Before I mention the wonderful photographic opportunities that abound here, let me show you just a few quick pictures to whet your appetite. These were taken today, (the day of our arrival at the resort) and represent the Kapalai-Sipadan Water Village - the magnificent location we have the privilege of spending the next 8 days and seven nights.

On a point of clarification: while we were going to be diving on the island of SIPADAN, no resorts are allowed on the island. Accommodation of diving guests has to take place at two locations: 1. the Water Village of KAPALAI (where we were to stay), or 2) the neighbouring island of MABUL which also has a water village as well as accommodation on land.

On our approach by high-powered speed boat the water village stretched out ahead of us like an impossible vision rising up out of the ocean. No island, just this amazing collection of bungalows on stilts - but, a much more elaborate collection of dwellings than we had ever anticipated:

As our boat approached the main reception deck which opened into the restaurant / dining lounge, this is the amazing structure we saw.

Malaysian Resort staff were on hand to greet us and in almost no time at all had whisked our dive bags and suitcases away to our rooms (luggage had already been numbered and identified when the ferry picked us up from the airport). We were ushered into the dining lounge and plied with food and refreshments and a detailed briefing of what to expect, and how things worked

What an amazing structure it was. The photo below was taken from the middle of the room shooting towards the back end. It is an all-wood (highly varnished and polished)building with open panels looking directly out onto the sea which is, of course, all around the resort.

Even more amazing: in the very centre of the room was what you see in the image below - a square cut-out that looked straight down onto the reef below us. As you helped yourself to food from the silver trays in the background of the photo, and moved to this centre are for juice/coffee etc, you could not help but be bewitched by the amazing site of reef fish swimming, fighting, and exercising their territorial rights in the water below. And, at night, hundreds of blue fish - even the odd turtle - drawn by the lights of the restaurant, would congregate in that area that was (cleverly) illuminated for that purpose.

If you chose to sit outside, then of course, you looked directly down onto the open sea/reef area which varies from between 2 feet deep and about 7ft. (And, yes, a short while after our arrival we had a quick shower hence the shiny appearance of the outside deck.

To end this introductory article a few quick shots taken around the resort which is in essence an entire, self-contained water village with full amenities, no land around or below, only water. Each bungalow has power, hot and cold shower and bath, wireless internet and windows and wall panels that open out to take full opportunity of the ocean breezes that are present most of the time. At the end of the following photos, some links to photography-related articles I have written while here, including something not to be missed - a hands-on review of the much talked-about new Olympus 770SW waterproof / shockproof / freezeproof camera (courtesy of Kerrisdale Cameras) which I have been using and testing over a number of days. First the photos, then the article links:

Our bungalow (below) - number 9 - and the very elegant Mrs. Janine Levey looking all the better for 25 years of wedded bliss :-)

A complete view of the dining room on the first evening of our arrival

And, at the far end of the dining area, the viewing room where each night, videos of the days dives would be shown, and divers who were in the footage were given the opportunity to purchase a DVD of themselves on those dives - a DVD which was very professionally shot, made, and presented. But more of that in a later article.

Now, the purpose of this on-site reporting has more to do with photography and less with mere holidaying, especially given that it is linked to our ADT School website. So, the links below outline the articles that you will be able to access over the coming days. If the link is blue, it is active, and you can click and go directly to the article. If the link is plain black, it still has to be written and uploaded. Enjoy the articles and my hope is that you will learn from them different techniques to improve your photography skills. They all relate to photo opportunities I encountered in my stay here at Kapalai - both above and below the water. (Oh, and perhaps you might just wish to make your own expedition to Kapalai and Sipadan when you're next hunting for ideas on where to spend your break.

1. Shooting down into the water:
   Since all of the bungalows are located directly above the clear blue waters of the reef, and since an amazing number of colourful creatures abound, it is a given that one would want to point a camera downwards and try and capture a sense of what things look like in that living, open-air aquarium below us.

2. A gallery of underwater photos taken using the Olympus Stylus 770SW
   The link above will launch a new window in which the slideshow should play after a few seconds. I was frankly amazed by the quality of the photos I have included. I just used some very basic Photoshop enhancements to adjust tone, colour and crop and these are the results. See for yourself. Then go ahead and read the review below which spells out in detail my experience of this revolutionary camera.

3. A hands-on review of the much talked about Olympus Stylus 770SW:
   this much discussed camera is touted as the all-purpose solution to just about everything! It is a point and shoot with a difference: shockproof (can be dropped from at least 5ft straight down without damage (I inadvertently dropped it on the dive boat deck and found this to be true); waterproof (down to a depth of 33 foot or 10 metres): I found that difficult to swallow given that it had buttons like any other camera, a microphone opening up front, and a speaker opening at the back, but...... Well, I took it down with some trepidation, and have continued to do so every day now without event. Oh, and by the way, you can virtually freeze it and it keeps shooting. But, what about the quality of the pictures? Well, that is what the article is about, so read it and find out.

4. Underwater Shooting tips for point and shoot and for Digital SLR cameras:
   I've used both, and on this holiday, one in particular. Unfortunately, lots of well meaning photographers experience disaster when they purchase a camera with a housing, and actually try and take photos underwater. So many pitfalls abound, and with no experience, you are frequently doomed to results that will only disappoint. Read this article to find the ten most useful tips on how to get the best underwater pictures no matter what type of camera you are using.

5. Sunset pictures that take your breath away.
   I have some wonderful tropical sunsets available to me but the principles are the same no matter what your location.

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All the articles above will all be linked to over the next few days. Check back to see progress, and I am happy to have your feedback at plevey@shaw.ca if you have comments or questions.

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