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Got The Shot: Bali Wrecks And Muck Diving – Julian Cohen

Julian Cohen got some invaluable underwater photography tuition from photo pro Mike Veitch while in Bali. Here he describes how he got the shot for five of his best Bali pictures

This trip was to be a liveaboard on Citra Pelangi, run by Crystal Divers in Bali. At the time the professional dive photographer and writer Mike Veitch was the photo pro on the boat and I wanted to dive with him. Unfortunately the boat had a mechanical problem that scuppered the trip, however Minni Vangsgaard, the manager of Crystal Divers, reorganized the whole thing and each day Mike met me at my hotel and we went on day trips to Bali’s premier dive spots.

Crystal Bay for Mola Mola, (it took six dives to find one); Manta Point was forty five minutes of freezing cold staring into an empty sea as I am incredibly unlucky when it comes to seeing big things; Liberty wreck at Tulamben was magnificent; Seraya Reef at Tulamben was brilliant muck diving with harlequin shrimps and ornate ghost pipe fish. Mike was an excellent teacher and I learnt a great deal about camera technique and composition.

My rig for this trip was a Nikon D200 in a Subal housing with two Ikelite D-125 strobes.

Wreck, Bali
Wreck, Bali

1/40 at f5 ISO 100 Nikon 10.5mm – All Images Sizes on Flickr

The Liberty wreck at Tulamben is a magnificent dive site. Settled just off a stony beach the wreck lies in crystal clear water ranging from about 12m at the bow to 25m at the stern. This is one of what looks like the mast structures, which is totally encrusted in corals. It is just incredibly colourful. This wreck really is a must see.

Harlequin Shrimp, Bali
Harlequin Shrimp, Bali

1/125 at f22 ISO 100 Nikon 105mm – All Images Sizes on Flickr

I love these shrimp. In fact I love shrimp in general as they come in the most dazzling array of shapes, sizes and colours. The Harlequin was always the holy grail for me (now it is the bumble bee shrimp) as it is just the oddest looking animal, with its pincers that are so large and misshapen it is hard to tell what they actually are. There is a metal dome shaped structure on this site and the shrimp are in there in only 8m of water. Very easy to shoot and I spent a lot of time playing with angles and lighting.

Coral Wreck, Bali
Coral Wreck, Bali

1/50 at f6.3 ISO 100 Nikon 10.5mm – All Images Sizes on Flickr

This shot was one that Mike asked me to shoot. He did it as it is a test of how to balance the ambient light from the blue of the sea with correctly exposing the super structure of the wreck. There is no magic setting for this sort of thing. I use spot exposure to get the colour of the blue and then under expose that by 2/3rds of stop, sometimes a full stop. Always shoot then check the colour on your screen to see if it’s what you are looking for. Then adjust the strobes to give you the exposure for the close object. Every strobe is different and after a while you will know what is likely to be the right setting for your set up. I find that the strobe power I use is normally lower rather than higher. I can’t remember the last time I shot on full, but then I am lucky to be in Asia with clear seas and beautiful weather.

Big Mouth, Bali
Big Mouth, Bali

1/200 at f6.3 ISO 100 Nikon 105mm – All Images Sizes on Flickr

Shot at Seraya this was just a quick grab shot as I saw the fish opening its mouth to show an impressive array of teeth. I shot a lot on shallow depth of field on this trip and that has blurred the background nicely in this shot.

Yawning, Bali
Yawning, Bali

1/125 at f16 ISO 100 Nikon 105mm – All Images Sizes on Flickr

This was my first yawning shot. I had seen the behaviour a few times before but never been in a position to shoot it. I saw the fish yawning out of the corner of my eye and rushed over to grab a shot. As I settled in front he did it again. I have since found that this is often the case. Here’s a tip for you: with frogfish they will often yawn two or three times, with a short space in between. The last yawn will be a full on “monster from alien” one with the jaws extending to an unbelievable extent. I have been reliably informed that after a frogfish has been walking and settles into one spot, it will yawn. I have since tried this and it certainly worked for me, I hope it works for you!

See Julian’s complete Bali portfolio on Flickr



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Start Planning Your Indonesia Dive Trip Now!

:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in Indonesia and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to Indonesia - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver. You'll typically need to fly into Jakarta and then get a connecting flight to Sorong (SOQ) for Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (LBJ) for Komodo, Biak for Cenderawasih Bay (BIK) - but check with your liveaboard operator on optimum flights


:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials for your scuba diving trip with our comprehensive Liveaboard Packing List


:: Get dive and travel insurance for Indonesia from World Nomads - make sure you're covered above and below the water. World Nomads lets you buy insurance online quickly and easily.


:: Find available places to stay in Indonesia on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too. The Jakarta Airport Hotel, located in Terminal 2, is convenient for a transit stayover.


:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In Indonesia for ideas of where to go and what to do.


Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

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More Indonesia Diving Stories

  • Diving Raja Ampat – A Quick Guide
  • Raja Ampat to the Banda Islands Liveaboard Trip Report
  • Diving Triton Bay 2017
  • Triton Bay Whale Sharks
  • Indonesia’s Best Scuba Diving
  • Cenderawasih Bay
  • Raja Ampat
  • Komodo
  • Bali Scuba Diving
    • Menjangan Island
    • Liberty Wreck and Tulamben
  • Lembeh
  • Bangka
  • Kalimantan
  • Palau Weh
  • Banda Sea
    • Gunung Api
    • Ambon
    • Nusa Laut
    • Banda Islands
    • Banda Islands Land Tour
    • Manuk
  • Indonesia Liveaboards

Dive Happy Podcast

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  • Diving Tubbataha Reef Podcast
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  • Misool Eco Resort Podcast
  • Diving Palau Podcast
  • The Manta Rays Of Myanmar’s Black Rock Podcast
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  • Diving Bali Podcast
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  • Dive Happy Podcast Home Page

My Recent Dive Trips

  • June 2019: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • April 2019: Tulamben, Bali
  • December 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • December 2018: Anilao, Philippines
  • October 2018: Moalboal, Philippines
  • October 2018: Malapascua, Philippines
  • July 2018: Tulamben, Bali
  • June 2018: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • April 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • May 2017: Apo Island and Dumaguete, Philippines
  • April 2017: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
  • April 2017: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • March 2017: Triton Bay, Indonesia
  • March 2017: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
  • April 2015: Anilao at Crystal Dive Resort
  • March 2015: Myanmar and Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • May 2013: Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • April 2013: Tubbataha Reef on Discovery Palawan
  • January 2013: Komodo, Indonesia on MSY Damai

My Less Recent Dive Trips

  • August 2012: Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
  • April 2012: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • January 2012: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2011: Hanifaru, Maldives
  • June 2011: Tubbataha Liveaboard Hans Christian Andersen
  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
  • August 2008: Ocean Rover, Sulawesi Liveaboard
  • August 2008: NAD Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • June 2008: Koh Tao
  • March 2008: Maldives, Bandos Island
  • February 2008: MSY Seahorse, Raja Ampat Liveaboard
  • January 2008: MV Jazz, Burma Liveaboard
  • October 2007: Bali Dive Safari
  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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