If you like to take adventure photography and think that GoPro or other action cameras can not do enough but don’t want to spend more than what your DSLR camera cost for underwater housing, Outex is the answer. It may sounds like a birth control product brand and works almost the same but it’s the coolest DSLR camera gear to protect the camera from water, mud, snow or dust in reasonably affordable price :)). It envelops any major DSLR and lenses brand like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, Tamron etc. To do a split level water photography will be very handy if you have the right lenses and Outex set for that as an alternative to expensive camera housing.
Although you can use Outex for underwater photography up to 10m deep, it is not designed for scuba diving as its not supporting the pressure. And to be able to use it underwater, it has to be installed properly. When you purchase from their website, it will be directed to which camera and lenses are you using so it will fit them properly. It’s an exciting new gear for adventure photography.
Here are some photos of this Outex from many sources:
Thanks to the generosity of Nina K who let us played around and learnt some useful photography tips in her studio and I finally got a chance to take some photos with serious lighting. The Darwin Photowalks group arranged the event and lucky we had some brilliant young dancers as the objects of the session. We had so much fun with indoor and outdoor session with the dancers and ‘amazed’ how good lighting set up can give a big difference on the quality of your shots as long as you set your speed, ISO, aperture and white balance right.
Nina allowed everyone of us to use her studio lighting with some tips she shared. I was not even sure which lens I suppose to use before getting into the shots. From what I gather, the best way to take some portrait or action photography in studio is mid range lenses and also depend on how big the studio is. I don’t have a sharp mid range lens so I just used my Canon 50mm 1.8 most of the time, except when taking the whole group within the studio or outdoor. It worked OK for me except some frames are cropped unwantedly so the object lost their part of hands or leg, but I still get the sharpness. Tried with standard 18-55mm but not as sharp, so I couldn’t be bothered.
This is one of the moment when you have some photography gears that you dont use often but when you do, they dont work as you wanted to :)). When it was not my turn to use studio lighting, I used my flash and remote trigger so I could take some light from the side of object and not straight from the camera but only for few shots, the rest didnt work due to battery problem so I have to stick the flash on the camera which means I had to use light from the camera angle. Moral of the story: check all of your gears that involve battery and make sure you have some spares.
Here are some shots that I like, some minor post processing was taken to play around with the colors; critics and comments will be highly appreciated:
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013; When unwanted lights collide, it gave me extra light from the right side that made the skin tone on the face looks flat, but it gives a stronger line on the eyes.
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
One of the dancers at the session – Darwin photowalks 2013
This particular photo did not use the studio set up lighting but I was lucky I captured someone else’s flash! – Darwin Photowalks January 2013
This photo didn’t use the studio lighting and just natural light from the door, I like the shallow depth of focus using Canon 50mm 1.8
In Studio with Nina K. This was using my own one side lighting..
The outdoor session “Levitaion”- Darwin Photowalks January 2013 “In Studio with Nina K”
The outdoor session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013 “In Studio with Nina K”
The outdoor session – Darwin Photowalks January 2013 “In Studio with Nina K”
Outdoor session – Looks like they’re having fun too – Darwin photowalks January 2013
Darwin Photowalks January 2013 – In Studio with Nina K, Indoor session
Chasing Light and Crocodiles with the Darwin Photography Walk 2012
The Corroboree Bilabong is well-known for its amazing water wildlife scenery, including various Top End birds and crocodile species. Some tours offer this beautiful place, and when I joined the Darwin photography group, we had a chance to capture this beauty.
It’s one of those places where the landscape shifts with the light, and every moment holds potential for the perfect shot.
A Creative Gathering by the Water
There’s something about photographing in a group. While photography is often a solitary hobby, doing it with others turns it into a shared experience of discovery and experimentation. We exchanged tips, admired each other’s gear, and pointed out interesting angles and movements across the water.
As the sun began its slow descent, the billabong transformed. Golden light spilled across the water, casting long reflections of the paperbark trees and lotus lilies. Every frame became richer and more textured. Photographers call this the golden hour, which lived up to the name.
We focused on capturing the soft ripples on the water, silhouettes of birds taking off into the sky, and those elusive crocodile snouts just breaking the surface. The challenge of shooting wildlife at dusk is part of the fun—waiting patiently, adjusting settings, and holding your breath just long enough to catch the perfect moment.
Crocodile Encounters
The highlight of the evening? Spotting several crocodiles slowly drifting near the boat ramp and around the reeds.
Some in the group captured close-up shots with stunning detail. In contrast, others played with composition, framing the crocs between overhanging branches or reflecting skies. The results were as varied as the group itself.
A Sunset to Remember
It wasn’t just about photography—it was about connection: to place, wildlife, and others who see the world through a creative lens. I like sunsets and reflection on the water, whether on the ocean, billabongs, lake, or even on my drinks ;). And that’s why orange is my favourite colour.
Crocodile at the billabongBlue bird at the Corroboree billabongCrocodile at the Corroboree billabongCorroboree billabong sunsetCorroboree billabong sunsetCorroboree billabong sunsetClose up crocodile at the billabongJabiru at the Corroboree Billabong
In my previous post about Custom Bokeh, I mentioned about how to create custom shaped bokeh for still photography. On Thursday, I visited the opening season of Mindil Beach Markets in Darwin with fireworks and I practice the custom bokeh for that. The result was pretty entertaining and colorful, I couldnt stop myself watching them and here it is the video:
