Videos from Thomas' Memorial Trip

2 videos from Thomas' Memorial Trip showing the placement of the plaque and mementos:

No self control = more toys on the way

I have jumped on the crazy underwater photography train and left the station. I just placed an order from the helpful folks at Reef Photo in Florida for two full sets of 5"x8" Ultralight arms and a BigBlue 5W LED aiming light. My stuff should arrive in a couple of weeks' time, giving me plenty of time before my Nov 26 trip to the Similans.

Pulau Aur Macro

I tested out my new 60 mm macro AF-S lens with 2 strobes, Ikelite DS-160 and DS-125. I tried shooting with all settings on manual for the first time. It was loads of fun but it became clear that the learning curve is going to be pretty steep. The macro lens is fantastic. I can't even begin to describe what an upgrade it is from the 18-55 mm kit lens. It has a close focusing distance of 2 inches, which makes capturing close ups of nudibranchs much easier. Marine life was pretty good this trip with several sightings of rare nudibranchs. I don't have photos of all of them because I got quite a few wacked exposures while experimenting with camera/strobe settings. By mid afternoon, it was getting darker and my camera was having some trouble autofocusing on subjects that were too close up. Next on the to buy list: aiming light.

Here are some photo highlights from the weekend. Full set of photos here.

Memorial Trip for Thomas

Last weekend, we did a trip to Pulau Aur on the MV Quest in memory of Thomas. The folks from Living Seas made a marble plaque with a poem written for Thomas. The first 2 dives of the day were used to scout for an appropriate place to lay the plaque. The third dive was dedicated to lowering the plaque to the sea bed and putting it in place. We then laid some parting gifts and said our goodbyes. It was an emotional dive, with some divers fighting tears. But an appropriate one given Thomas' love for the sea and the desire to to say goodbye in a significant way.

Rest in peace, Thomas.

Photos and video of the memorial dive to come later.