Celebrating 78 Years and 78 Minutes Underwater: From Compact Cameras to Creative Shots

Some celebrations are held in restaurants, others at home. But for us—the dive tribe—we take the party beneath the surface.

May 17: Feasting and Finalizing Plans

The celebration began the night before, on May 17, with an unforgettable dinner at the residence of Partemio "Gaga" Alo, who turned 78. We arrived past 5PM and stayed until midnight, feasting on the most delicious, mouthwatering dishes from Alo Catering. No one wanted to stop eating—everything was just that good.

But it wasn’t just food on the table—it was laughter, stories, and dreams. We talked about how to earn more, how to buy better camera gear, and how to keep growing in underwater photography. By 12AM, one thing was certain: we’re diving tomorrow.

Baptisms and Burnouts Before Bubbles

By 1AM we were home. A few hours later, we were back up—Ikuo was a godmother at her nephew’s baptism. From church at 8AM, ceremony at 10AM, and a hearty lunch at Papa Luis Tambayan, we barely had time to breathe before diving into another adventure.

At 1:30PM, we rushed home, packed our Oceantag wetsuits (itch prevention is key!), camera gear, and loaded up for the dive. Tired? Very. Sleepy? Absolutely. But excited? Always.

First Dive: Blings, Frogfish, and Brooding Cardinals

By the time we reached Kontiki at 3PM, the 33°C heat felt like 40°C. Despite the sweltering afternoon, the tribe was already complete. Chu, Grethel, Val, Cristy, Vanessa, and Regie were all geared up and ready.

Ikuo brought her new colored “blings”—props for creative background lighting. Cristy arrived with a new Backscatter MF2, thanks to her unbelievable luck in online games (yes, we’re seriously considering investing in her luck just to afford one ourselves).

At 4:05PM, we descended for our first dive. Max depth: 18.1m | Avg depth: 12m | Total time: 78 minutes—just like Gaga’s age!

🔍 What we saw:

• Val and Cristy used wide lenses to explore macro-wide compositions—stunning results.

• I spent 15 minutes trying to shoot a pistol shrimp and goby, but no luck.

• Ikuo nailed her bling-light nudibranch shots.

• Chu’s MF2 and mini gear combo created beautiful backlighting.

• Regie and Vanessa also pushed their creative lighting further.

• I searched the school of cardinal fish for a brooding one—found one! But no luck with an open-mouth shot (still too early in egg development).

• Then a tank bang—Cristy again! She found the black frogfish—our group favorite. It’s so hard to shoot because of its color, it looks like a rock with eyes.

After surfacing, the laughs continued. Everyone brought lechon manok, unaware that we’d end up in a lechon manok feast. Coffee from Grethel completed the meal. The surface interval was full of food, photos, and gear envy (Cristy’s MF2 strikes again).

Night Dive: When Critters Hide and Cameras Fail

At 7:05PM, under a starry sky, we did our second dive. Max depth: 12.4m.

For the past few night dives, I wasn’t “in sync” with the sea. And this one felt no different. I tried using our DIY snoot, but:

• Focus light too weak.

• Subject moved.

• Strobe didn’t fire.

• Shots? Mostly black screens.

Still, I pressed on. Found a cute flabellina, but it wouldn't stay still. Ended up using my torch—resulting in a “meh” documentation shot.

As we began to ascend, I saw a shrimp riding a sea urchin in just 1 meter of water. I remembered a similar photo on Instagram and tried to recreate it—but the waves and shallow water made it impossible. I even ditched the snoot, but still couldn’t get the shot.

After 80 minutes, we surfaced.

Post-Dive Reflections and MF2 Dreams

After surfacing, we gathered with warm coffee in hand, sharing laughs and stories about the creative lighting setups we experimented with underwater. The strong current during the dive made it extra challenging, but also more rewarding.

Chu—never one to miss a beat—kept teasing us with his stunning MF2 shots, proudly flexing his gear and convincing everyone to invest in one. Cristy, fresh off her latest underwater win, was glowing with pride over the incredible images she captured with her newly acquired Backscatter MF2. It’s safe to say we were all a little envious—but in the most supportive way.

As for me, I’ll still stick with my homemade snoot for now. It may not be perfect, but it keeps me learning, practicing, and pushing boundaries. Still, if Backscatter ever considers a discount or support for dedicated divers like us… who knows?

By 10 PM, we packed up, rinsed our gear at home, and finally rested—grateful for a productive, passion-filled day. Because at the end of it all, no matter what gear we carry, it’s our love for underwater photography that keeps us diving back in.