ornate_wrasse (Ellen Quale)

Forum username: ornate_wrasse
Real name: Ellen Quale
Posts: 570
Active years: 2005–2015
Location: Pacific Northwest (Puget Sound area), United States
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Trip Reports and Travel, General Chat
Specialization: Nikon DSLR systems, Subal housings, travel photography, community moderation

Community Role

Ellen Quale, known on the Wetpixel forums as “ornate_wrasse,” was an active community member and forum moderator from 2005 through 2015. She was appointed as a Wetpixel moderator in February 2009 alongside Darren Jew (photovan), Ryan Pedlow (aussie), and Giles Shaxted, recognized for her generous contributions to the community (^[1]).

Ellen’s forum activity covered a broad range of topics including gear advice, travel planning, classifieds, and community discussions. She started 46 threads during her decade of activity, demonstrating her engagement across multiple facets of the underwater photography community. Her posts reflected both a practical, detail-oriented approach to gear and logistics, and a warm, collegial presence in community discussions.

Biography

Ellen started diving in 1998 after taking a resort course at Club Med, where she was awarded the “Golden Fin” award for Diver of the Week. Within a month she traveled to Cozumel and used a camera underwater for the first time, an MX-5. She soon purchased a Nikonos V and never looked back. After diving with film for several years, she transitioned to digital and eventually housed a DSLR in a Subal housing she acquired used (^[2]).

In her professional life, Ellen was a Certified Public Accountant who advised clients on tax savings. She had previously worked for the IRS, which she noted made her “pretty good at it” (^[3]).

Gear and Shooting Style

Ellen was a committed Nikon shooter and Subal housing user. Her first underwater DSLR setup was built around the Nikon D70s, for which she sought lens advice from the community in 2005, learning the fundamentals of dome and flat port selection as she transitioned from the Nikonos system (^[4]). She was a strong advocate for Subal housings and contributed practical knowledge about their leak detection systems and maintenance (^[5]).

Travel and Dive Destinations

Over her diving career, Ellen traveled extensively for underwater photography, visiting Indonesia (including Bali, Wakatobi, and Lembeh), the Red Sea, Cozumel, the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii, Okinawa, and California. She also dived locally in Puget Sound (^[6]). She actively shared travel advice, including detailed planning threads for Bali and Indonesia liveaboard trips (^[7], ^[8]).

Notable Contributions

• Subal Leak Detector Alarm (2007): Started a widely-referenced thread on troubleshooting Subal housing leak detector false alarms, particularly in humid conditions. The thread drew 28 replies with practical solutions from multiple Subal users (28 replies) (^[9])
• D70s Lens Selection (2005): Early thread seeking advice on first lenses for the Nikon D70s underwater, generating a useful reference discussion on wide-angle vs. macro lens priorities for beginners (27 replies) (^[10])
• Bali Travel Recommendations (2007): Organized a detailed thread on topside activities in Bali, particularly Ubud, contributing to the community’s travel knowledge base (26 replies) (^[11])
• Indonesia Liveaboard Comparison (2008): Thread comparing Seven Seas and Archipelago Adventurer II liveaboards for Indonesia diving (22 replies) (^[12])
• Import Duties Discussion (2009): Practical thread on UK import duties for shipping camera gear internationally, useful for the global community (22 replies) (^[13])
• Forum Moderation (2009–2015): Served as Wetpixel forum moderator, helping maintain community standards and facilitate discussions (^[14])

Activity Profile

Ellen’s activity peaked in the 2007–2012 period, with consistent contributions across gear, travel, and community threads. Her posting tapered off after 2012, with occasional activity through 2015. She was absent from the forums in 2013, returning briefly in 2014–2015 before her final appearance in December 2015.