Diving WW2 Ship Wrecks of Palawan

So after about a week of editing, fixing and cutting, here's my the product. The visibility was not the best but was it still alright. Had to edit out a few mistakes like pesky lens caps and me getting caught on coral =P, but it was all good.

Thanks muchly to dive master/instructor Archie, who was ever so accommodating and professional.

Anyhow hope you enjoy it (watch it in HD!!! click the option at the bottom of the Youtube frame) .....

The timelapse sunrise was taken on the south-east corner of Uson Island - Palawan, Philippines. A localized map is shown below.

Filming Underwater #2

So needless to say when you're diving and filming at the same time you can easily get distracted takeing in your amazing surroundings and accidentally forget that your filming!

This leads me to my second point...

Lesson #2: Secure loose cables or they WILL get caught!!!

These are, of course, rather "common sense" things to say/do but when you're in-the-moment and just itching to jump into the water/sea you may forget to do this (as I did).

So take a moment, get your dive buddy to check your gear. Besides obviously checking each other's BC, regulators and other dive equipment, take a few moments to make sure you secure (tuck-away/tie-together/tape along side) any camera cables, mono-pods, cases etc. floating behind you.

It wont take long, and believe me it'll save you more time in the long run, not to mention it'll save your shot/clip.

The video below shows me getting snagged onto coral just as I am doing a follow shot into a world war two Japanese wreck.


This is what happens WHEN YOU DO NOT SECURE YOUR GEAR.....

Warning
As side note, wreck diving is fun but can also be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Being underwater and in a confined space can cause inexperienced divers to get disorientated and panic. If you're new at diving, please don't go into a wreck alone, and definitely do NOT be filming or trying to fumble around with cameras or settings or cables. The last thing you want is to get tangled up with cable/coral, in zero visibility (because you have panicked and kicked up all the dust and silt around you), and be in an enclosed area/wreck where no one can see or help you. Always be safe.

Filming Underwater #1

I was recently lucky enough to take a trip to Palawan in the Philippines and managed to squeeze in a few dives. As with all trips I took my trusty camera (and when i say "camera" i mean my GoPro because thats the only one that can go to diving depths).

I took the opportunity to film some wreck dives and in the process learned a few lessons on the way.


Here's lesson #1: Secure your lens cap!!! 

...not just because they are easy to lose but because they can definitely ruin a shot..and sometimes you only get one chance. Here's an example of a lens cap flapping into the frame!!


(for the finished product / video, see my later posts..)

And this is the actual video clip (size reduced) with me trying to swipe away the lens cap...doesn't make for good footage......

Time Lapse Results Part 2 - Sunset

(Details of location and shot located below)



My last day at Yosemite marked a most bitter-sweet moment, knowing that I had witnessed and experienced amazing events and at the same time knowing that I may not return for many, many years....if at all.

To make the most of it, I hiked along the "4-Mile Trail" which extends from Yosemite Valley all the way up to Glacier Point. This is where the above time lapse was taken. The trail was not hard and I got to meet many people along the way.....

On my travels I met so many people who were older than me and I observed the following:
- That many of them walk slower and stop more often than me, but covered more ground than me;
- Spoke less than me and listened more than me;
- They are quick to understand yet slow so show it thus allowing the whole story to be told by me.

Taking in the unbelievable scenery of Yosemite and meeting like minded people throughout your treks/trails/hikes will make this one of your life's most memorable experiences.

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Details:

Location:                                  Yosemite National Park
Camera:                                    GoPro HDHERO2
Settings:                                   11 mp on .5 sec interval
Time of Arrival:                          5:07pm
Duration of Time Lapse:          2 hour 5 minutes
Number of shots in sequence:  19,791
Total size used:                         33.6 Gigabytes
Wind condition:                        Negligible
Temperature:                            15 - 20 degrees Celsius ( 60 - 68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Hiking time:                                45 mins from Glacier Point trail head. Coming from the valley would take a bit longer
 Lessons learned:                      Bring an empty mind and fill it with great memories of Yosemite national park!!

Timelapse Result Part 1 -Yosemite (Halfdome) Sunset

(See below for location and shooting details)

With the Tips and Tricks that i have outlined in my previous posts HOPEFULLY you'd be G'ed up enough to get out there and actually get some awesome shots of your own.

Getting out there is the fun part........
Seeing amazing animals while you get out there is the fun part......
knowing that you're going to be getting some stunning shots is the fun part...........
knowing that  you will see an unbelievable sight...is the fun part....

EVERYTHING is the fun part.....

Everything on this page was taken on North Dome (opposite Half dome). Took about 2-3 hours to hike there from the trail-head but it was well worth it. The sun set was amazing and the view was even better:

Quite annoying how Blogger cant center photos properly......

Details:


Location:                                  Yosemite National Park
Camera:                                    GoPro HDHERO2
Settings:                                   11 mp on .5 sec interval
Time of Arrival:                          5:07pm
Duration of Time Lapse:          2 hour 3 minutes
Number of shots in sequence:  13,174
Total size used:                         28.8 Gigabytes
Wind condition:                        Strong (especially at sunset) - find shelter when waiting for timelapse
Temperature:                            10 to 15 degrees Celsius ( 50 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit)
Hiking time:                                2-3 hours from trail head
Lessons learned:                      Bring bear spray!!!

Time Lapse Photography - Part 4

So, its the weekend and probably, just like many of you, I'm trying to catch up on the massive sleep debt that i accrued over the week....Going through the daily grind of work and the rat-race can't be good for us....hence i try to make myself daydream about as many of my past travels / adventures as possible.


The one memory that keeps coming up in my mind was my wanderings through Yosemite National Park in California, USA. This was such an amazing experience it is so hard to put into words!



Let me just SHOW YOU:

(Click on the image to see it in a separate window without Blogger's annoying gadgets and links getting in the way)



From a location just west of the above shot I took a time lapse shot of the sunrise (from pitch black darkness):



(see below for location details)

Standing atop Glacier Point (where i took the above time lapse) and watching the first rays of sunlight EXPLODE over the mountain ranges is something that can only be experienced (and to a lesser extent shown).

 If you only have time to see one thing in Yosemite National Park, make it this!!!!


 What I'm trying to get at with this blog and my ramblings is to tell and show you that you don't need super fancy equipment which costs thousands of dollars. I took the above photo with my little Cannon Powershot D10. Its not an SLR, nor a DSLR, it had no special filters or "thingamajigs". Its more about being at the right place, at the right time and knowing how to use your little camera. I'll cover panoramic photography in later posts.

 Anywho.....let me continue with another time lapse tip...

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Tip #8 - Small Tripods Work Just As Good !!!!

Having a normal sized tripod (the ones that are about 4 feet high), are good....BUT SOMETIMES...it is better to have the tiny miniature ones. I'll explain....

Sometimes (as previously stated) you may find yourself in a very high traffic "touristy" area where there are many people who may "accidentally" bump your camera, my tip was to PROTECT YOUR SPACE....now if you have a big tripod, you'll have more area to protect and also more chances either you or someone near you may bump your tripod's long legs (while you are busy trying to protect your space). A small tripod makes your area of protection much smaller, you can basically cover it with your body and arms!

On top of that, if you are on the edge of a cliff / mountain (which is already very high above the ground), having a tall tripod (i.e. 4 extra feet high) is not going to make much of a difference.

Finally if you have to hike several hours to your special location, you're going to want to minimize your pack's weight. If your little tripod is going to do just as good a job as your big tripod then why take up the extra room and added weight?

The above timelapse was taken using just a mini tripod (shown below):

So having a mini tripod is: light weight, small sized and handy.....but let me also warn you that having such a small compact piece of equipment near a cliff edge is VERY EASILY knocked over/off. So be careful and stay clear of it once you have set your time lapse up.

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Details for the above timelapse are as follows:


Location:                                  Yosemite National Park
Camera:                                    GoPro HDHERO2
Settings:                                   11 mp on .5 sec interval
Time of Arrival:                       5:30 am
Duration of Time Lapse:          1 hour 50 minutes
Number of shots in sequence:  11,875
Total size used:                         17.3 Gigabytes
Wind condition:                        Negligible
Temperature:                            15 to 18 degrees Celsius ( 59 - 64.5 degrees Fahrenheit)
Hiking time:                             10 mins from trail head
Lessons learned:                      Small tripods work just as effectively on the edge of cliffs/mountains as tall ones. Save yourself the weight and space and carry more food, water and clothing instead!

(click on the map to enlarge it)