Articles

One of the tropical Pacific’s most iconic macro subjects, a peacock mantis shrimp with a huge egg clutch, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

Jon Gillham, our latest DPG Photographer of the Week, hails from the UK but moved to California in the 90s. His introduction to diving came after meeting his wife, whose enthusiasm for the underwater world quickly became a shared passion. That connection marked the beginning of a journey that has taken Jon across some of the most biodiverse dive sites in the world, most notably Indonesia, with a special focus on the Lembeh Strait. Renowned among underwater photographers for its rich macro life and challenging conditions, Lembeh has become Jon’s photographic home base. As you’ll see here, he has developed a particular fondness for gobies, captivated by their subtle details and the quiet beauty they bring to the underwater environment. Still, he remains open and observant, always ready to capture any subject that offers a compelling visual story.

Jon’s approach to underwater photography is characterized by his creative use of lighting. He frequently works with a mix of static and handheld torches, sculpting light in a way that emphasizes contrast and mood. Shadows play a critical role in his compositions—not simply as negative space, but as tools for building atmosphere and depth. As a result, he rarely uses two strobes at equal power, preferring instead to build more nuanced lighting setups. He estimates that strobes are used in only about half of his images, employed selectively to serve the scene rather than define it.

While Jon considers his work a continual evolution, he takes great satisfaction in the process of exploration and creation. He hopes that those who view his images experience the same sense of wonder he feels while making them.
 

A porcelain crab extends its filter feeding arms up into the current to catch itself some snacks, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

Soon-to-be-born ornate ghost pipefish prepare for life in their mother’s pouch, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A goby guards a clutch of eggs it has laid on the side of a tunicate, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A coconut octopus shelters in discarded clam shells, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

Eyespots have just begun showing up on these larval blue-ringed octopuses, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

An adorable Pontohi pygmy seahorse clinging to a hydroid, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

Surely one of the world’s most spectacular gobies, the aptly named magnificent shrimpgoby, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

The striking colors of a juvenile pinnate batfish, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A blotchy shrimpgoby poses for the camera, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A beautiful, undescribed goby in the Stonogobiops genus, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

An ornate goby, aesthetically similar to the well-known lemon goby, Japan
 

An ornately decorated rayed shrimpgoby, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A filament finned shrimpgoby rising out of its burrow, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

A weed cardinalfish mouthbrooding a fresh clutch of eggs, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
 

To see more of Jon’s wonderful macro work, please give him a follow on Instagram.