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Libby Sterling Photography

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Some days on the water change you a little. Today

Some days on the water change you a little. Today was one of them.

This male humpback was singing the entire time we were with him — you could hear it from the boat before we even got in the water. Underwater, it's not just sound, it resonates straight through your chest. There's nothing quite like feeling a whale's song in your own body.

Photos can't capture the sound, but I hope this at least gives you a sense of the scale and the stillness of that moment. Yes I do have video so sound I will share his song.

Has anyone else experienced whale song in the water? It's honestly hard to describe to someone who hasn't felt it.

📸 Canon EOS R, 14-35mm wide angle lens @scubapixaustralia nauticam housing

#humpbackwhale #whalesong #tonga #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #humpbackwhales

Part three of that 2017 turtle encounter. 🐢 Th

Part three of that 2017 turtle encounter. 🐢

This was turtle number two of the three I spent nearly 20 minutes with that morning — completely unbothered, going about its business grazing while I just floated and watched.

Solo diving properly trained (hello, Self-Reliant Diver course) means no bubbles or group disturbance — which is exactly why encounters like this last as long as they do.

Could you sit still and just watch for 20 minutes, or would you want to keep moving?

Yes, I teach the #padiselfreliantdiverspecialty

📸 Canon G7X mkii, Recsea housing, AOI wet lens, 2x @seaandseaimaging strobes

#turtletuesday #greenturtle #2017archive #scubadiving #uwphoto #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #selfreliantdiver #solodiving

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ORCA7 | Small torch. Serious light

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ORCA7 | Small torch. Serious light. 🔦

I’ve been using the new #orcatorch #orca7 andI have to say, this little torch has seriously impressed me.

As an uw photographer, I already travel with enough camera gear to sink a small boat, so anything that is compact, lightweight & can do more than one job gets my vote. The ORCA7 is tiny enough that I simply keep it in my BCD pocket, but with 3000 lumens, it certainly doesn’t behave like a tiny torch.

One of my favourite things about it is the beam itself. It’s really concentrated rather than throwing light everywhere, which I love when I’m searching for small critters or using it alongside my camera.

It’s incredibly versatile too. I can use it as my primary torch on a night dive, as a spotting torch when I’m hunting for the small stuff, or attach it to my camera housing & use it as a focus light. It is particularly good for macro & blackwater photography, where that strong, concentrated beam makes finding & focusing on tiny moving subjects so much easier.

The ORCA7 comes with mounting options so I can set it up on my camera rig or use it handheld, depending on what I’m shooting. And when I don’t need it? Back into my BCD pocket.

I really like the USB-C rechargeable batteries. When you travel with cameras, strobes, GoPros, computers & assorted electronic paraphernalia, one less dedicated charger is a beautiful thing!

And apparently I'm not the only one impressed. I showed the ORCA7 to some of the other divers on the boat while diving in Fiji & everyone commented on just how compact & lightweight it was, especially considering how powerful & versatile it is.

It also comes in a range of colours. I chose red for the highly technical reason that it makes it easier to find in the depths of my dive bag.

And then there’s possibly my favourite optional extra, they engrave your name on it!

Having your name engraved adds another layer of protection against that mysterious dive-boat phenomenon where everyone's identical black gear suddenly becomes communal property.

Small, powerful, travel-friendly & genuinely useful for underwater photography, the ORCA7 has very quickly earned a permanent spot in my dive kit.

Fiji keeps delivering. This is a line-cheeked wras

Fiji keeps delivering. This is a line-cheeked wrasse (also called a double-line wrasse) — colours this vivid never stop feeling unreal, even after years of doing this.

Fabulous week of diving with @ra_divers

Wrasse are some of the trickiest subjects to get sharp — constantly moving, rarely pausing — so getting this close with the detail this clean took a bit of patience.

📸 Canon EOS R, 100mm lens in @scubapixaustralia Nauticam housing with 2 x @backscattervideophoto Atom Strobes

#linecheekedwrasse #doublelinewrasse #fiji #radivers #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #fijidiving

I had. fabulous week of diving in Fiji, diving wi

I had. fabulous week of diving in Fiji, diving with @ra_divers , and the colours keep getting better.

This pink anemonefish was perched right on top of its anemone, which had balled itself up into this incredible deep red.

Anemones can change shape and colour depending on light, feeding, and how they're feeling that day (yes, really) — this one was clearly having a moment.

Has anyone else seen an anemone this colour before, or is red a new one for you too?

📸 Canon EOS R, 100mm lens in @scubapixaustralia Nauticam housing with 2 @backscattervideophoto Atom strobes

#fiji #radivers #pinkanemonefish #anemonefish #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #fijidiving

Caught this one mid-meal — picking tiny bits of

Caught this one mid-meal — picking tiny bits of algae straight off a sea fan, weaving in and out of the branches like it owned the place.

I believe this is a longfin bannerfish (easily confused with a Moorish idol — they share that black-and-white banding and the long trailing dorsal fin, but the snout shape gives it away). Happy to be corrected if anyone knows for sure!

That red fan coral against the black and white stripes is such a striking combo.

Bannerfish or Moorish idol — could you tell the difference before reading this?

Fabulous day diving with @ra_divers and @v@volivoli_beach_resort

📸 Canon EOS R, Nauticam housing 100mm lens with 2 x @backscattervideophoto atom strobes

#bannerfish #longfinbannerfish #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #reeflife #fiji

Tucked right into the coral, this butterflyfish ba

Tucked right into the coral, this butterflyfish barely gave me a moment before ducking further in — that chevron pattern in blue and purple against the yellow and orange trim is one of the more striking colour combos on the reef.

I believe this is a redfin butterflyfish, though butterflyfish species can be tricky to pin down exactly when they're this quick to hide — happy to be corrected if anyone knows better!

Another fabulous day with @ra_divers @volivoli_beach_resort

What's your favourite butterflyfish pattern — this one, or the classic black-and-white varieties?

📸 Canon EOS R, Nauticam housing

#butterflyfish #redfinbutterflyfish #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #reeflife

Nature doesn't need a design brief. This coral tro

Nature doesn't need a design brief. This coral trout is swimming around with a pattern most designers would spend weeks trying to perfect — every spot with its own little red outline, no two placed quite the same.

No, the colours aren't edited. That's genuinely what they look like underwater (with strobes).

Honest question — did you know fish could look like this, or is this your first time seeing one this close up?

Taken on Cracker Jack with @mikeballdive

📸 taken with a @canonanz EOS R, 100mm lens, in a @scubapixaustralia Nauticam housing, and two @backscattervideophoto strobes

#coraltrout #coralgrouper #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #reeflife #greatbarrierreef

Meet the titan triggerfish — unofficially known

Meet the titan triggerfish — unofficially known as the most feared fish on the reef, and not without reason. These guys will absolutely charge a diver who gets too close to their nest, no hesitation.

This one, thankfully, was just going about its business and let me get close enough for this level of detail. Still kept one eye on me the whole time though — you can see it in that gaze.

Ever had a run-in with a triggerfish on a dive, or heard the horror stories before you'd even seen one? 😅

📸 taken with a @canonanz EOS R, 100mm lens, in a @scubapixaustralia Nauticam housing, and two @backscattervideophoto strobes

#titantriggerfish #scubadiving #uwphoto #canonphotography #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #reeflife #greatbarrierreef

Part two of that 2017 turtle encounter. 🐢 This

Part two of that 2017 turtle encounter. 🐢

This was turtle number two of the three I spent nearly 20 minutes with that morning — completely unbothered, going about its business grazing while I just floated and watched.

Solo diving properly trained (hello, Self-Reliant Diver course) means no extra bubbles or group disturbance — which is exactly why encounters like this last as long as they do.

Could you sit still and just watch for 20 minutes, or would you want to keep moving?

Yes, I teach the #padiselfreliantdiverspecialty

📸 Canon G7X mkii, Recsea housing, AOI wet lens, 2x @seaandseaimaging strobes

#turtletuesday #greenturtle #2017archive #scubadiving #uwphoto #ocean #uwphotography #photooftheday #underwaterpics #padipro #natgeoyourshot #libbysterlingphotography #sterlingimagery #instafish #girlsthatscuba #scubatravel #orcatorch #selfreliantdiver #solodiving