kriptap (Patrick)

Forum username: kriptap (also kriptap2)
Real name: Patrick
Posts: 513
Active years: 2003—2009
Primary forums: Photo/Video Showcase, Photography Gear and Technique, Critter Identification, Lights/Strobes/Lighting
Specialization: Macro and super-macro photography, Caribbean marine life, fish behavior (especially hamlet spawning)

Community Role

kriptap (Patrick) was a Grand Cayman-based underwater photographer known for exceptional macro and super-macro work, particularly his documentation of fish behavior in Caribbean waters. Despite a relatively modest post count of 513, his activity score of 903 reflects high engagement through quality contributions — he started 113 threads and posted 23 article comments, both unusually high ratios that indicate someone who generated discussion rather than simply reacting to it.

Patrick lived and worked in the Cayman Islands, giving him unparalleled access to Caribbean dive sites for repeated, patient shooting sessions. His macro photography using a Nikon system with Subal housing and Ikelite strobes produced images that drew admiration from the community, including Alex Mustard and Giles Shaxted. He was forced to leave the Cayman Islands in late 2006 due to the government’s “seven year rollover” policy that removed long-term non-Caymanian residents, prompting the sale of his Subal system (^[1]).

Notable Contributions

• Super-macro pioneer: Patrick’s “More than one to one” thread (33 replies) showcased a stunning triple-fin blenny image shot with a 105mm macro lens, teleconverter, and two close-up lenses — pushing well beyond 1:1 magnification. The vibrant colors and sharpness at extreme magnification drew exclamations from the community (^[2]).

• Hamlet spawning documentation: Patrick became known for his patient documentation of hamlet fish spawning behavior in Grand Cayman. His “3’s not a crowd” thread (15 replies) captured three Masked Hamlets spawning simultaneously — an extremely rare behavior, as hamlets typically refuse to spawn if a third individual is present. James Wiseman and Giles Shaxted praised the shot as both scientifically significant and photographically impressive (^[3]). He also posted other hamlet spawning images in dedicated threads (^[4], ^[5]).

• Coral spawning photography (September 2006): Led a group of 8 divers on a night dive in Grand Cayman to witness the annual coral spawn, with guidance from Alex Mustard on timing. Documented the Star Coral spawning event with detailed narrative and photographs (^[6]).

• TTL vs. Manual strobe discussion (August 2007): Started an influential 21-reply thread asking whether TTL exposure produces different color, contrast, and saturation compared to manual strobe exposure. The thread drew contributions from James Wiseman, Cor Bosman, and others, exploring the subtle technical differences between the two approaches (^[7]).

• Competition success: Patrick placed in the RSMAS (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science) underwater photography competition, winning two prizes (^[8]). He was also mentioned alongside other Wetpixel members placing in the Underwater Images Competition 2008 (^[9]).

• Critter identification: Actively contributed to species identification threads, including documenting an unidentified shrimp species from a touch-me-not sponge in Grand Cayman that marine biologist Marli Wakeling forwarded to shrimp expert Dr. Mary Wicksten (^[10]).

• Active article commenter: With 23 article comments, Patrick was among the community’s most engaged readers of Wetpixel editorial content, commenting on articles about gear reviews, competitions, photography contests, and technique guides (^[11], ^[12], ^[13]).

Equipment

• Nikon D2X (primary camera)
• Subal ND2 housing
• Two Ikelite DS-125 strobes
• Nikon 105mm macro lens with teleconverter and close-up lenses (for super-macro)
• Canon 20D (earlier, per kriptap2 posts)
• Also explored Aquatica A20 housing for Canon 20D
• Canon 10-22mm, Canon 5D (briefly explored)
• Various macro diopters and extension tubes

Timeline

• 2003-11: Joined Wetpixel
• 2004: Began posting about Canon 20D housing options (^[14])
• 2005-10: Posted “3’s not a crowd” — three Masked Hamlets spawning simultaneously (^[15])
• 2006-02: “More than one to one” super-macro showcase (^[16])
• 2006-09: Led coral spawning dive and photography session in Grand Cayman (^[17])
• 2006-11: Forced to sell Subal ND2 system due to Cayman rollover policy (^[18])
• 2007-05: Won two prizes at RSMAS competition (^[19])
• 2007-08: Started TTL vs. Manual discussion (^[20])
• 2008-05: Placed in Underwater Images Competition 2008 (^[21])
• 2009-04: Last recorded forum activity

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2005—2007
• Threads started: 113 (exceptionally high ratio to total posts)
• First post: 2003-11-19
• Last post: 2009-04-05
• Forum focus: Photo/Video Showcase (~30%), Photography Gear and Technique (~25%), Critter Identification (~15%), Lighting (~10%)
• Comments on articles: 23