Wodepigu Water Pixel

27/05/2017

Part of the underwater team for the Ad. Amazing post work.

http://sevensundayfilms.com/our-work/stronger_than_life/

Director: Mark Toia  DOP: Mark Toia EP: Rodney Louis Vincent Client: Djarum Agency: Mata Angin Audio Post: Two Am

26/04/2017

"Birth Of A Marine Park" notches up another award, this time grabbing Gold at the World Film Awards! Very sad that I can't get the award in person as I will be somewhere in the sky halfway between Padang and Macau. To rub more salt the ceremony is being held at a palace in Bali! Haizzzzzzzzzz........

02/12/2016

Wodepigu Water Pixel was started by a young and stupid me, and during that time I never imagined that 1 day I would be rewarded on so significant a platform for my efforts. Wildcity- Islands, for which I was underwater dop has been deemed best documentary at the 2016 Asian Television Awards. In total I was nominated 6 times across 5 categories including Best Cinematography but competition was so stuff it was a miracle I got to hold even 1 award.

19/11/2016

Big milestone this week: Getting my work nominated in 4 different categories at the Asian Television Awards. The lone nomination for Birth Of A Marine has to be the sweetest!

25/09/2016

On the way home after finishing up my underwater shoots for the upcoming discovery series. My final hours as a freelancer have made me realize what an amazing journey I have had to culminate to this selfie. As I start a new chapter of my life mainly away from the sea I thank my lucky stars and the people who have helped me to where I am today.

11/09/2016

What started off as a crazy idea that only the young and stupid would pursue led me somehow to where I am today: an underwater director/DoP given the privilege to have worked on some major international broadcast programs. Even more absurd is that I started off taking stills so people could understand what I was talking about when I argue that is remote dive destination is worth their time. Life is funny sometimes. Thank god!

13/08/2016

Wodepigu takes on Una Una

07/06/2016

Found out about these trips as I was surfing the bluewaterphoto site to spend more money....Really good deals on these trips!!! PM me to find out more. I see if I can get Scott Gietler to get a better deal!

http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluewaterphotostore.com%2Fraja-ampat-aggressor-2016-trips&h=IAQGrHICS

http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluewaterphotostore.com%2Fmaldives-trip-2016&h=IAQGrHICS

Explore Raja Ampat on the Aggressors newest yacht, the Raja Ampat Aggressor!

23/05/2016

Divers scour the intricate details of sea fans to look for the "elusive" pygmy seahorse, but little do they know if they squint their eyes just a little more, you might just be able to make out these translucent little creatures commonly called skeleton shrimps.
You can find them on hydroids as well, as most species are ambush predators, angling themselves like a praying mantis while anchored to the sea fan, relying on the currents to serve them unsuspecting plankton that have the rotten luck of passing by. So the next time if you accidentally brush against a sea fan, you might be turning a whole colony of them from predator to prey! A big thank you to Calvin Chai for spotting this with his eagle vision!

23/05/2016

It dawned on me that closeup/macro photogarphy has become an arms race to see who can transform their setups into microscopes. In my opinion being able to see the intricate detail of a pygmy seahorse's eyes is great, but after the fact all it serves is to showcase the photographer's(and dive guide's) patience and ability to stay still, and maybe the ability to afford the best diopters the market can offer; but whether it serves any other purpose is debatable.
Nowadays when I do have the chance to take stills I prefer to make use of the subject's surrounds to try and craft something. Take for example the shot of the porcelain crab in this post. I noticed where the crab was, perched on the edge of the anemone, allowed me to frame him in 2 distinct backgrounds which would create a more dramatic look. Do I have to worry about whether its eyes are pin sharp? No, that's not the point.(They are sharp anyway I can send you the raw file) The point is I can create an image that informs the viewer about the crab's habitat, using the bottom of the anemone to create a distinct drop-off effect in contrast, to say that the crab ultimately is not safe in its home, but in the end still able to showcase the crab in its full glory. More importantly all this can be done without any manipulation.
Rant over. Let's be more creative than just purely relying on magnification.

23/05/2016

A captured still while filming the Sardine Ball at Moalboal. It's an experience where words do no justice. You have to be there to truly understand its splendor

20/05/2016

From the latest trip to Raja Ampat. Hope you like it!

This is "Raja Ampat 2015" by on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

29/03/2016

My latest project, documenting the underwater wildlife of my home Singapore.

If you are in Asia hope you can catch it on 30th March 8pm on Channel News Asia!

18/08/2015

The juvenile Harlequin Sweetlip is one of the most energetic inhabitants on the reef, constantly swaying left and right, like a dog that never seems to be able to reach that itch at the base of its tail. Such boogieing does serve a purpose: it is thought that the movement mimics that of a poisonous flatworm swimming, to ward off predators. This little fella here will ultimately shed its brown and white pattern to have black spots all over its body when it matures.

05/08/2015

A baby Pufferfish came right up to my mask while I was fixated on a Reef Squid that was flirting with my macro port, and at first glance i thought it was some white blob, it was that small! It was just so cute how it was finning as hard as it could but gaining little ground, before I realised the squid to trying to devour it! Bye bye squid! I am saving this one!

04/08/2015

It has been close to a year since I have been able to write any articles on underwater photography and for good reason. Now Sisters' Islands Marine Park gets some global publicity through the fantastic guys at Underwater Photography Guide.
http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/sisters-islands-marine-park-singapore

The story and photos behind the birth of the new Sisters' Islands Marine Park

31/07/2015

The Devil Lionfish is one of the most common, and therefore a very important species in a health reef ecosystem. They spike are poisonous and its venom has proven to be fatal in some rare cases. Thankfully they are active mainly at night when they emerge from their hiding places to hunt for small fishes, crabs, prawns and sometimes their younger brethren. Skip night dives to avoid them if you must, but then you would miss the amazing spectacle as they scour the reefs for dinner.

30/07/2015

Where all I see is a speck of marine inconsequence, some sharp-eyed diver makes it out to be a life form, the irony in that that it must have taken a herculean effort in patience to be able to discover the minuscule Hairy Shrimp. It is one fidgety fella, whizzing around to escape the glare of the lens tracking it, giving the photographer but a fleeting moment while it catches it "breath" before repeating the exercise.
Most choose to use their strongest diopters to bask the Hairy Shrimp in detail, but I opt to showcase the majesty of its diminutiveness, to reveal nature's demonstration of miniaturisation at its finest.

30/07/2015

The Electric Clam is the most unique saltwater clam in our oceans, for it is the only bivalve to have the ability to have light displays, with blue streaks appearing on the tips of its mantle.
This phenomenon is not bioluminescence however. It turns out its mantle has highly reflective tissue that darts in and out, creating those flashing displays when light is shone on it, either from sunlight, or even the scuba diver's flashlight!

26/07/2015

The Hairy Frogfish reminds me of an army recruit who has taken the lesson of camouflage a little too seriously, its "hairs" all over its body breaking its shape into an seemingly harmless blob of stuff on the seafloor. Those "hairs" you see are actually little spines protruding from its skin, and though they look soft and wavy I wouldn't advice manhandling them. It has a wormlike lure on its forehead that works very similarly to a fly fishing rod to catch its dinner, and has been known to devour prey almost its size!

22/07/2015

It was my maiden dive at Anilao Pier, and within a minute I was locking eyes with this Reef Squid. The look on its eyes was, I swear, an expression of resignation: not another underwater photographer again!
The squid was sporting enough to let me interact with it for a while, and after some exertion in the pier's tepid waters I managed to capture it in a yoga-like position.

11/06/2015

For some reason I am experiencing a squid appreciation phase of my life. Scanning through old Bigfin Reef Squid photos I suddenly noticed something I haven't detected before: a little stowaway right on this squids right te****le!!!!

I have no idea what that is except it looks like a bug. Ah the wonders of the marine world!

11/06/2015

We have read about the legendary Kraken, seen Humboldts attacking divers and enjoyed a few BBQ reef versions in our day, but miniaturisation is apparently not a modern concept: meet the Pygmy Squid. Indiscernible between them and floating debris in the ocean, it takes a trained eye, a bit a luck and the right background to make them out. I wonder how many have I passed by before seeing this specimen for the first time....

26/05/2015

Well it's time to really let this out. I have been privileged to be given the opportunity to change perspectives about what really happens beneath Singapore's waters, and how Singaporeans are trying to set up its first Marine Park right in our port area. Hope you will watch it when it airs in your country :)

11/05/2015

One of the strange jellyfish-like creatures greeting us when we were venturing out into the blue at Kimud Shoal. There were many more of the same type of organism in a myriad of shapes and sizes. The closest I can come to a comparison would be maybe travelling through a Futurama-esque world?

10/05/2015

Kimud Shoal, the pinnacle where I spotted my first hammerheads in the wild, is truly unlike any dive site I have ever been. Dramatic sandy slopes that descend to god knows where, full of strange gelatinous marine creatures. May the next time I go there be as fruitful as this year.

21/04/2015

The Hammerhead Shark stands as one of the holiest than thou grails for scuba divers, as they tend to prefer colder waters, thus mainly patrolling deeper waters. Venturing past the dramatic slopes of Kimud Shoal drifting out into the blue,fleeting silvery reflections loomed into view, increasing in intensity before multiple pairs of steeroscopic eyes emerged. Jackpot!
The Hammerhead school toyed with us throughout the dive, always displaying their postion but never getting close enough to attempt a shot. I had decided to let my camera droop and just enjoy the spectacle when Mr Murphy broke from the school to come check us out! All I could do was have it in my bullseye, press the shutter and hope for the best, the flypast over in seconds.
I have never reached for the play lever in such anticipation, and here I present to you my most satisfying image to date. What a feeling!

12/01/2015

Coral outcrops away from the main reefs are usually the best spots to look for smaller marine creatures like gobies, nudibranchs and shrimps. In Raja Ampat however they serve as a trailer of what to expect when you get to the main event. It's hard to look for anything with all that fish life surrounding you!

11/01/2015

A central complaint on coral reefs these days is a dearth of fish life. The abundance of schooling fish is a good indicator of the robustness of the marine ecosystem, so I am happy to report that Raja Ampat's reefs has not been afflicted with the issue yet. Being right in the middle of an o**y of fusiliers and snappers is a terrifying yet therapeutic event all at once.

09/01/2015

There are destinations that have been labelled as a diver's paradise or diving heaven, but Raja Ampat in West Papua (Irian Jaya to some) is firmly in the "Dive Before You Die" Camp. Surprisingly Raja Ampat was not even near the top of my To-Dive List, simply because that it seemed too good to be true. Especially with so many Liveaboards plying the area I figured it was another Similan Islands disaster in the making.
Well, fate (actually more because of my friends' insistence) had it that I found myself taking the monumental 3-flight dash across the Indonesian Archipelago to a small port town called Sorong, whose only visible links with globalisation are 3G and Kentucky Fried Chicken. My verdict? Raja Ampat stays off my To-Dive List, but only because I have been there. Raja Ampat is now firmly in my "Have to Dive Again and Again and Again and Again" List, along with Alor, hitherto the lone entry in that column.
Well a picture says a thousand words, but Raja Ampat needs a montage to adequately do it justice. First up is the Gorgonian Sea Fan. Yes, you do see see them everywhere, but to observe that much fish life jostling for shelter from predators is at most a sporadic bonus in most reefs today, but a common sight across Raja Ampat.