About Best of Bali with Martyn
Photo workshop in Bali
AlamBatu resort is one of the premier photo dive centres in Bali and they have hosted many well-known photographers over the years. They really know how to support photographers both in and out of the water. Martyn has been to Bali many times and has run lots of photography workshops for Scubatravel at various destinations along the quiet Tulamben, East coast, of this fantastic Island . "Bali is an amazing and very relaxed place. It is an enchanting location and the only predominantly Hindu Island in Indonesia with 87% of the population following Balinese Hinduism. This is definitely the island of the Gods and you will never meet more friendly and respectful people."
The reefs and sites along the Tulamben coast are some of the best with a wide diversity of subjects and scenes to photograph. I am really looking forward to going back.
Goals of the trip
he trip is planned for mainly macro photography, but with wide angle opportunities on some sites too. Martyn will provide hands on instruction on different techniques for all levels of photographer in order to help you create different and attention grabbing pictures. It does not matter what camera you have or what your experience or knowledge is. He will show you how to get the best out of your cameras. Instruction and critique will be given through evening presentations and image reviews and in the water instruction for those needing it. Martyn sets challenges each day to push those keen to improve their photography skills. Everyone should return home with a great portfolio of images.
Relaxed group processing on laptops is encouraged for those interested as this provides an excellent opportunity to learn new processing techniques and skills. This normally takes place in the evening before or after dinner around the bar. On some nights Martyn will do some live processing of your images on the big screen as part of the image review sessions to help you see how he and other members of the group approach post processing. Martyn says that he learned almost all of his Lightroom and Photoshop processing skills from photographic trips whilst sitting with other photographers in the evenings admiring their work and watching their processing over a drink or two.
Martyn's approach to teaching photography is very relaxed. "It is not a route march, and nothing is compulsory. Everyone can go at their own pace. Some people always want to do all the dives including a night dive or Black water, others only want to dive in the mornings and relax in the afternoon. It is your holiday after all." Martyn is a successful and well know photographer and is enthusiastic to help others with their photographic journey. Some of his previous guests have gone onto feature well in competitions and become a name in their own right, others have just been happy to mix with similar minded people who all enjoy underwater photography as a hobby in a relaxed safe and friendly environment.
All in package
The all in package includes full board meals plus you can also go to the spa & land tours as part of your package as well as guided boat or shore diving:
2 dives a day + 2 hours spa
3 dives a day + 1 hour spa
Half day land tour + 1 dive
Mix and match!
Marine life highlights
There are excellent macro subjects to photograph along the coast as well as Wide angle opportunities on the World-famous Liberty wreck which is situated close by and is a short 15 minute boat ride away.
The House reef is a veritable treasure trove. The mandatory check dive will be completed here, but it is also worth an afternoon dive in its own right. All sorts of Reef fish are present as well as Squat Lobsters, whip coral shrimps and gobies and even Xenon shrimps can be found if you look carefully. There are also resident Batfish swimming around and lots of Nudibranchs.
You will find amazing Nudibranchs on most sites as well as lots of Frogfish. Look out for Skeleton Shrimp and also their hairy Cousins, Shaun the Sheep and the famous Doti Bali or Donut Nudi. Anemone fish abound as well as mouth brooding Cardinal fish, blue ribbon eels, Leaf Scorpion Fish ( great for backlighting1), Marbled Morays and Harlequin and Tiger shrimps. We might even be lucky and find a Rhinopia!
You will hopefully see Gobies with eggs sitting tight on blue tunicates, Peacock Mantis shrimps with eggs, Anemone fish tending eggs and cardinal fish with eggs in their mouths. We are going to be right in the middle of the best fish breeding season. The guides will know what is best to see when we are there, and they love to show you their skills in finding weird and colourful subjects.
The Liberty wreck which was an American supply ship in WW2 and sunk by a Japanese torpedo is very close by. Following an earthquake in 1963 when it was shoved further up onto the beach, It now lies in shallow water reached from the beach and by boat and is teeming with life and hard and soft corals. "I like to go there either very early to get sun rise shots with beams of lights or later in the day when there are less divers to shoot fish portraits. This is a very easy and shallow dive and worth getting up early for Sometimes you are lucky and large shoals of fish appear over the wreck as an added bonus. I always manage to come away with a "keeper" shot or two. It is the most unlike heavy metal wreck dive I know. You can choose whether to shoot macro, or wide angle on the wreck both are very worthwhile although my favourite lens choice is a fisheye."
If you need a boost of colour. There are sites with soft corals and even sunken statues and schooling fish.
Who is this workshop suitable for
It is designed for photographers with some experience and who will probably be using housed DSLRs or mirrorless systems. You donot need to be a pro already but you will be looking to improve your images and you will definitely have the opportunity to brush up on your skills and learn some new ones. For example the trip will enable participants to learn from basic camera settings if required to macro and wide-angle lighting techniques including snooting and back lighting as well as mastering super macro. Everyone should be able to return home with a great and varied portfolio of images.
