On using the flash on the camera

I usually don't like to use the flash. It doesn't look right at all! But this little camera that I have now, it's either flash or no, for the whole dive. No long, scenery pictures, only close-ups with shadows and colors that don't look like what you see. Owell, in the future, no more flash! (maybe)

Also, I really dislike blasting everyone's sight. Just not nice.
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A little shrimp, a Banded Coral Shrimp. They are cleaners, meaning a fish will swim close, hold still in a pose, and the shrimp will examine the fish for parasites ( fleas and ticks??). The shrimp gets a meal, ugh, and the fish is healthier and happier.

The brown thing is a sponge, see the round hole on the right? A Brown Tube Sponge. There are tiny critters, Zoanthids, living with the sponge in the tiny excurrent holes, you can see their little wine colored tenticles. When I am asked how to tell what is that? I say, "Sponges have holes, corals have patterns". Which is generally true.

Food just floats around in the sea, so many creatures have tenticles, and other 'nets' to catch food, smaller creatures. I wouldn't run to the grocery store if I could just sit and grab a cheeseburger floating by! Maybe that's one thing about the popularity of drive-thru fast food joints. The food just floats into the mouth while one is sitting in the car! hahaha, I just thought of it that way. I generally avoid this sort of non nourishing fare.

A young Pillar Coral. Well, a bit growing into a larger coral from a piece that was knocked off in a hurricane. A really big Pillar Coral can be as big as a car. Looking like Disney castles. The tentacles are the shaggy looking covering. Get close and it looks like wheat waving in the breeze. I can't take good close-ups with this little camera, unless I'm very lucky, one clear image from dozens. I limited myself to only 147 shots this dive. Hours at the computer sorting them!

Ah! A worm! I'm not going to try to name this guy any better than that. There are many types, and each can be many colors. They're all beautiful. The feeding part that we see, anyway. When they sense that you're close, they instantly retract-- their 'feathers'-- into their tubes.

Another feather worm. This one looks like he/she wasn't quick enough to avoid a fish's nip..

Two, living under a crevas in the coral. I was lucky with these three photos, to sort of get these wily little guys in focus. I must have deleted fifty images!

Photographers often go nuts trying to get lenses and camera gear that lets them take pictures of ever smaller beasties. There must be dozens of smaller things of interest in this photo, but enlarging just gets smears.

And I'll close the post with a very happy looking Barrel Sponge! I need to print this out and pin it on the wall, it makes me smile. I kind of doubt sponges have emotions. But this guy is laughing, hey?

OK, Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!
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