We are very excited to announce the launch of a new Snorkel Venture website hosted by our friends at Fourth Element! In late 2019 and early 2020, we established a partnership with Fourth Element—the people who produce our Snorkel for Good Rashguards—and through that partnership, we came up with the idea of this joint website. This new website will by no means replace our current one, the intention behind it is to not only attract new snorkeling enthusiasts but also to act as a resource for snorkelers joining our trips. Fourth Element is one of the world's leading underwater gear and apparel manufactures, not to mention the fact that they have what they call their “Ocean Positive” line of gear, all of which is made from recycled materials. So, as I said, the idea behind the collaboration was to provide our snorkeling guests with a tried and tested brand of snorkeling gear that will not only last and be very comfortable, but also be eco-friendly. There are not too many options for snorkeling-specific gear, most manufacturers are solely focused on divers, but both Snorkel Venture and Fourth Element aim to change that. The site is very simple, there is a list of tours we run—not all of them are on there yet—and each tour has its own unique selection of Fourth-Element gear that know would work great for this particular tour. The site gives you a quick description of the water temperates as well as what you can expect from the weather. We've then hand-selected several items like wetsuits and or thermals that would suit the weather and water temperatures of this particular snorkel safari. There is of course a much larger list of Ocean Positive items that would also suit each tour, from things like water bottles, waterproof bags,
We are very excited to announce the launch of a new Snorkel Venture website hosted by our friends at Fourth Element! In late 2019 and early 2020, we established a partnership with Fourth Element—the people who produce our Snorkel for Good Rashguards—and through that partnership, we came up with the idea of this joint website.
What's the difference between Misool and Raja Ampat? Short answer, nothing. Though it often sounds like—when people or websites talk about Misool—they are talking about two different locations, when in reality Misool is just one of the regions of Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat is made up of four large islands—one of which is Misool—and hundreds-and-hundreds of much smaller islands. I think some of the confusion comes from the fact that Misool is just much further away from the other areas, so much so that it looks and feels like it's a completely different destination. If you were going to join a snorkeling safari with a liveaboard you will most likely spend about half the trip exploring and snorkeling around the islands of Misool, then sail north—about 8-12 hours or so—to explore some of the other areas of Raja Ampat, like the Fam Islands or the Dampier Strait. If you were to join a resort based snorkeling safari to Misool, you would take Misool Resort's speedboat from the main port—Sorong—down to Misool and spend the entirety of the snorkeling safari exploring the Misool area from the comfort of this stunning resort, which also happens to be the only resort in Misool. So there you have it, mystery solved, Misool is actually just one area of Raja Ampat!
What’s the difference between Misool and Raja Ampat? Short answer, nothing. Though it often sounds like—when people or websites talk about Misool—they are talking about two different locations, when in reality Misool is just one of the regions of Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat is made up of four large islands—one of which is Misool—and hundreds-and-hundreds
I don't feel like I'm going out on a limb here when I say that snorkelers love fish, reef fish in particular. Given the affordability of underwater cameras nowadays, we've found that our guests absolutely loooooove to take photos of reef fish while on our snorkel safari. The thing is though, as much as they love taking photos of reef fish, many times the guests just aren't satisfied with their photos. Having run numerous Snorkel Venture snorkeling safaris with our camera-happy guests and having helped many realize and avoid many of the common pitfalls guests run into while photographing reef fish, I'd like to break down some of the elements that make up a really great reef fish photo. Subject is in Focus This is arguably one of the most important elements to any photo, if it's out of focus it just doesn't work no matter what. Eye Contact Eye contact is really what draws the viewer in, it's part of what give an image “life.” Visually Interesting Subject This is not a super important thing to focus on, but it does help. Don't get bogged down at finding the most rare and flamboyant creatures to photograph because you'll no doubt many other great subjects. Subject Fills at least 1/3 of the Frame This rule can be broken if you've framed the subject right and found a complementary background, but it's a good rule to follow as a subject that's just too small in the frame is not likely to grab the attention of the viewer. Pleasing Composition There is a lot of room for artistic interpretation here, obviously, but when you're first starting out it's a good idea to start with the basics and follow the Rule of Thirds and allow for your subject to have enough “look room”
I don’t feel like I’m going out on a limb here when I say that snorkelers love fish, reef fish in particular. Given the affordability of underwater cameras nowadays, we’ve found that our guests absolutely loooooove to take photos of reef fish while on our snorkel safari. The thing is though, as much as they
Bali is one of the world's most iconic destinations when it comes to exotic locations. This small tropical island nestled amongst the thousands of other islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago seems to have no end when it comes to unique things to do. From sunrise volcano treks, walks through intricately terraced rice fields, monkey forests, cooking courses, waterfalls, more shopping than you could possibly fit in a lifetime, sacred temples, and miles of coastline that ranges from black and white sand beaches to steep cliffs with breathtaking views. This is of course without acknowledging Bali's unique Hindu culture, its warm and welcoming people, and the stylish villas and bungalows that can cost little more than the price of a large pizza back home. Land Excursion Options Batur Volcano Sunrise Trek Climbing to Batur Voclanoe's crater rim is an epic journey that usually starts with a very early wake up around 3 am—depending on where you're departing from. You'll be shuttled to the base of the volcano where you'll begin the trek around 4 am. You'll have a guide who will lead up up the well-maintained trail to the top. As far as volcano treks go it's not particularly difficult, though it is a solid hour to one-and-a-half hour trek uphill. Upon arrival at the top, you'll be handed a boiled egg and a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate just before the sun makes its way over the sprawling horizon. You will quite literally be above the clouds, and as they drift beneath you bathed in colors you'd only ever see in cotton candy they open up incredible views of the sea, lake Batur, more volcanoes, and deep into the crater below you. It's really a jaw-dropping experience and well worth the early departure. Rice Field
Bali is one of the world’s most iconic destinations when it comes to exotic locations. This small tropical island nestled amongst the thousands of other islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago seems to have no end when it comes to unique things to do. From sunrise volcano treks, walks through intricately terraced rice fields,
What is a wide-angle lens? Wide-angle generally reefers to the photographer using a lens or a lens adapter that either goes onto the camera itself or mounts on the housing and will significantly increase the field of view beyond what the human eye can see. How wide is a wide-angle lens? A wide-angle lens will generally be anywhere from 120-180 degrees. The red line indicates what a standard lens on a compact camera will capture. If I zoom all the way out with my compact camera will I be shooting wide-angle? Most likely no, unless you are using a Go-Pro or another action-cam type of camera. Most compact cameras will have a lens that's somewhere between 70-90 degrees. How do I know how wide my lens is? All lenses, whether it's on a compact camera or the interchangeable type will give you a number referencing its focal length in milometers. For example, the lens of the Olympus TG-6 has a focal length of 25-100mm. Basically, the smaller the number the wider the lens. Generally, you want your lens to be somewhere around 16mm, this will provide you with the best wide-angle results underwater. Can I buy an adapter for my camera to make it wide-angle? Yes, most compact cameras now as well as mirrorless cameras have wide-angle adapters that you can put either directly on the camera or housing. Backscatter is an awesome underwater camera shop in California and their website is an excellent source for finding out what wide-angle lens options your camera has. What's a wide-angle wet lens? Basically, it's what I just explained above. It's what “they” call an adapter lens that goes on the housing. Water will flow freely between the housing's flat glass port and the backend of the adapter lens. A DSLR or mirrorless
What is a wide-angle lens? Wide-angle generally reefers to the photographer using a lens or a lens adapter that either goes onto the camera itself or mounts on the housing and will significantly increase the field of view beyond what the human eye can see. How wide is a wide-angle lens? A wide-angle lens will
