What Is A Split Shot? Also Known As A Half-half Or An Over-under Shot? Well, in the world of underwater photography, technically they’re a way to show the above world and the immediate underwater, all at once, and they’re a really fun way to let the viewer know what it is we do, all captured in the one image. A picture where the topside of the picture and the land or seascape is visible, but the bottom half of the view is the underwater reef scene. As travellers with Snorkel Venture, we’re very lucky to visit some of the most beautiful tropical paradises in the world. And I’ve always been fond of taking shots that show the viewer exactly what it is we do and where, so what better way than a split shot? It’s like two for the price of one click of the shutter. And the great news is that they’re easier and much less expensive to achieve than you may think. The Necessary Kit And Equipment. Being an underwater photographer, also teaching underwater photography workshops alongside my job as a Snorkel Venture guide, has meant that I have amassed a lot of expensive underwater photo kit over the years. My bigger camera, lenses, housing, and strobes come to more than $15-20K, and it allows me to do some extraordinary things with it, but aside from the price, it’s huge and costly to travel with. So it was a revelation that when I started doing more of the Snorkel Venture trips, I could leave it all at home and instead use exactly what the majority of our SV clients use, and that was, in the main either GoPros or similar or the seemingly ubiquitous Olympus Tough range, currently the Olympus TG7. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at
What Is A Split Shot? Also Known As A Half-half Or An Over-under Shot? Well, in the world of underwater photography, technically they’re a way to show the above world and the immediate underwater, all at once, and they’re a really fun way to let the viewer know what it is we do, all captured
If you’re considering a Raja Ampat Snorkeling Tour, your mind is in the right place. There’s no place quite like Raja Ampat in the world. It’s the epicenter for marine life biodiversity; as such, you’ll find that over the course of your snorkel tour you will have snorkeled over and alongside more species of reef and fish than anywhere else in the world! All of this underwater awesomeness is only complemented by the surreal topside beauty that Raja Ampat has also become famous for! Before you book your Raja Ampat snorkel tour, though, there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration; for example, it’s a good idea to understand just how massive Raja Ampat is—approximately 46,000 square kilometers or 29,000 square miles—with the north and south offering very different snorkeling experiences. You’ll also want to decide how you’d like to snorkel in Raja Ampat, by which I mean: would you rather do so from a snorkel liveaboard or from a snorkel resort, which again will impact your final decision. If this all seems a bit more decision-making than you expected, not to worry, we’re going to break down all these different aspects so you can be sure you’ve made the correct decision for your next Raja Ampat snorkeling tour. The North of Raja Ampat - Dampier Strait and Fam Islands Where snorkeling is concerned, the north tends to offer a bit more diversity when it comes to types of snorkeling sites. You of course the have the iconic limestone islands characteristic of Raja Ampat with their classic mushroom shape, but you also have stunning mangroves that seem to grow right out of the reefs in clear blue water, a few places where mantas come to feed and clean, and several different villages whose large wooden piers or
If you’re considering a Raja Ampat Snorkeling Tour, your mind is in the right place. There’s no place quite like Raja Ampat in the world. It’s the epicenter for marine life biodiversity; as such, you’ll find that over the course of your snorkel tour you will have snorkeled over and alongside more species of reef
Hi everyone! I’m Emma, and I manage the freediving program at Snorkel Venture. I’ve just got back from leading another unforgettable shallow water freediving workshop in Belize, and wanted to share with you all what happens on one of these trips, and how the skills you learn can improve your snorkeling experiences in the water. I’ve taught thousands of people to freedive over the course of the last twenty-five years, and some of the biggest myths I’ve come across are that freediving is all about ‘going deep’, holding your breath for a seemingly inhuman amount of time, and that it’s a pastime only suitable for the young and athletic. That may be what the TV and the internet tell us, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Most life is in the top few feet of the ocean, and most people learn freediving skills in order to better see or photograph it. My most unforgettable freediving experiences have been at depths of less than twenty feet, and a typical dive is less than a minute in duration. I’ve taught Paralympians and non-athletes with severe physical challenges to freedive, and age is never a barrier! Annabel Briseno was a grandmother in her fifties when she started freediving, and she went on to break three world records. I developed the shallow water freediving program specifically for Snorkel Venture guests. It’s an opportunity for you to learn freediving skills at your own pace, with a focus on real-world snorkeling application, and there’s never any pressure (pun intended) to do anything. At the heart of my approach is that freediving is an individual journey, which you will discover is more about what’s going on in your head than in your body. My role is to support you and ensure you feel safe to
Hi everyone! I’m Emma, and I manage the freediving program at Snorkel Venture. I’ve just got back from leading another unforgettable shallow water freediving workshop in Belize, and wanted to share with you all what happens on one of these trips, and how the skills you learn can improve your snorkeling experiences in the water.
Bali, Indonesia’s renowned island paradise, is celebrated worldwide for its vibrant culture, affordable villas, and lush landscapes. As of late, Bali has really made its way to the top of the list as a top destination for travelers seeking a tropical getaway. However, when it comes to snorkeling, Bali might not be the most ideal place for a quintessential tropical snorkeling experience. While it offers some snorkeling opportunities, there are certain challenges that make it less ideal for underwater enthusiasts seeking pristine reefs and abundant marine life. One of the main issues with snorkeling in Bali is the rocky shorelines that snorkelers must first traverse to reach the sites. Places like Amed and Tulamben in the north of Bali are some of the only places where snorkeling can be reasonable, while interesting enough, these areas have a volcanic history, and as such, they have rough, rocky beaches that can make entering the water tricky and potentially dangerous for snorkelers. Additionally, the coral reefs tend to be less shallow and extensive than those found in other tropical destinations, limiting the diversity and visibility of marine life close to shore. A typical reef in the north of Bali will start at about four to five meters of depth, with sparse coral coverage. Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Penida just off the coast of Bali are well-known snorkeling spots. Here, visitors can spot manta rays, colorful fish, and fields of vibrant corals, but the crowds of snorkelers and divers can detract from the overall experience. Not to mention the large swells and cold water found around Nusa Penida, where the mantas congregate. Despite these limitations to snorkelers, Bali remains an excellent hub for travelers planning to explore Indonesia’s world-renowned marine biodiversity. It serves as a convenient starting point for longer underwater adventures to places
Bali, Indonesia’s renowned island paradise, is celebrated worldwide for its vibrant culture, affordable villas, and lush landscapes. As of late, Bali has really made its way to the top of the list as a top destination for travelers seeking a tropical getaway. However, when it comes to snorkeling, Bali might not be the most ideal
French Polynesia is a French territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which is made up of five archipelagos: the Society Islands, Tuamotos, Marquesas, Gambier, and the Australs. All Islands combined, there are over one hundred. Tahiti is the largest island and hosts the capital city, Papeete, in the northwest. Bora-Bora is also part of French Polynesia and probably one of the most well-known islands—aside from Tahiti—as it's a very popular place to honeymoon, though neither is that great for snorkeling. That being said, we know where the great snorkeling is and we're running tours there! We've been running tours to French Polynesia for a few years now, and it's been a huge hit with the guests. We actually just launched our 2027 French Polynesia tour dates, and the first tour sold out in a matter of days! Our French Polynesia snorkeling tours take place in the Tuamotus in the northeast of French Polynesia around spring. For snorkelers, this is one of the most unique regions as the Tuamotus are a set of amoeba-shaped atolls, unlike the rest of the area which is made up of small islands. If you look at the Tuamotus on Google Earth you might imagine that you these atolls as something like the Blue Hole in Belize, where you could sail around the perimeter in a few hours. Not the case, these atolls are absolutely massive. If you were to sit in the middle of the lagoon, you wouldn't be able to see either side by a very long way. This is great for us as it offers us snorkelers no shortage of reefs to explore. We run our French Polynesia aboard a beautiful and very well-equipped catamaran sailing boat called the Aquatiki III. We charter the boat exclusively for our eight guests and
French Polynesia is a French territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which is made up of five archipelagos: the Society Islands, Tuamotos, Marquesas, Gambier, and the Australs. All Islands combined, there are over one hundred. Tahiti is the largest island and hosts the capital city, Papeete, in the northwest. Bora-Bora is also part
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
We use cookies to optimise our website and our service.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
