Untamed Images Blog

A Chromodoris hintuanensis nudibranch, a type of sea slug, traverses the dark sands just offshore in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM at 100 mm, 1/200 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Here is one of my favorite nudibranch pictures from my trip to Indonesia last autumn. Before I started scuba diving I had no idea that slugs (of all things) could be the wellspring of so much beauty.

Nudibranch species are so numerous that English-language common names are eschewed to prevent confusion. Thus, for sea slugs Latin names (or binomial names) are relied upon exclusively. The species shown here is Chromodoris hintuanensis, which for me is both a challenge to remember, and to pronounce!

Attracted by high concentrations of plankton, large numbers of whale sharks congregate each summer in the waters off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. In turn, large numbers of underwater photographers are attracted by the opportunity to get close to the world's largest fish.

Canon EOS 5D, EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 20 mm, 1/100 sec at f/11, ISO 400

I captured the above photograph last summer on a trip specifically targeting whale sharks in the seas off the Yucatan Peninsula. The free-diving videographer in the image is Cristian Dimitrius, an award-winning nature photographer and filmmaker from Brazil.

He and I had both been working with this very cooperative shark for many minutes, but Cristian didn’t know he was included in my shot when I framed this photograph. His photogenic pose is, in fact, a completely candid moment. However, after countless hours in the water with his camera, Cristian typically looks poised and fluid while diving, making him an outstanding (if unsuspecting) model.

To see more whale shark images from the trip, click on this link: Whale Shark Gallery.

A Manta Ray makes a close pass at a dive site appropriately named "Manta Alley" within Komodo National Park.

Canon EOS 5D, EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 16mm, 1/250 sec at f/10, ISO 200, Dual Ikelite Substrobes

I have just published a new image gallery with photographs from my June trip to Komodo National Park in Indonesia. The primary objective of the trip was to photograph the beautiful reefs and diverse marine life of Komodo, but I also managed to capture a number of landscape images and portraits of local villagers that I think are worth sharing. Oh, and there are several photographs of the dreaded Komodo Dragon in the gallery, too!

Please click the following link to go to the gallery: Komodo Gallery

As always, I’m eager to hear your feedback.