I love the intimacy that only a close-up, macro lens can provide. Tight portraits of small subjects reveal a delicate world that is often endearing and helps connect viewers in a way that is both unique and compelling. Over the years, I have experimented heavily with macro photography, revisiting natural effects like bubble bokeh and barrel distortions, creating motion blur, colorizing, and more. As a result, I was labeled "Unhinged," which was one of the greatest left-handed compliments I’ve ever received. Despite the challenges that style of shooting might bring, I still find the most significant test and challenge in capturing something exactly as we see it. 

A curious Blenny gives me the side eye. Nikon F, 105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º

I’ve long been fascinated by what it must look like from the critter's point of view. A vast open world to explore, mate, feed, and basically survive. 

I also love the way a wide-angle lens can tell a story. A wide-angle lens can provide an inclusive overview of a reef, big animals, wrecks, or scenes that need zero explanation to communicate, drawing the viewer into the experience. Here, we see the texture of the habitat, shadows, and even natural light all playing essential roles in the image.

When we examine both shooting styles, we find a notable middle ground between them. Although many have attempted to bridge the gap between macro and wide-angle photography, the outcomes have often fallen short of capturing the true essence of both styles in a single frame.  

Frogfish and Diver, Nikon F, 105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º

The “Close Focus Wide Angle” style combines two styles, and when executed correctly, it can offer a well-framed glimpse of our subject within an endless world.

When we approach CFWA from a broad perspective, we often miss the mark because of both our equipment and our mindset. We start by gearing up and going in with a wide-angle focus, then look for smaller subjects to frame up close. While this approach can sometimes work, it often leads to disappointing results. The main subject gets lost in the frame, and the wide-angle perspective suffers as well. The frustration mainly comes from the gear and port setup. Sure, most wide-angle lenses allow focusing right on the port, but maneuvering the port into a tight position is nearly impossible. This affects composition, lighting, and continuity. 

Nudibranch and diver, Nikon F105mm + Nauticam 160º

For years, the go-to setup for APSC shooters was the Tokina 10-17 with a 1.4x Teleconverter. When used behind a small port like the Zen Mini Dome, it was quite effective and enjoyable. However, shot selection remained very important, and getting the port close enough still posed a challenge.  

Lacy Rhinopias and diver Nikon F105 + EMWL 160º

Recently, the engineers at Nauticam developed an idea to address the gap between Close Focus and Wide Angle, combining the two in a seamless way that opens up new possibilities. For a photographer with thousands of hours of macro shooting, this is more than a breakthrough. It allows precise focus on macro details while maintaining a broad, open background or habitat—creating a unique perspective. Think CF - WA, starting with Close Focus, then adding Wide Angle, and the style begins to stand out

After a few dives with the new lens, I was excited to get back in the water quickly and try to find something else to test the lens on.

Peak of the action! Nikon F105mm + Nauticam EMWL 160º

How it works - The lens setup is a wet conversion lens, meaning it must be immersed in water to function properly. It is divided into three separate modules: the focus unit at the base, the relay portion which flips the image, and the objective lens itself. I prefer to use the relay lens and 40º viewfinder over a monitor, but removing the relay is also an option. Nauticam also introduced the "Reverse Viewfinder" which flips the image in the same way the relay lens does, except within the viewfinder. For me, this is by far the best option, adding back the organic feel of diving with a standard macro lens.

Larger than life- The CFWA angle of smaller critters creates a unique perspective Nikon F105+EMWL 160º

I'm shooting with a Nikon Z8 using the Nikon F-mount 105mm lens. The entire lens system measures about 12 inches (30 cm) in length and attaches via bayonet to my macro port. It can be a bit front-heavy.

However, floats can be used to offset weight and provide buoyancy. I’ve also wrapped a thick rubber band around the lens to prevent it from scraping the reef or corals. This is very close work, so careful attention and precautions for both the environment and gear are important.

Creative lighting adds yet another dimension to an already unique composition. Nikon F105mm + EMWL160º

Lighting and optics:

At first, it was hard to break the old way of thinking wide angle first, but once I shifted my focus to close-up macro, I started to see results.

What surprised me the most is the final push of nearness with the lens, which creates a perspective close to 3D. Like super macro, there is a point where the perspective shifts slightly at the closest working distance. The same effect is seen through the optics of the 160 lens, resulting in a point of view with deep compositions that shows what the subject might see. 

Nikon F105mm + EMWL100º

F105mm + EMWL 160º

Pushing the limits as far as possible, I haven't found any boundaries to what can be achieved in this space. Like in any form of photography, lighting and creative lighting remain constant challenges. The wide lens angle makes it easy to pick up backscatter, but because of the lens's

A world building POV of an Anenome fish aereating its eggs Nikon 105mm+EMWL-160º

length, there's also a natural level of forgiveness. In fact, using a single strobe is often more effective than dual strobes in mitigating backscatter.


                                    

Macro to the glsss gives a natural 1:1 reproduction of the same Nemo eggs as above. Nikon F105mm+EMWL 160º

Macro in the front, wide-angle in the back; the feel is similar to a +5 macro diopter with wide-angle capabilities. Creating a layered effect is the best way I can describe the thought process behind shooting true CF-WA. Stopping down too much cuts off ambient light, so boosted ISO and slower shutter speeds often come into play to keep a natural background.

Goby with backlit bottle and natural light Nikon F105mm + EMWL 160º

A candy cane sea cucumber and emperor shrimp Nikon F105mm + EMWL 100º

Overall, the EMWL system is easy to use and yields superb-quality images while offering unique compositional styles.

 

"The Blackwater World"
Aquarium of the Pacific, First Wednesday lecture series

A posing female blanket octopus posing for my camera

Champsodon sp. was just one of the fascinating creatures featured during my talk

I loved showing the audience just how large things can be while explaining that most planktons are tiny.

Happy homecoming

Ive long said, “special subjects require special lighting” and the past dive season in Anilao certainly dished up some special critters.
Upon my return to the resort in October of 2021, we immediately geared up and started diving. We dove 25 days straight, night and day, looking for critters, enjoying the water and drifting in the bay at night doing blackwater dives and working on my soon to be released book.

October is an interesting part of the year to dive in Anilao. The main portion of the rainy season is behind us, the water is warm and for the most part, glassy calm. Critters are a bit deeper due to the inclement weather and water temps being so warm, yet there are still a lot of things to see, particularly in the water column. 

Our first larval fish drop of the season occurs during this time frame, so blackwater dives are also great! 

Tongue sole

Vibrant Beatriz reef

Exploring the reefs by day and drifting by night, after the long hiatus of being away, the return to Anilao was and is always intoxicating.

Male Argonaut hians on a Jellyfish The male Argo uses his 7th arm to reproduce, the bulge in the photo is that arm (hectocotylus) all charged up and ready to fire.

Female Argonaut hians, carrying a stick

Surprisingly, we also had male and female Argonauts on the first few nights. The males were at their largest and the females were looking for mates. This stunning female was still fast despite her carrying this giant stick, crazy argo!

Glad and a turtle on Crystal Blue's House reef

Backlit Harlequin Ghostpipefish

Coconut was also rebounding from the typhoon that occurred 4 years ago, its nice to see some of our prime dive sites coming back online for guests to enjoy. Subjects like these Ghostpipefish make great photo ops for guests and with a little special backlighting, they glow!

A very small Nembrotha

Of course what post would be complete without at least 1 (or 2) slug shots from the Nudibranch capitol of the world. 

Caprelid dancing on stage Although this shot was taken much further into the dive season, I couldn't resist posting. All shots taken with my: Nikon D850 | 105mm for macro, 60mm for blackwater and 15mm sigma for wide angle | 2 YSD2 mark II strobes or Retro pro strobes and Backscatter mini flash and snoot. Diving in Anilao is great nearly year round, come out and enjoy the Anilao area and let us show you around. You can come alone, with friends or join workshop to learn new photo techniques or to work on some old ones. Our Critterfest workshops have opening in January 2023. send me. note or an e-mail for more information . Mike@DiveCBR.com

The Blanket octopus is one of those animals that legends could be made of. Imagine being at sea hundreds of years ago fishing day and night, fighting the elements, battling giant fish and encountering large sea faring animals without knowing what they are. I think of this whenever I read about "sea monsters" or giant krakens that have taken down ships and drowning the entire crew. Is it all fish tales by drunken fishermen or is it possible that some of these stories actually have roots in reality, regardless of the rum. After my first encounter with a full sized female blanket octopus, I was told such a story exists about a giant octopus type creature that lives in the Balayan bay. Oddly enough, this giant creature was told to exist in roughly the same area that we had our once in a lifetime experience. Having that encounter and considering what these early fishermen experienced is enough for me to draw a direct line to connect the dots from the present to the past and to realize, these are the creatures that legends are made of.

The Blanket Octopus is perhaps one of the most mysterious sea creatures of all times. They are a pelagic octopus that live their entire lifecycle in the open ocean which not only make’s them hard to find, but even harder to study. Much of what I know about them and the information presented here is gleaned from books, the internet, and further formed by personal observations from having multiple personal encounters with them. What i have learned is that the Blanket octopus is a complex animal with intriguing behaviors which range from the way they mate and reproduce to hunting strategies and defense. One thing is for sure, nothing can truly prepare you for the moment you encounter one of these incredible sea creatures.

Small Male Blanket Octopus

My first encounter with a fully grown female Blanket Octopus was truly an unforgettable experience that was instantly seared into my memory as if it happened a few hours ago. It was late in the evening, the water was cold and I was the last diver in the water. We had guests visiting from Belgium that wanted to experience blackwater diving but sadly on this night, the dive was rather slow. As I was finning back to the downline i saw a huge shadow pass cross our strand of lights. At first, i thought it was a massive jellyfish, then as i got a bit closer it looked like a fat ray of some kind. Preparing for the shot as I finned towards it, the details of this large mystery creature began taking shape. Suddenly, It turned towards me and quickly closed the gap between us. The first thing I noticed was it's basketball sized head and coloration's of white and pink. It had black golf ball sized eyes that were deepset and seemed to be looking straight at me as it nearly ran me over. It was then, at that exact moment that I overwhelmingly knew what I was looking at, this bizarre sea creature is a giant blanket octopus! 

Its at moments like these that I hear the words of my mentor, Joe Liburdi screaming in my head, "Chance of a lifetime, don't F*** it up" and I had every intention not too.

A fully grown female Blanket Octopus with eggs ( T. gracilis)

When your shooting with a 60mm lens in this circumstance the only thing to do is "BTFU" so I began finning backwards to put some space between me and the monster occy, but it kept coming straight towards me. I did everything i could to get a shot, any shot. No one would believe me if i only came back with a story.  As I was struggling to photograph this beast, I was continuously shining my powerful hand torch towards the surface hoping one of my guests would see the commotion and jump back in. Realizing that the octopus was as curious of me, as I was of it,  I began to relax and observe it   casually orbiting our lit downline. Finally, I saw lights from my buddy coming down from the surface   and the two of us had our first experience of a lifetime, together with this incredible beautiful creature.

A female blanket Octopus can reach 6 plus feet in size without opening its blanket. **

The encounter ended only when the flood light on my camera began to blink red which now turned this once in a lifetime encounter into a rescue mission to save the evidence. We lumbered back onto the boat stunned, giddy and crazy with adrenaline as we shared our experience with the other's on the boat who were now all kicking themselves for not joining. Later that night and only after downloading the images, i realized that our “blanky" was obviously a female as she was also carrying eggs. WOW! i yelled, Oh my god, this is *#*# insane!. It was 3:00am and im sure i woke up the entire resort!

The Blanket Octopus Contains 4 known species:

1 T. gelatus-a gelatinous deep water Tremoctopus, cosmopolitan and found in tropical and temperate waters

2 T. robsoni-Known from the waters off of New Zealand

3 T. gracilis-Palmate octopus-Found in the Indo-Pacific Region **

4 T. violaceus, violet colored- Lives in the Atlantic

The four different octopus can be found in almost all of the planets oceans but each inhabit a different region, sans the polar regions. Their lifecycle can last up to 5 years and have been observed hunting in the same area for an extended period of time. Being a pelagic animal means they don’t make a burrow in the sand or create a home like other octopuses do. These Octopus mate, hunt, feed and thrive in the open ocean and can roam from the depths of the dark zone to the surface, truly master’s of their domain.

Over the last few year,  I’ve been lucky enough to have multiple encounters with the Male’s and Females and have also been lucky enough to come away with a few decent photos. To have these kinds of encounters requires a willingness to stay out all night on the sea along with a huge scoop of luck.

                                    A Male Blanket Octopus, about the size of a garden pea, fully grown!

Unique in appearance and unique in behavior the Tremoctopus are immune to the deadly nematocysts of many cnidarians including the Man O’war jellyfish. It is reported that juvenile Tremoctpus rip the stinging tentacles from the jellyfish then holds them with their lateral arms, whipping them about to sting their prey and perhaps to protect themselves. Many photos show the trailing tentacles and clearly illustrate that this is indeed a common behavior. Oddly enough, we don’t have a population of Man O’war jellyfish in our bay which leads me to assume that they aren’t selective and will use the tentacles of any venomous jellyfish. 

A female Blanket towing cnidarians tentacles of some kind

The sexual behavior is also quite interesting. The male of the species exhibits the highest degree of sexual dimorphism yet to be discovered. The female can measure up to 2 meters in length while the males only reach a size of  2 centimeters, size and weight ratios differ as much as 10,000 times. Male Tremoctopus use a specialized arm called the hectocotylus like other male octopus which contains its sperm pack. The male only needs to touch the female with this specialized arm as it instantly sticks  then snaps off, perhaps without her even knowing. The arm then creeps down or somehow finds its way into the ovum of the female where she crushes it, releasing the sperm and fertilizing her eggs when the time is right. Hatching is intermittent.

The male, like other octopus having completed his life’s work, now dies. However the female still has a long life ahead, brooding and caring for her eggs until she finally dies from starvation much like other Octopus. Research says the eggs are kept in a “sausage shaped calcareous secretion” but i couldn'tmake that out from my photos.

Rocky, the flying squirrel !

The Tremoctopus gets is common name from the blanket that it can quickly unfurl and retract. When fully extended they resemble “Rocky, the flying squirrel” and fly through the water in much the same manner. The texture of the blanket looks like an exaggerated version of the webbing that a common octopus has and uses to web over their prey when hunting. However, these guys deploy the blanket to make themselves look bigger and perhaps to hunt and catch crustaceans or other cephalopods like the paper nautilus. The thin membrane is colorful and ocellated much like the feathers of a peacock with a pink, purple-green hue.

Other cool facts:

• They can also detach their webbing to ensnare a would be predator or to evade as well as ink.  
• The web is attached to the 3rd and 6th arms of the female, palmated by the 4th and 5th arm.
• They will snap their arms outward repeatedly, tightening the blanket as it moves through the water.

Most extreme example of sexual dimorphism in nature, yet to be discovered

Male Blankets might be small, but they are mighty and have a complicated relationship with the female. Its also reported that she might not even know when she mated as the sperm loaded arm from the male, snaps off after making contact with the female then finds its own way to the holy grail. If you think about this a little, it makes sense. The female, being so large can glide through the water making contact with multiple males while she is fertile,  increasing the odds of a higher rate of fertilized eggs. 

A female Blanket, hunting at the surface in the Balayan bay

Blanket Octopus Movie

 

Like a said above, there is nothing quite like encountering one of these majestic animals in the wild and i'm looking forward to learning more about these incredible creatures. The Blanket Octopus is nothing short of incredible!

All images were shot with Nikon D500 and D850|60mm lens|Sea and Sea Strobes, Housing and Ports| Kraken Sports downline and torches | ultralight clamps

Video shot with

Nikon D850|60mm + Kraken wide angle conversion lens| Kraken 12k torches

Now get out there and have an adventure!

Mike Bartick

 

 From time to time I'm asked to share my experiences with dive clubs or conventions, even schools. Its such an honor for me and at the same time, I feel that sharing my work with others not only completes part of the circle but is my responsibility. Advocating for the ocean and inspiring others to dive through my work is really the pinnacle of what I do.

Please click on the link below to see the talk, its a bit long so relax, grab a drink and enjoy. At the end there is a short QnA. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and ill be more than happy to answer. 

Disclaimer: I am not a scientist and am self taught. If there are mistakes or if I've misidentified any subjects, be kind and email me so I can learn more.

Also please visit the blackwater photo group on Facebook for your daily feed of plankton!

Marine County dive club-August 2021

Enjoy!

A Friday phone call from a friend had me packing my gear and heading to the oil rigs on Saturday morning. I could never pass on the chance to dive the rigs! 

Testing new gear is always fun, especially when it works. Today I had a chance to test the new cutout clamps from ultralight, The new 8K torch from Kraken Sports and the new Sea and Sea YS-D3 Mark 2 strobes.

The local oil platforms in Socal. Ellen, Elly and Eureka, regarded as "The Rigs" to local divers, are active, oil producing and processing facilities just a few miles offshore in the San Pedro escarpment. The Pillars, beams and crossmembers that supports these bohemoth megastructures have become an incredible habitat for fish, sea lions and other marine life. From the waterline the rigs are all business. Loud with banging and hissing, pipes banging, catwalks, burn off valves with flames, truly an un-natural and industrial site above water.

Map of the oil platforms in the Southern California area

All of the dives are performed live with the boat backing as close as possible allowing divers to jump in and swim into the underbelly of the beast. The industrial noises are joined by barking sea lions which you can hear once the boat is close enough.

Ellen and Elly are an oasis in a desert of open water

Swells rise and fall around the pilings creating vertical surge as well as horizontal, the constant movement around the pilings can make for a tough dive so be ready for a rodeo.

Rows of bit guides

Man and industry put the rigs here but nature is trying to claim them with growth of all different varieties. The platforms are somewhat antiquated and many are scheduled for removal but what then? The argument being that the benefit of leaving the structures in place far outweighs those of removing them. One look at these structures underwater and its easy to see that it might be better to leave them. 

Colorful cup corals

Underwater the hardscape of the rigs are alive and thriving with life. Often surgy, the current moves through the rigs carrying all kinds of organisms that sticks to the supports under the structure. The growth recruits more animals, creating a thriving secondary habitat for wildlife. Cup corals, muscles, scallops, giant sea stars and anemones, even colorful brittle stars, carpet everything. Like an oasis in the open ocean, these man made structures are vertical reefs pushing up from the deep providing shelter for rockfish and more.

Colorful Anemone's and brittle stars

A bright orange Damsel fish, caring for her eggs

I prefer to shoot wide angle on the rigs. Yes, there is plenty of macro to shoot here but the story is best told with wide angle photography. Im using my tried and trusted wide angle conversion lens to cover both bases, just in-case. 

For years, i've wanted to visit Cozumel but was discouraged by the mixed reports of the lack of macro subjects and strictly drift diving and that it's not really for seasoned divers. Fortunately, after being encouraged by a friend and having had both vaccination jabs, i decided to hop down from So-Cal and check it out for myself. What I found was clean blue water, colorful reef's, great macro and a fun filled community of divers!

The island of Cozumel in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo is in the Caribbean sea, across the channel from Mainland Mexico's Playa Del Carmen on the Yucatan peninsula. Its a small island with a small town feel, great restaurant's and many ex-pat locals that call Cozumel home. The people are warm and friendly and there are also some great dive operations and guides. Not just "fun dive" dive- guides either but serious macro guides that know there stuff. 

Getting here was easy too. I flew from LAX with quick connectors through Dallas, right to the island. The water is 84º in May with the lowest temps of 78º'ish in January, so warm most of the year. The water color is a truly beautiful mix of cobalt and powder blue, reefs bright and punchy with fans and sponges and a topography of cuts, caverns, walls, pinnacles and even a few wrecks, and yes, there's is some great macro to be had as well. 

SI at a local beach

A diver passing one of the many cracks you can explore around the Columbia reef system

One thing about diving in Cozumel is that there are alot of divers here with all different skill levels. If your a photographer i suggest finding a nice place and then wait for a few minutes, a diver is sure to pass by and make for a great set up if you don't have a model.

The reefs are stunning and full of color. The reef systems are well managed by the government and the guides watch after them too. All dives are live drop, so no anchors are thrown onto the reefs. As a result, there are massive sponges, healthy sea fans and corals.  

Palancar reef system

The prevailing current turns most dives into drift dives. We had gentle currents for most of the trip pushing us along the sprawling reefs, im not a drift dive kind of guy but can appreciate the benefit of constantly moving water. The current keeps the reefs bright, vibrant and full of life which is easy to see as you drift through the vast beauty of the protected dive park area.

DM-Miguel, exploring a small swim through

Using the domed diffusers of the new Sea and Sea YSD-3 strobes added to the beam spread of the strobe flash. The light was easy to manage and really bumped up my shooting experience. I can honestly say that the YSD-3 is like shooting with the 250-pros sans the weight and bulkiness. 

A Yellow Faced Pike Blenny flaring in an aggressive posture

Spiny Cheek Blenny

One of the wrecks at 2-boats

The Bat Cave We dove the "Dos Ojos" cave complex that runs two separate circuits, the "Bat Cave" and "The Barbie line". Both were perfect for the day trip and for our skills as a group. The hardest part of diving the Cenotes was getting there and is definitely worth checking out.

The Barbie line

Worlds best model-Gladys passing stalactites on the Barbie Line circuit

Larval lionfish