News

“Capturing Critters in Lembeh,” the annual underwater photography and videography workshop held at Lembeh Resort, wrapped up another successful event on Saturday, with photo pros Hergen Spalink, Steve Fish and Kerri Bingham guiding another group of enthusiastic participants to macro glory.

The workshop produced stunning imagery from photographers of various levels, and the usual impressive lineup of “bucket list” critters, including flamboyant cuttlefish, pygmy seahorses, and blue-ring octopuses. And to top it all, Hergen Spalink managed to capture a wonderful image of the “big stuff” as well—a pod of pilot whales, hanging out at the end of the Lembeh Strait.

Read more in the press release below and check out some of the amazing images from the event.
 

PRESS RELEASE

5th Annual Capturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography and Videography Workshop

This year’s annual Capturing Critters in Lembeh workshop, hosted by Lembeh Resort has drawn to a close following some exceptional shooting.

Photo pros Hergen Spalink, Steve Fish and Kerri Bingham returned to Lembeh Resort and joined forces with in-house photo pro Sascha Janson and in-house marine biologist Dimpy Jacobs to deliver seven days of underwater photography and videography presentations, practical demonstrations, and underwater guidance followed by a three-day optional advanced extension.

This year’s workshop was attended by just 12 participants to ensure a low pro-to-participant ratio, and the results are definitely reflective of the hard work and effort which has been put in on all sides. Participants ranged from beginners with new camera rigs through to comfortable amateurs and more-seasoned photographers.

Throughout the workshop, the participants attended two to three presentations a day and made three dives a day in the Lembeh Strait plus a day trip to Bangka Island for wide-angle practice.
 

Presentations were hosted by all five pros and key topics included (among others) tutoring in macro concepts, macro settings, lighting, composition, macro, super macro, creative effects, Lightroom editing, video editing, macro accessories and lenses, backgrounds, negative space and wide angle.

Some of the underwater highlights from this year’s workshop included pug-nose pipefish (newly discovered); Hergen’s pod of pilot whales at the end of the Lembeh Strait; countless frogfish, including hairy, painted, giant and clown on almost every dive; an innumerable number of nudibranchs; blue-ring octopuses; coconut octopuses; flamboyant cuttlefish; pygmy cuttlefish; tiger shrimps; hairy shrimps; Ambon scorpionfish; bargibanti, denise and pontohi pygmy seahorses; harlequin crabs, decorator crabs, upside down jellyfish crabs; ghost pipefish; and the list goes on—this is Lembeh after all!

Participant Dena Mintz, who was shooting with a Nikon D800, commented, “This is my second Capturing Critters in Lembeh workshop and my fourth stay at Lembeh Resort. The pros have a way of explaining concepts which makes them easy to understand and to put into action. Getting to spend so much time with the pros gives you an insight you can’t get from a book or by asking one-off questions. I’ve been trying different techniques this year and that has been challenging, but I wanted to break out of my photography comfort zone and move onto the next level—the workshop has definitely helped me to achieve that.”
 

Jessica Hardy, an underwater photography beginner shooting with her new Sony RX100 Mark IV, said, “It’s incredible that I have achieved images that I am so proud of in seven days. At Lembeh Resort my needs were met before I even knew that I had them. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Morten Lund, Manager of Lembeh Resort, added, “Here at Lembeh Resort we aim to deliver exceptional service, and we are proud to have hosted yet another successful workshop. We are delighted with the images that have been produced by this year’s participants.”

Capturing Critters in Lembeh will be returning to Lembeh Resort in 2017 (December 6–13) with photo pros Alex Tattersall, Martin Edge and Ethan Daniels. For more information about next year’s event, click here.