and blessed us, but the wind had also picked up.  40 mph, 42 degree wind cut right through us and everyone was racing to get into the water to warm up.  Yes the same water they had despised the day before...   Everyone made a few gear adjustments and we had a good day in the water.  Followed up by a feast of pizza homemade by myself (ok Dominos)  Open Water Divers they became....

For another recount of the weekend, one of my students blogs and took some photos..... 

http://imstephen.com/2008/05/12/certified-open-water-diver/

Tomorrow is Earth Day.  I'm really hoping that it's not RAIN Day. 

I've had just enough Spring Rain.  My yard is requiring mowing every 3 days (when it's dry enough to mow)

For Earth Day, I plan on not throwing any spare AC coolant into the regular trash or throwing large bags of styrofoam into landfills.

Strangely coincidental,  this next weekend is CJs bi-annual "Piss Joel off to no end' weekend.  Yep thats right, it's 'free rummage sale' weekend, which means that all of my neighbors will be out trying to sell the trash in their house that they think someone else might want.  Their customers will be parking in my driveway, on my yard, blocking my driveway and ringing my doorbell near 5am.. and cause me to take an additional 45 minutes to get off of my street on the way out for the day (all of which have happened)  Just because I live in a nice neighborhood, it really doesn't mean that my neighbors will have nicer garbage to sell than anyone else.  If you were planning on coming, let me save you the trip. 

Wow, like we haven't had enough rain.  Have already had to mow twice, and it's the 8th of April!

Nothing interesting to say....

Yep, it's friday, think I did a whopping 5 dives this week.  Most of which were at Bari Reef, thanks to the head cold stuff. Thats ok, I enjoyed the time off.

As most traveling divers, my last day here has been very sad.  Slightly depressing.  All 5 dives with about 3 UW photos that I cared for, then there were images of the galaxy which are unbelievible in my opinion.  Kinda makes me feel like the insignificant speck that I am in relationship to the rest of the universe. 

Its weird, I went around to close out our accounts at the dive shop and the resturant, and everywhere we've done business.  Everyone knows how we feel so they say "Safe journeys and until next time."  They don't know that there will be a next time, but they know there WILL be a next time.

It's been a very sureal week, I spent alot more time out of the water than I had dreamed, but I enjoyed my dry time as well.  I was able to reminice with old friends, I don't understand how I'm suppose to get up in the morning and get on the airplane and go back to my usual groundhog's day rat race on Monday.  This is a whole different reality.  

Below is an image from lac bay, where the windsurfers and nudists hang out on the island.

Well, still fighting with this chest cold/ drainage / whatever /crap that I apparantly got from the folks that I sat next to or near on the plane.  Michelle ran into the people I sat next to and they say that 3 or 4 of their 6 has the same crap.

Had some Iranian "Shoamra" kinda like a wrap with pan grilled chicken in it again tonight for dinner, at the Sand Dollar Grocery.  The guy who runs the deli servers up a great sandwich at a very reasonable price, and hey it's within Joel-Walking distance.  Then we went out to the south end of the island past the first set of slave huts "White Slave" and took some photos of the Milky Way.  Sadly these are taken with my camera set to timer, while it's resting on a shoe.  The wind was high and there was a little precipitation inteh sky, but I think they turned out pretty well for a first try.  next trip, I'll bring more above water photo gear and less underwater, since I seem to be bored with whats underwater (damn, thats aweful, bored with a place that has "Divers Paradise" on their license plates who do I think I am). 5 trips in 30 months might be the culpret.  The image is a composite of 4 shots and I let CS3 stitch them together.  Maybe one of my astronomer friends can tell me exactly what I shot.

After the photo op, we dropped by to see Ray and Andrew over at the Paypya Moon again.  Andrew's mom Pam has opened a coffee shop down the street.  Next to Sabre's apple pie, Paypya Moon's is next best in the world.

Sorry for the lack of content.  I've been fighting a respritory infection or something.  I think it's TB, but that's just me.  Between that and an internet glitch yesterday, I haven't been in the water and haven't had any thing to do.

Sorry folks it'll be land photos from here on out.

In other anoying news, my blog started receiving spam from the comments and trackbacks so I've had to turn them off.

Joy joy joy...

Apparantly, Iguanas like the taste of silicon...specifically MY silicon.  The dive shop hadn't heard of anyone every having anything damaged by iguanas, but the evidence is clear.......

Exhibit A

Exhibit B 

Exhibit C 

I can't believe it, it was amazing!  To find a specimine like this that was willing to just sit still and wait for me to take photos of it....

The next photo is one that made me very sad to take. This photo represents the former home of the first frogfish that I ever found on my own. No directions, no guide, no knowledge that it was there. I know it's the ocean, and it's big, but this was a insignificant place that I knew very well. I have photographed it over the last two years, dozens of times. I'm by no means an expert, but a casual observer. I was saddend this afternoon to come to this place and not only not find my buddy the frogfish, but to find that his home had been consumed by the local parrotfish and others. Just a sign that the ocean is everchanging, and my opinion matters not to how it changes.

I'm not unloading the camera just yet to show you photos from the last couple of dives, since I'm going to go dive with it again in an hour.   Bari Reef was this afternoon's dive.  I was saddend to see that the first frogfish that I found had infact moved.  The location that he WAS in is now all ate up coral.  I have before and after shots if it that I'm going to post.  Really disappointing moment in an otherwise great dive.

I took a nap this afternoon and didn't analyse any Nitrox for the dive, so we dove on air and headed south.  No current to speak of, but juvenile fish everywhere!  I had never seen juvy barracuda, but sure enough, 3 came right up to me.  Hope one of the shots turned out. 

The new camera rig is fairly unreal to use, ISO 50 Equivilant for almost all of today's shots, one strobe.  Hopefully some will meet the standards of the other photographers I know.  Maybe even some depth of field in them......We'll see.

I'm told that everyone is freezing and dealing with frozen rain and snow.  Once again, I'm thinking I've picked the right time to travel.  Thank you all for all of your comments, keep em coming.

Maybe I'll actually get the camera and computer together and show some of the monday blues...   The water temp this time of year is quite cold, 77 degrees.  I've seen some locals covering up layers of skins, 3mm suits and hooded vests.

Dropped the dome port on my foot this morning, it's brusing up nicely just to turn around and leave some blood on the coral at Angel City.   We saw a pair of nice turtles, lots of large gargonians, a trio of spotted drums (momma drum, poppa drum and baby drum). 

My connection has been an issue, I've tried to post some images but it's been timing out between uploads....We'll see what tonight brings.

Bill Gates seems to know all, and to know best....and Bill says, Joel you can't get home from here.....

While observing the cute new little anenome, I thought "Hey dumbass, you've got your camera, get in there and take a shot of the baby banded shrimp crawling around in it."  Thats when I noted the item on the left.....   A droplet of water....Inside the dome.   Not sure how it entered the dome, either the port-to-dome or the port-to-housing but something is awry in Kralendijk.....

Only one dive this morning, 65 minutes on a 63 cu ft.  Maybe on this afternoon.  What do you expect from a bum that woke up at 10 Bonaire-time...

The water was a balmy 79 degrees, a freeze out for the locals.

Sadly, Jerry, the local naturalist, told me that the dozen frogfish that inhabitted Bari reef in October have all up and moved, so the hunt is on.  The seahorse that hadn't moved in almost 2 years, moved, or became another fish's lunch.  But still a good dive despite the droplet.