Stingray
We went on another boat dive in early August. It was supposed to be a cave dive and a night dive. The water was too dangerous (stormy) to go for a cave dive, so we settled for a wreck dive and a night dive. Now that I’m experienced (a little bit more), I’m also less timid. So these close-ups of the stingray would have been with the ‘tele’ setting a year ago. Right now I approach with the ‘macro’ setting. It cuts down on the murkiness. The stingrays can be dangerous. I just get in and float over slowly. They are pretty tolerant and don’t swim away immediately. I’m still getting accustomed to the settings. 
The rays have round eye balls that I assume will swivel. I’d love to know what image their brain is processing. It’s not forward so it’s probably not binocular and so I assume it’s about threat. And then I remember the adage – ‘things in the mirror may be closer than they appear.’
As with many things in life, I have had great early success underwater. And then you step back and look over your progress and realize there’s a lot to learn. I’m strictly amateur in underwater photography. The hardcore people take down $7,000+ worth of gear and lights. To be honest, I’ve fried a couple of camera when I first tried underwater photography. They were point and shoots so the pain in $ was not so bad. I remain an opportunist diver rather than pursue subjects to the end of the seas. So for me it’s ‘what did you see when you went diving today.’ I don’t have the pressure to produce a money image. At the same time there is great satisfaction in learning a new skill. It’s even nice to shoot the coral even if it doesn’t move.
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