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Beginners Portfolio Competition 2002
Winner - Jane Morgan
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My winning portfolio 2002
by Jane Morgan
I live in Teddington (about a
stone throw from Diver Mag!). I currently work for Crusader Travel
in
Twickenham, selling diving holidays! I am also a volunteer crew
member of Teddington Lifeboat Station (RNLI). I am living with my
boyfriend JP, who is also a diver (but more into video). I have been
diving for 13 years - have always had a love for the water, and
became a PADI Instructor in Feb 2000, then IAHD Instructor
(International Association of Handicapped Divers) in 2001 after
having worked with the Scuba Trust.
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I spent several months in 1998 working for Coral Cay
Conservation, first as a volunteer in Borneo, then as an Expedition
Leader in the Philippines, after which I felt there was something
missing from my diving - having been used to being so busy with things
to do whilst diving. It wasn't until April 2001, when we went on a Red
Sea Liveaboard that I took up photography.
Basically everybody else on board was a photographer, and I was
convinced to do the PADI speciality course.. well it was love at the
first shot. I returned with some reasonable results and very shortly
after, purchased a second hand Motormarine II. |
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enrolled on a Martin Edge Course early this year and learnt loads.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) the strobe of my MMII died on the
Saturday morning of the course, so I borrowed Martin's housing (he said
that there would be no going back, and he was right), so with a little
push from Martin, and JP running over with deals from Alan James at the
London Dive Show, I invested in a Nikon F90X, with a Sea and Sea
Housing, and haven't looked back. All of the pictures in the portfolio,
bar 1, were taken on my first trip after purchasing the camera in May
this year. I was lucky enough to have a month away, in Australia and
Komodo, with a few days in Bali at the end. |
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No.1. The grouper and cleaner shrimp were
taken in Tulamben, Bali, just off the beach from where we were
staying. Strangely, I did not expect many results from this film as I
had inadvertently switched my 60mm lens onto Focus Limit. I was very
lucky with this shot taken on F16, Aperture priority. This
image worked really well at the top left corner, in a diagonal
leading into the portfolio.
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No. 2. The Manta was taken in Komodo during
one of the few dives where I had taken my 20mm lens. The Manta
appeared, and came in to us twice, swooping over my head. The shot
was taken on Aperture priority, f8 or
F11.
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No. 3. The Scorpion Fish was taken on a night
dive in Komodo. He was an excellent subject, and allowed me to get
really close, again Aperture priority and f16
- F20 with a 60mm lens.
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No. 4. The Porcelain Crab in the purple
anemone was also taken in Komodo. It was at the end of a dive, and in
very shallow water with a very strong swell, so it took several shots
to get this one. Picture taken with 60mm lens, Aperture priority on
F16.
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No. 5. The Oceanic White Tip was taken in the
Southern Red Sea, in Gota Sharm. He had spent a couple of hours under
the boat, before we went for our afternoon dive. He didn't seem at
all disturbed by our presence, but just after this photo was taken,
he sailed straight over my head and took a dislike for my pony tail.
I did not see any of the action, as he was behind me, but apparently
his nose was between my pillar valve and head, and he was displaying
very erratic behaviour... Probably a good job I could not see what
was going on. He was beautifull, being about 1.5m. Like a puppy
growing into his paws, the shark was obviously growing into his fins!
Picture taken with 60mm lens, no strobes, on Aperture priority
and f11 - without strobes to avoid disturbing the subject
!
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No. 6. The anemone fish was taken in the
Coral Sea, Australia. It was late in the day and the amenone was
closed to feed, giving me an excellent chance to photograph its
family of anemone fish. Taken on F16, Aperature priority.
All the photos were taken with my F90X in the
Sea and Sea housing with a single 120 strobe. I have since invested
in another 90 strobe, and hope to be able to purchase a 105 lens next
year.
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BSoUP Beginners Portfolio
Competition
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