Underwatercolors.

Not sure how I took this shot, but it was during a rag doll session at the Balangan break here in Bali. This was during the formative weeks of my surf photography endeavors about a year ago. Whilst it may look confusing I see a peace in the colors and textures of the image, it's as much like trying to make head or tail from the confusions we find ourselves in on a daily basis.

Nothing can be more confusing than trying to weed one's way through the maze of social networking and media related minefields these days. The number of people out there looking to suggest they have 'all the answers' to 'all your problems' seem to proliferate with a rapidity rivaled only by the reproduction rate of the common fruit fly! I really do believe in the prospect of earning a crust online, I welcome that option and as more and more people sit at home plugged into their respective computers it's a fair assumption that one day they are going to look at finding a way for that to pay. Given the workload with liquidmocean though I can't really afford hours spent scouring the net for potential schemes, there's just too much dross to weed through. A lot of cool stuff, don't get me wrong, but a lot of useless stuff too, maybe in the majority.

The only option I have found useful thus far is the automation system I use for my Twitter. When I first started with that networking option I just couldn't get it. It turns out to now be one of my favorite networking tools, it takes its time to grow on you but once you 'get it' and you realize just how massive the potential is then it just puts you onto another thought plane of possibilities. I'm riding that Twitter High at the moment, as if you couldn't guess. So like the image I guess, there are clear patches in the confusion, you just have to take your time to find them, and when you do, then I'm sure you will appreciate them even more. Ohh, and if anyone wants to follow along, here's my twitter....

This image was taken with a Canon EOS500D using a Canon 10-22mm EFS Lens stuffed into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers, catch up soon for more Ocean imaging.
Mark
liquidmocean

A Liquid Caress.

Some things go hand in hand as being the norm. Peanut Butter and Jelly, Bananas and Strawberry Yogurt (or is that just me?), the Sunday crossword puzzle, ticks on my dog and the role the Ocean plays in our lives. Each for our own reasons we decide our comfort level with the watery medium and set about our adventures within, on and around its magnetic embrace. Personally I've been snapping the Ocean for a number of years with only recently taking to the water for the surf photography. Apart from keeping me in shape it is hugely satisfying, the buzz when dueling with waves, the constant evaluating of a situation; "Am I in the right spot"? "Oh crap, here we go again" normally followed by a deep breath and a rag doll ride through what can only be termed as 'Madam Aqua's' spin cycle.

Sharing more and more imagery of the Ocean I've been approached on an increasing number of occasions with the suggestion that I should exhibit some of my work. I must also divulge that I also shoot liquids in all guises. The catalyst for everything imaging with me has always been the Ocean. Witnessing its sublime motion, its nuances in retaliation to energies meted upon it has always fascinated me. So I took that to a level where I could study liquid elements at a more manageable level.

Starting with simple water droplet photography I would sit for hours snapping dripping taps (faucets for our north American buddies) and splashes. This then led to the acquisition of laser timing devices that I could program to create water droplet collisions and such forth. Playing with detergents and naturally occurring elements also allowed me to further investigate the World of liquid art. Some of these images can be seen at my imaging site: Poetry in Mocean

What started as a deep fascination with the Ocean has now triggered the desire to show my work to a larger audience. It may take a while to organize everything but the idea is to create an exhibition of imagery that will be displayed here in Bali, I have yet to decide a name for the exhibition but it will, no doubt, be once again inspired by the liquid characteristics of the Ocean. More information will be posted on the progress of this as and when it becomes available.

This image was shot with a Canon EOS500D with a 17-85mm lens at 17mm (yeah, close) all stuffed into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

Why Spot X?

I was quite amazed recently to hear of dramatic actions being taken to segregate zones of coastline for use by traditional surfers and Stand Up Paddle Surfers in Hawaii. Being able to catch waves far earlier than the standard surfer the SUPS meant that a bias towards using these longer heavier boards was becoming an issue on established surf breaks. It got me to thinking; "Is the Ocean actually that crowded with surfers that there needs to be measures such as this taken"?

Likewise, I always thought of surfers to be the peace loving, nature appreciating, easy going 'dudes' we have been led to believe. Stereotypical characters, unfazed by the hectic cacophony of life so long as there are bands of liquid energy to be ridden on any given day. To an extent I had an awakening this past year in witnessing the other, darker side of Surf sports, that of tribalism and frustrated violence.

Now I understand that if you're on a wave and you get dropped in on then you have the right to be frustrated. The Golden Rule in surfing is to NOT take a wave of someone already riding it, to do so is to incur the wrath of the surfer claiming that to be 'their' wave. As with driving a car, you look both ways at a junction before pulling onto the main road, likewise with surfing, make sure the wave is available before jumping on. Makes sense. The arguments and fights I've seen this year borne of frustrations of people who believe to have had 'their' waves stolen by lesser beings has been quite the revelation.

On the other hand I've also witnessed a certain tribalism where waves are concerned. Take our 'Spot X' here in Bali. This spot is not a surfers wave, it's a shore break, direct at times onto sand. For anyone to surf this would require them to be super fast and also quite crazy. So my buddy introduced me to the place, he's been 'sponging' this location off and on for a number of years, always being careful to try and mask his entry and exit spots. Well we were out there a week or so ago and along comes a local surfer, cool, nothing wrong with that. With any locals one has to respect that this is maybe their home break and that they normally have right of way. OK, so we're in the water, no exchanges, along comes the swell. My buddy goes for the wave, the local starts paddling and when he failed to get the wave started shouting obscenities.

His diatribe was cut short by my buddy who's grasp of Indonesian is almost perfect having lived here for the past 15 years. After failing to catch another wave our admirer left the water some ten minutes later to then stand on the beach and shout and scream at us one last time before disappearing off in the direction of the next break. When we eventually left the water I asked my buddy the words of the exchange. The gist was that we were only visiting and that we should not take any wave that this guy was even thinking about riding, hmmm OK, time to brush up on those telepathy skills. Whilst this was a mild interaction there are many a story of severe beatings being dished out by locals on any 'visitor' arriving at 'their' break uninvited or without financial recompense.

The desire to keep breaks such as this quite to the masses is therefore the reason why places are often called 'Secret Spots'. There are many tens of surf breaks on the island of Bali, each host to outbreaks of frustrations borne of the transgressions as mentioned above. All we can do is hope that when people do walk past our own little 'Secret' is that they realize its lack of surfability and keep on walking.

Image taken with a Canon EOS500D fitted with a Canon 15mm f2.8 Fisheye Lens (fitted to a cropped sensor this lens is more like a 24mm hence the lacking of the accentuated edges). This rig is then slotted into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers, catch up tomorrow for more Ocean imaging...
Mark
liquidmocean

'Vanishing Point'

The small wall of water building in front of me was shaping up to be one of the bigger waves of the morning. As I was also shooting on a beach break where the sand rose up at an incline from the shoreline meant there was the potential for what is called backwash, the energy transference of water from waves already broken on the beach encountering those still to break. This can give rise to some pretty spectacular affects on the lip of the wave, the part that hits first! I could normally get a feel for the backwash as I would be facing out to sea watching for the incoming and then feel the water rise up from behind, from the shore side, this would be my cue to check any waves on the point of breaking. I was stood right at that meeting point. Standing right on that knife edge interface between artistic aesthetic and pain.

I'd been in the water with my buddy for about an hour when I saw this one coming it was shaping up in every way to be a very nice way, albeit from the direction that meant it would be an empty wave shot. My 'model' was just too far away from the approaching wave so I just hunkered down to wait and see what developed with this one. Forming nicely I was on the verge of snapping when I felt the telltale backwash make it's presence known, the water rose around to my mid section and met the incoming wave head on. Where you can see the intended lip of the wave you can also see the effect of backwash in that outreaching fan of spray. This in itself is a 1/640th of a second in time. The following 10 seconds were a maelstrom of darkness, of rushing water, of immense pressure, of body slamming into sand madness, but it was worth it.

I guess the same is with this roller coaster of a ride we call life. For every positive there is a payoff. A necessity in order to get to the 'cool beans' elements we each enjoy with our respective goals and hobbies. This moment for me can only be used as a mere introduction of the beauty the Ocean holds. My fascination with it's water characteristics, the infinite formations of its moods is something that enthralls me, drives me on to continue in my discovery of its unbridled winsomeness.

This image was shot with a Canon EOS500D fitted with a Canon 10-22mm f3.5/4.5 EF S lens all stuffed into a Liquid Eye Housing.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

'Ma' Nature dishes out the Bitch Slaps!

Not sure about you guys n gals but I had a great weekend. A friend of mine had been on at me about a particular little spot he knows in Bali where when the correct conditions allow it gives rise to some incredible wave and rolling wave photo ops. I got the nod on Friday, things were looking good for Saturday morning, so with cameras prepped and ready I crashed out to images of nice big wave sets with cool barrel shots, I never realized just how much pain a 2ft wave could inflict!

I arrived at 'Spot X' on Saturday morning at around 7am, great light and a beautiful Ocean. This allowed me to get a good look at the subject for my imagery. OK, so it's a shore break, and I mean a shore break. These thick lipped little gems were literally barreling onto the sand at times, an incredible opportunity to get some different aspect shots of waves. Now there's no way these waves could truly be called surf waves, they form and then just roll over and close out with such rapidity meant that I spent most of the morning on my arse getting slapped repeatedly by such beautiful waves, I never knew I was into S&M until now!

We were happy with the wave shots from Saturday but on my return to the house and halfway through sorting out the imagery I got a call from my buddy to say that Sunday's prediction should be even better, and he wasn't wrong. Whilst the swell height had dropped a little and the tidal range had increased the lack of small onshore breezes meant that the Ocean was just flat like a mirror with the waves just rolling in perfectly. With the added issue of backwash, previous waves in the sets sliding back down the beach and into the Ocean to collide with the oncoming waves, gave rise to some pretty spectacular wave formations. It was all going perfectly, until mother nature decided to just let me know who was in charge here.

For all of this imagery I was standing in waist high water, reading the waves to know when to duck, when to dive through or when to crouch and wait for the impact. Well the image above was taken just a millisecond before that nice thick lip made contact with my, Gath helmet wearing, head. She knocked the crap out of me. I was literally picked up and taken over the top of the wave, almost like an aquatic body slam and placed firmly and squarely onto the beach, an involuntary sand blasting by the rushing water and it was over. The sweet lady left me as she receded back into the Ocean, taking with her a sizeable chunk of flesh from my right hip.

Check out the photo albums of both these days encounters over at my facebook page. Check here for Saturday's encounters and then here for Sunday's belters.

The image was taken using a Canon EOS 500D fitted with a Canon 15mm f2.8 fisheye and housed in a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers and check back tomorrow for another Ocean Photo of the day.
Mark
liquidmocean

What's in a name?

I guess the most important thing in business is corporate image, your name, logo or catch phrase. Look at the many hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses that set up everyday hoping to become the biggest and best at what they do. Expectations and ambition are good, so long as kept within manageable targets. Take our name for example, liquidmocean.

I get people spelling it wrong as can be expected, some even believe that I'm the one making the grammatical error, and I've been drawn on that a few times! I seem to have a flair for coming up with titles and catch lines for brands and items so after a while I came to conclusion that this spelling would best suit our whole idea.

The 'liquid' element coming obviously from the Ocean, the one thing that unites everyone, both here and those who follow our facebook Page, 12,600 and counting. Then there is the 'mocean' deal clincher. This is an intentional typo that plays on the word 'motion'. Put together liquidmocean, intentionally all lower case, therefor represents a brand that celebrates the Ocean and the effects of the many sports that people enjoy, in, on and around it's watery embrace. I still get, and am sure that will never change, people taking a bit of time to get around the concept of the spelling but once the penny drops, and it does in most cases, the reaction is always positive.

I'm hoping that reaction will also carry over for our intended products. "What's in a Name" is also the title given to this our latest Tee Shirt design. As we're based on the island of Bali I thought it only best to create a Tee that heralds this unique surf destination. Emblazoned across the chest are 50 of the more prominent surf breaks of the island. On this the Black T-Shirt option the writings are in White and Red. The red elements being the form interrogative for the design and then two words, Bali and liquidmocean, marrying up once again the island the company as we wish to become synonymous with the island before we start looking to market further afield. 

Cheers all, more Ocean related accounts tomorrow,
Mark
liquidmocean

P.S This shirt is selling like hotcakes at the moment so we know it's popular. We're giving one of these away with every order over $45 for the next month so check out the Dudes and Chix pages here to find other cool items too!

Tunnel Vision.

I had to laugh. It was recently suggested that I am fanatically tunnel visioned when it comes to the marketing of liquidmocean. My dogged 16 hour computer days, staying in touch with the social media platforms, scouring for opportunities to get the name out there without taking on any kind of spammy attitude is difficult. It's all down to hard graft, no saying could be farther from the truth than; "You only get out from it the results reflective of the effort you put into it". To that end I guess yes, you could suggest that I walk around with cardboard toilet rolls stuck to my eyelids!

The goal of many surfers for example is the pinnacle experience of 'getting shacked' or being inside the barrel of a wave as it rolls it's energy over a reef or sand bar. I've personally never experienced it, I'm not that mad, but the elation I hear each time I see someone achieve that is infectious. Not just from the surfer but just about anyone within sight of the surfer. Yelps, salutes and celebratory profanities abound. Quite rightly so, the act of taking on nature, and in this instance, winning, albeit for a split second in time, must feel pretty bloody mental to say the least.

And so it is with such determination that I look to promote, run and guide liquidmocean, in a fun, personable and approachable way. My goal is to be enveloped, in as much the same way as the tube rider, with the social support of you, our followers, by those of you that share the passion for the Ocean, as liquidmocean is after all intended to celebrate the unity of an Ocean fraternity.....hope to sea you there!

The image above was taken on the Serangen Reef Break in Bali using a Canon EOS 500D fitted with a Canon 60mm f2.8 Macro lens. The rig was housed in a Liquid Eye surf housing made here in Bali. The surfer in the Tube is 'Tuzi' a local surfer and buddy of mine.

Cheers, check back tomorrow for more accounts of Ocean devotion.
Mark
liquidmocean

Volcanic Sunset over Bali

Today's blog post is one of those short, sharp reminders as to the incredible aesthetic of the Ocean, plus I'm pushed on the workload and am off to see a mate and his wife who've just had their first baby, busy times.

Living on Bali which is firmly slap, bang in the middle of what is known as the 'Ring of Fire' or in other words one of the most volcanically active zones on the planet, often gives rise to evenings bathed in the incredible hues of sunset's such as this. The reason is due to the added volcanic sulfur aerosols hanging in the air, the sun reflecting off of these then tend to turn the skies crazy colors of red and purple. If any of you in Europe can remember the eruption of the volcano in Iceland recently then here's an account as to why you all enjoyed so many incredibly colored sunset's.

On this day in question the neighboring island of Java had been experiencing some pretty wild activity from Mount Merapi which accounted for the added sulfur particles in the air. My wife and I were with a buddy who had just flown in to Bali on a stopover from a recent dive vacation in Ambon. The evening was spent at a small bar in a hotel on the southern part of Bali. 12 year old Chivas Regal, good company and this vista! It doesn't get much better than that.

Taken with a 5DMkII using a Canon 24-105mm f4 L IS at 24mm using a 6sec shutter speed to get the motion blur of the waves.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

When the Ocean lands on your head!

I started in water photography about nine months ago. At first waist high waves seemed ridiculously massive but slowly I got used to that and started pushing the envelope. Living in Bali means there are many opportunities to get in the water and snap away. My mettle was tested one fateful day at my then favorite beach break. Me and a buddy rolled into Balangan, the only break I'd been in the water at until then whilst learning the aspects of surf photography. With no channel and at times a good current I selected this beach to learn in sometimes tough conditions other than for the waves. On the day in question the regular wave height was around head height with the freak sets rolling in at well overhead. Taking comfort in my own perceived abilities I headed for the water, big mistake.

I paddled out between the sets, I'd been sat watching the surf for about an hour so felt confident, but knew I had to be waaaaay out there as some sets were breaking outside of the bay turning everything into zero buoyancy mush. So I'd been hanging back having elected to use the 70-200mm set at 135mm so as to allow distance and time for me to get out of the way from any large bruisers. Well I got caught out. I got too deep into one set and then saw the wall of water that was steadily growing and heading straight for me. I knew my lungs were about to be tested. The first wave hit, being fresh I had the ability to get down under it and came up OK into bubble infested non floaty foam! Taking a breath I looked out and saw the second wave ready to attack, it rolled in and broke about 10m in front of me, ducking down I got hit by some of the turbulence, enough to break the security lanyard I had attached to my wrist and camera. My last thought at this time was camera. I surfaced in a maelstrom of water currents and foam. By this time I was getting tired, I could see some guys on sticks just 50m away outside of the impact zone keeping an eye on me. They'd seen the camera go and were focused on maybe one of them having to come in and get me only when it was safe for them to do so.

By this time I was farked. Its a strange thing to not appear to expend so much energy but I guess its also a fact that fear can drain strength, or maybe that is resolve. My background is military, British Infantry and French Legion, I don't consider myself a nutter crazy bastard but I have been to some crazy places, seen crazy shit and had to deal with situations that can also test one's psyche. I consider myself level headed and methodical when it comes to dealing with extreme situations. The third wave was forming. It was a huge bitch and looking intent on slamming the hell out of me. But inside I went calm, I knew what I was looking at. Yes, an image of my beautiful wife flashed through my mind, plans we have for the future etc etc. All the life stuff lined up and made an appearance in just a few seconds of reflection, for some reason I had thoughts and memories spinning through the void of my cranium that had been locked away for years.

I am not a religious man. I've seen what some people can do to each other in the name of religion. I cannot get my head around an all loving entity that supposedly created us all equal, especially not in one that has a beard. I believe there are possibly spirits and forces at work on the planet that are and will remain unexplained. As I faced down this third wave I found myself just looking at it. In times of severe stress people will always appeal to a power they may never really believe in, as I did. Just before trying to get under this last wave I uttered the words; "Please God, not this way". I guess I looked like a wide eyed duck trying to get under this beast, I got caught by the turbulence and went for a lung stretching ride across the flat rocks and reef of the bay.

With eyes firmly shut, it closes out the pain? this trouncing seemed to last an eternity. I kicked up. Surfacing with lungs crying for air I gulped down the clear life liquid and started to realize I had been under a while and, oh shit the next wave should be heading in. I turned expecting to see my next tormentor. The Ocean was flat, completely calm, not a ripple. Had my words been heard? No idea but there should have been more waves coming in if the pattern of that days sets were to remain identical. I had enough time to collect my resolve and swim out into much deeper water, shaken, stirred but otherwise OK. I lay over the deep water collecting my thoughts, gulping down air and listening to the surfers who were amazed at that last "Set from Hell" that had pretty much cleared the whole bay. A few asked if I was OK, and asked if I could make it back in OK.

Half an hour later I headed in. I could time the waves OK and going back in anyway is a much easier task. I made it to the beach completely drained. Fortunately for me a surfer on the beach had seen me go out and then found the camera washed up on the shore. Thinking the worst given the conditions he kept a hold of the rig but was my welcoming committee on the beach as I rolled in.

I spent the next two hours in a beach Warung drinking fruit juices, calming down and just getting my head around what had just transpired.

I now know my limits.
Cheers,
Mark.
liquidmocean

A morning swim.

It's been a while. I've been working on many of the different aspects of the business here in Bali, I realized it had been almost a week since my last dip. One of my favorite breaks here is found on Serangen Island, just south of the tourist enclave of Sanur, on Bali's eastern coastline. Now, seeing as it is supposed to also be the off season for the wave due to the shifting trade and westerly winds there were surprisingly few people out on the water. The other reason attributed to the fact that it was low tide and this reef break at low tide gets real shallow. Make a mistake and it's burger meat for lunch! The waves were not particularly huge, small offerings really in comparison to this last couple of weeks where incredible swells have been enjoyed by many throughout Bali.

Hitting the water at 7.10am I was able to take it easy waiting for the first swell set, it rolled in, liquid thunder to the reef. It's so impressive to see such a large body of water standing up, only for it to crashing down around your ears, the noise is incredible, the awesomeness of nature combined in a pure and very real display of power and grace.

I managed a couple of hours in the soup. Happy to take that time to relate to the things going on in my life right now. Able to place things into context and seek answers.

This shot was taken with a Canon EOS 500D in a Liquid Eye surf housing. I used a 60mm f2.8 prime lens which on this cropped sensor (factor of 1.6) means this acts more like a 96mm prime, if one existed.

Until more liquid adventures,
Mark
liquidmocean

Everyone's doing it...!

The day of rest, Sunday. I'd been working my fingers to the bone, wiping off the ink from the keyboard, the fourth one thus far, of my trusted iMac. All manner of tasks set before me for the week dutifully addressed and managed. It's a cool ride to see the formation and taking shape of the company, it does mean long nights, aching eye sockets from the constant glare of the screens and of course the copious amounts of coffee.

So today I strode out to the beach, like is there anything else? The wife and hound in tow to get some air and salt from the Kuta region blasted into our scalps. I guess its similar to when you buy a new car, especially of a specific color. Before having that car how many of that future car and color of that car did you notice on your daily transport schedule? Not many I guess. So how about once you're sat in that new car of the specific color? It seems like every second car is the same, right? Same with this issue right now. We're setting up the small Ocean sportswear brand and now seeing as I am more involved with the whole surf aesthetic it seems like I notice how many people are surfing. It seems everyone and their uncle are hitting the waves.

Grandmothers, toddlers, teenagers and their fathers, hip dudes and sexy chicks were all present this morning at some time or another during the two hour stroll. I don't know about you but I can count around 9 surf boards in the picture above, taken during that stroll, and this was only the image to the front of me, the same behind and more people in the water.

It's great to see so many people connecting with the Ocean, proving it's never too late to learn.

Cheers,
Mark.
liquidmocean

Contemplation

Ever since I can remember, I've had this affinity with the Ocean. Growing up in social care on the south coast of the UK back in the day I would often, in times of strife, leg it down to the shores and sit by, walk along, stare at or even talk to the 'watery lady'. I always seemed to find my solace there. The sounds of the frigid southern English waves washing along the Dorset coastline would help me to deal with my demons of the moment, the cool sea breezes dancing around the *goosebumps they formed.

And so it has always been. Even though I took quite a hiatus during my 12 year military stint, part of that was also spent close to the Ocean, the Red Sea in fact during a posting to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, I always came back to the Ocean. My departure from the military saw that affinity rekindled. Living in places such as the Canary Islands, Micronesia, Palau and now Indonesia where in each location it's been pretty much impossible to not see the Ocean everyday.

This past week has been a roller coaster of a ride, hitting some high points as well as some pretty lows, but this is normal for everyone I guess. Life can't be always on the up, there has to be a balance. Much like the surfer in the recently snapped image above, taken during the first rounds of the Oakley Pro 2011 on the Canggu Beach here in Bali, one can use the Ocean for inspiration, as a medium for relaxation. I'm wondering what this guy was thinking at this moment? Looking for peace, emptying his mind to concentrate on the task at hand, looking for an answer to a personal issue? Who knows? One thing that is certain though, the draw of the Ocean is strong in all of us. It affords us the opportunity to think, free of the clutter, noise and dirt that otherwise surrounds us on a daily basis.

When did you last stroll along it's shores?

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

*Goosebumps being the term used in the UK, and maybe elsewhere, for the effect of cold on exposed skin, also 'Chicken Skin' is an oft quoted term.

Things I Sea....

So I tend to float around the Ocean waiting for waves to form. My sponsorship of a local surf rider here in Bali means I get to spend about two to three mornings a week in the wet stuff trying to get images of him that could then be used for promotional media for the company. It's great fun on days when there are cool waves, high waves (but not too high) when a barrel forms and you can get inside, inspiring photography of that genre depicts a sport of adrenalin and action. And then between the set waves you have the lulls. It's during these times that I have time to think.

There's nothing I like more than the feeling of awe when in the company of big waves, not on the scale of Hawaiian breaks or anything like that but in my short experience within wave photography, those moments when an amount of water stands up that just seems so inconceivable is just an amazing thing to see. The power, the raw ferocity of it is just stunning. Equally though I get the same fascination when watching small waves, even ripples. With crashing towers of water there is the power, with these smaller waves there are the shapes, the crests and the droplets. I like to see them as wild Ocean stallions with Manes comprised of silver linings, their galloping to the shores only to slow at the reefs and sandbars of the World.

In a World gone mad, it's nice to dream...

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

It's a dog's life, or is it?

Living in Bali certainly has it's perks. Take a peek back through some of the posts here and you'll see it's a pretty cool place. Many is the time I get responses to wall posts over on the facebook page like, "Oh, it's so cool that you live in Bali" or "Man, you got a cool deal". Yeah, I'll have to agree that on the outside it looks pretty darn great, but the things that brings everything back to reality with a resounding 'Thwumpf' is that even bills need paying in paradise. Now yep, it's true that life here is cheaper than in the western World, but still not that much of a difference when it comes to basically just living.

In the west we look at disdain toward people going through trash cans and garbage. Imagine what it must be like for the society class who are publicly recognized as scavengers. I recently read a story in a Newspaper from Jakarta where it mentioned a fracas at a snack bar between a Street Cleaner and a Scavenger, I tried to picture that one but couldn't. So I'm not really sure what this blog post is about really other than the fact that to get by out here some people have to put up with some pretty unsavory working conditions.

Take the ladies in the above image. I took this photo at the Cucukan Beach region of Bali. I'd never seen the micro industry before but at low tide the whole village would come out on to the pebbled beach and sit huddled at the waters edge filling up bucket after bucket of pea sized small black pebbles worn smooth and shiny by the constant wave actions. Once filled it would be the ladies who then ferry the bags of stones back to the processing points in the village. These pebbles are then used in ornamental bathroom tiles and fixtures. It seems the term "It's a Dog's Life" doesn't resound true as it seems the dog in this photo may have been dealt the best hand.

Camera: Canon EOS 5DMkII fitted with a Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS Zoom lens.

Cheers, and catch up tomorrow for more Ocean memories.
Mark
liquidmocean

WasSUPS? It's almost Summer....

I'd never really heard too much about the sport of Stand Up Paddle Surfing or S.U.P.S as it's called, makes sense I guess. A buddy of mine, 'Jenkie' called me up one day to ask if I'd like to take some snaps of him and some friends out on a reef close to Sanur as the swell was supposed to be hitting. Never one to shrug the chance to get into the water I responded with a very fast "Hell yeah"! Using a much larger board and a Paddle the rider is able to get faster take off speeds and withe the larger board is able to catch waves much earlier, farther out than conventional surfers. Yep, you guessed it, this pisses off the regular surfers off BIG TIME. It's weird, the surface of our Planet is 75% covered by water and yet so many people get into so many arguments about a wave?? Never understood that.

Anyway, we were slapping down the images at the OKA Point surf break close to the channel entrance of the island of Serangen in Sanur, Bali when we noticed the waves hitting along the region of what we call 'Shipwreck Point'. A sad sight awaits most beach strollers in this region. A nice sandy beach, great fun for the kids, nice water, and a recently wrecked tug boat on the reef, not cool.

Mother nature provides. The waves breaking around the stern of the ship were fun, shoulder to head high sets, all good, hard to swim in and deceptively powerful. I spent a couple of hours getting tossed, bruised and scraped by the elements but in the end 'What doesn't kill you only makes you better'! A great day, and more to come. The season is on the way, the sun is warm and the predicted swells will soon start. Fingers crossed.

This image was taken with a Canon 500D, Canon 60mm f2.8 in a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers all, more Ocean celebrations tomorrow.
Mark
liquidmocean

Mr. White, I presume?

From where I was standing on the back of the boat I couldn't really get a good look until it was a matter of feet away from me. The first thing I noticed was the effortless grace as it sliced through the water, no apparent effort expended as it cruised past, that dark eye seemed fixed, calculating, observing. I felt a chill. This was my introduction to a White Shark. I was on a project in South Africa to attach National Geographic 'Crittercam' systems to these amazing creatures, to see what they get up to when left to their own devices, without the company of people. Personally, and strangely for me, I preferred the company of people at this point.

It's hard to shake the media conditioning when faced with such an awesome predator. Of course the shark probably wouldn't have even surfaced if we didn't have a pungent slick of chum emanating from the back of the boat. We were, after all, located in False Bay, Cape Town, where just a few hundred meters from us, and unfortunately downwind, was a rocky outcrop known as Seal Island. Home, at this time of year, to 70,000 Cape Fur Seals the island served as a birthing station and public toilet for these Great White Shark bite sized fur balls of blubber and noise. Yes, the Jaws soundtrack was reverberating around my head and yes, the line "We're gonna need a bigger boat" almost left my increasingly dry throat.

The project though was a great success. We managed to attach around 17 cameras on different sharks over a two week period which also allowed us to get a very sneak peek into their otherwise very private lives. I came to appreciate the sharks as the incredibly adapt and consummate predators that they are, not the mindless killing machines the media would have us believe. They are dangerous, yes. Would I hug one? No, but they do deserve their place in the Oceans. After all, they were there a long time before we ever were!

This shot was taken with a Canon 400D (R.I.P) and a standard 18-55mm kit lens. Location: False Bay, South Africa.

Cheers, more Ocean memories tomorrow.
Mark
liquidmocean

Got any Weed bro?

One of the things I've always wanted to do was to help out some children who may not have the best of chances in life. Not that I am by any means affluent, I have to seriously watch the pennies as anyone these days, but, with a small company that promotes the Ocean and Ocean sports I think it only fair in a location such as Bali where life can be cheap, to give something back and help a youngster out. My fledgling company, liquidmocean, is now the proud sponsor of a cool young Balinese surfer Kadek, or 'Dek' as he likes to be called, originates form the Padma region of Kuta.

On a whim, and a call from someone who wanted some images from the small island of Nusa Lembongan to Bali's south Eastern coastline, I took Kadek over for a weekend so he could get some different waves whilst I was off snapping. Seemed like a good plan.

I never realized such a micro industry existed on the island. Seaweed Farming. The green, brown and beige stuff is everywhere. Every low tide the people head out to the reef shallows to tend and harvest their patches, this means bringing in mountains of the stuff to be cleaned, dried and shipped off to the mainland. Be warned this stuff is also very bloody slippery!

We had a great meal, invited by the Brit managers of a particular dive shop. Hearty laughs, a few Vitamin B's (Bintang's, the local Brew) and some good conversation. Making our way back to the hotel though I decided to walk along the beachfront, bad move. With no coastal lighting it's hard to see the seaweed, the slippery as hell seaweed that's been left on the top of the seawall to dry. I went down like a sack of potato's! Landing on God knows what I put a pretty big gash in my right heel. Not happy. The result was three weeks out of the Ocean, which for a in water surf and Ocean photographer is not exactly conducive to being good news. If you ever head out to Nusa Lembongan then be warned, this stuff waits to ambush ya!

Today's image of a Seaweed Farmer's canoe with Bali's active volcano Mount Agung in the background was taken with a Canon 500D using a Canon 24-105mm f4 L IS USM 

Cheers, more tomorrow,
Mark.
liquidmocean

Heading to work...

So here I am blogging on a Sunday morning, planning the day ahead, tapping me bunions to some old Andy Moor podcast's from March 2009, good stuff. It's gonna be a beach day, but which beach? The biggest obstacle being traffic! Yep, Bali is famed for its clogged streets and traffic lines, the drivers, I use the term loosely, are something else. I'd like to maybe head out to somewhere different to find a new place to run the dog.

The above image was taken about a month ago on a trip to a new spot, Cucukan (Choo-Choo-Kan) on Bali's east coast is a small town, tucked into some coastal rice fields, a nice spot, laid back and isolated. If only the roads on Bali were as uncluttered as the coastline. This guy going to work with an outboard engine strapped to his otherwise traditional fishing Canoe.

Well wherever we end up you'll be sure to hear about it. One's thing's for sure, the cameras will be cocked and ready for action, land and surf.

Cheers, until tomorrow,
Mark.
liquidmocean

A storm on the horizon...

Seems like a storm is brewing. Be aware that I am currently working on a blog post that will reflect the negative events experienced of late. As a diver, Ocean lover and photographer I have great respect for all the creatures found within this water environment. Apart from the liquidmocean venture I also own and run a pro shark diving social network and until recently had an almost 20,000 strong following of a shark conservation Page that I had created on facebook.

The mistake I made was to invite co-admins to help run the shark conservation page who were quite aware of my stepping away from the limelight to concentrate on the formation of the liquidmocean aesthetic. Very quickly this turned sour. I was accused of not having the best intentions towards shark conservation and that my real concerns were with the monetizing of the page and associated products.

In a couple of days, as that will be how long it will take me to document my account of events, I will be posting that blog up here. I won't name name's as that is not my style. The people who have attacked me know who they are. The 'Keyboard Rambo's' who hide behind aliases in order to defame me on my business facebook pages know who they are, the people who feed these lies and disinformation about me know who they are. To those who continue to tarnish my name with your unfounded assumptions, shame on you all.

It is not I who has lost sight of the end goal. Your respective visions of conservation are seriously tainted with the hues of fanaticism. 

Welcome to Sanur....

Today was a mixture of many things. A day of celebrating my relationship with the Ocean in the form of a few hours strapped to my camera's viewfinder recording instances from the Rusty sponsored 'Rumble in Da Jungle' event in Sanur, Bali, this morning. It was also a day of realization that not everyone you think you know are actually the person you believe them to be. It was a day to rejoice insofar that a non-liquidmocean undertaking is vibrant and a day for concern after my Wife was diagnosed with an Ovarian cyst! I rubbed shoulders, or the collar at least, of an extra from the movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, I kid not. Check the images of this mornings event, why anyone would want to parade a dog around dressed like that defeats me.

We started out at 5.50am weaving through the Balinese traffic, yep even at that hour. I've always wondered why I haven't seen more accidents, people not using lights, pulling straight out onto a busy road without looking, no helmets, complete families on a step through Yamaha! It's all seen on the roads here on a daily basis, if not hourly basis. Our team rider 'Dek' was subscribed in for the Rusty sponsored event so we headed down early to get some images at first light. Unfortunately 'Dek' never made it through to the next Heats. He bowed out of Heat 6 after being in second (yay) spot for most of the period, being ousted to third in the closing seconds of the heat, such is life. "We'll get the next one buddy"! Mind you the guy above slammed into the lead of the heat with this tube so well deserved too.

The rest of the day, well let's just say it was an adventure. I'm not gonna go into the details here as I try not to talk BS about anyone, but my eyes were certainly opened today into just how much of a delusional state some people are happy to live in. Just another bump on this roller coaster of a ride we call life. The situation is sorted now so no worries.

Anyway, that's me for the day. We, the wife and I, go back for her second consultation in two weeks so she's on the drugs until then. Fingers crossed that the results will be fine..

Cheers all, until tomorrow. Sorry for the late posting here but as you can see, heavily sidetracked today.

Mark,
liquidmocean.

Room to think....

Photography for me is a passion, I started my affair with this medium  more years ago than I care to remember. It's only now, well the past few years, that I turn my attention to the still imaging aspect of the Ocean. My 'past life' was military based. I grew up on the south coast of the United Kingdom and as a natural progression from the child services facilities in which I spent my formative years I progressed into the British Infantry as a boy soldier at just sixteen years of age. The next twelve years were spent in a mixture of situations and departments of the military. One such posting to the horn of Africa, Djibouti, allowed me to get my first real taste of the tropical seas that would figure so greatly in the years to come.

On leaving the 'green gear' behind I decided that the Ocean life was for me. I decided to get my SCUBA Instructors ticket and go traveling the World. The perfect utopian existence, as the training agency PADI, Professional Association of Diving Instructors, would have you believe. Unfortunately the diving industry is full of young people with little, if any, life experience who are willing to work for free. This action in exchange for somewhere to crash and a pittance for food, a way to fill that sabbatical with some great adventure, basically ensures that there are little wages available even to the highest qualified instructor. The sad fact of the industry is that there are all too many dive shop owners aware of this and who are more than happy exploit this almost free worker market. I didn't want to be a part of that.

I started out filming underwater back in 1995. A mate had asked if I had ever shot underwater video as he had a small business to provide tourist divers on the island of Tenerife with souvenir video's. Being slightly economical with the truth I informed him that I was the next Jacques Cousteau, such were my skills with an underwater camera....I had that night to familiarize myself with the camera, the housing and filming techniques! Well I guess I done something right, as here I am some 16 years later and still in the Ocean imaging game, and still loving each day.

Having moved somewhat towards surf sport photography the swimming aspect is also something that keeps me in shape. Depending on the seas though depends on the experience. The image above was taken at the Padma Beach location on the island of Bali. On some days the waves are mushy, they just form and fold in on themselves. On other days they form nice little barrels, or big barrels depending on the swell size. In any barrel, when you find yourself in there, there is a split second, a time where you and the wave seem to gel. The colors etch themselves firmly onto the canvas of your mind, indelible hues of a unique moment archived in your library of worldly experiences.

For the future? Who knows? I have just started the liquidmocean aesthetic, I don't think it fair to suggest it is any one specific item. There are just so many possibilities to do with the Ocean that I want to try and concentrate on a few of them with the imaging, clothing and social interaction. It would, I feel, be too inhibiting to have this amazing affinity with the Ocean and not be able to share that in more than one way with those who care to listen and follow. I hope you too will be along for the ride.

The above image was taken with a Canon 500D using a Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 EF S wide angle lens at 10mm. The whole rig was housed in a Liquid Eye water housing, made here in Bali.

Cheers, until tomorrow's Ocean Photo Of the Day.
Mark
liquidmocean

Gone Fishin'......

Today's photo brings home the reality of survival from the island of Bali, Indonesia. I'd never really noted these guys before, I guess I was too preoccupied with the waves and getting ready for some serious swimming but that was always on days when there was actually a good swell. On the island of Serangen the locals do actually farm corals and seaweed so the role of Hunter/Gatherer is simply another add on to their daily chores.

It's only at times of low tide when these guys can go retrieve their small nets for fish, an iron bar to weed out any crustaceans or octopus, a keep net and some plastic bottles for anything that may also take their fancy or that could be sold to the aquarium traders in town. OK so it looks like a nice setting and yes, even with the rendering I carried out in post to make this image look cold and desolate, the sun was shining. However there are days when the rain is pelting down, when the winds are blowing, when the last thing anyone would want to do is to patrol knee to waist high in Ocean to look for food, but this is the task set before this guy, and many like him.

To survive day to day, to be able to provide for the family day to day is often a task that is very apparent in many of the tropical settings of the World but an aspect of daily life that is equally overlooked by visitors. The next time you see a similar scenario take a moment, just a few seconds, to appreciate the regimental discipline within us all for self preservation, for survival.

This image was shot using a Canon 5DMkII fitted with a Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS zoom lens. It was taken on the Serangen Island of Bali, Indonesia.

Cheers,
Mark.
liquidmocean.

Dawn Patrol at Serangen, Bali.

Even living in Bali can have its strains and stresses. The pollution, traffic nightmares, administrative headaches and dealing with the idiosyncrasies of doing business the Indo way can all weigh heavily on one's shoulders. What a blessing therefore it is to have this love affair with the Ocean as a means to relax, to get away from those other aspects of living on the 'Island of the Gods'. I guess I chose wisely when we decided to go with liquidmocean being an Ocean based entity, I don't think there could have been any other possibility anyway, whichever way we looked at it.

On this morning in particular I had made my way down to the Serangen Reef break as I was to meet a friend there and try to snag some images of him for our web promotions etc. I couldn't have asked for a better setting. The sunrise, as you can see, was just flawless. What tops this image off is the three surfers heading out, part of what I call the 'Dawn Patrol', that small band of people you will find on many of the Balinese breaks, and I'm sure breaks of the World, who like nothing better that catching waves as the sun peeks over the horizon.

This was a calm day, there was a swell, a small one, some waves were caught, but most of all we just enjoyed this incredible weather, a sunny pit stop in the tail ends of the recent wet season.

Cheers, catch up again tomorrow for more sharing of our Ocean imagery.
Mark
liquidmocean

Tales from the tube...

Today's image was a first for me, a first time to be inside the barrel of a wave looking out. The icing on the cake is the surfer in the distance riding away from the closing section of the wave, the bit with me in it! The shot was taken at the Serangen Reef break in Bali, Indonesia about two months ago. I had been working my confidence up to get into the waves and this day they seemed to be perfect in size and hollowness to be able to attempt this image.

It all seems tame enough. I'm not sure how many people are aware though that sea water is heavy, damned heavy. In fact 3 cubic foot of sea water weighs a tonne, literally. Now that's a lot of weight. So imagine, you see a little wave and think "hey they look fun" well if you get the timing wrong and get hit by the falling lip of the wave, it can hurt, and hurt a lot. On days where the waves appear to be small I've been massively corrected by mother nature by getting a hefty dose of whoop ass from a wave that looked no bigger than knee high. On larger waves it can feel like you are about to be snapped in two.

Then you have the hold down. The hold down is the action the water has on you as it rolls out it's final throes of 'life' in the shallows. With any wave there is an energy bar of water following it, as part of the wave. This section of the wave is constantly rolling, tumbling. When you get caught wrong in the wave, and if it is big enough, it will pull you down, the force is amazing. You basically have to accept that the wave will only let you up when it's done with you, pure and simple. Mix that with the fact that you also on a shallow reef will explain why at all times I wear protective head gear. Getting bounced around on the reefs by these waves is no laughing matter when it comes to potential injury, it's not a matter of if you get a few bruises, it's a matter of when.

At the end of the day it's all worth it though, and if it was that easy then everyone would be doing it, right?

Cheers, pop back tomorrow for more adventures...

Mark.
liquidmocean

The Headbanging Mermaid.

So it's the weekend, we're a water family so we headed out to the beach where we like to swim in a nice protected area. Balangan Beach, located on what is called the 'Bukit' in Bali, that lump at the bottom of the island, is home to one of the most photogenic spots on the island. Getting out of the car we let 'Muppet' off the leash, whereupon she set to immediate discovery of her surroundings, including one very large but placid looking dog. Imagine our surprise when the dog turned out to belong to some friends of ours that we hadn't seen for quite a number of months. The afternoon was spent nattering about all things past and present that had happened in our respective adventures since last seeing them. Had a nice afternoon, the dogs were happy and didn't stop chasing each other around the beach.

So there I am, watching the Ocean, it's a stunning afternoon so I asked Terri to pose for me, not in the traditional way but I was after her scalp. I'd seen an image before that was used for a conditioner promotion, so why not, give it a bash. OK so it requires for the model to sit in the water and duck her long hair into the water, face down. On the count of three she is then to just throw her head backwards allowing the hair to throw water out as it acts under the centrifugal force. The above was the favorite result of the twenty or so times I asked Terri to dunk her head, I never had the heart to tell her she looked like a headbanging mermaid! Now there's a picture.

On getting back to the car, I know I shouldn't say it, as I had left my iPhone in it, I found that our team rider 'Dek' had sent me an SMS. We are now entered into the Rusty sponsored 'Rumble in da Jungle' 2011 Pro Surf competition. He was asking if I could collect him in the morning, at 5am!! Sheesh. Well I hope the waves were going to favor us after getting up at that time.

I reckon they should rename the event to 'The Squeak in the Bushes' the waves today were very small on the chosen break, Sanur. So we have until May 8th to wait for a good wave day, once that happens we're set to go. The chosen spot is a crazy reef break, super shallow at the best of times and breaks onto coral reef, not plateau...ouch to any wipe outs.

With the day called off Dek and I decided to head over to his house break in Padma, close to Legian to see of we could at least get some images of him in the water there. We weren't let down. The tide was coming in and the waves getting progressively bigger. You can see a selection of shots from this session over on our facebook page.

Cheers,
Mark.

I love the Beetles, but this is ridiculous!

The last few days have been hectic. I just took a look at the blog and realized that last post was from Wednesday, and today is Saturday! Where did the time go? Seems I'm rushed off my feet at the moment with items to take care of from printing, ordering, designing, emailing and then all the photography issues too. I must though apologize to my lovely wife Terri as I know I become a grumpy old arse when the workload increases. I suppose it's just my way of dealing with it, stay completely focused and try to address each item as I see fit. Terri's decisions generally tend to be the wiser option as she has a great knack for balancing up any situation and then logically thinking that through. I tend more to go with the 'Bull in a China Shop' attitude. Cheers babe, thanks for the support.

I guess my actions would be more in tune if I only had limited time on the planet. Not that I haven't but at least the duration is greater than let's say these little beetles. Whilst working last night I couldn't quite put my finger on the unusual smell that hung in the air. I've had a couple of showers this week so it couldn't be me?? I couldn't trace it until the dog started going bonkers out in the car port. Opening the door was like stepping into a scene of some biblical plague scene. The car port was full, literally, with hundreds of beetles, these small black bugs were everywhere. I guess the stink was coming from their natural defense system which when they feel threatened they give off a really shitty smelling pong! The dog was getting a nose full of the pungent stuff hence her whimpering, I don't blame her, it stank.

Aggregations such as these in the animal world suggest a mating run was taking place in my car port! Such fun, never thought I would host an insect orgy but there ya go. Living in Indonesia is full of surprises.

Cheers,
Mark.

A great session, and a cool Tee Shirt...

Serangen seems to be my break of choice of late, and today it was one of my best sessions to date. Not because it was huge, because it wasn't, or because I got some cool shots but just for the weather, the vibe and the warmth of the Ocean. I collected 'Dek' in Padma at 7am and headed north to the Serangen turn off on the main arterial route, direction Sanur. It wasn't long before we were bouncing down the dirt track that leads to the beach. We could see on arrival that there were already a fair number of people out in the lineup but the breaks here are spread out over a relatively large area so no worries. I parked in my customary place at Dedik's Warung on the left hand side of the beach, the second small cafe as you look to the Ocean. The imagery from the session can be seen in its entirety at the Album for Today over at the liquidmocean facebook page.

Out came the raw potato, surf photographers out there, my hidden gem of info is to cut a piece of raw potato and rub the starch of the raw internal 'flesh' of the spud onto your lens ports. Everyone is always trying to avoid the water on the port. I do it the other way around, I try to get it sitting in a continuous film across the front of the port acting as another optical element in the focal chain. It seems to work. If the spud is fresh it works better, normally allows you to get a full minute of uninterrupted sheen on the port before it starts breaking down at the beginning. This wears off as the session time increases. I normally find it is still relatively effective until about two hours post application. By that time I'm knackered anyway and just about ready to call it a day in the water.

After a couple of hours in the water I called it a day. Dragging myself away from the waves I headed to Dedik's for my post swim coffee, a handful of Bananas and a quick scan of the images of the session. I also use this time to check up on SMS messages and missed calls etc, just to keep my finger on the pulse as it were. An SMS was waiting for me from the missus, Terri. She'd had word from the Tee Shirt printers that our latest design was ready for collection. Until now we had been making Tee's with our Logo as the main design, as a way to initially get the name out there.

Now I don't know about you but my memory is not the best at retaining the names and places I've met and been so thus the idea for the design we're calling "What's in a Name"? came about. I'm sure there are many of you who've surfed Bali that don't remember all the names of the main breaks here. Well now there's no excuse, the new Tee carries pretty much every break name on it, albeit in a randomly sized, oriented and aligned mass of words. The three red text aspects that stand out from the design are of course the question: What's in a Name? the location of course, Bali and finally the aesthetic that joins everything together, liquidmocean. This and other Tees are currently available via our facebook page's Shop & Win tab.

Cheers,
Mark.

Cleaning up the beaches...

It's been a period of flux for the island of Bali at the moment. Whilst it's still regarded as one of the more attractive destinations by many there also lies a problematic side to the island, and one that directly affects the daily experiences of those looking to experience the varied water sports on offer here. The problem? Trash. With the development boom that has gripped the island over the past 20 or so years the infrastructure requirements to deal with the additional Hotels, Resorts and facilities were not addressed accordingly. The recent article in Time Magazine left the tourism directors reeling, and for good reason. The state of Kuta Beach at certain times of the year leaves a lot to be desired. Reflective of a world famous paradise retreat? Nope. Reflective of a society impervious to the site and stench of piles of trash in public places? Yep.

The fingers invariably point to the neighboring island of Java, or the wind, or the Ocean currents from lands afar, but never at the local issues. Those of non existent trash collections, of piles of garbage greeting and bidding farewell to many road travelers as they enter and leave villages throughout the island. Of the very convenient ravines up in the mountains, where for the majority of the year the warm weather is generally cause for fire hazard concerns than anything else. It's not until the rains of the rainy season commence that we see the increase in beach trash. Due simply to the rainfall raging down through these ravines and rivers towards the Oceans where upon they spew their cargo of waste into the coastal waters of the island. Tidal currents only flow so far out before they swing back in and therefore bring with it the untold tonnes of trash that are then dumped fairly and squarely onto the beaches.

This mornings session was planned for the Padma Beach break where the currents can rip at low tide, and it was low tide. I was really pleasantly surprised to see literally hundreds of people, including whole classes of school kids, being herded onto the beaches for as far as the eye could see, plastic bags in hand, each chicken picking style reaching into the sands and collecting the trash.

This though was just one low tide in a succession of never ending low tides. When the tides rotate and along comes the high tide waters it will, once again, bring with it the mountains of trash. It's heartening to see that the authorities are now addressing the issue. I hope that it continues well beyond the current public attention lifespan. Many surfers and other Ocean sports enthusiasts past present and future who have tasted the delights of Bali's water borne potential will, I'm sure, also be applauding this initiative.

Cheers,
Mark.

Back in the wet, and a conflict of interests!

I couldn't be a happier man today. This morning I hit the water for the first time in almost three weeks. I'd taken a short hiatus due to a small injury I'd collected when; like a right planet, I fell off a seawall at night time on the island of Nusa Lembongan. I guarantee there was no falling down juice involved, well not enough anyway, just slipped on some seaweed and went for a burton, base over apex, putting a deep but not serious cut in my right foot and some additional grazes on my arm. No biggee but with the potential for infection from water borne gremlins the doc's told me to rest it for a while. So happy a man am I. as happy as a pig in poo with the result of a three hour swim posted to our facebook page for prosperity. So at 6.30am I hit on down to the Serangen surf break which is just a twenty minute drive from my door. I love the early morning light when conditions are right, and today they were almost perfect.

My coffee enriched drool was leaving some pretty hectic puddles in the foot well of the car as I made my approach to the spot. Head to Overhead high sets were rolling in, clean, glassy, almost no offshore wind and some real nice early morning sunlight. I took a while to shoot some of the surrounding land scenics, a temple, the washed up tug boat on the Sanur Reef, clouded in early morning mists. And the waves, the glorious waves that I would soon be tumbling around in, my physical connection with the Ocean once more rekindled and renewed, strengthened and so so so overdue. I spent the next three hours enjoying the waves, shooting the things I see, the surfers the movements of water, the liquidmocean. Three hours was enough, it's amazing how even after just three weeks one finds just how fast you can loose the edge, have to keep on top of the fitness when out of the water, note to self.

Dedik, the owner of the Warung (Cafe) I use whenever I go to Serangen was there to welcome me out of the water. As I'd not been there for about three weeks due to the cut on my foot she had thought that maybe I'd left Bali or gone on somewhere else. Not to worry, I'm part of the furniture here, no plans to go anywhere. So as customary I checked the imagery on the camera, ordered a coffee and checked my phone for missed messages and/or calls. The SMS I'd received was a corker.

OK, so you're all aware that we are sponsoring a local guy here in Bali. Kadek is a stunning little surfer and a great bloke to boot. As part of the deal we are supplying him with 2 surfboards, clobber and financial backing for the comp registration fees, this is a national comp which means trips to Sumatera and Java on the agenda. So here I am reading an SMS from an 'entity' who had supplied Kadek with a handful of pairs of sunglasses, a few pairs of board shorts and a whole handful of stickers. So the meat and veg of the deal is that this 'entity' was not happy with me for removing a sticker that Kadek had placed on the board. On calling the person that had sent the message it was suggested that they were feeling 'snaked' insofar that I had taken things on my own hands and removed the sticker and therefore eliminated any chance this entity had of promotion when Kadeks images were posted to the web etc. When asking if there was a conflict in their written contract with the rider the response was "We don't do contracts" well, urmm, are we talking sponsorship here or??

OK, so let's get this straight. I'm the bad guy for removing livery of a competitive company from a surfboard that was supplied by my company. I'm also a bad bad man for not allowing them the chance of promotions stemming from imagery taken with my cameras, bought with my resources, of photo sessions booked for the promoting of the liquidmocean brand. Hmmm, maybe I'm missing something here? Anyone with feedback? The long and the short of it is that this 'entity' have now retracted their 'sponsorship' of the rider. Quite what impact this will have on my ability to sleep remains to be seen.

What a day it's been, more in store soon.

Cheers,
Mark.
P.S We also looked at a sample of a new Tee coming soon. Looks pretty damned cool if you ask me.

Is there any swell in Cucukan?

The call, rather SMS, came at around 7pm on Friday evening. I was still, typically, staring goggle eyed at my computer getting things arranged for the myriad of chores set before me in the current gist of things. The message was from Kadek, or 'Dek' as he calls himself, the young Balinese surfer that I have chosen to sponsor for a year, he's a great kid and an excellent surfer so I'm happy with that plan at the moment. I'm sure you'll be hearing lot's about this diminutive character in the months ahead as we navigate through this our first year of business here in Bali.

'Dek' was asking what my plans were for Saturday (today) as he was wondering if we could head out to a small surf break between what I call 'the sprawling monster' of the south that is Kuta and the village of Gianyar. We made the plan to pick him up at 7am and then struck out for the village of Cucukann (Choo-Choo-Kann). Following the coastal road from Kuta one heads towards the town of Candidasa, if you ever are in Bali, drive that road and check on the number of small branching roads that head towards the coastline. You only have to drive 50 to 100m off the main road and you seem to be transported back in time, the noise diminishes and moments later you'll start to see the real elements that make Bali so attractive.

Within minutes we were driving down rice paddy lined roads, so narrow I was hoping that no one was coming the other way, as I'm pretty crap at reversing with the back windows blocked by surfboards. After about eight or so minutes we arrived at the end of the road, a couple of local Warungs, nosh shops, were there selling an assortment of goodies, Nasi Goreng (mixed fried rice) and Noodle Soups. Bali coffee (paint stripper) for the brave of heart or standard soft drinks to give that morning kick. Stepping out onto the black sand the last traces of the night were receding behind the ominously looming silhouette of Bali's tallest peak and still active volcano, Mount Agung. We'd decided to take the furball of a dog we affectionately call 'Muppet' with us to give her a good run in the morning. After getting put in place by the local beach dogs she stuck to us like glue, at just 3 months old, no surprise. We'd made good time, with the new road completed, widened, we were sat in one of the local cafe's on the beach sipping Bali Coffee, pleeuuch, and waiting for the waves to start rolling in.

Nothing seemed to happen fast around Cucukann, at least not from the shoreline perspective. We saw a few fishing boats tentatively bobbing around in the near distance, there was also a couple of old boys collecting small pebbles, and I mean small pebbles, for some form of decoration or another, but not a lot else. Three ladies came into view walking along the gray shores probably swapping local gossip with baskets of varying sizes perched precariously atop an array of differing headwear. Passing us they smiled, leaving the beaches once more abandoned.

The swell that everyone in Bali was so desperately waiting on didn't seem to arrive. 'Dek' was happy to show us the new paint job he's had done one the training surf board we had provided him with. A mixture of patterns and shapes with the liquidmocean logo spray painted to the underside of the board, it all looked very funky, except for a sticker of a major clothing brand that he'd stuck onto the board! That came off pretty sharpish. The education of sponsorship and what its responsibilities entail from the rider starts soon!

Fingers crossed that the swell hits soon. I'm offski out of the water tomorrow, Sunday, as I have a couple of meetings to make in Tulamben on Bali's northeastern coastline and then catching up with a buddy at a rather nice little resort on the return trip.

Here's me signing off again, thanks for stopping by.
Cheers,
Mark.

Rain stops play but liquid inspires art...

With all best laid plans to hit the Keramas Beach Break here in Bali this morning with our team rider 'Dek' Merta Yasa in place I woke up to find gray skies, fast flowing clouds and the ominous sounds of distant thunder. I was under the impression that the rainy season had come to an end and that we were now looking towards warm, sunny days, basking in the tropical heat that is usually associated with this island. Not so. Instead I'm left feeling like a weekend tripper in the middle of winter determined to enjoy the conditions thrown at me whilst sitting on the promenade benches of Dungeness! So what to do? Whilst sitting watching the rain it cast my thoughts to another aspect of photography that I sometimes practice.

Me being a bit of a nerd I always thought that water droplet photography is pretty cool. So I started to look into that about two years ago and decided to give it a bash. Now water, is water, is water, right? Well, not for me. You see, I notice movements, colors and reactions to forces acting on it once I slow the simplest of events such as a water drop hitting the surface of another liquid. So I started experimenting. I soon got bored with the traditional droplets and started to look at how liquids interact with each other. Liquid doesn't have to be pure water, it can be thickened with glycerin, colored with food dye or can be other forms of liquid such as detergents and liquid soaps etc.

Et Voila, this is the result of a couple of hours looking at finding options to occupy my brain on a wet and windy afternoon a couple of months ago. We seem to get a lot of these of late so I guess I'll be looking to get out the Infra Red timing devices and set the whole rig up again for some more adventures with liquids. I guess my only gripe with the image is the line of small bubbles around the base of the larger Dome, but hey, can't have it all right?

For the Photo Junkies out there the tech specs for this are as follows. I used what is called the Time Machine from Mumford Engineering. This allows me to plug an electronic water valve into my computer via an interface and then set mili-second precision over parameters such as drip size, interval between drips and time lapse of drips over a sequential time frame. Using the small diameter glass I blew a detergent bubble and dripped a single droplet on to it. The result was this engaging display of surface tension, the resistance of the water surface, to heavier bodies acting on it. This also explains why some small insects are able to skate across the surface of the water without the risk of drowning.

OK, well I said some of my posts would be laborious so I'll try not to bore you much longer. The rest of the day entails a drive to Nusa Dua to buy some ladies stuff with the wifey. Then off to a villa to measure up for some images that will be shown there and then lastly to one of the garment factories to check on a full screen cover tee we are developing.

Cheers,
Mark.

Welcome to the liquidmocean Blog...

Well I guess it was just a matter of time. Whilst I embrace the incredible phenomenon that is facebook there is just something about being able to sit down and communicate with friends, web surfers and lurkers. Who know's who's going to read these ramblings but hey that's what this is all about, sharing the whole experience of a particularly good surf photography session, the frustrations/elation when dealing with business entities within Indonesia. Some days will be great, others crappy but c'est la vie as the saying goes.

At times I may be a bit controversial, but isn't everyone? Everyone has frustrations at times and this is a place where, when stressed or happy, I will vent mine. I'm only human and as such I'm not afraid to share my thoughts and ramblings with you. My posts here will be dictated by the workload of the moment, in fact it is that which will drive the posts, the reflections. Some of them may be long winded, drawn out conveyor belts of drivel whilst others will be short and to the point.

Finally I'd like to just say that it is not my intention to get people riled up. Everyone is as entitled to their opinions as much as I am mine. If this in turn inspired dialog then that's a good thing, right? Above all I hope for engaging interaction with people, I don't have time for those who want to throw insults all over the place. Anything can be discussed as adults, respectful of others mindset's and aware that we all see things differently. So thanks for popping by, here's to the progression of this feature.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean