Rand McMeins (randapex)

Forum username: randapex
Real name: Rand McMeins
Posts: 632
Active years: 2002—2012
Primary forums: Photo/Video Showcase, Shooting Technique/Workflow/Editing, Photography Gear and Technique
Specialization: Super-macro photography, 105mm + 2x teleconverter technique, Nikon D2x, fluorescence photography, Magic Filter use

Biography

Rand McMeins, known on Wetpixel as “randapex,” was one of the forum’s most respected macro and super-macro photographers during the 2002—2012 era. He joined in June 2002 and contributed 632 posts, many of them detailed technical discussions accompanied by exceptional images. His pioneering work with the Nikon 105mm macro lens combined with a 2x teleconverter (and sometimes a Woody’s diopter) produced some of the most technically challenging super-macro images shared on Wetpixel during the mid-2000s, a period when the techniques for extreme magnification underwater were still being developed.

Rand was based in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, diving regularly in Puget Sound for cold-water subjects, while making frequent tropical dive trips to destinations including Lembeh Strait, Papua New Guinea, Bali, Fiji, the Sea of Cortez, Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia), Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. He was an early adopter of the Nikon D2x when it launched in 2005 and used Subal housings. His winning photograph of a rough-head blenny appeared on a Turks and Caicos postage stamp in 2005.

Rand was also notable for his warm, self-deprecating personality in the forums. He freely shared his failures alongside his successes, noting that super-macro shooting involved “lots of screaming and cursing into your reg” and offering to send emails full of “crap shots” to anyone interested in seeing the reality behind his keepers.

Notable Contributions

Super-Macro Technique Pioneer

Rand’s most significant contribution to the Wetpixel community was his systematic documentation of the 105mm + 2x teleconverter technique for super-macro photography underwater. His threads on this subject collectively attracted over 150 replies and became foundational references for an entire generation of underwater macro photographers.

“Shooting macro with the 105mm and 2xTC” (80 replies, 2006): This thread was Rand’s most comprehensive tutorial, sharing detailed technique from his Lembeh trip. His method involved:

• Setting the Nikon 105mm to manual focus, racked all the way out for maximum magnification
• Using the Kenko Pro 2x teleconverter (chosen over the Nikon 1.4x TC)
• Pre-setting aperture at f/25, shutter at 1/125
• Left strobe at 2 clicks from full, right strobe at 3 clicks
• Using “rocking focus” — moving the entire housing fore and aft to achieve sharp focus rather than adjusting the focus ring
• Prioritizing getting a sharp eye over composition: “see a sharp eye, snap the shutter”

The thread drew praise from Alex Mustard, who called the images “excellent” and discussed the relative merits of stacked diopters versus teleconverters for maintaining optical quality. James Wiseman noted his own frustrating experience with the same technique, having “held my breath that whole dive and came up with a ripping headache.” (^[1])

“D2x+105mm+2xTC+Woody’s diopter” (63 replies, 2005): This earlier thread explored adding the Woody’s diopter to the TC stack for even more extreme magnification. The thread generated a detailed technical discussion about diffraction limits, effective f-stops with teleconverters, and the role of strobe versus ambient light at extreme apertures. Contributors included Matt Segal, who explained the physics of diffraction and resolving power, and herbko, who provided comparison shots. (^[2])

“Progressing with the 105mm/2xTC” (2006): After approximately 100 dives with the 105mm/2xTC combination, Rand shared evolved techniques. He had moved from the “rack and rock” method to using the focus knob while cheating back from the subject, and was beginning to experiment with the 60mm + 2xTC for reduced water column between lens and subject. James Wiseman was “encouraged to try this again” after Rand’s report. (^[3])

Nikon D2x Early Adopter

Rand was one of the first Wetpixel members to dive with the Nikon D2x, which launched in 2005. His “D2X pic and thoughts from Australia Trip” thread from Ningaloo Reef documented the camera’s strengths (larger LCD, improved color rendition, bright viewfinder) and weaknesses (autofocus not always placing focus where desired, reg interfering with viewfinder eye relief). He noted the “rendition of color is really improved” with hues appearing “more opaque” compared to the D70. (^[4])

His Ningaloo Reef gallery dedicated to D2x images was one of the earliest comprehensive underwater galleries from this camera. (^[5])

Sunburst Photography

Rand shared multiple successful digital sunburst images at a time when many photographers believed quality sunbursts were only achievable on film. His “Another 10.5 FE shot” thread (43 replies, 2005) showed a full-frame sunburst shot at f/13 with the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye that drew admiration from the community. Alex Mustard explained the technique involved underexposing by 2-3 stops to control the sunball, noting “it is not about shooting fast shutter speeds or small apertures.” Mike Veitch was so frustrated by his own digital sunburst attempts that he had “gone back to shooting my Nik V and 15mm for WA.” (^[6])

Fluorescence Photography

Rand was an early experimenter with fluorescence photography in Puget Sound, using special filters on both strobe and lens to capture fluorescent anemones. His 2003 thread on the subject was one of the earliest discussions of this technique on Wetpixel, predating the commercial NightSea kit that James Wiseman referenced in response. (^[7])

Magic Filter Testing

Rand was among the early testers of Alex Mustard’s Magic Filter, using it at Los Islotes in the Sea of Cortez to photograph sea lions. His honest field report documented both the improvements over unfiltered wide-angle shooting (better color rendition) and the challenges (light loss requiring higher ISO, color cast when sky entered the frame). (^[8])

Competition Success

• 2005: Won the Turks and Caicos Stamp Contest with a rough-head blenny image, which appeared on a T&C postage stamp. The article on Wetpixel identified him as “Rand McMeins aka Randapex.” (^[9])
• 2006: Mentioned in the Scuba Diving Magazine contest results thread, celebrating wins by fellow Wetpixel members. (^[10])
• Active participant in BUIF (British Underwater Image Festival) discussion threads.

Gear

• Camera bodies: Nikon D70 (2003—2004), Nikon D2x (2005—2008), Nikon D3 (2008+)
• Housing: Subal ND2 (for D2x), with Aquatica also discussed
• Lenses: Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Macro, Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 Fisheye, Nikon 60mm Macro, Nikon 105mm VR Macro (2007+)
• Teleconverters: Kenko Pro 2x Teleconverter (preferred over Nikon 1.4x TC)
• Diopters: Woody’s diopter
• Strobes: Inon Z-220, later Inon Z-240
• Accessories: Gorillapod, spotting light, Alex Mustard’s Magic Filter

Dive Locations

Rand’s posts document diving across a wide geographic range:

• Pacific Northwest (USA): Puget Sound — cold-water macro, fluorescence photography
• Indonesia: Lembeh Strait (multiple trips, primary macro destination), Bali
• Papua New Guinea: Walindi Resort, Port Hardy
• Australia: Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia)
• Mexico: Sea of Cortez (Los Islotes sea lions)
• Caribbean: Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos
• Pacific: Fiji, Palau, Yap
• Bahamas: Wetpixel shark trip

Community Role

Rand was a beloved community figure during Wetpixel’s “golden age” (2003—2008). He was part of the tight-knit group of regular contributors that included herbko, James Wiseman, Alex Mustard, yahsemtough (Todd), Matt Segal, and Eric Cheng. He participated in the Wetpixel Bahamas shark trip, congratulated fellow members’ contest wins, and freely shared technical knowledge that helped establish super-macro as a recognized discipline in underwater photography.

His 16 article comments show him as an active reader of Wetpixel editorial content, consistently engaging with reviews, competition results, and community profiles. He commented on the Seacam wet diopter article, Alex Mustard’s PhotoPro column, Nikon D3 field reviews, and conversations with Martin Edge and Espen Rekdal.

Timeline

• 2002-06: Joins Wetpixel forum (^[11])
• 2003-02: Posts fluorescent anemone images from Puget Sound (^[12])
• 2004-03: Discusses reproduction ratios with James Wiseman and Eric Cheng (^[13])
• 2005-01: Posts 10.5mm fisheye sunburst images from Lembeh (43 replies) (^[14])
• 2005-04: Among first to dive with Nikon D2x at Ningaloo Reef (^[15])
• 2005-07: Tests Woody’s diopter with D2x and 60mm macro in Kauai (^[16])
• 2005-08: Starts D2x+105mm+2xTC+Woody’s diopter thread (63 replies) (^[17])
• 2005-11: Tests Alex Mustard’s Magic Filter in Sea of Cortez (^[18])
• 2005-11: Wins Turks and Caicos Stamp Contest (^[19])
• 2006-02: Publishes definitive 105mm+2xTC super-macro tutorial (80 replies) (^[20])
• 2006-05: Shares evolved technique after ~100 TC dives (^[21])
• 2007: Transitions to Nikon 105mm VR, discusses bokeh differences (^[22])
• 2008—2010: Continues posting on Nikon D3, competition entries, community discussions
• 2012-07: Last forum appearance