underwatermagazine issue 51
TRANSCRIPT
Ikelite Olympus E3
Sealux CC40 EOS 40D
Seatool XTi housing
Seacam Seaflash 250
Aquatica Nikon D3 housing
Olympus E-410 and PT-E03
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3
Nikon D300 and Ikelite
Sea & Sea MDX-D300
Alex Kirkbride
Manatees
Cuba Diving
Pacific Highway
Macro
Wrecks to Reefs
Black & White
Behind the shot
Book & Film Reviews
Parting Shots
a web magazine Issue 41
Mar/Apr 2008
Underwater PhotographyUnderwater Photography
SLR-DC HousingsThe Ikelite SLR-DC housing takes full advantage of the digital SLR camera’s innovative features. The housing is injection molded of clear, lightweight polycarbonate for strength, visual access to the camera, LCD screens and camera controls. The housing provides controls for most camera functions. Most Ikelite SLR-DC housings include conversion circuitry that provide TTL compatibility with the latest Ikelite DS Substrobes. Many housings also include a Flash Compensation Module which provides over and under-exposure compensation in the TTL mode and easily allow you to switch to Manual Exposure Mode which provides eight power settings. All exposure compensation is done on the back of the housing. There is no need to access complicated camera menus.
CanonEOS 5DEOS 20DEOS 30DEOS 40DEOS 350D, Rebel XTEOS 400D, Rebel XTi
FujiS-5 Pro
NikonD40, D40XD50D70, 70sD80D200D300
OlympusE-330E-410E-500E-510E-3
SonyA100A700
Underwater Systems50 W. 33rd. StreetIndianapolis, IN
46208317-923-4523
www.ikelite.com
Ikelite Compact Digital Still Housings forCanon • Fuji • Nikon • Olympus • SonyIkelite offers housings for more than fifty different digital still camera models to meet the diverse demands of the underwater photographer community. Ikelite’s Compact Digital Still Housings are molded of clear polycarbonate. Dive while knowing your system is safe and have complete visual access to the camera, LCD, monitor and control functions. Most housings are rated to 60m (200’).
Ikelite AF35 AutoFlash KitFits most compact digital camera housings.
Ikelite • Canon • Olympus • SonyThe AF35 AutoFlash replicates your camera’s flash for automatic exposure in any situation. You only have to know how to point. The AF35 AutoFlash kit is an effortless and affordable way to add an external flash to your point-and-shoot camera system. Everything you need to get started is in the box - just attach it to the bottom of your housing and start taking pictures!
41/�www.uwpmag.com
Underwater PhotographyA web magazine
UwP41Mar/Apr 2008
Underwater PhotographyContents4 Editorial5 News & Travel16 New Products
22 Olympus E410/PTEO3 byRobSpray
27 Panasonic DMC-TZ3 byKarinBrussaard
29 Nikon Ikelite D300 byDaveHarasti
Underwater Photography2001 - 2008 © PR Productions
Publisher/Editor Peter Rowlandswww.pr-productions.co.uk
32 Sea&Sea MDX-D300 byBerkleyWhite
34American Waters byAlexKirkbride
40 Manatees byCarolGrant
Cover shotby Peter Rowlands
46Cuba byFelixRodriguez
49Pacific HighwaybyAengusMoran
51MacrobyDonSilcock
56Wrecks to ReefsbyMarkWebster
62Black & WhitebyJosephC.Dovala
67 Behind the shot byMartinEdge
70Book reviews74Parting Shots
41/4 www.uwpmag.com
EditorialQuestionnaire
Whenyou’vegotaspareminutecouldyoudomeafavourandcompletetheveryshortquestionnairebyfollowingthislink:www.pr-productions.co.uk/questionnaire
It’s intention is to find out what youthinkaboutUwPandthearticlesyouwouldliketoseeinthefuture.
Itshouldn’ttakemuchmorethanaminutetocompleteandthere’sevenachanceforyouto“haveyoursay”!
Iwillnowputmytinhelmetonand,hopefully,awaityourresponses...
A Big Issue
WheneverI’vebangedonabouthowUwPisunplannedandhoweachissueusesupvirtuallyallofthesubmissionsIwasreallytryingtoprepareyouforthetimewhensubmissionswerescarceandresultedinamuchsmallerissuethannormal.
I’mdelightedtosaythatthisissuehasgonetheotherwayandisburstingattheseemswithcontentandIhopeyouenjoyit.
FormeoneparticularlyniceaspectaboutUwPisdealingwith
thankthemaftereachIssueofUwPiscompleted,withoutUwPcontributors,therewouldbenoUwP.
Thanksagainandpleaseconsideryoursupportduring2008.www.uwpmag.com/donate.html
Sharks bite back
Sometimesittakestwoeventstopolariseyetfocusasituation.
OnalmostthesamedayintheUKrecently,thecinemareleaseof‘Sharkwater’coincidedwiththetragicdeathofadiverduringasharkfeedingtripintheBahamas.
‘Sharkwater’isapersonalcrusade of a film to highlight the needlessslaughterofmillionsofsharkseachyearyetitsmessagehasbeen nullified so negatively by the lossofonehuman’slifeinwhatmanypeoplehavereferedtoasa‘tragicaccident’.Tragic,mostcertainly,accident,mostcertainlynot.
The dictionary definition of an accidentis‘aneventwithoutapparentcause’.Thetragicironyinthiscaseisthatthecausewasbaitedwaterusedtoattractsharksforthrill.Usedtoenableustogetcloseenoughtothemtotaketheirphotographandreturnhomelikeadigitaltrophyhunter.Notforresearchortoobservethemperformingnaturallyintheirhabitatbuttoperformforourshallow
contributorsforwhomEnglishisnot their first language. The purist snobswouldsay“Onlyusewhatisgrammaticallycorrect”butIthinkUwPisricherforitsdiversityofproseandcapturesthewiderangingspiritofitscontributors.
Contributions thank you
FormostoflastyearIencouragedyoutomakedonationstoUwPscontributorswhoprovidetheirtime,knowledgeandtalentwithoutcharge.WithoutthemUwPwouldhavetochargeyoutoreaditor,worsestill,wouldhavetoshutdown.
Iamdelightedtoreportthat£642wasdonatedby59UwPreadersduring2007andthiswasdistributedinJanuaryonapageproratabasis.Whatwasalsomostgratifyingwasthereactionfromallofthecontributorswhoexpressedgenuinesurpriseanddeepgratitudethattheircontributionshadbeenappreciatedsomuch.Theywouldliketothankallthecontributorsinreturn.
Thecampaigntoraisedonationsforcontributorswillcontinuebecause,asIalwayssaywhenIemailthemto
gratification. And when they behave ‘accidentally’itbecomes‘tragic’.Tragic,mostcertainly,andespeciallyforthisparticularfamily,butamilliontimesmoresoforthesharks.Themediawillspitthehardfoughtmessageof‘Sharkwater’inourfacesandperpetuatethemythbecausewe,thedivingandunderwaterphotographycommunity,haveprovidedthemwiththeperfectfodder.Proofthattheyaremindlesskillersandassuchtheyonlydeservetobekilled.
Ihavebeenonatripwiththeoperaterinvolvedandcanwhollyendorsehisknowledge,preparationandsafetyprocedures.Nothingmorecouldhavebeendonetoensureoursafetyunderwater.Theproblemisthatweweredealingwithanunnaturalsituationinwhichwildanimalswerebeingencouragedtoactbothnaturallyandunnaturallyandassuchwehavetoaccepttheconsequences.Thoseconsequencesrarelyeverhappenbutwhentheydo,wehavetoacceptthatbybeingthereanddoingwhatwedidweareresponsibleforaffectingthewaythegeneralpublicperceivesharks.
Peter [email protected]
41/5www.uwpmag.com
News, Travel & Events
The quest is on to find the UK’s topunderwaterphotographer.ThetitlewillbedecidedatthesecondannualBritishSplash-InchampionshipsbeingstagedatPlymouthonSaturday,July12,2008bytheBritishSocietyofUnderwaterPhotographers(BSoUP)inassociationwiththeNationalMarineAquarium.
Thewinnerofthetitle-chosenbyanindependentpanelofjudges-willbejettingofftotheRedSeatoenjoyafabulousone-weekliveaboardtripdonatedbyTonyBackhurstScubaTravel.
Runningalongsidethechampionshipsisaprintcompetitionthatwillbejudgedbythethousandsof visitors flocking to the Aquarium fromJune21.AnindependentpanelofjudgeswillalsoawardthetopprizeofaRedSeaEcoVillagedivingholidaydonatedbyOonasdivers.ThehomewaterssectionoftheprintcompetitionisbeingruninconjunctionwithTheWildlifeTrusts,whoareseekingimagesofcolourfulandexotic-lookingmarinewildlifewithathemeof“Ican’tbelieveit’s
theUK.”SaidBSoUPchairmanJ.P.
Trenque:“Theeventisopentoanyqualified diver or snorkeller and we hopethatusersofcompactcamerasaswellasthosewithmoreadvancedequipmentwilltesttheirskillsinthisuniqueway.Thewinnersoftheone-dayshootoutsstagedbythevariouslocalunderwaterphotographicgroupsintheUKarealsoinvitedtotakepart.
“Allfacingthesameconditionsunderwaterandworkingwithinaspecific timeframe in the vicinity of Plymouthonthatparticularday,thebattleistoproducetheoneimagethatisjudgedtobethebestandworthyofthetitle.”
Inadditiontothetwomajorprizes,othergeneroussponsorshipfortheSplash-InandtheprintcompetitionisbeingprovidedbyOceanOptics,CamerasUnderwater,Mike’sDiveStores,APValves,OceanVisionsandtheNationalMarineAquarium.
FulldetailsofbotheventscanbefoundonBSoUP’swebsite:
www.bsoup.org
BSoUP Splash In July 12, 2008 Are you the UK’s top underwater photographer?
WetpixelLLCisproudtoannouncetheimmediateavailabilityofissue#2ofWetpixelQuarterlymagazine.Initstrademarklandscape-oriented,high-resolutionformat,issue#2celebratesthelifelongworkofJamesD.Watt,oneofthepioneersofmodernunderwaterphotography.Jimwillalwaysberememberedforhisboundlessenergyandgenerosityasaphotographer,educator,andfriend.
WetpixelQuarterly#2alsofeaturestheworkofthetalentedstaffbehindthescenesatthemagazineandatitselectronicsisterpublication,Wetpixel.com.FeaturedstaffphotographersincludeAlexMustard,EricCheng,MikeVeitch,LuizRocha,CorBosman,JulieEdwards,HerbKo,JamesWiseman,ToddMintz,MattSegal,ElijahWoolery,WilliamHeaton,andLeslieHarris.
WetpixelQuarterly#2hasshippedtosubscribersworldwide,whocanexpecttoreceivetheirissuesin1-�weeks.Individualcopiesareavailableat
www.wetpixelquarterly.com
41/6 www.uwpmag.com
IworkwithPewEnvironmentGroup on ocean and fish conservation campaigns.Inourpublicationsandpublicoutreachweareingreat need of photos of fish that occurinUSfederalwaters,andofcommercial fishing technology in action.Forexample,we’dloveagreatphotographofaredsnapperswimmingintheirhabitat,orlonglinesbeingsetorpulledinwith
ToanyofyouthatareagainsttheslaughterofwhalesbytheJapaneseinthenameofresearch,hereisalinktoapetitionthatwillbehandedtotheInternationalWhalingCommission.Thetargetis1millionsignatures,whenIsignedtherewere966,978soitsnotveryfaroff.
Itonlytakesafewseconds,soifyoucare-pleasegotothelinkandaddyourname.
Pleasealsoforwardthislinktoyouanyoneelseyouknowwhocaresforwhales.
www.whalesrevenge.com
catchandbycatch.Canyoupointusintherightdirectionofphotographerswhomighthavesuchphotos?
Forus,thegoalistobringthefish and the overfishing to life.
Thanksandbestwishes,JosephGordon
www.pewtrusts.org
www.ddexhibition.org
Italy
The HeinrichsWeikamp
www.heinrichsweikamp.com [email protected]
external TTL converterResellers welcome!
The HeinrichsWeikamp
www.heinrichsweikamp.com [email protected]
external TTL converterResellers welcome!
The HeinrichsWeikamp
www.heinrichsweikamp.com [email protected]
external TTL converterResellers welcome!
41/7www.uwpmag.com
U p c o m i n g I n t e r n a t i o n a l P h o t o & V i d e o C o m p e t i t i o n s
March is a pretty big month for underwater competition deadlines, followed by a quiet April. Good luck to all!
March 1st
Underwater Images 2008www.uwimages.org
March 10th 4th Eastern Mediterranean Underwater Photography and Film Festival
www.emu.edu.tr/underwater/festival.htm
March 15th 2008 Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Contest
www.scubadiving.com/photo_video
March 31st
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competitionwww.nhm.ac.uk
Shore-based Underwater Photography Workshops for Beginners with Maria Munn
14th September 2008
MariaMunnofOceanVisionsisnostrangertotakingunderwaterphotographyworkshopswithEmperorDivers.Thislatestworkshopisuniqueinbeingahands-onlearningexperienceatafunandfriendlypacegivinggreatresultsfasttocompletebeginners.Beingshore-basedmeansthatguestsgettoreallyconcentrateonparticulardivesitesand‘marinemodels’insteadoftravellingtonewsiteseachdayonaliveaboard.
Mariawillhelptodevelopyourphotographyskillsbyworkingwithyourownequipmentaswellasexploringextracreativeideas.
BasedatEmperor’sestablishedcentreinNuweiba-renownedforitscanvassofspectacularphotographicmodels-thiscourseissuretogiveyou the confidence to go for better shots. You will benefit from the comfortoffamiliardivesandfromthe
friendlysupportandencouragementfromMaria,EmperorDivers’staffandasmallgroupoflike-mindedphotographers.
DuringthetripMariawillholdregulardebriefstodiscussthedivingandphotographyaswellasfun,informalpresentationswhereyougetinvolvedinenhancingyourphotography.
External flashguns and different lensesareavailabletohiresoyoucanseewhatsuitsyoubeforesplashingoutonexpensiveequipment.Therewillbeslideshowsintheeveningsshowingthedayseventsandallphotographswillbejudgedattheendoftheweekwithlotsofprizestobewon.
www.emperordivers.com
41/8 www.uwpmag.com
Komodo Photo WorkshopMV Siren27th September – 7th October 2008
Wehaveaveryspecialphotographyworkshopwithmultipleawardwinningunderwaterphotographer,GeraldRambert.
Withnumbersreducedtojust14,everyattentiontodetailwillbegiventoimprovingyourphotography.Wealsohaveaprofessionalunderwatermodelforyoutoworkwith.FinallyKittyJempson,herselfasuccessfulunderwaterphotographerandscubainstructorwillbeonhandtoimproveyourtechniqueswhilstshooting.Thistripisalsoopentovideographers.£1,450.00excluding flights. You will also have a chance to winaFREEtrip!
www.worldwidediveandsail.com
Have Maluku Divers found a “new” frogfish?
TheteamatMalukuDiversrecentlyrediscovered a very interesting frogfish in Ambon Bay.
During a dive on Laha which is just fifteen minutesfromthedivefacilityandnewlyrefurbisheden-suiteresortaccommodationonthesoutherncoastofAmbon,inthevillageofLatuhalat,divemasterTobyFadirsyairandowner
BuckRandolphwereincrediblyexcitedtospotthislittlespecimen.Tobyhasbeendivingthisregionforover18yearsandaftersurfacing,saidhehadonlyseenthisspeciesoncebeforeandthatwas15yearsago.ThedecisionwasquicklymadeforBucktogetacamerawhileTobydescendedtokeepan eye on his find.
Afterwards,theyrealisedthattheycouldn’tidentify exactly what type of frogfish Maluku DiverscontactedauthorsBethandShaunTierneywhovisitedAmbonin2007.Theywereequallyexcitedbutdespitealotofsearchingcouldonly
suggest it was a variation of a striped frogfish and recommendedwelooktowardssomerealscientists.Since then we have contacted several top fish identification experts to see if they can establish the scientific details of the specimen.
The frogfish is one of a pair and is about 10cm long. Anyone with suggestions as to the scientific nameofthespecimen,pleaseemail
FotoSubmexandOriginalExtremeExperienceare organizing the first international event of underwaterphotographyinMexico.
Thisyear,Mexicancoastswillbereadyfor this first edition of fotosubmex 2008. This championshipwillallowphotographerstheopportunitytotakepicturesintwocompletelydifferentmarineecosystemsandtodiscoverthesecretsunderthebeautifulMexicancoasts.Ineachsite,photographerswilldofourdivestotakethebestpictures.
FotoSubmex2008willtakeplaceintwoProtectedNaturalAreas,startingJune1stenVeracruz,intheGulfofMexico,andcontinuingJune4thinLaPaz,intheSeaofCortez.
June7thwewilltraveltoMexicoCityandnextdaywewillassisttotheprizespresentation.
www.original-extreme.com
41/9www.uwpmag.com
Underwater Photo Workshops with Mauricio Handler Statia, N. A. May 10-17, 2008 Sipadan Water Village, BorneoNov 1-8, 2008
ForthisyearsCaribbeanWorkshop,Ihavechosenthebeautiful,quaintanduniqueIslandofSt.Eustatius(Statia).
Statia’sMarineParkwasjustawardedthestatusofNationalMarinePark.Thisinitselfwillgiveevenfurtherprotectionandcredibilitytothisverysuccessfulunderwaterpark.
Theworkshopwillcoverwide-anglenaturalandmixed-lighting,macroandextrememacro,compositionandtellingastoryaswellas Digital workflow. In addition I will coverallaspectsofMaintenence.
Subjectmatterinclude:�00footCharlieBwreck,cannons,oldAnchors,volcanicsand(uniquemacro)withFlyingGurnardsandPipeFinBlennies.Iwillbeofferingoneononeadviceandguidance.
Thisworkshopwilltakeyourphotographyleveltonewheightsandisopentoallskilllevels.
This years Pacific Underwater workshopwilltakeplaceonSipadanWaterVillageResortontheislandofMabul.Builtonwoodenstiltsover
theCelebesSea,SWVissimplybreathtaking.MabulandKapalaiIslandsareprobablythemostexcitingplacesintheworldformacro,whileSipadanIslandisworld-famousforitsbiodiversityandmarinelifeabundance.ThesethreeIslandswillbeourphotographiccanvas’sduringthisweekoflearningandphotographyskillbuilding.
Forthosewishingtoextendtheirstay,SipadanWaterVillage’s2008Photoweekwillfollowthisworkshop.JoinMauricioHandlerandMartySnydermaninthisweekofinformallecturesandpresentationsaswellasaphotocompetition.
Thisinternationaleventisinits4rthyearandisagreatplacetonetworkandexpandyourskillsaftertheworkshop.
www.handlerphoto.com
Understanding Sharks with Grant BatesTuesday March 11th 2008Ocean Optics, London
We’redelightedthatourgoodfriendGrantBateshasagreedtomakeaspecialpresentationforOceanOptics-MavericksDivingaboutsharksandtheSharkTrust.
GrantisaSharkTrusttrusteeandasharkexpertwhohasdivedwiththemaroundtheworld.Hewillprovideyouwithanintriguinginsightintosharkbiologythatwillreallyincreaseyourunderstandingofsharksandenrichyournextdivingexperiencewiththem.GrantwillalsoexplainabouthisworkwiththeSharkTrustandexpandonhow,asindividualdivers,wecaneachcontributetotheirprotection.
TheSharkTrustisanorganisationthatOceanOptics-MavericksDivingsupports.WithGrant’shelpwelaunchedSharkDayatLondonAquariumlastyear.
Ifyouareasaddictedtosharksasweare,youwon’twanttomissGrant’spresentation.
£5.00perhead,allproceedstotheSharkTrust
www.oceanoptics.co.uk
GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008
The“GesellschaftDeutscherTierfotografen”(GDT)invitesallamateurandprofessionalphotographersfromalloverEuropetoparticipateinthiscontest.Themainobjectofthecontestistoillustratethe high quality and the specific style ofEuropeanwildlifephotographybyexcellentpicturesfromEuropeandallovertheworldandtopromotegeneralawarenessfornatureconservationthroughthemeansofphotography.
Photographscanbeenteredin8differentcategories(Birds,Mammals,OtherAnimals,Plants+Fungi,Landscapes,TheUnderwaterWorld,ManandNature,Nature’sStudio)asdigitalphotosorasslides.
ClosingdateforbothawardsisThursday,26thJune2008.
www.gdtfoto.de
41/10 www.uwpmag.com
Plus Underwater Photography Group Trips and Courses with leading photographers: Martin Edge, Linda Dunk, Malcolm Hey, Charles Hood, Gavin Anderson and Alex Mustard.
DIVEQUEST ATOL Protected 2937 Telephone: 01254-826322
e-mail [email protected] website: www.divequest.co.uk
TheUltimateinUnderwaterPhotographyAdventures
Phot
oby
Pat
Mor
risse
y
DIVEQUESTThe Ultimate in Diving
BahamasTurks & CaicosTobago, DominicaBonaire, VenezuelaLittle Cayman, Cozumel, BelizeHonduras, South Africa & MozambiqueThailand, Sipadan, MabulLayang LayangDerawan & SangalakiBali, Komodo, Wakatobi,Manado, Kungkungan Bay
Palau, Yap, TrukBikini AtollAustralia’s Coral SeaPapua New Guinea, SolomonsFrench PolynesiaFiji, Hawaii, Sea of CortezRevillagigedo IslandsCocos & Malpelo Islands The GalapagosWrecks of Palau
TinFishisagroupoffourindividualartistsincludingCarinaHall,MarieHart,DanielleWardandBeckyMetcalfe.‘FragileExistence’is Tin Fish’s first collaborating exhibitionwhoseaimistosharetheirdiversestylesandideaswiththepublicinanexhilaratingway.
ThegroupproducestheirworkinavarietyofdifferentmediumsandbetweenthemtheyhavebackgroundsinFineArt,Textiles,PhotographyandSculpture.TheyproduceArtthatispure,subtleandfocusesontheirowndeceptionsofthesurrounding
environment.CarinaHalldocumentsfragile
momentsfoundinnaturewheresheillustrates the effects that reflections, light,movementandwaterhaveonlandscapesandunderwaterscenes.Thisheightensthesurrealfeelshelikestoportrayinherimages.Carinaenjoysdiscoveringpatternscreatedunderthesurfaceofthewater;thewayinwhichsunlight,cloudsandcoloursoftheunderwaterlandscapemove and are reflected back onto the water.
www.redgategallery.co.uk
‘Fragile Existence’ March 15th -27th 2008, Brixton, London
41/11www.uwpmag.com
Celebrate the Sea Manila Ocean Park Philippines13-15 June 2008
Followingthesuccessofthe2007festivalOceanNEnvironmentAustraliaispleasedtoannounceincollaborationwiththeDepartmentofTourism(DOT)andthePhilippinesCommissiononSportsScubaDiving(PCSSD),topresentthe7th‘CelebratetheSeaMarineImageryFestivalPhilippines2008’.
CelebratetheSeaisthebiggestunderwaterpicturesfestivaloutsideofEuropewherethe‘WorldFestivalofUnderwaterPictures’(FestivalMondialdel’ImageSousMarine)isstagedannuallyinAntibes,France,nowinits�5thyear.CelebratetheSeafestivalisseenasthedominant
platformtopromoteconservationprovidingeducationandentertainmenttocreategreaterawarenessofouroceanenvironment.Theworld’sbest marine images and films have a powerfuleffectonboththedivingandnon-divingcommunity.
The2008festivalwillcompriseofimagerypresentationsandseminarsbyapanelofworldrenownedimagemakersandmarinescientistssuchPeterScoones,cinematographeroftheBBCBluePlanetseries,DrPhilNyutten,DavidDoubilet,JenniferHayesandEmoryKristofofNationalGeographic,DrCardenWallace,coralscientist,FredBuyle–fourtimesworldfreedivingchampion,ScottTuason,authorandunderwaterphotographerandDanielMercier–founderWorldUnderwaterPictureFestival will be on site to officiate the festival.
Photographers and films makers,sendinyourentriesnowto compete in Asia Pacific’s most prestigiousinternationalunderwaterimagerycompetitionwherethepremierprizeistheconferredtitleof‘President,GrandAwardofHighestAchievement2008’withUS$2000asprizemoney.
www.CelebratetheSea.com
41/12 www.uwpmag.com
Orca Divers Underwater Photography Competition 2007
OrcaDivers,aPADI5*IDCScubaDivingSchoolbasedinChorlton,Manchesterrecentlyheldtheirannualunderwaterphotographyexhibitionandcompetition.Theprizesforthisannualevent,totalingover£2000,includedanInonFish-EyeLens,adivingholidayfor2peoplewithEmperorDivers,PhotographyEquipmentandCoursesfromOrcaDivers,aMaresAirtrimOriginSportBCD; TUSA mask, fins and snorkel of choiceandanAtomicMask.
�1entriesweredisplayedunder2categories:WarmWaterandUKWaters.Thejudges,KirkMottersheadandBecGarland,twoprofessionalphotographersfromManchester,choseanoverallbestinshow,andthenwinnersandrunners-upineachcategory.Therewerealsoprizesforthetop2photographsaschosenbytheOrcaDiversClubmemberswhoattendedtheevent.
BenDownes,fromAntrobus,wonthetopprizeoftheOverallBestinShowwithhissuperbwreckshottakenonanOrcaDiverstriptoEgyptandhealsotooktheprizefortheBestUnderwaterPhotographtakeninUKwaterswithaBlennytakenonatriptoNorthWales.
LiamByres,fromWestDidsbury,wonthetopprizeforaphotographtakeninwarmerwaterandalsowontheOrcaDiversClubMember’schoicewithphotostakeninHamata.Therunners-upineachcategorywere:LyndonSaunders,DavidPilgrimandDougRobertson.
Thestandardofcompetitionwassuperb.NickRobertson-Brown,ownerofOrcaDivers,whoteachesunderwaterphotographycoursessaid“Wearealreadylookingforwardtonextyear’scompetition.Wehadsomegreatentriesandthejudgesfound it really difficult to pick out thebestphotographs.Wehadphotostakenfromallaroundtheworld,fromEgypt,theCaribbean,IndonesiaandofcoursefromourUKwatersaswell.”
OrcaDiverswouldliketothankOceanOptics,EmperorDivers,Mares,CPSPartnershipandTyphoonInternationalforthegenerousdonationofprizesforthiscompetition.
www.orcadivers.com
Ben Downes, from Antrobus, won the top prize of the Overall Best in Show
Doug Robertson Ben Downes
41/1�www.uwpmag.com
3rd Annual Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide International Underwater Photography & Video Competition WinnersIN ASSOCIATION WITH OUR WORLD UNDERWATER
Wetpixel.com, DivePhotoGuide.com and Our World Underwater are proud to announce the winners of the 3rd annual international underwater photography & video competition. Winners were announced during the Friday & Saturday night film festivals and exhibited all weekend to a packed crowd at Our World Underwater in Chicago.
Best of Show & Environment/Conservation. Borut Furlan (Slovenia) “Shark & Diver”
Wide Angle Unrestricted . Gold: Dale Sanders (USA) “Salmon”
41/14 www.uwpmag.com
Macro Traditional Gold: Mike Roberts (USA) “Urchin AbstractMacro Unrestricted. Gold: Andres Salesjo (Sweden) “Shark Egg” Wide Angle Traditional . Gold: Douglas Hofman (USA) “B+W Whale”
Compact Camera Gold: Julie Lucas (USA) “Boobie”
www.urprofilters.comClick on the link below to go to the Tech-Talk Newsletter
41/16 www.uwpmag.com
New Products Sealux CC40 Canon EOS 40D housing
TheCC40ismachinedfromsolidaluminiumandhasstandardcontrolsforPowerON-OFF,releaseknob,maindial,modeselection,ISO and flash +/- adjustment, operatingswitch,White-Balance,LCDillumination,keysforAF-ON,AE storage and AF-measuring field selection,multi-controllerkey,Quickdialerwithadjustmentkey,keysformenu,replay,delete,jump,INFO,picturestyle,zoom,lensrelease.
Flashsockets:Youhavethechoice.ForareliableeTTLcontrolwith Canon system flashguns you need the S6 socket. For flashguns of themanufacturerSea&Sea,Ikelitewerecommend the five-pole flash socket with flexible contacts. For Subtronic analogue flashguns the five-pole flash socket with fixed contacts is probably thebestchoice.
www.sealux.de
Ikelite Olympus E3 housing due in March
Introducingafull-featuredyetaffordableunderwaterhousingfortheOlympusE-�DigitalSLRCamera.Thecompact,clearpolycarbonatecaseprovidesvisibilityofitso-ringsealsandcorrosion-freeperformanceuptoadepthof200ft(60m).Controlsareprovidedformostcamerafunctionsandkeptwater-tightwithIkelitepioneeredQuad-Ringsealglands--proventobethemostreliablemethodofsealingcontrols.
A full range of dome and flat portsaccommodatemostmacro,wide-angleandzoomlenses.Portattachmentisquickandeasywithasimplelockingsystemandclearviewoftheporto-ringseal.Lensportnotincluded.Alargezoomcontrolknobcanbecomfortablyreachedwithoutremovingyourhandfromthehandle.
ThehousingincludesTTL
TheprovenreliableIkelitebulkheadallowsforfail-safeconnectionofexternalstrobes.Right-anglepositioningrelievesstressonthesynccordevenwhenthehousingislaidonitsback.
Controlsareprovidedforeverycamera function except the flash up buttonandlightbuttonforthetopLCDwindow.CamerasettingscanbeviewedintherearLCDscreenonnightdives.TheAEL/AELbuttoncanbeactivatedwithyourthumbwhileholdingthehandle.
TheReleaseHandlesalloweasyattachmentandremovalofSubStrobemountingarmsatthetouchofabutton.Twoscrewsremovethehandleandtrayassemblyfortraveling.
www.ikelite.com
conversioncircuitrythatoperatesperfectlywithcurrentmodelIkeliteDSSubStrobes.Seestroberequirementsbyserialnumber.Twopushbuttonsonthebackofthehousingputpreciseexposurecontrolright at your fingertips.
WhileinTTLmodethecircuitryprovidesfour1/2f/stopincrementsover or under flash compensation thatisaddedtoorsubtractedfromanycompensationenteredintothecamera.Manualmodeprovideseightmanualpowersettingsinhalf-stopincrements.
Othermanufacturers’strobescanbeused,buttheycannotprovideiTTLexposureorbeadjustedmanuallythroughthehousing.SynccordsfortheattachmentofNikonos,Inon,orSea&Seastrobesareavailable.
41/17www.uwpmag.com
Seatool XTi housing
CanonhasagainrevolutionizedthephotographiclandscapewiththelatestincarnationoftheirDigitalRebelline,theCanonDigitalRebelXTi(akaEOS400DorKiss400Ddependingonyourlocation).The400Disaverycompact,yetfullfeaturedDigitalSLRcamerawithanaffordablepricetag.
Butperhapsthemostcompellingfeatureofthisnewcameraisitssmallsize,only127x94x65mm(5x�.7x2.6in)andweight,only556g(19.6oz).ThismakestheRebelXTitheperfectchoiceforthecompactdigitaluserwhoiswantingtomoveuptoaSLRcamera,buthasbeenreluctranttodosoduetothesizeandweightoftraditionalSLRcameras.
Inkeepingwiththecompactformofthisexceptionalcamera,Seatoolisproudtoofferyetanother
revolutionaryhousingthatbringsunderwaterSLRperformancetodiversworldwidewiththemostcompactSLRhousingeveroffered.
www.seatoolusa.com
TRAYS, PIVOTS AND ARMS FOR CAMERAS, HOUSINGS, STROBES AND LIGHTS
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Used by more underwater photographers than any other arm system.
Visit our website www.ulcs.comE mail: [email protected]
41/19www.uwpmag.com
Seacam Seaflash 250
The Seaflash is a new generation forsubmersiblestrobe,completewithasturdyaluminumcasthousingenclosingsophisticatedelectronicssuppliedbySubtronic,oneofEurope’sleadingelectronicsinnovators.PowercomesfromNicadbatteries.Chargingisaccomplishedintwo-hoursorless,andabatterycapacitydisplaywithLEDsletsthephotographerknowhowmuchpowerremains.Anundervoltagecircuitbreakerpreventstotaldischarge,eliminatingpotentialdamagetotheNicadpowersource.
Thereare�performanceclassesof the Seacam Seaflash, but common featuresoneachstrobeincludeTTLexposure, textured reflector, a glass dome, slave and signal flash function, automaticcharger.Apilot(model)lightthatmaybedimmedby60%isavailable.Whenworkingwithshy,reclusive fish, this combination auto-focusassistandaiminglightmaybetheonlywaytogettheshot.
Thereare2operatingmodestoassurepreciseexposureinbothTTLautomaticandmanualsettings.Ergonomicrotaryswitchesareilluminatedtoprovidecorrectoperationeveninthedark.Inmanualthereare7powerlevelsinstepsofoneapertureeach,andinTTLupto�differentTTLsystemswithautomatic
recognitionsystemsmaybebuilt-in.Areadylightisvisiblethroughthecameraviewfinder, and withaquick2.5-secondrecycletime,photo-opswillnotbelostduetoslowrecycle.
Temperature:Thecombinationof a tinted, color corrected flashtube, textured reflector, and dome glass createnaturalcolorsintheunderwaterenvironment.Thereisevenaninnovativecolortemperaturecontrolcontrollerasanoption,allowinganycolortemperaturebetween4�00degreesKand5200degreesKtobeselected. Shooting a peacock flounder onwhitesandfrom6inchesaway,dialinacoolcolortemperature.Shootingafairskinnedmodelwithwide-angle�feetaway,workatthewarmendofthespectrum.Asimpleyetinvaluableconcept,executedwitheleganceandcreativity.
www.seacamusa.com
41/20 www.uwpmag.com
ThenewStateoftheArtAquaticaD�housingfortheNikonD�fullframecameracomesloadedwithfeaturesmakingthishousingtheidealsystemfordemandingprofessionalsanddiscerningamateursalike.
Asaddlemounting/lockingsystemallowsforeasyslidingoftheD�bodyontwosolidrodsandtherearespringloadedcontactswiththeApertureandSpeeddialsmaking for flawless and smooth changestothesesettings.
AllD�housingscomestandardwithdualbulkheadconnectorsandmoisturealarm.AquaticaD�ports,extensionsandlensgearsarecompatiblewithallotherbayonetmountAquaticahousing.
Featuresinclude:BayonetPort:Positivebayonetmountingleavesnodoubtthatyourportsaresecureinplaceandwatertight.ThebayonetsystemoffersthefastestaccesstolensesforrapidchangingwithouthavingtoremovetheSLRfromthehousing.Allowsuseoflensesfroma10.5mmultrawidetoa200mmmacro.Tele-converterportextensionsarealsoavailable.
Portlockingmechanism(NEW):anewportlockingmechanismis
integratedintheAquaticaD�housing;thislockisaccessiblefromtheexteriorofthehousingmakingportchangingabreeze.
FingertipaccesstoallcameramenucontrolsincludeOn-Off,Mode,bracket,Meterposition,MSCfocuscontrolandAE/AFlockaswellasAFpreferences.Accesstoallmenufeaturesincludereview,enlargeanddelete,histogramandinternalSLRpreferences.
Thereisalensreleaseleverforeasylenschangingthroughthefrontportwithcamerainstalled.
TheAquaticaD�usesaviewfinder that derives the biggest andthebrightestimagepossibleinfullframeviewingtoyoureye.Foranevengreaterviewingexperiencethe
acclaimedAquaViewcanbemountedinminutesandwillnotblocktherearLCDview.
LiveView(NEW):TheAquaticaD�housinggivetheuseraccesstotheLiveViewfeatureoftheNikonD�camera.
Aquatica Nikon D3 housing
Depthrating:�00feet/90metersSize:91/2x81/2x5�/4/
241mmx216mmx146mmWeight:8lb/�.628kg
www.aquatica.ca
Join now as Charter memver and you will be part of our quest for discoveries and a partner in the conservation of our ocean planet. You will be eminently recognised for sharing our vision with your name inserted in all future editions of Ocean Geographic and in the web domain of Ocean Geographic Society.
Membership Benefits:Four issues - Ocean Geographic JournalFree pass to the World Festival of Underwater Pictures - Antibes Free Master pass to ‘Celebrate the Sea Festival’Ocean Geographic Limited edition print - (Dec 2008)Membership to OneOcean Alliance Frequent Diver program - 1000 bonus pointsAustralia and Singapore A/S$50 per yearCharter Member International: USD88 (airmail) or Classic One year subscription for Ocean Geographic - USD 68 (airmail)www.OceanGeographic.org : www.OGSociety.org
Ocean Geographic is a high quality photographic journal that features the finest arts and images of the sea. Each edition of Ocean Geographic is a visual adventure of discoveries, exploration and dives into provoking issues that guarantee to inform, inspire and invigorate. The board of editors and senior contributors are comprised of Michael AW, David DOUBILET, Dr Gerry ALLEN, Doug PERRINE, Dr Carden WALLACE, Emory KRISTOF, Stan WATERMAN, Dr Alex MUSTARD, Jennifer HAYES, Christopher LEE, WYLAND and Amos NACHOUM.
‘Ocean Geographic’ - its wonderful! Fabulous imagery, reproduction and features - pure class! I’m still enjoying it!
Gemma Webster, Competition OfficerShell Wildlife Photographer of the Year, The Natural History Museum, UK
41/21www.uwpmag.com
Join now as Charter memver and you will be part of our quest for discoveries and a partner in the conservation of our ocean planet. You will be eminently recognised for sharing our vision with your name inserted in all future editions of Ocean Geographic and in the web domain of Ocean Geographic Society.
Membership Benefits:Four issues - Ocean Geographic JournalFree pass to the World Festival of Underwater Pictures - Antibes Free Master pass to ‘Celebrate the Sea Festival’Ocean Geographic Limited edition print - (Dec 2008)Membership to OneOcean Alliance Frequent Diver program - 1000 bonus pointsAustralia and Singapore A/S$50 per yearCharter Member International: USD88 (airmail) or Classic One year subscription for Ocean Geographic - USD 68 (airmail)www.OceanGeographic.org : www.OGSociety.org
Ocean Geographic is a high quality photographic journal that features the finest arts and images of the sea. Each edition of Ocean Geographic is a visual adventure of discoveries, exploration and dives into provoking issues that guarantee to inform, inspire and invigorate. The board of editors and senior contributors are comprised of Michael AW, David DOUBILET, Dr Gerry ALLEN, Doug PERRINE, Dr Carden WALLACE, Emory KRISTOF, Stan WATERMAN, Dr Alex MUSTARD, Jennifer HAYES, Christopher LEE, WYLAND and Amos NACHOUM.
‘Ocean Geographic’ - its wonderful! Fabulous imagery, reproduction and features - pure class! I’m still enjoying it!
Gemma Webster, Competition OfficerShell Wildlife Photographer of the Year, The Natural History Museum, UK
41/22 www.uwpmag.com
Asyoulookaroundadiveboatthesedaysit’shardtoavoidthefeelingthateverydiverhasacamera.IblameOlympuswhohelpedcreatethisnichebymakingdivehousingsformostoftheiroutputsincethelatenineties-eversincethePT-00�fortheC-900.Nowthere’sagreatchoiceofexcellentsmallcamerasfromnumerousmanufacturers.WhilelowendcompetitioniscutthroatOlympusarestillaheadinthebreadthofmodelstheyhouse,frompointandshootupthroughtheirrangetotheSLRs.Havingseededthemarketitmaynowbethetopendwhichtheywillbringwithineasierreach.ToseeiftheirnewkidisoutofitsdepthwetookitonafunNovemberweekendinPlymouthwiththelastofthegood(ish)weather.
The camera
OnepromiseofOlympus’chosen4/�sensorsystemwasthatsmallercameraswouldbepossible.This has been an empty threat as the first four E-Seriescameraswerenosmallerthanaveragebutatlastthathaschanged.TheE-410isthesmallestdigitalSLRavailable.Handlingonewillbringbackhappy memories for those with a film history. It’s notquiteawaferthin,retroOMclonebutfeelsdenseandwellbuiltthoughevenincludingthekitlens it’s lighter than an OM-1 body. It’s definitely notthebulkyplasticmonsterthatseemstobetoday’s‘small’SLR.TheE-410issucharapidupdatetothephysicallyidenticalE-400,thatitisclearlythemodelthatwasoriginallyintended.
ThemajorchangeistheswitchfromaKodaktoaPanasonicsensor–still10Megapixel–whichallows Liveview and other refinements. It still has two card slots, one each for Compactflash and xD memory, and can fill both or copy between the two.
Thephrase‘kitlens’doesn’tnormallysetpulsesracingbutthestandardzoomisatiny14-42mm unit (28-84mm in 35mm film terms) which issharp,lightandfocusesdownto24cmfromthesensor.It’sagreatgeneralpurposelensandacrackingstartingpointforuseunderwater.Mostkitlensesaremakeweights,butthisoneisworthitsweightingold-althoughnotverymuch–itonlyweighs190grams.
TherearLCDis2.5”butdoesn’tlookgross
sincethesparsebuttonsleavespaceforadecentlayoutandcomfortablegrip.OfcoursethescreencanshowtheLiveviewbutalsodoesexcellentservice on playback, with the first use I’ve seen of theorientationsensorforreview.Aswellastaggingimagesportraitorlandscapeatcaptureitusesthesamesensorsothatportraitpicturesshowfullscreenifyoustandthecamerauponend.I’msurethereareothercameraswhichdothisbutit’sanicetouchforan‘entrylevel’SLR.Itdoesn’tfeelcheapandyoudon’tpayapremiumforcompactness.AlthoughnominallytheentrylevelOlympusit’sbetterbuiltthanequivalentcompetitorsandwithouthavingitsfunctionalitycrippledlikesome.
Olympus E-410 and PT-E03 housingby Rob Spray
A housing comparison, the PT-E03 against the PT-E02. Its much smaller but the lens ports will be the same size. The port for the 14-42mm kit lens has a larger port than ideal but might even be useful for under/over shooting - compared to the Olympus dome port on the 02. The E-410 and kit lens weigh 2.5kg housed where the E-330 in equivalent trim is nearing 3.5kg. Once the E-410 was paired with a smaller strobe such as the UFL1 the difference could exceed 2kg.
41/2�www.uwpmag.com
The housing
It’sallverywellmakingacutecamera but no benefit underwater if you’reforcedtobuyanexpensive,bulkycase.Everystylehasitsplacebutacompact,costeffectiveoptionisagreatwaytobringpeopleintothehobby.Olympus’previousSLRhousingswereheavydutybeauties,rated to 60m and built to fight on equaltermswiththebignamesinthefield. Now the little E-410 has earned aneat40mcasewhichprovidesalltheprotectionanormaldiverwillneed,thepolycarbonateisthickandrigid.ThePT-E0�isclosertoitsSLRbrothersthanitscompactcousinsbutsaveshalfakiloandisconsiderablysmaller.
Thecasecloselyfollowsthebodybutincludesapowerbulgesothat the flash can be raised. The port threadisthesameastheotherPT-Esbutthehousingaperturetapersandhasbeenreducedinbulkasfaraspossible.A(relatively)massproducedcaseallowsthecreationofthesespecialisedpartswheretheyareneeded,sothedrivetoreducebulkandcostcanbedonewithaconscience.ThecatchesaresmallerthanonotherPT-Esbutwellprovenandprotectedfromaccidentalrelease.Therigidityofthecaseensuresthesealsstayinevencontactandkeepingthecasesmallhelpskeepitstiff.Like
smallerOlympuscasesthePT-E0�isroundedratherthanrectangular–toreducestressanddistortion.Double‘o’-ringssealthereardoor,thehingetakingtheplaceoftwocatchesonotherPT-Ecases.Aftergreasing,the‘o’ringsneedawhiletorelaxintothedetour over the flash but some time spent shut fixes that.
Twocameracontrolsaren’tbroughtout,they’recaughtbetweenthe pop-up flash inside and the strobe bulkheadonthecaseandsocan’tbereachedwithreasonablysimplebuttons.Oneisthereleaseforthe
flash and the other the drive mode button.Bothareredundantandcanbeaccomplishedbyothermeans.Driveisoneofthetoplevelparameters-along with ISO, white balance, flash mode,metering,focusmode,card,compressionandcolourrendition-whichcanbeaccessedthroughtherearpanelstatusdisplay.JustpressOKandthecursorkeysselecttheparameteryoucanchangewiththe
dial.TheE-410isthebasemodelintherangeandwhilstitdoesn’tlackforfacilitiesorimagequalitybesideitslargerrangematesthelackofrealestatedoesmeanlessbuttons-sousersneedtobefamiliarwiththebackpanelcontroloptions.Somereviewershavemissedthisparallelcontrolpath,perhapsit’snotsocriticalonthesurfacebutunderwaterthissimpleaggregationisveryusefulunderduress.
WiththePT-E02fortheE-��0Icomplainedthatthebulkheadconnectorwasvulnerable–itsproutedfromthecornerofthecase.OnthePT-E03 it’s tucked in beside the flash bulge.UsedwiththerightangledOlympusplugsthisminimisesthechanceofsnagging.It’samuchbetterarrangement,hopefullythecasesfortheFL-20andFL-�6withberevisedtofollowsuit.
Underwater
Onthesurfacethecameraanditscutekitlensaregreattouse;fastandlight-idealasaholidaySLR.Underwaterthistranslatesintoabodywhichoccupieslittlemorespacethanalargecompact-suchasaC-7070.Theportisadifferentmatterbutthekitunitisasshortaspossible,though flared to eliminate vignetting atthewideendofthelens.It’snotacompactbutquiteclearlyasizedown
The new baby, the E-410 in its PT-E03 housing with the housed FL-36 flash on a Fantasea tray and flexarm.
Neither housing is smothered with buttons but the loss of the E-330’s extra liveview modes sheds 3 controls. The power bulge for the flash disguises adds to the height of the otherwise well tailored case.
41/24 www.uwpmag.com
from‘fullsize’SLRsliketheE-��0.Underwaterthe410wasgoodcompanyandasthehousingisrated to 40m the buttons are less stiffly sprung than 60mhousings.
IaddedaFantaseatrayandarmtosupportmyhousedFL-�6andthecombinationworkedvery well. The 18” offset of the flexarm gave good scatterfreelightingeveninPlymouth’s5-6mNovembervis.
Thewideendofthekitlensistheequivalentof28mm(75degrees)andusefulforsceneryandlargeranimals-includingbuddies!Theminimumfocusdistancemightseemlargetocompactusersbutrememberitisquotedfromtheplaneofthesensor. Although specified as 24cm I measured 20cm–whichequatestoonlyaround7cmfromtheendofthelenswhenzoomedin.Thetelephotoendisequivalentto84mmandgivesreasonablenearmacroperformanceforsmallishanimals.
UnliketheE-��0theE-410offersonlymirrorlockupliveview,itdoesn’thavetheextrasensorto implement fulltime viewfinder type liveview. Lockupliveviewcan’tusetheSLR’snormalAFwithout ‘flapping’ the mirror up and down, which takesalittletime.It’singoodcompany,everynewtopendSLRhasfollowedthistrend,bigCanonsandNikonsincluded.Underwaterthisliveviewworksforwideviews-albeitwithshutterlag-butisn’treallysuitableformacrosubjects.Thisisthereverseofthesituationonland,wecan’talwayswaitstillenoughtousetheliveviewformacro.Theoptiontocomposewideanglescenesiswelcomeasit’ssometimeseasiertoseethe2.5”displayatarmslength than to contort for the viewfinder. I found theE-��0’sliveviewmoreuniversallyusefulbutthisversionischeaperandmorecompactsoithascompensations.MuchtomysurpriseIwasable
to catch some quite small, mobile fish with the kit lens.IthoughtitmightbeslowtofocusattheteleendofitsrangebutitdidagoodjobandIwishI’dtriedharderafterafewexperimentalshotsturnedoutsurprisinglywell.Thekitlensisagreatstart,veryfewofthelensesboxedwithSLRsareworththespacetheyoccupybutthe14-42mmiscompactandsharpwhichsuitstheE-410perfectly.Itofferssimilar(butwiderangle)opticalfunctionalitytoacompact’s�xzoombuthasSLRfocusspeedandquality–it’ssurprisingwhatadifferentthatwillmakeeventomundanescenes.
Accessories
The flash can be raised but it wouldn’t clearmostports,theintendeduseistotriggerslavestrobes.AlightweightsetupwouldrequiresomethingsmallerthantheFL-�6Idivedwith,thoughitwasanexcellentmatch.Thehousedflashes are conspicuously bulky beside the PT-E03. WiththisinmindOlympusnowhavethesmallUFL1slavestrobeontheirbooks,clearlyaSeaandSeaunitwhichdemonstratesgoodsenseastheyknowathingortwoaboutstrobes.Ihopethepartnershipbearsmorefruitasitwouldbegoodtohave more alternatives to the housed land flashes. Slave strobes are limited to ‘normal’ flash sync speed(<1/180th)whereasthecabledOlympusFL-�6worksrightupto1/4000thsecond.
WeweretemptedtoaddamacroupgradeandOlympusmakeaverylightandinexpensiveF�.535mm macro which will enlarge up to 1:1 and fit the kitlensport.ThisislittlebrothertotheveryniceOlympusF250mmmacrowhichismuchbrighterbutcosts�xasmuch.Underwater,wheregreaterdepth of field is usually desirable, the main loss is
The kit lens isn’t intended for macro but works well on small-ish animals. This 2cm cushion star is about the limit though
It’s a shame the flash housing sync socket stuck out to the side.
41/25www.uwpmag.com
some brightness at the viewfinder. Lesslightshouldslowfocusbuttheextra depth of field seems to outweigh thelossandputsthenextsubjectwithineasierreach.Itdoesn’textendasmuchasthe50mmsoit’squickertorackthroughitsrange.Thiscrisplensneedstobeusedcloseuptoexploit its potential magnification – better for slugs than fish.
Practicalities
ThesmallerbodymeansasmallerbatterythanotherOlympusSLRs, but we never ran flat on a dive. Improvements in efficiency must havebeenmadeandmygutfeelingisthatithasthesamelifeasmyE-��0,whichusesthelargerbattery.Onour2diveUKdaytripswehadnobatterywarningsbutI’dexpecttochangebatteriesonceortwiceadayonaliveaboard.Ofcourseusingliveviewand the flash to trigger a slave would botheatintothebatterylife.
MygirlfriendfoundthecompactE-410easiertohandleunderwaterthantheE-��0.Theconversemaybetrueforthosewithbighands,buttheweightsavingisworthwhile.TheE-410andkitlensweigh2.5kghousedwheretheE-��0inequivalenttrimisnearing�.5kg.OncetheE-410waspairedwithasmallerstrobesuchastheUFL1thedifferencecouldexceed2kg.That’sabigdifferenceifyou
havetohiketoashorediveorpassitonehandedintoaboatfromaheavysea.MenmaynotwanttounderminetheirboatcredwithatinySLRbutmygirlfriendsaysthatwomenarelessvulnerableandcanseetheadvantages.Asmallerrigiseasiertomanageandpositionunderwater,causeslessdragandhogslessluggagespace.
Webothfeltthattheopticalviewfinder seemed smaller than on theE-��0.OnthesurfacetheywerethesamesoIthinkitwasjustasideeffectofthedarkdaysinDevon.Theresultsstraightoutofthecamerawerestrikinglysharp,reallypoppingoffthelaptopbackatbase.WetookonlineadviceandturnedoffthedefaultnoisereductionatlowISO,there’snoneedforit.
Anotherinterestingfeature,newtome,islosslessRAWcompression.It’softenassumedthatallcompressionisbadbuttherearetwokinds;lossymethods,likeJPEGwhich sacrifice information and losslesstechniqueswhichdon’t.Sincemathsallowsperfectcompressionthere’snoreasonnottouseit.Asa result while E-330 RAW files are 1�MBtheE-410savesanother2.5Megapixelsin9-11MB.That’saworthwhile saving, I can fit at least 1000extrapicturesonmy80GBholidayharddisk.AtlonglasttheonboardUSBisreal‘Hispeed’whichmeanswhatitsays,ratherthanthe
euphemistic‘Fullspeed’onearlierOlympusmodelswhichwasoldeworldeslow.It’snotasfastasacardreaderbutworksinstoragemodesothecameraactsasadriveonanyMacorPCwithoutsoftware.
Conclusion
It’susuallyagreedthatthequality defining element of a camera systemisthelens,althoughbodiescanhavemoreorlessfeaturesthey
canonlyexploitthelightcollectedforthem.ChoiceoflensisthebasicstrengthofanSLRsystemandtheE-410hasaccesssomeexcellentlenses,thatthekitlensisworthhavingisapleasantbonustoo.UntilnowSLRshavebeenaVisabilltoofarforallbutthekeenestunderwateramateurs.TheE-410andPT-E0�don’tmakeanSLRacheapoptionbutdotrimagood20%sliceoffthetop.
‘Liveview’hasbeenwatereddownsincetheE-��0butremainsa
Dawn waiting for the boat to pick us up on a dark November afternoon in Plymouth Sound. The flash is firing through the water.
41/26 www.uwpmag.com
usefuloption.Asbeforetheopticalviewfinder is the best bet for macro butthescreencanbegreatforwide
angle.AgenerationonfromtheE-��0whichprovidedtoomuch,toosoontoanSLRmarketwhichcouldn’tgraspitalltheE-410offersreal-timeexposureandwhitebalancepreviewduringliveview.ThenewsensorhasbetterhighISOnoiseperformancetoo.Iveryrarelyuseanythingotherthan100butonceinabluemoonitmaycomeinhandy–myattemptsatnightdivegroupshotshavefounderedinthepast,maybenowIhavethecameratodoit?
Rob Spraywww.1townhouses.co.uk
Dawn lurking in the kelp, the kit lens is just right for buddy shots.
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41/27www.uwpmag.com
ThePanasonicLumixTZ�with7.2millionpixelsissuchacamera.ThiscameraisalsocalledaTravelerZoomcamera.TheLumixTZ�features10xopticalzoomandoffersa28mmwideangle.OftencameraswithlargezoomrangessuchastheoneontheLumixTZ�arealsoofalargesizebutPanasonicsucceededinkeepingthecameraquitesmall.Thereforeitisaperfectcameraforunderwatershooting.Andthegoodthingaboutthe28mmwideangleisthatyoudon’thavetocarryalongawideanglelensinyourusuallyalreadyoverweightluggage.
Theunderwaterhousing,theDMW-MCTZ�hasbeenmadeofpolycarbonateandiswaterproofuntiladepthof40meters.Nearlyallthefunctionscanbeoperatedunderwater.Thecameraslidesintotheunderwaterhousingwitheaseandopeningthehousingisalsoeffortless.Evenwhenthereispressureonthehousingyoudon’thavetoforceanything.TheunderwaterhousingisidenticaltothatoftheDMC-TZ2,whichmakesswappingfromtheTZ2totheTZ�veryeasy.Andasmentionedbefore,thecameraoffersa28-280zoomrange.
Unfortunatelythecamera’slens
isnotthatbright(f/�.�-f/4.9)butthatdoesnotdiminishthequalityofthelens.ItisaLeicaDCVarioElmarlensdeliveringneedle-sharppictures.Thecamerafeaturesa�-inchLCDmonitoronthebackoffering2�0,000pixelsofresolution.Anadditionalfunctionistheso-calledHigh-Anglemode.Thismodeenablescheckingyourcompositiononthemonitorfromanextremeangle.Andthatwillcomeinextremelyhandywhenyouaretryingtocapturethatonestubbornshrimpthatjustwon’tstayonthespotyouhadinmindforhim.
Anadditionalnicefunctiononthecameraistheimagestabilizationsystem.Itenablesshootingwithslowshutterspeeds.Youdohavetoactivatethisfunctionbeforehand,which I find a pity because once thecameraisinsidetheunderwaterhousingthefunctionisnotaccessibleanymore.Thecamerahasalimitedamountofsettingpossibilities,suchassettingshuttertimeandaperture.Thereforeitmightbelesssuitableforthedemandingphotographerrequiringmoreadvancedsettings.Forthosewholikeconveniencethiscameraisideal.Thereisaconsiderableamountofscenemodesavailabletochoosefrom.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Reviewby Karin Brussaard
EverypictureImadeduringtestingwastakenin“SimpleMode”.And I find it striking how well
exposedthepicturescomeoutinthismode.Adiffuserisdeliveredwiththeunderwaterhousingtospreadthelight
41/28 www.uwpmag.com
of the flash. This makes the dirt in the waterlessvisibleonpictures;agreatadvantage.Onedisadvantagehoweveristhefactthattheleftbottomofthepicturesisnotexposedwellwhenonly using the internal flash.
ThecameraisdeliveredincludingaLithium-Ionbattery.Unfortunatelythisbatterygotemptyafteronehourofdivingthusrequiringarechargebeforeeverynextdive.Itmeansthatwhenyougoformorethanonediveduringaday,youhavetoremovethecamerafromtheunderwaterhousinginbetweenscubadiving.Onaboattripthisisnotthenicestofjobsandmistakescanbemadeeasily.
AllinallIamverypleasedwiththePanasonicLumixDMC-TZ�andtheDMW-MCTZ�underwaterhousing.Biggestplusofthiscamera
isthelargezoomrangeof28-280mmthatmakesthecameraperfectforusingunderwateraswellasonland.TheweekendthatIwastestingthecameraayoungsealappearedonthedikeunexpectedly.ItonlytooksecondstotakethecameraoutofthehousingandthankstotheextremezoomfunctionandimagestabilizationIwasabletocapturethisbeautifulcreature.Thecameratakesneedle-sharppicturesunderwateraswellasonlandanditisaneasytooperatecamera.OnedisadvantageIcameacrossisthebattery’slackofstamina.Takingasecondbatterywithyoumightbeasolution.
Karin Brussaardwww.karinbrussaard.nl
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41/29www.uwpmag.comhttp://www.digideep.com
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IhavebeenusingaNikonD80forthepast12monthsandhavebeenreallyhappywithit.TheresultsfromthecameraweremorethansatisfyingandIcouldn’tcomplain…theD80isagreatcamera.
ButthenNikonwentandannouncedthenewD�00andwithittheymentionedthenew‘Liveview’feature–beingtheabilitytotakeaphotousingtheLCDscreen.Wow!Nomoresearchingfor pygmy seahorses through the small viewfinder anddevelopingneckarthritisasI’dcontortmyneckto look through the viewfinder. It would be just like usingmyoldCoolpix5000again!
FinallyIwouldbeabletoframemyshotsusingtherearLCDdisplay.LikeanexcitedschoolboyofftothelollyshopIknewthatIhadtoownone;asGollumsaidinLordoftheRings‘Myprecious,itmustbemine!”
D300 benefits
ThankstoYuzoatuwdigitalcamera.cominJapanIwasabletobeatthewaitinglistinAustraliafortheD�00andhadonejustintimetoplaywithforChristmas.
Some of the initial benefits that I have found of theD�00overtheD80include:- D�00mp@12.�comparedto10.1mpontheD80.Whilstitsnotmuchofadifferenceitwillallowtheimagestobeprintedslightlylarger
- Increasenumberoffocuspoints.Youcanuse51focuspointsontheD�00ifyoureallywanttohoweverinthecameramenuIhavechangedittojustthe11focuspoints–mucheasiertocontrolunderwater!- ThelargerrearLCDdisplayscreenontheD�00(�inch)isahugeimprovementontheD80’sLCD(2.5inch).Reviewingtheimagesunderwateronthisscreenisfantasticandthesizeofthisscreenisamajorpositive.- Batterylife.I’vereadreviewssayingyoucantakeupto1000picswithafullychargedbatteryintheD�00…Ican’tsaythatIhavetestedthatbutsofarchargingbatteriesfortheD�00hasnotbeennecessary–itlastsforever!- The D300 takes compact flash card comparedtotheSDcardsintheD80.WhilsttheSD cards were handy as they fitted straight into my laptopIamforeverlosingthembecauseoftheresmallsize.Mydogevenateoneonce!
First ImpressionsNikon D300 and Ikelite HousingBy Dave Harasti
Its not often that you find a juvenile White’s seahorse (Hippocampus whitei) and its even rarer to find one curled around an adult!
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Ikelite housing
Ikelite as usual were one of the first manufacturerstohaveahousingavailablefortheD�00.IreceivedmynewhousingjustafterChristmasandit’sprettymuchidenticaltotheD80housing.TheIkelitehousingallowscontrolofallthecamerafunctionsexceptwiththeexceptionofthe‘meteringselector’thatsurroundstheAE/AFbuttononthebackofthehousing(whichisn’tnecessaryunderwateranyway).SimilartotheD80housing,ithasthesuperbIkeliteiTTLconversioncircuitrythatoperateswiththeIkeliteDSSubStrobes.
Thelargedialonthebackofthehousingmakes is ever so easy to adjust the strobe flash outputeitherthroughTTLorinsevenmanualpowersettings.TheiTTLstrobecontrolonthebackisoneofthereasonswhyIlovetheIkelitehousings,andtheobviousfactthatyoucanseeintothehousingtomake sure its not flooding!
Atthisstage,I’veonlyhadachancetotestthesystemoutunderwaterusingtheNikon60mmlens
andhavetakenitfor�divesatmylocaldivesite,thePipelineinNelsonBay–NSW–Australia).DuringthesedivesIhaveexperimentedwiththenew‘Liveview’function,whichunfortunatelydoesnottoappeartobeasusefulasIthoughtitwouldbe.
Liveview
IwasanavidsupporteroftheCoolpix5000and8400andIsworeI’dneverbuyaDSLRbecauseIlikedbeingabletousethereardisplayforframingimages.However,afterspendingthepast2yearsshootingaD70sandaD80I’verealisedit’snot all that difficult to use a viewfinder underwater. WhentheD�00waslaunchedwithliveviewIthoughtitwouldbelikeshootingwithmyCoolpixalloveragain,henceIchosetoupgradefromtheD80.
Toactivateliveviewyouturnthemodedialto‘Lv’.Whenyoupresstheshutterbutton,themirrorraisesandtheviewthroughthelenswillbedisplayedinthecameramonitorinsteadoftheviewfinder. To auto focus, you half depress the shutterandthenthemirrorwilldropandthedisplayscreengoesblank,thereforeyoucan’tseethecameraactualfocusingonthesubject.Liveviewisrestoredwhentheshutterisreleasedandthesubjectshould ‘hopefully’ be in focus. Finally, to finish the processpresstheshutterbuttoncompletelydowntotasktheshot.
Myinitialimpressionsofusingliveviewunderwateristhatitdoesn’tworkthatwellandisaceryslowpainfulprocess.Whenyouarefocusingonthesubjectthescreengoesblanktofocus, unfortunately you have no idea if the fish isstillintheframeorifyoursubjecthasturned
This orange anglerfish (note: they should be called anglerfish, not frogfish) is using his fishing rod and lure to capture a prey.
The eastern gobbleguts is a member of the Cardinalfish family which are unique in that the male broods the eggs in his mouth… this fish had a decent mouthful!
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theotherway.Mostofmyseahorsepicswithliveviewhadthenoseoutoffocusortheeyelookingtheotherway!ItistheequivalenttobasicallyhavingalongshutterlagonadSLR,thisisobviouslynotagoodthing!SomeoftheshotsthatIhavetakenwithLiveview(suchasMrNoNoseSeahorse)haveturnedoutokaybutlotsoftheothershavebeenoutoffocus.MaybewithmorepractiseI’llgetbetterbutatthisstageusingliveviewunderwatergetsthethumbsdown.
OnefeaturethatIdon’tlikeoftheD�00isthatitdoesn’tdisplaythecurrentfocuspointpositioninthetopLCDpanel.OntheD80youcouldjustlookontopofthecameratoseethecurrentpositionofthefocuspoint;itappearstheD�00doesnothavethisfunctionunlessthereisamagicalbuttoninthemenusystemthatIhave
overlooked!I’mofftoSulawesifor2weeks
inmidMarchwhereIwillreallytesttheD�00outthroughafullrangeoflenses. I’m looking forward to finding apygmyseahorsesoIcanreallytesttheLiveviewontherearLCDandseeifit’ssuitableforthesetinyanimals.Evenifit’snotsuccessfulI’llstillbehappytolookthroughthesmallviewfinder, I’ve been managing to copeokaywithitforthepast2years!
Dave Harasti www.daveharasti.com
Given that anglerfish like to feed on seahorses, these two (look closely!) babies are playing Russian Roulette!
Ocean Optics7 Bush House Arcade, Bush House
Strand, London, WC2B 4PATel 020 7240 8193 Fax 020 7240 7938
Nexus. The Best Value Aluminium Housing For Your D200
Introductory price £2200 inc 45 degree viewfinder
* Professional level specification *Alloy for durability
* Lightweight for travelling * Two strobe outlets
* Includes genuine viewfinder magnifier
* Specialist split level and super macro ports available
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TheSea&SeaMDX-D�00hasaverysolidfeelinthehandanditsinwaterweightseemslighterthantheSea&SeaDX-D200housing.Unlikethepreviouscastmodel,theMDX-D�00ismilledfromasolidblockofaluminumandthushas a more rugged finish. It survived 2 weeks of verypoormaintenance(freshwaterrinsesoutofagascan)andcleanedupeasilywithnosignsofcorrosionorfatigue.Thequicklockcameratraymakescamerainstallationeasy,butwhenusingazoomlens,it’sbesttowigglethezoomknobpriortolockingdownthetraytoensureapreciseinstall.
MDX-D300 housing viewfinder options
Personally I find all stock viewfinders on underwater housings to be difficult if notimpossibletouseforaccuratecompositionandfocus verification. The stock viewfinder on the Sea & Sea MDX-D�00isnoexception.IreceivedthehousinghoursbeforedepartureandwasunabletoinstallthenewInonStraight (180) viewfinder andchosetousetheInon45viewfinder instead. The Inon
45offersabrightcrispimagewiththelargestangleofacceptance,butIfoundthe45degreeangle(headdown) view to be difficult for the fast action of sailfish and dolphin. I brought the stock viewfinder along, butdeterminedI’dratherhavethelargeviewoftheInon45.Iwasabletoadaptmytechniqueovertheperiodofafewdaysandwouldnowliketotravelwithboththe45and180 viewfinders and swap based on mysubjects.
MDX-D300 housing control ergonomics
TheSea&SeaDX-D�00housingfeaturesoversizedknobsandbuttonsthatareeasilycontrolledwithevenglovedhands.Essentialcontrols(shutterrelease,aperture,shutterspeed,andfocuslock)areeasilyreachedwithalargehand, but small handed users will likely find essential controls more difficult with only one handsupportingthehousing.Theroundandnon-indexedknobsforMSCandAF-areaModerequire
practice to accurately adjust on the fly, but unlike myself,mostusersdon’tregularlyaccessthesecontrols.TheuniquebarrelstylecontrolfortheSubCommandDial(aperture)isveryconvenient,butishalfoccludedbytheFisheyeDomePortwhennotusinganextensionring.WhileI’mquitefondofthesmoothercontrolsandergonomicsoftheSuballineofunderwaterhousings,IwasabletooperateallcontrolsontheMDX-D�00quicklywithin15
Sea & Sea MDX-D300By Berkley White
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minutes of the first dive. The last Sea &SeahousingIpersonallyshotwastheirNikonF5underwaterhousinganditwasapersonalfavorite.ThisnewlineofMDXhousingsisagreatstepbacktotheirpreviousattentiontodetail.Hat’sofftothenewdesignteamatSea&Sea!
NewcustomsettingsintheNikonD�andD�00allowtheusertoprogramtheAE-L/AF-LbuttontothesamecustomofferingsastheFunctionbutton.TheFunctionbuttonislocatedonthefrontofthecamerabody(nearthe lens mount) and is difficult if not impossibletoincludeinahousingdesign.TheAE-L/AF-LandAF-ONbuttonsareconvenientlylocatedon
thebackofthecamera.TheMDX-D�00housingoffersaccesstoeitherthesebuttonswithaverycoolpullandlockleverthatallowstheusertoswitchfromonetoanothercontrolwhileunderwater.Unfortunately,theMDX-D�00(andotherhousings)donotallowsimultaneousaccesstobothbuttons.
AsunderwaterphotographerswewouldreallylikeaccesstobothAE-L/AF-LandAF-ONbuttons.TheAF-ONbuttoncouldbeusedtoactivatefocusandoperatesimilartowhatCanonshooterscallbackfocus.PressAF-ONtofocus,letgoandthefocusislocked.WithsimultaneousaccesstotheAE-L/AF-Lbutton,wecould
usethecustomoptionstoprogramthisbuttonforFlashOff(ornumerousotheroptions).WithFlashOffwecouldtemporarilydisablestrobesforsilhouetteshotswhenthesubjectistoo far away for a good flash fill.
Summary
Inmyhumbleopinion,theNikonD300 offers the most significant advanceinunderwaterdigitalphotographysincetheNikonD100.It’sbeyondinstantdigitalfeedbackandproducesimagesonparandargubablybetterthanresultsI’veever achieved with 35mm film. When consideredatISO400,theresults
areclearlybetterthanscannedslidefilm. The Sea & Sea MDX-D300 housingmightnotbeperfectedinhighendergonomics,butitisclearlyaprofessionallevelhousingatagreatprice.IfSea&SeacontinuesonthisMDXdesignandinvestsalittlemoreintactilesmoothness,theycouldeasilypositionthemselvesasthebesthousing/bestpriceontheworldmarket.
Berkley Whitewww.backscatter.com
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InJuly1997AquamagazinecommissionedaDivingAcrossAmericastory.MyassistantSebastian,thewriterJim,andItravelled4000milesinninedaysinamotorhomefromLongIsland,NewYorktoLosAngeles,California.Itwasagloriouslymad,intenseshootandI’veneverbeenmoreexhaustedafterajob.Forexample,inonedayIphotographedtheSheriffofSantaRosa,NewMexico,wentdivinginthenearbyBlueHoleandadjacentcreek,andthendrove900milestoLasVegas,Nevada.WearrivedinVegasat1amandwereupandmovingby6am.ThenwedrovetotheColoradoRiver,wentdivinginan8-10knotcurrent,and afterward flogged on all the way to Santa Barbara,California.Ifeeltiredjustthinkingaboutit.Theresultsdemonstratedhowextraordinarilydiverseunderwaterimagescouldbe.TherewasanimpressionisticimageofacottonwoodtreefromNewMexico,anantiquedentist’schairfromIndiana, and an ore cart from a flooded mine in Missouri.IbegantothinkaboutwhatelseImightfind on a lengthy trip around the country and how itmightmakeauniquecollectionofimages-aportrait of America from a fish’s point of view, or acrocodile’s,oraturtle’seyeinadesertspring.ItwouldbeanenormouschallengetocaptureimagesexpressiveofAmericanwatersfromcoasttocoast-afeatnoonehadeverattemptedbefore.
Ideally,therewouldhavebeenacrewofthree:Hazel,myproducerandgirlfriend(nowmywife);myself,andafull-timeassistant.However,withinadequatesponsorshipfunds,Ihadtogiveupon
American WatersBy Alex Kirkbride
theideaofthathandythirdperson,whowasalsogoingtobethemaindriver.IhonestlydidnotknowifHazelandIwouldbeabletokeepupwiththedauntingschedule,butwehadnochoice,andsowentforit.Hazeltookonthejobofmyassistant,amongmanyotherduties,andIpickeduptheslackinthedrivingdepartment.Thecombinationofconstantlymoving,drivinganaverageof�,�00milesamonth,diving,andonlyhavingonedayoffamonthtookitstoll.Exhausting?Absolutely!ButIwaslivingmydreamthreewaysatonce-asaphotographer,asadiver,andasatraveler-withmylovedoneatmyside.Despitelapsesintoinsanity,oneofuscouldalwaysbecountedontoremindtheotherhowextremelyfortunateweweretobeenjoyingthefreedomoftheroadandthesurprisesofeachnewday.
AdaptingtolivinginanAirstreammotor
(Above) Diving at Lake McDonald, Montana(Top left) Workmen’s tools, Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana(Right) Blue Hole Creek, Blue Hole Cienega, Santa Rosa, New Mexico
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home,withitsfullyequippedkitchen,shower,air-conditioningandpropaneheatingsystem,wasrelativelyeasyoncetheartofhookingandunhookingtheSUVhadbeenmastered.Learningtodrivethemonsterrigtookalittlelonger.Initially,themostdemandingpartofmanipulatingthe55-feet-longmachinewasbackingupintoacampground site. At first we were all overtheplace,especiallyafterasix-hourjourney.Withoutadoubt,theworstargumentsbetweencouplesontheroadstemfromtryingtoparktheir
homessuccessfully.Werealizeditwasa classic marital flashpoint when a campgroundmanagerinMainehelpedusbackintoaverytightspotwiththewords,“I’vesavedalotofmarriageshelpingcouplesbackin”!
SinceIgavemyselfatimeframeof�6months,fromSeptember2002toSeptember2005,tocoverall50statesandcompletetheproject,Ihadtobeveryprecisewiththeplanningofwhenandwheretogo.EventhoughIwouldhavelikedtohavegonetoeverystatetwiceatdifferenttimes
(Above) Chatting with Jesse at Sunset Lake, Indiana(Top right) Snorkelling a cranberry bog, Massachusetts(Right) Cranberries, Edaville Bogs, Carver, Massachusetts
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oftheyear,Iwasonlygoingtobeabletovisitmoststatesonce,andfornomorethantwoandahalfweeks.ThiswasreallypushingthelawsofNature,becausemanyofthedayswereconsumedbetraveling,butmygutfeelingwasthatitcouldbedone–just.However,everytimeIexaminedalargemapofAmerica,Ifeltcompletelyoverwhelmed.
Itwasaplanner’sdream,ornightmare,dependingonhowyoufeelaboutplanningathousanddetails.Wewouldhavetobeineachstatewhenavarietyofunderwatersiteswereattheirclearest,andwhentheweatherwasright,andwhencertainindigenouscreatureswereactive.Notonlythat:diveboatsincertainpartsofthecountrywereonlyoperationalatparticulartimesoftheyear.Also,thetightschedulemeantIcouldn’taffordtogetcaughtorstrandedinanearlysnowstorm,orbedelayedtoolongbybadweatheroranymechanicalfailures.
In2001,whileIbeganpre-productionandtried to figure out how to make the project happen, Imadeajump-startonthephotography.Previousmagazineshootshadyieldedafewimages,andbygrabbingafewmoreinthenortheastbefore
themainpartofthejourney,Iwasabletomakeinroadsonthetaskthatlayaheadofme.Ihiredaresearcher,Madeline,fortwomonths;hertasksincludedpickingasmanyassixdiveshopsfrom different areas of each state, and finding an experienceddiverwhohadbeenexploringtheirlocalwaterareasforyearsandwaswillingtochat.Diversaroundthecountrywereincrediblyhelpful,andMadeline’sdetailednotes,alongwithmyinitialideas, provided a first-draft road map.
OnceIknewwhereweneededtobeatcertaintimesoftheyear-andwhichimagessimplyhadtobeinthiscollection,suchasthehumpbackwhale– I plotted these destinations on the map and filled inthegaps.Andbyleavingafewdays’leewayat
(Top left) Undisturbed algae, Blueheart Springs, Snake River, Idaho(Centre) Maple Leaf, Little Wappinger Creek, Salt Point, New York(Top right) The Lily Pad Room, Onondaga Cave State Park, Leasburg, Missouri(Right) American Lobsters, Iron Bound Island, Frenchmen’s Bay, Maine
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eachlocationforweatherandotheropportunitiesthatunexpectedlyarose,I was able to fit in most of my image ideasintotheschedule.
Research,ofcourse,remainedanongoing,evolvingprocess.Aswetraveledandtalkedtoothercampers,divers, and fishermen – and looked throughlocaltouristbrochures–wediscoveredmanypotentialimagesalongtheway.Otherideassimplypresentedthemselves.Forexample,ImetBarbaraonenightatdinnerinNewYorkCity.Webegantotalkaboutmyupcomingproject,andshementioned that she could find ancient
shark’steethinthePotomacRivernearherhouseinVirginia.Westoppedbytoinvestigatetheteeth,whichwefoundwiththehelpofBarbaraandCharles,butthewaterwastoomurkyforphotography.However,justdowntheroadfromournewfriend’shouselived a man who fished for blue crabs, which,serendipitously,ledtothebluecrabmoltingimageIwaseagertofind.
Evenwithalltheresearch,therewerestilltimeswhenwefeltstumpedinparticularstates.Whenthishappened,weliterallydrovearoundapotentiallypromisingwaterarea
to see what we could find. But this waswhatthisprojectwasallabout:stretchingmyselfcreativelytoseeifIcouldmakesomethinghappen.
Anybodyofwaterwasfairgame,sothequestforimagesledtodivingandsnorkelinginthemostbizarreplaces,especiallywhenitcametofreshwater.Rivers,creeks,streams,lakes,springs,marshlands,caves,swamps,andwetlandswereallexplored.
TheexpeditionwenttothesourceoftheMississippiRiverinMinnesota,andIevenlayinapuddleinNewYorkCity.InMassachusettsat
harvest time, I jumped into a flooded cranberrybog-cranberriesbeingoneofthefewtrulynativefruitsintheUSA-tothegreatbewildermentofthefarmers.ForKansas,whenthetimecametophotographcattleinsomeaquaticsituation,IspoketomyfriendRob,theonlypersonIknewfromtheHeartlandState,thegeographicalcentreofthecontiguousUnitedStates.Rob’sfatherputmeincontactwitharancher,whoseforemandidn’tthinkmynotiontoofar-fetched-untilIaskedtojumpintothecows’watertank.
Inthevastswamplandsofthe
Bubba, Greg and Julie’s pool, Crystal River, FloridaBlack Angus, Circle S Ranch, Kansas
south,Islippedintomurkywatersknowingtherewerealligatorsaroundandimaginingthemwhenevermylegbrushedupagainstasubmergedtreetrunk.Butyouforceyourselftocontrolthosethoughts;youhaveto,inordertoconcentrateonthetaskathand.SomewhereintheAtchafalayaNationalWildlifeRefugeinLouisiana,Ibrokethismentalbarrier,andsharingthewaterwithlurkingnear-relativesofthedinosaursbecamelessofananxiousexperienceandmoreofanexhilaratingone.
Fromthebeginningofthejourney,oneofthegreatestchallenges
waswhatcouldbecreatedinNevada,thedrieststateintheunion.ResearchhadturnedupStillwaterMarsh,whereyoucanseetheoccasionalsanddunefromthewater’sedge.However,afive-year drought had all but dried outtheshallowmarshland.Instead,wefoundcopiousamountsofbuffalocarp bones lying where those fish had gaspedtheirlastbreaths.Wespenttheentiremorningdrivingaroundinsearchofanacceptablebodyofwaterandalmostranoutofgas-anear-disasterthatmadeusthinkagainabout those fish bones. By that point, PyramidLakeinthePaiuteTribe
Reservationseemedmybestchance,andthemostIexpectedwasasplit-levelimageofPyramidRock.Instead,a fortuitous meeting with a fisherman ledustosomedramaticunderwatertufaformations,andfourdayslaterweleftthedesertwithNevadainthebag,muchtomysurpriseanddelight.
InFlorida,therearemanycavesystems,buttheyhavebeenwell-documented.SoIchosetolookelsewhere,beginninginArkansas,wherewevisitedacoupleofhugecaverns.Spectacular,indeed,butnotquiterightformypurpose.AsweleftArkansas’sHurricaneRiverCave,whereJesseJamessupposedlyhidfromthelaw,IcameacrossapamphletfortheNationalCaveAssociationshowingtheLilyPadRoomintheOnondagaCave,Missouri.TheLilyPadRoomturnedouttobesimplyremarkableforphotography.
Afterallthattimeunderground,ourthoughtsturnedtothosepeculiarwaters that fly into the sky - the geysersofYellowstone,andthesuperheatedpoolsthatlaunchthem.PerhapssomeofthemostuniquewaterinAmericacanbefoundinYellowstoneNationalPark,theworld’s first national park, founded in1872.Yellowstoneishometosome10,000hotspringsandgeysers,includingOldFaithful,possiblythemostfamousfountainintheworld.
Nowyoucan’tjustjumpintotheseareas-youaren’tallowed-andevenifyou were, you’d find yourself being boiledbytheworld’sbiggestBunsenburner,theYellowstoneCaldera,thegiantvolcanothatlurksbeneaththeparkland.Therewasanotheroption,however,andonethatwasbothverycoldandveryhot:YellowstoneLake.Protectedfromthesnow-meltchillbyadrysuit,youcandivedowntobubblinggeothermalventswheretherearealsoclustersofspires,andsomeveryoddgrowthsofgreenalgaethesizeof1960sbeanbags.
Mydivesinthehigh-altitudelake,whereIfelttheEarthshakewithsubterraneanthunder,wereunforgettable,andhumbling.Todiveinsuchunusualplaces,wherefewifanyhadbeenbefore,wasoneofthegreatestjoysofthejourney.
Alex Kirkbridewww.alexkirkbride.com
1940’s Georgia Firetruck, Blue Springs, Pelham, Alabama
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“SweetButton-eyedCreatures”,thatwasmyhusband’sremarkafterhehad his first up close encounter with ourbelovedFloridamanatees.Ithasnowbeenagrowingpassionofmineforovertenyearstocommunicatethedetailsoftheirfascinatinglivesandmyheartfeltdesiretohelpprotectmanateessotheirfuturesurvivalandqualityoflifeisassured.
My“quest”totellthemanatee’sstoryandconveymydeepaffectionforthemtookahugestepforwardwhen I procured my first underwater DSLRsetupin2006.Actually,IgotsomequiteacceptablemanateephotographsbeforewithadigitalpointandshootSonyP-10,thenaFujiF-810inmanualmodewithInonwide105ADlens.Butmostimportant-Ilearned “how to” find, photograph and act around the manatee gradually, first withasmallphotographicsetupandthenwithalittlelargerone,sothatwhenIinitiallytookdowntheNikond200/Nikon16mmFEf2.8lens/SubalHousing,Iwasquitedelightedatthequalityofmymanateephotographs.Astheysay“Iwashooked!”
Photographershaveaskedmelotsofquestionsaboutphotographing
manateeandherearesomeofmysuccessfulactions.FirstoffI’minthewateralot,observingmanatee,timeinthewateriskeyas“manateetime”runsataverydifferentpacethanwhatwearegenerallyusedto.AlsoI’velearnedtowatchthedramaticandever-changingweatherfronts,tidesandwindpatternsduringthewinterinFloridaandmakesomesenseofthem to help find water clear enough toadequatelyportraythemanatee’sdelightfulfeaturesandbehaviors.Additionally,I’vestudiedunderwaterphotographytechniquestoensureI’mtechnicallycapableofcapturingaspecial“manateemoment”whenithappens.AndIalsomakesurethatI’madequatelywarmenoughtospendlongstretchesinthe72-degree(22Celsius)springwater,evenwhilestayingquitestillforlongperiodsoftime.PlusIgomid-weekwhenthingsaremuchquieterandfewerboatsareonthewater.Butmostimportant,farandaboveallelse,thereasonItendtobesuccessfulatcapturingtheessenceofthemanateeisIreally,reallylikethem!ImeanIhavesuchstrong affinity for the manatee that I justfeelitinthepitofmystomach
andI’msweptawayandenvelopedwithkindfeelingsforthem.Ican’texplainitanybetterthanthat,theFloridamanateesaresweet,graceful,intelligentandmesmerizingcreaturesandIlovethem!
Inmyexperiencenoticinghowmanateehaveapproached(andsurprised)meinvarioushabitatsalloverthestate,whileIwasswimming,snorkelingorscubadiving,itismyobservationthattheyprobablyhaveneverreallyhadaninnate“natural
fear”ofhumansatallthussomecanbeverycuriousand“interested”photographicsubjects.ThespringsatCrystalRiveriswhereIliketophotographmanateebestandattimestheclarityofthewaterisamazingasisthequalityofthestrongFloridasunlight from different angles, filtered throughthetrees.My“loveaffair”withthemanateeisjustasmucha“loveaffair”withtheenchantingFloridaspringsanddancingrainbowlightrays.Butbeforewarnedthat
Sweet, Button-eyed CreaturesMy Love Affair with the Florida ManateeBy Carol Grant
“Timeless” ManateeThis manatee seemed “suspended in time” - manatee time is certainly different from human time. Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Nikon 16mm lens, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 400, 1/60 @ f8
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thosesame“crystalclear”springscanturnmurkyveryeasilywithstrongweatherfrontsandarealsoinfluenced by sea states in the Gulf ofMexicoasCrystalRiverisfreshwaterbutisconnectedtotheGulfsevenmilesaway.Alsotheclearestwaterisbecomingincreasinglyhardtoencounterasdevelopment,fertilizerrunoff,pollution,invasivealgaeandchangingenvironmentalfactorsareaffectingthedelicatebalanceoftheentireFloridaaquifer.But
fortunatelyforusphotographersallisnotlostaswecanstilllocate,politelyobserveanddocumentmanateeintheirtraditionalfreshwaterwinterrefugeattheHomosassaandCrystalRivers.Dotakenotethoughthatlawsandprotocoldesignedtoprotectthemanateemustbeobservedanditisbesttoeducateyourselfinadvance.Thebesttimestoobservemanateeisfromlatefalltoearlyspringdependingonweatherconditions.AssoonastheGulfofMexicowater
warmsupinearlyspring,hungrymanateetendtodepartthespringsquicklyforwarmerwaterswithmoreabundantfood.
Thisbringsupavitalpoint,howdomanateelearnwheretogoatvarioustimesoftheyear,whatandhowmuchtoeatatthosesametimesandtheroutestotakeandnot
enduplost?Manateeslearnfrommomofcourse,formorethantwoyears.FormethatisthetouchingandendearingnucleusofthemanateecommunityandoneofthethingsI’mmostinterestedindocumenting–theessenceofthestrongmother/calfrelationship.Imustsayaphotographicimageofamother
Mom & “Sparky”Every time this manatee mom would try to take a nap or even take a breath her precocious “Sparky” would take off like a rocket to go explore! This was taken in my favorite fall sunlight and good news is little Sparky is still at the springs right now and boy is he getting FAT!Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Nikon 16mm lens, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 400, 1/60 @ 7.1
In Front of Three Sisters SpringManatee sanctuary is to the left, channel in the center, private land to the right.Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Tokina 10-17 @ 10mm, available light, ISO 100, 1/60 @ f13
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manateewithalittlecalfisoneofthemosttouchingimagesyoucancaptureunderwaterandoneofthemostcompellingforchange,especiallywhenitspeaksvolumesasinhorribleboatscarsonmomwhileshestillpatientlycaresforthelittleone–wewonderwhatthelittlecalf’sfuturewillbring?Anditwouldtakequiteahardenedheartnottoseethateverylittlemanatee’sfutureisuptous,
whosodirectlyaffecthisorhersafetyandenvironment.
Photographicallywiththemanateeitisallaboutbeingthere,respectingandobservingmanateebehavior,assessingthe direction, strength and filtering of the ambient sunlight, adding fill light when necessaryandpatience,patience,patience!Asfarasmyequipment-from2006to
Manatee Mother and Small CalfDespite this mother’s boat and propeller injury scars she still patiently guides around and cares for her very young calf. You can see their tender bond. But what will the future hold for her little one? Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 320, Nikon 16mm lens, 1/60 @ 7.1.
Synchronized ManateesThis was one of my first images with the Tokina 10-17 lens and I certainly am pleased with that lens! Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Tokina 10-17 @ 10mm, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 250, 1/50 @ 7.1
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earlyJanuary2008theonlywide-anglelensI’veusedwithmyNikond200onthemanateewastheNikon16mmFEf2.8.Yesthiswasbecausemybudgetwassomewhatlimited,butalsobecauseIreallylikedtheresultsIgotphotographingmanateewiththatlens.Onthe1.5XcroppedsensorNikond200DigitalSLR,the16mmisnotverywidebutstillallowedmetofocusonendearingmanateeexpressionsandbehaviorsplustheamazinglightinthesprings
thatIwantedtoshowcase.TheNikon16mmissuchasharplenswithfewdefectsandI’veusedithappilyphotographingmany,manymanatees.ButearlylastyearIheardfromRyanCanonofReefPhoto&Video,thatheusedtheTokina10-17f�.5-4.5FEonthemanateeanditwas“awesome”. I finally broke down andgottheTokinarecently,knowingtoothatAlexMustardandPeterRowlandswerecomingtophotographmanateewithmeandIcouldask
Bob Bonde Conducting Manatee ResearchBob is the best friend the manatees have ever had. He studies and looks after the manatees at Crystal River regularly, as he has done for over 25 years. Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Tokina 10-17 lens @ 11mm, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 200, 1/80 @ f6.3
Mother/Calf, Reflections, SkyA peaceful bucolic scene. We are lucky the manatee can still enjoy places where it is safe. Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Tokina 10-17 lens @ 10mm, available light, ISO 320, 1/80 @ f10
Alexquestionsaboutthelens.Alexsaid,“TheTokina10-17istheperfectmanateelens.”IadmitImustagreetheTokinaisreallysuitedformanateephotography,withafew“quirks”thoughofcourse.WhileI’venoticedtheTokina10-17f�.5-4.5certainlydoesn’tseemtoauto-focusanyslowerthantheNikon16mmf2.8,auto-focusingcanstillbeabigprobleminthelow-lightareasofthesprings.WiththeNikon16mminthelowerlightIalwaysfocusedonmyhandin
front of the dome or focused on my fin (dependingonifIwantedtoachieveclosefocuswideangleorstandardwideangle),lockedtheauto-focus,flipped to manual focus and used aperturesf8orabove.ThisworkedlikeacharmandIusedthistechniquesuccessfullyonlotsofmanateephotographs.ButwiththeTokinaitisalittledifferent.WithdifferentzoomsettingsitchangesabitandI’mstilldiscoveringthebestsettingsforwhenIauto-focusand“lockitoff”inlower-
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light fisheye photography. The Tokina lens really shinesthoughinitsabilitytozoomfrom10mmto17mmandseeingthatthemanateecanbefrom�feetlong(1Meter)asababytoover10feetlong(�.�Meters+)asadultsthatversatilitycannotbeoverstated,plusitfocusestrulyclose,muchcloserthantheNikon16mm,rightonthedomeinfact!TheTokina10-17isindeedamarvelouslensforphotographingthemanatee.
Shouldthephotographerusestrobesornostrobes?Firstofallasfarasthemanatee–doyounoticeinsomeofmyphotographsthestrongFloridasunlightilluminatingtheshallowwater?Theserayspenetratethemanatee’seyesrepeatedlymanytimesduringthedaysoIhaven’tnoticedthatproperlypositionedanddiffusedstrobesproduceanynegativereactionfromthemanatee.Thatsaid,Iwouldstillusestrobesonlywhennecessaryandturnthemoffwhennotneeded.Withoutstrobesyouwillmissmanyearlymorningmomentsplus
missphotographingotherfascinatingcharactersofthespringsincludingdivingcormorantandanhingafeedingamongthedarktreerootsandpossiblyeventherareappearanceofacoolFloridasnappingturtle,whichalmostneverappearsingoodlight!PlusIlikethelookofcertainmanateephotographswith the “fill light” of strobes (I use Sea and Sea 110sw/diffusers)andscatterisofcoursekepttoaminimumwithproperpositioning.Butifyoucaretoskipbringingstrobesthereareadvantagesasthatsetupislesscumbersome,split-levelsaremucheasieranditissimplertomanipulatetwocameras.Sobeforehandthinkaboutwhatyouaretryingtoachieveandplanaccordinglytouseastrobeornostrobes.
Inclosing,manateephotographyisa
Sunrise at Crystal River - Motoring out to the springs/steam on the water.Sony P-10, 7.9mm, ISO 100, 1/50 @2.8
powerfultoolforconservationandchangesoweasunderwaterphotographershaveanopportunitytosetagoodexampleanduseourimagestohelpimpactthefutureforthebetter.TheFloridamanateerecentlyscoredavictoryatstatelevelbynotbeingremovedfromitsendangeredspeciesstatus,butthisisonlyastart.Manateearestillinconstantdangerfromspeedingboatsinshallowwatersandasanyonewhohasseenthese
Carol at the Three Sister’s Spring, Photo by Alex Mustard
Sparky Explores!Some little manatee are quiet and shy, some are loving and some are bold and born to take on the underwater world! Nikon d200, Subal Housing, Nikon 16mm lens, Sea & Sea 110s, ISO 400, f7.1 @ 1/60
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Carol Being Welcomed By Two Female Manatees. Photo by Alex Mustard
www.birdsunderwater.comCopiesavailableatwww.upf.com/book.asp?id=REEPXF05
www.oceangrant.com
magnificent creatures knows boat injuryscarsareonnearly90%ofadultmanatee.Plusdevelopmentintheirprimeareas,pollution,seagrassbedsbeingeliminated,etc.,areallissuesthatwehavedirectimpactandultimatelycontrolover.Iencourageeveryonetopurchaseandreadafascinatingbook‘TheFloridaManateeBiologyandConservation’byRobertK.“Bob”BondeandRogerL.Reep.Itwillfamiliarizeyouwiththemanateeandtheirplight.AndwhenvisitingthemanateeatCrystalRiverItellpeopletogooutwith
Bird’sUnderwaterasIfeeltheyreallydothebestjobeducatingpeopleonthecorrectwaytoobserveandinteractwiththemanateesandtheyhavebeenofenormoushelptomepersonallyovertheyears.OfcourseyoucanrentyourownboatbutsincethereareprobablytoomanyboatsalreadyonCrystalRivermysuggestionistoeithergooutwithBird’sorrentakayak,asthestablesit-on-topornewer inflatable ones are very steady withroomforcameras.Thenyoucangoseethemanateeatyourownpacewith the added benefit of being able to gaze quietly at Florida’s magnificent arrayofbirdlifealongtheway!
Andjustmaybeyouwillonedaygazeintosome“SweetButton-eyes”andbeginyourown“loveaffair”andformastrongdesiretohelpourmarvelousFloridamanatee.
Carol Grantwww.oceangrant.com
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Inthesedays,thereareafewplaceslesscontroversialthanthesocialistrepublicofCuba.Constitutionally defined as a “socialist state guidedbytheprinciplesofJoséMartí,andthepoliticalideasofMarx,EngelsandLenin”,thisisland,andarchipelagocomprisingthemainland,the“IsladelaJuventud”(IslandofYouth)andothersmallerislandsandkeys,hadkepttheirsreefsbarelytochedbythehandofmanandtheprogressitself,maybeduetothefactthatonlyafewbunchofcubanshavetheprivilegetouse(notevenown)aboat(let´sremembereverythingherebelongstothegoverment),thealmostinexistentlocaldiversasdivingindustryisforturistsmostly,or the protection of the government and fishing regulations,theCubanreefs,areonesofthemostpreservedovertimeintheCaribbean.
Theeastsideoftheislandisfamousforthearchipelago“JardinesdelaReina”(Queen’sGardens)onthesouthandthesharkdivingover“SantaLucia”(SaintLucy)onthenorth,butthistimewedecidedtopayavisittothewestside.
Oncewearrivetotheislandcapital“LaHabana”,westarttorealizethatdivingtherewasn´tgoingtobeaseasyaswethough,sincemostdiveoperatorwasshutteddownbygovermentdecisionand find information over the internet was pretty much difficult. Gladly our hotel had a tourism bureau,andtheypointustotheonlydiveoperator
activeinLaHabanaoverthe“MarinaHemingway”,where dive certification was less important than the Passport,duetothefactthattheboatmustgoforapassengercountmadebytheNationalCoastGuard,whengoingoutandwhenreturningfromdivingaswell.Anotherimpressivethingisthattheycheckthefuellevelontheboat,witchitneedtobealmosttheexactmeassuretogoout,diveandcameback,noless,nomore.
DivingLaHabanareefwasprettymuchanicedivewithCaribbeanwarmwaters,greatreefscenics,fullofcolorandmarinelife,andyoucan
Cuba Diving – The West SideBy Felix Rodriguez
(Top left) Image of Ernesto “Ché” Guevara on the Interior Ministry Building, Nikon D50, Sigma 17-70mm @ 40mm, 1/160, f/6.3, ISO 200.(Left) American Car: American Cars on Old Havana near “Malecón”, Nikon D50, Sigma 17-70mm @ 17, 1/10, f/2.8, ISO 200. (Above) School of grunts over “Cayo Piedra”, Nikon D50 on Ikelite, 2x DS-125 at _ power, 1/500, f /6.3, Tokina 10-17mm @ 17 under 8” dome, ISO 200.(Below) Gun: Port gun of the Russian Destroyer, Nikon D50 on Ikelite, 2x DS-125 at full power, 1/160, f /6.3, Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm under 8” dome, ISO 200.
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downloadedmyphotosonthelaptopandrealizehowmanycolorswerepopupbythelightofmystrobes.ThosewallsprovideagreatopportunityforWA,CFWAandmacrowork.
Oncewegoback,wefoundafreshwatertanktorinsethecameraandacoupleofshowers.Diveherewascloseto90$,onatwodivespackagebasis.
Nextthingwedidwastake
seeheretheconservationofcoralduetothesizetheygrowth,theabbundaceofspeciesandthelackofbrokenanddeathcoralsarround.ThisisthetypicalCaribbeanwallwithschoolsof grunts, surgeons and damselfish, an occasionalbassletwrassehidinghereandthere,somemediumsizegroupersoncleaningstationsoratrumpetfish trying to hide behind something. IactuallygotimpressedwhenI
aninterstatebusfora�hoursride(actuallytheywerereallynice,andsomuchbetterthanweexpect,includingAirConditioningandnewbuses)witchpricewascloseto12$p/pax,toarrivethepeninsulaof“Varadero”,themostturisticalplaceoverthewestsideoftheislandafterHavana.
VaraderoisaresorttownintheprovinceofMatanzas,withwatersoftheclearestshadesofblueandfullofnightlife.Oncethere,weapproachoneofthebiggerdiveoperatorsinCuba,called“BarracudaDivingCenter”toreserveourdivesfortherestoftheweek.
DivingVaraderohaveamainattractivethatnoonecanmiss,a“RussianDestroyer”with100mlongand14mwide,called“ThePatrolBoat”,sameclassoftheonesunkedbythegovermentofCaymanIslandinCaymanBracthe“RussianDestroyer�56”,purchasedtotheCuban
Goverment.ThemaindifferencebetweenbothisthattheCubanonepresentsnomayordeteriorationontheestructure,almostanythingwasintact,eventheweaponsandammunitions.ThisshipwasstrategicallypositionedonCubaduringtheColdWaramonganotherships,andleftinabandomafter.
Thiswreckissobigandcoveredwithsomanycorals,thatphotographyget really benefit with a fisheye lenslikeTokina10-17mm,Nikkor10.5mm,ora15mm/16mmonaFFcamera.
OthernicedivesaroundVaradero,takeplaceover“CayoPiedra”(StoneKey),whereyoucanspotlotsofstingraysrestingonthesand,waitingforsomenaivepreytopassby,someschoolsofgrunts,largeseafanscoveredwithflamingo tongues and some occasional barracudaandpelagicfaunapassing
Soft Corals: Soft sponges over Havana reef, Nikon D50 on Ikelite, 2x DS-125 at _ power, 1/125, f /7.1, Sigma 17-70mm @ 17 under 8” dome, ISO 200.
Stairs: Starboard stairs of the Russian Destroyer, Nikon D50 on Ikelite, 2x DS-125 at _ power, 1/160, f /6.3, Tokina 10-17mm @ 10 under 8” dome, ISO 200.
Bow Gun of the Russian Destroyer, Nikon D50 on Ikelite, 2x DS-125 at full power, 1/125, f /6.3, Tokina 10-17mm @ 10 under 8” dome, ISO 200.
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by.TheDivinginVaraderowas100$
everytwodives.TheDiveoperatoriswellequipped,nitroxavailableandtheboatwasacommondiveboatfor20peopleorso.NeitherHavananorVaraderodonightdives.Somedaysontheweek,thediveoperatorgoesto“BahíadeCochinos”(Pig’sBay)and“PlayaGirón”,basicallyacouplesofdiveswithatwohoursridefromthere,providedbythem.Ifyouhavethetime,includeonyourtripsomedayson“MaríaLaGorda”(FatMary),oneofthemostisolatedandgreatplacesontheWestSidefordiving.
OnceinLaHabana,onemustvisit“LaViejaHabana”(OldHavana)whereyoucanzipsome“mojitos”(pronouncedmoh-heee-toh)witchistheNationalCubancocktailmadefromrum,lemon,sugar,clubsodaandmintleaves,eatsomeCubanstyleporkwithriceandblackbeans,visitsometobaccofactoriesandsomehistoricalplacesrichincolorandmusic.AsforVaradero,justpickoneofthemany“all-inclusive”resorts,enjoythemorethan20kms.ofbeautifulsandybeaches,andrelax!
Felix [email protected]
Group of street Cubans musicians on “El Patio” Old Havana, Nikon D50, Sigma 17-70mm @ 29 + Kenko 2X TC, 1/160, /6.3, ISO 200.
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MostweekendsasIdiveinSydneyAustralia,IamamazedathowmanyqualitydivesitesIhavetochoosefromrightonthedoorstepofacityof4million.Ashortdriveawayitgetsevenbetter!
Highway1coversmostofAustralia’sEastcoastandthe1025kmSydney-Brisbanelegisknown as the Pacific Highway. Several scuba diving delightsarewithineasyreachofthevisitorwhohas4or5daystospare.
When I need a wide angle fix I head up the Pacific Highway to the sleepy town of South West Rocks,launchpadforafantasticdivelocationcalledFishRock.
SouthWestRocksisa5hourdrivefromSydney,6fromBrisbaneandoutsideholidaytimeit’s not a difficult drive as most of the route is multi-lanefreeway.Withasparedriverandseveralrefresherbreaksthetimepassesquickly.
FishRockandnearbyGreenIslandarecriticalhabitatareasfortheplacidGreyNurseshark(RaggyTooth/SandTiger–Carcharias
taurus),whichlivethereinlargenumbersnearlyallyearround,butthesmallislandofFishRockhasanadditionalattraction,acaveofmorethan100metreslong(�00ft)thatrunsrightthroughtheislandscentre!
Fromthedeeperentranceat24metres,theCray and Lobster filled cave runs to a shallower endat12metres.ShotsofsilhouettedGreyNurse
Pacific Highway Treasureby Aengus Moran
sharksframedbythecavewallsattheshallowendarewellknowntomostAussiediversbuttheprizedshotistolightaGreyNurseinsidetheshallowendofthecave.
TheresidentGreyNurseandWobbegongsareaccustomedtodiverssorelaxedbreathing,stayinglowandtothesidegenerallyresultsinacloseencounter.Thatsaid,careneedstobetakenwhenenteringatthedeependasa2metreWobbegongandasimilarsizedBullRayliketointerchangeasthegatekeepersandcanbefoundsittingstillandsilentonthebottomoftherockyentrance.
FishRockislocatedjustoverakilometreoffHatHeadandwithdeepwatersoneitherside
(frequentlybusywithmigratingWhales),theislandis a magnet for fish life. When the sharks aren’t at theshallowend,thethousandsofeasternPomfretcanbeusedasaframeforadiverorifyou’relucky,oneofthemanybutshyBlackCod.
MybestbuddyatthissiteismyEF-S10-22andonseveraloccasions,curioussharkshavecomeso close I can’t fit them in at 10mm’s. The wide lensisalsoneededfortheresidentLoggerheadTurtlethatwillswimpastwithinarmsreachtotallyignoringyou.
(Right) Black Cod (Epinephelus daemelii) silouetted against the shallow entrance to the cave at Fish Rock. 10mm, 1/60th sec @ F/3.5. Canon 350D, EF-S 10.22mm, Ikelite housing / 8 inch dome / 2 x DS-125’s
Staying low and to the side and the Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus) will come to you. 22mm, 1/60th sec @ F/6.3 . Canon 350D, EF-S 10.22mm, Ikelite housing / 8 inch dome / 2 x DS-125’s
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providessomeofthebestmacroopportunitiesinNewSouthWales.ItispracticallyimpossibletodivethePipelinedivesitewithoutseeingWhites Seahorses and Tiger Pipefish andallofthearea’sdivesites(mostlyshoredives)arerenownedfortheirlargevarietyofnudibranch.
ComingSouthfromBrisbaneand2hoursshortofSouthWestRocks,TheSolitaryIslandsNational
LikemanyrockyIslands,FishRockissurroundedbylongguttersandsteepwallsthathelptofunneltheactiontowardsthephotographer,largeBullRaysroutinelycruisetheguttersandoneshouldoccasionallylookupincaseaschoolofWhiteSpottedEagleRaysoraMantaRaycomeby.
WhiletheGreyNurseSharkisprotectedintheAustralianstateofNewSouthWalesandFishRockis identified as an Aggregation site for the species, recreational fishing
isallowedaroundtheislandandunfortunatelyitiscommontoseesharkswithhooksandtraceattached.
SonowI’veletyouinononeofourtreasures,nexttimeyouvisitSydneyforbusiness,ormaybetransitBrisbaneonyourwaytoPNGortheSolomons,maybethinkaboutaroadtrip for a Wide Angle fix to Fish Rock!
ThereareanumberofothernotabledivelocationsalongthePacific Highway. Nelson Bay, a coupleofhoursnorthofSydney
Parkprovidesarguablythebestall-rounddivinginNewSouthWales.NorthSolitaryIslandisthepickoftheislandsandalocationwhereIstrugglewithlenschoice.SubjectmatterherevariesgreatlydependantontheseasonsandrangesfromMantaRaystoMantaShrimpandthousandsofAnemone fish.
Formoreinformation,visitSouthWestRocksDiveCentre,
www.southwestrocksdive.com.auDaveHarasti’swebsite
www.daveharasti.com/nelsonbay QuestDiving,www.divequest.com.au
ortheforumsatDiveOz, www.diveoz.com.au
Aengus Moranwww.aengusm.com
Fish Rock is home to 10’s of thousands of Eastern Pomfret (Schuettea scalaripinnis). 22mm, 1/125th sec @ F/4.5. Canon 350D, EF-S 10.22mm, Ikelite housing / 8 inch dome / 2 x DS-125’s
The Grey Nurse Shark is protected in New South Wales, yet fishing is still allowed at the aggregation sites. 10mm, 1/200th sec @ f/6.3 . Canon 350D, EF-S 10.22mm, Ikelite housing / 8 inch dome / 2 x DS-125’s
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Ineedtostartthisarticleoffbytellingyouashortstory–pleasebearwithmeasitisincontext,wellkindof….
WhenIwasateenagergrowingupinthenorthwestofEngland,everySaturdaynightmymatesandIusedtogotoalocaldiscowiththeprincipalobjectivesofconsumingasmuchbeeraspossibleandthensomehowendingupwithafemalepartnerattheendofthenight.Thefundamentaltechniqueinvolvedinthiscomplexprocesswassomethingcalled“dancing”,whichIhavetoadmit,wasalwayssomethingofablackarttome.
Withthewisdomofhindsight,it’snowperfectlyobvioustomethatIsimplycouldneverjudgethecorrectamountofbeerrequiredtogetmeouton to the dance floor and deliver my carefullyrehearsedpick-uplines.Ialwaysseemedtoover-estimatetheamountofrequired,usuallytothepointwheremyabilitytodance&speakatthesametimewasgreatlyimpaired.
Iamsharingthissadtalewithyoubecausemyeffortsonthedancefloor often come to mind when I am engagedintheequallyblackartofunderwatermacrophotography.
Onlandmacroisclose-upphotographythatusesspeciallenseswhichcanfocussharplyonasubjectthe same size as the film plane or digitalsensor.Underwater,macrophotographyhasamuchbroadermeaningandtypicallyreferstophotographingsmalltomediumsizecreatures such as fish, or small critters likeshrimps&pygmyseahorses.
Specializedlenses&portsarealsorequiredandthemostcommonquestionheardfromphotographersonaliveaboard“isthisawide-angleormacrosite?”sotheycanpreparetheirequipmentforthenextdive.
Itisoftensaidthatunderwaterphotographyisajourney,notadestination,andlikemostpeopleIstartedminebyattemptingtophotograph fish. I had seen the fish portraits taken by the leading photographers at the time, and figured itshouldbefairlyeasytogetsimilarresultsifIusedoneofthenewstateoftheartNikonos5’s.
Isoonrealizedthattherewasalotmoretoitthanjustbuyingequipmentandstartedacquiring“howto”bookstotry&developmytechnique.Istillhavemostofthebooksonmyshelf–includingthat
longforgottenclassicTheUnderwaterPhotographer’sHandbookbyacertainPeterRowlands….
Overtimethebasicproblembecameobvioustome-viewedfromthe fish’s perspective the approach of averylargecreature,emittingcopiousamountsofnoisybubbles&pokingashinydevicewithbrightlightsatyou,isquiteintimidatingandhighlyunlikelytomakeitwanttorelax&poseforit’sphotographtobetaken.
Alloftheunderwaterphotographybooksofferadviceonhow to approach fish and it’s usually allveryrelevant,howeverIthink
Macro photographyBy Don Silcock
the real issue is that the fish have not readthebooksandarejustnotawarethatallwewanttodoistaketheirphotograph…
Critterphotographyontheotherhandisrelativelymucheasierbecausethesubjectmattertendstobestatic,orslowmoving,andisusuallyconvinced that its superb camouflage makesitinvisible.Thereforecrittersaretypicallymucheasiertophotograph–onceyouhaveactuallyfoundthemthatis!
MyhobbyiswritingarticlesabouttheplacesIvisit,whichIthenusetopopulatemywebsite(www.
“Coleman Shrimps” - Nikon D200 & Subal housing, 70-180 Nikon, 2 Inon240’s, f29 @ 1/125
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indopacificimages.com) and magazine editors demandavariedselectionofgoodimagesbeforetheywillconsiderpublishinganything.
Ilovewide-anglephotographyandonatypicalliveaboardtripIhavetoforcemyselftoswitchtoamacroset-upandusuallyreturnfromthedivefrustratedanddeepinthoughtaboutSaturdaynights&discosinthenorth-westofEngland.Soinlate2007IdecidedthatitwastimeIleftthedomeportathomeandreallygotmyarmsaroundmacrophotographybydoingadedicatedmuck/crittertrip.
AfterconsideringvariouslocationsIsettledonthenorthcoastofBaliasIknewsomeofthesitesfromprevioustripsandhadheardgoodthingsaboutneweroneslikePuriJati.Plusbeinglandbaseditmeantthatmylongsuffering,non-diving&boataversewifecouldtravelwithme!
AlthoughthephysicaldistancestothevariousdivelocationsinBaliarenotthatgreat,thetimeittakes to navigate the narrow roads & traffic means a“safari”isrequiredifmultiplelocationsareintended.Thiseitherinvolvesstayinginalotofdifferenthotels,ordoingalotofdriving,neitherofwhichappealedtomeverymuch.
After a lot of discussion I finally settled on a 12-daytripplannedbyAquaMarineDiving,whoIhaveusedonprevioustripstoBaliandfoundtobeverywellorganized.The12daytripwouldallowmetotakeinthesixmainmuck/macro/crittersitesonthenorthcoast:SecretBay,MenjanganIsland,PuriJati(PJ),Tulamben,Seraya&Ahmed.Plusitonlyrequiredthreebaselocations&hotelchanges–PemuteranforSecretBay&Menjangan,LovinaforPuriJatiandTulambenfortheLibertyWreck,Seraya&Ahmed.
It also satisfied my key criteria that I would spendtwodaysateachlocationsothatifIhadthe
wrong lens on the first day, I could go back the followingdaytotryandgetitright.
Equipment
Igaveagreatdealofthoughtaboutwhatequipment I should take and my first decision was nottotakeanywide-anglestuffatall–macroonly,soIwouldbeforcedtouseonlywhatIhadwithme.
IntheendInarroweditdowntotwolenses– for general fish and medium size creatures I went withtheSigma28-70mm2.8EXDGwhichAlexMustardrecommendedtomeafewyearsago.It’sbeensittingonmyshelfforthelastyearorso,butfor what I was looking to do in Bali I figured it wouldbeagoodgeneralpurposelensbecauseitfocusesdowntoabout10”andisfast&verysharp.
ThesecondlenswasmytrustyNikon70-180
macrozoom,alensthatisoftenmalignedasslowandnotparticularlygood,butonethatIhavereallycometolove.It’struethatit’snotthefastestlensintheworldandtheauto-focusneedstobehelpedwithadecentfocuslightinlowlightconditions,butonceithasfocuseditisverysharpandcapableofproducingsomestunningimages.
NolongermadebyNikon,thislensisapparentlymuchsoughtaftersecondhandandpricesonEBayforthemhaveapparentlyrisenquitedramaticallyinthelastcoupleofyears.RumorhasitthatnowNikonhasupgradedboththe105mm&60mmmacrolenses,the70-180willbenext.Iwouldcertainlyinvestinoneshouldthathappen,butuntilthenIremaindeeplyattachedtothecurrentversion!
Thereallygreatthingaboutthelensisitstremendous zoom range and the flexibility if offers. You can capture relatively large “fishy” type subjects,suchasthemorayeelbeingcleaned,andtinycrittersliketheColemanshrimpsonthesame
“Puffer Portrait” - Nikon D200 & Subal housing, 70-180 Nikon, 2 Inon 240’s, f22 @ 1/60
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dive-ifyouareluckyenoughtoencounterthemboth as I was on my first dive of the trip at Seraya.
Lighting
Divetravelisgettingharder&harderthesedays,soIamconstantlyonthelookoutforequipmentthatwillreducemy“footprint”andrecentlyboughttwoofthenewInonZ240strobesastheyappearedtobeagreatcompromisebetweenpoweroutputandsize&weight.
FortheBalitripIdecidedtotaketheZ240’sand an Athena ring flash I had bought about a year ago,buthadstruggledwithandnotreallyused.
WiththeInonsItriedvariouspositionconfigurations but eventually settled on the set-up shownbelowwithbothstrobesmountedinclosetotheportandeitherpointingstraightforwardorangledslightlyoutwardsifthevisibilitywaspoor.
Icametoreallylikethisset-upasitallowedmetoquicklychangefromahorizontaltoaverticalformatandIfoundthatthestrobelighthitmyimmediatesubjectratherthanthewholearea,creatingapleasingimage.IwasalsoverypleasantlysurprisedthatprovidedIgotwithinabout0.5mofmysubjecttherewasverylittlebackscatter-evenwhenthevisibilitywasdowntolessthan�matlowtideinSecretBay!
OverallIhavebeenverypleasedwiththeInon240strobes-theyaresmall&lightbutquitepowerful,recyclequicklyandsofarhavebeencompletelyreliable.WhilstlackingthesheergruntoftheIkeliteDS200’sIwasusingpreviously,IfoundthatIcouldstillusesmallfstopstomaximizedepth of field and have enough light from the Inons.
The Athena ring flash on the other hand, was somethingIstumbledontoontheinternetafterreadingMartinEdge’srecommendationsontheuse of ring flashes in his first book The Underwater Photographer.Ireallywantedtotryone,butneededsomethingthatwassmall&lightandcouldbeusedwiththevariousSubalmacroportsIown–allof
“Harlequin Shrimp” - Nikon D200 & Subal housing, 70-180 Nikon, Athena Ring Flash, f22 @ 1/60
“Bobbit Worm” - Nikon D200 & Subal housing, 28-70 Sigma, 2 Inon 240’s, f22 @ 1/200
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whichhavea114mmoutsidediameterattheglassendoftheport.
Athena(www.athena-opt.com/english.htmare)areaJapanesecompanylocatedinOkazakiCity,nearNagoyaabout250kmsouth-eastofTokyo,whomakeavarietyofunderwaterphotographyproducts.Their ring flash uses various adaptors toattachittodifferentJapanesemanufacturer’sports-theyhadneverheard of Subal when I first contacted them.
Afteranumberofemailsback&towithHidekiKida(export@
athen-opt.com)photosofSubalportsandreviewsofdimensionswereexchanged, and a final design agreed fortheadaptor.Ipaidtherequestedamountandthreeweekslatertheringflash arrived in Sydney.
My first attempts to use it in Sydneywatersleftmeprettyunder-whelmedandIreachedtheconclusionitjustwasnotpowerfulenough,howeverafteranumberofemailswithMartinEdgeIdecidedthatmaybeitwasmeandIneededtotryagainontheBalitrip.
The basic thing about ring flashes
isthattheyproduceveryevenlightand quite specific results, which some saymakesthesubjectlooklikeithasbeensomehowlitfrominside.AfterforcingmyselftousetheAthenaunitontheBalitrip,myconclusionisthatfortherightsubjectitcanprovidegreatresults,butonlyifyouarelessthan12”fromthesubjectbecauseitjustcannotproduceenoughlightatthesmallfstopsrequiredtogetdecentdepth of field.
Technique
So, back to the dance floor… Herearemybasicgroundrulesforgettingconsistentresultswithmacrophotography-gleanedfromreadingmanybooks,makinglotsofmistakesand12veryinterestingdaysdivingthe“islandofthegods”:
Get Close:Themorewaterthereisbetweenyourcamera&thesubject the less impact the finished imagewillhave.Soyouhavetocarefullymaneuverbothyourselfandyourcameratogetascloseasyoucanwithoutscaringawaythesubject.Easiersaidthandone,butonceyouhavespottedyourpotentialsubject,planyourapproachsothatyouminimize your profile and your noise footprint.
Get Closer: Iamnotreallysurewhy,butoftenwhenIthinkIhavethecameracloseenoughtothesubjectI
realizethatIcouldinfactgetcloser.Thisisoneofthenegativesofusingazoomlens,inthatitappearseasytobackoffandusethezoomtoframethesubject.
Alwaysgetascloseasyoucanandifyouhaveazoom,useittodealwiththesizeofthesubject,ratherthantheotherwayround.
Be Ready:Thereisnopointincarefullymaneuveringyourselfintopositionandthenstartadjustingyourcamerasettingsbecauseyourintendedsubject will have fled the scene long before you are finally ready. So make anyadjustmentsbeforeyougetintoposition.
Ifyouarenotsurewhatyoursettingsshouldbe,practiceonsomethingcolorful&stationarylikesomecoraloraspongeatthedistanceyouthinkyouwillneedtobefromtheintendedsubject.Itshouldonlytakeacoupleofpracticeshotstogetprettyclosetotheoptimumandthenyoucanmakeyouractualapproachwithagoodchanceofsuccess!
Look Up:ThemostcommonerrorIwasmakingisshootingdownwards,whichmeansthatthesubjectgetslostinthebackgroundand lacks the definition & isolation neededtoproduceastrongimage.
Thebestimagesarealmostalwaystakenwiththecamerabelowthesubjectsothatitisisolatedagainstaneutralbackground,whichframesit
“Cuttle Fish” - Nikon D200 & Subal housing, 70-180 Nikon, 2 Inon 240’s, f19 @ 1/125
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nicelyratherthandetractingfromtheoverallimpact.
Negative Space: Thepartoftheimagethatisnotthemainsubject,whichifwehaveshotupwardswillusuallymeantheopenwater.
AnotherverycommonmistakeIwasmakingwasconcentratingsomuchonthemainsubjectwithoutthinkingaboutthenegativespace,suchaswiththispictureofapufferfish. I find these creatures very difficult to photograph because it’s hardtogetthemfaceon-theyseemtoknowexactlywhenyouareabouttopresstheshutterandturnawaymillisecondsbefore…
The Eye: Depth of field is limitedwithmacrolenses,soit’sabsolutelycriticalthatthefocalpointoftheimage(thepartoftheimagewe tend to look at first) is sharp and completelyinfocus.
With fish & critters it’s invariably theeyetowhichwearedrawn.ThemultiplefocuszonesofthecurrentDSLRcamerasmakeitmucheasiertoensurethattheeyeisassharpbyplacingoneofthezonesrightoveritandthisisalwaysthelastthingIcheckbeforepressingtheshutter.
Settings: Tomaximizethedepthof field it’s essential that a small f-stop suchasf18orf22isused.Howeverthismeansthatapowerfulstrobeisrequiredtoforceenoughlightthroughthesmallshutteropeningtoproperly
illuminatethesubject.Largerf-stops,suchasf5.6of
f8meanthattheshutteropeningisbiggerandwillallowmorelightthrough–butattheexpenseofreduced depth of field. This is, in my opinion,whypowerfulstrobesneedtobeusedformacrophotographyratherthanthecommonperceptionthatasmallormediumpowerstrobeisallthatisrequired.
Ihopethisarticlehelpsyoutoimproveyourmacroimagesandas a final parting shot I thought I shouldmentionthefactthatIhavebeenmarriedfor26yearsandhavetwogrown-upkids–soImusthavemasteredthatdancingtechniqueeventually!
Don Silcockwww.indopacificimages.com
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Mostdiversenjoywreckdivingandweunderwaterphotographersarenodifferentinthisrespect.Wrecksbythemselvescanproducesomestunningandverygraphicimagesbutwhatalsoattractsmetothemisthemannerinwhichtheyareslowlyengulfedbythesea.Anypieceofwreckagewhetherplaceddeliberatelyorthroughtragedyundertheseawillattractmarinelifeveryquicklyandoveralongerperiodwillresembleawellpopulatedreefgivingusthebestofbothworlds–wreckandreef.
Thistransformationoccursinbothtemperateandtropicalwaters,butundoubtedlyforunderwaterphotographersthebestopportunitiesaregoingtobefoundinwarmerclearerwatersofthetropicalseasorperhapstheMediterranean.Tocapturelargesectionsofashipwreckweneednotonlythecorrectequipmentchoicein terms of lenses and flash guns or filters, but more importantly plenty of lightandgoodwaterclarity.
Aswithalldivesites,gettingtoknowyourwreckbydivingitmorethanoncegivesyoutheopportunitytoplanyourshots,particularlyiftheyinvolveadiverintheshot,anddiscoverthehabitatsofsomeofthe
Wrecks to Reefsby Mark Webster
smallerspeciesifyouwanttomixyourimagesbetweenwideangleandmacro.Awreckinopenwaterislikeamagnettomarinelifeandmay offer a home to numerous fish species,particularlyifthewreckis swept by currents. Many fish arelikeunderwaterphotographersinthattheydon’tliketoworktoohardinthecurrent,solookforareasthatoffershelterandyouwilloftenfind fish schooling at the edge. The cracks,crevicesandpipeworkofasteelwreckareidealhomesformanyspeciesofblennyandcrustaceanswhilsttheinternalordarkerspacesattractspecieslikeglassysweepersorhatchet fish.
Tocapturelargesectionsofawreckyoumayneedtoshootwithnaturallightonlyandifitisshallowenough then maybe add a filter to restoresomeofthecolourswithwhitebalance adjustment. Using a fish eye lensallowsyoutogetmuchcloser,butweneedtoacceptthatsomedistortionisinevitablewherestraightlinesarecomposedneartheedgeoftheimage.
Therearenumerousexamplesofwreckswithgreatmarinelifearoundtheglobe,buthereareafewexamples
ofmyfavouritesinlocationsthatwon’tbreakthebank.
Tien Sien – Fury Shoal, Red Sea, Egypt
FuryShoalisanintricatepatternofreefsandlagoonswhichcoversabroadareasouthofMarsaAlamandhasprovidedawaterygraveforseveralships.TheremainsofanAdmiraltytugboatnamedtheTienSienliesonareefknownlocallyas
AbuGalawa.Andshemetherfateon26October194�onpassagefromSueztoMassawa.
Beingatugboatsheisquiteasmallwreck,butthisisoneoftheattractionsashersizeenablesyoutoexplorethewholewreckandgettoknowthemajorfeaturesinonedive.Thebowshaveploughedintothereefanditmustbeassumedthatshesunkfairlyquicklyasthehull,keelandsuperstructureareallremarkablyintactandarenowprotectedbythe
Tug Boat Tien Sien. Small wrecks like the tug boat Tien Sien are ideal for filter photography. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Magic Filter, ISO200 f8 1/60.
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surroundingreefstructure.Thehullrestsatanangleofapproximately�0degreeslistingslightlytostarboardwithbowsawashandthestern firmly wedged into the sandatadepthof18m.Atthemidshipssectionthekeelissuspendedabovetheseabedwithplentyofspacetoswimthrough
Thewreckiscoveredwithpredominantlyhardcorals,forwhichFuryShoalissowellknown,whichalmostobscurestheshapeofthesuperstructureinplaces.
Onthemaindeckandsternthecoverislessdense,butthe reef definitely dominates thewreck.Theshallowdepthandoftenexcellentvisibilityheremakesthisanidealsitefor a Magic Filter and fish eyelens,asyoucanobtainanimageofthewholewreck.WorkingcloserrevealsalltheusualRedSeasuspectsonthecoralsandcloserinspectionwillrevealsomeofthelessobviousresidents–anemoneswitheggshellshrimps,lemongobies,leopardspottedblennies, pixie hawk fish,
scorpion fish and elegant shrimpgobywiththeirblindshrimppartners.Asthewreckissoshallowthisisaperfectsubject for filter photography andnaturallightonlyandiscertainlyworthseveraldiveswithdifferentlensesandlightingtechniques.
SS Turbo ‘Half Wreck’ – Ras Banas Red Sea, Egypt
Thiswreckofafueltankerisinfactonlyhalfoftheshipwhichincludesthesternand‘centreisland’accommodationandengineroomarea.Therewassomeconfusionoverheridentitywhen first discovered and this wreck was assumed first tobetheAtlaswhichhadbeentorpedoedin1940offYemenandbrokeherbackas
Tug Boat Tien Sien. Some features of the wreck are almost totally obscured by the hard coral growth. Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Magic Filter, ISO100 f8 1/60.
aresult.ThesternsectionwassalvagedandundertowtoAlexandriawiththeintentionofrebuildingtheAtlaswhenshewasstruckbystormyweatherclosetoRasBanasandbrokehertowandsank(itisnowknown)closetoPortBerenice.
Theprevailingwindshere also make this a difficult wrecktodiveasyouneedverycalmconditionsforyourliveaboardtomooroverher–infacttodateatleastone
SS Turbo ‘half wreck’. Shooting down the sloping decks of this wreck gives increased perspective and depth to your shots. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini flash guns, ISO200 f8 1/60. This wreck must have the largest population of pixie hawk fish I have encountered anywhere. On other sites you may struggle to find one, here they almost get in the way! Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 105mm macro, Inon Quad flash, ISO100 f16 1/125.
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hasbeenwashedontothefringingreefherebytryingtodiveinmarginalconditions.
Thewreckisintactbutisnotquitesmotheredincoralduetotheproximityofthelagoonbehindthefringingreefwhichcancausethevisibilitytodropafterwindyweather.There is however significant hard coralgrowthparticularlyonthestarboardsidehull,handrailsandmast.Themastdidjutoutintoopenwaterfromthedeck,buthasnow
collapsedandrunsatarightangledowntothesandyseabed.Ifyouareshortofpicturesofpixiehawkfish then head for this spot as there areliterallydozensofthemamongstthecorals.Thesternisveryintactandishometooneortwoverylargegroupers and a school of batfish. Closebyonthesandsatabrasscompassbinnacleonmylastvisit–itmaywellstillbethere.Workingyourwayalongthewalkwaysandaroundtheaccommodationthereare
allthenormalreefspeciesandmanyscorpion fish and lion fish. On the forwardpartofthewreckarewinchesthathaveprovidedasecureholdforlarge anemones and their clown fish residents–lookcloserfortransparentcleanershrimpandthelargereggshellshrimpspecies,butexpectaniportwo from the clown fish. You can accesstheengineroomquiteeasily,butonlydothisifyouareexperiencedinwreckpenetration,haveanexperiencedguidewithyouandhave
plannedthedivethatway.Whenyoureachtheforward
endofthewreckyoucanseeclearlywherethetankerbrokeherback.Thereissomeaccesshereintothedarkrecessesofthehullandthisspotisnormallyhometodozensoflion fish during the day and several schoolsofglassysweepers.Onthesandbelowlookoutforlargetorpedorays and crocodile fish before moving backontothemaindeckareatowardstheaccommodation,stairwaysand
SS Turbo ‘half wreck’. There are a number of cooperative schools of bat fish on this wreck, particularly close to the stern. Waiting for them to emerge from the hold area give you the opportunity to frame them against the silhouette of the wreck. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini flash guns, ISO200 f8 1/60.
SS Turbo ‘half wreck’. At the ‘end’ of the wreck where the bow section was torn away there is a community of bold lion fish who spend most of their day in the shadows of the hull. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini flash guns, ISO200 f8 1/60.
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gangwaysprovidesgoodframingopportunitiesfordivershots.Finishyourdiveontheshallowstarboardsideofthewreckwherethereislotsofhardcoralgrowthandthechanceto see schools of white parrot fish and surgeon fish grazing as though thiswasjustanotherreeftable.Asthisisonly‘half’ofarelativelylargeshipitispossibletoswimhardandgetaroundherinadiveifyoudon’theadfortheseabedfortoolong.Butbydoingthisyouwillmissoutonalotofthedetailandmarinelife–ifconditionsarecalmherethewreckiscertainlyworthtwoorthreedives.
Numidia – Big Brother Island Red Sea, Egypt
TheBrothersIslandsareoneofthebignamesitesintheEgyptianRedSeawhicharebestknownforthe big fish action, strong currents andsometimeshighseas.Thelargerisland,BigBrother,hasalighthousetowarnshippingonthisbusyroutetokeepclear,however,thiswarningwasnotenoughfortwoshipswhicharenowwreckedhere.ThelargerofthetwoistheNumdiaonthenorthernendoftheislandwheresheranontothereefin1901wheresheremainedforsevenweekswhilstmuchofhercargowassalvaged.Sheeventuallyslippeddownthereefandsankfullyatanextremeangleonthenorthplateau.
Theremainsofthebowandseveralrollingstockwheelsfromhercargoarefoundin6-10mwiththebulkofthewreckcommencingat15-20mandrunningdowntothesternat80m,onlyaccessibletore-breatherdivers.
Bydivingto25-�0myouwillcoveralargeportionofthewreckwhichisnowoverrunbycolourfulsoftcoralgrowthwhichmakesthisoneoftheprettiestwrecksintheRedSea.Thewreckitselfisquiteopenasshewasheavilysalvagedbefore
sinking,soisaccessibleifyouwishtopenetratealittleway.Theremainsofthesuperstructureandgangwaysarenow home to scores of different fish andthewreckisoftenvisitedbybigschoolsofbarracuda,jacks,Spanishmackerelandoccasionallytuna.Thereisalwaysthechanceofseeingsharkactionhereaswell,particularlywhenthecurrentisrunning.Theprevailingcurrentthatsweepsthenorthernendofthereefcanbequitestrong,butyoucangetshelterfromthiswhen
exploringthewreck,butbepreparedtogowithitasyouascendtothebowareaintheshallows.Ifthecurrentisgentlethentaketheopportunitytoexploretherollingstockwheelswhichmakeinterestingimagesontheirown,butgettingclosertothespokeswillrevealnumerousblennies,pixiehawk
Numidia. There can be quite strong currents on this wreck, but once you reach it the superstructure will provide shelter until you are ready to move on. Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 10-17mm zoom, Subtronic Mini TTL flash guns, ISO100 f11 1/60.
Numidia. There are a number of large inquisitive groupers that live in this wreck who will keep returning for another look at you. Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 10-17mm zoom, Subtronic Mini TTL flash guns, ISO100 f8 1/30.
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fish and occasionally nudibranchs. Thismaytemptyoutoreturnwithamacrolensforsubsequentdive.
Goingwiththecurrentashortdistanceonthewesternsideofthereefyouwillpassovertheremainsofthesecondwreck,theAidawhichsankinSeptember1957.Thereissomewreckageintheshallowsbutthebulkofthewreckliesbelowatadepthof�0-60mandforthisreasonisnotsoattractivetophotographers,althoughsheisalsoblessedwithacarpetofsoftcoralswhichthriveinthestrongcurrents.
IftheweatheriskindthenyourliveaboardwillprobablystayattheBrothersforacoupleofdaysatleastasthedivinghereisspectacular.EarlymorningdivesarequitegloomyontheNumidiasoitisbesttowaitforthelatemorningorearlyafternoonforthebestlight.Mostofthewreckisbeyond filter depths so you will need flash with your wide angle lens unless perhapsyouwanttoexperimentwithmonochrome.
Japanese wreck – Amed, Bali, Indonesia
AlthoughthereareanumberofgooddivesitesintheAmedareathe‘Japanesewreck’isoftenoverlookedorvisitedinpassingtotheadjacentreef.Thisistheremainsofasmallcargovessel,perhaps�0mlong,which
liesin6-10mofwaterastonesthrowfrom the fishermen’s beach at Ahmed. Possiblytoosmalltoholdtheattentionofmanydivers,itisanabsolutegemforunderwaterphotographers.
Thewreckisquiteintactatthesternwithrudderandpropellerstillinplace,whilstthebowsectiongoesintoburialinthesand.Theremainsaresmotheredincoralgrowthwithsomelargeseafansonthesternarea.This
isanindicationofthestrongcurrentsthatperiodicallysweepthewreck,butif you find it strong then just come backtothebeachforanhourastheynormallyabatequickly.Therudderandpropellerarecoveredintubastreacoralswhichmustlookspectacularatnight,butduringthedayprovideahabitatforgobies,blennies,pixiehawk fish and numerous invertebrates. Ontherestofthewreckthereareallsortsofattractiveresidents–asmallschool of batfish with a cleaning
stationclosetothestern,glassysweepersinsidethewreck,residentleaf scorpion fish, numerous scorpion fish, and countless reef fish to keep yourcamerabusy.
Beingsoshallowthisisanotherideal wreck for filter photography andisworthtwoorthreediveswithdifferingsetupsforthevarietyofsubjects.Ifdoyourunoutofsubjectsthenjustashortswimawaytothenorth,aroundtheheadland,isaspectacularreefonasteepslopewith
Japanese Wreck. The whole of this small wreck is carpeted with soft and hard corals, her almost obscuring the stern. Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini TTL flash guns, ISO100 f8 1/60.
Japanese Wreck. Inside the wreck are the inevitable schools of glassy sweepers. Check out the ribs on the inside of the hull and you will also find leaf scorpion waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Nikon D200, Subal ND20 housing, 10.5 mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini TTL flash guns, ISO100 f8 1/60.
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exploringandplanningyourwideangleimagesdon’tforgettotakeacloserlookaswellandyoumaybesurprisedandencouragedtoreturnwithacloseuplens.
Mark Websterwww.photec.co.uk
someexcellentcoralsandspongesandjustabouteveryreefspeciesyoucouldhopefor.
Ofcourseeveryonehastheirownvisionoftheperfectwreckdiveandtherearepossiblycountlessexamplesoutthere.Wrecksarepredominantlyawideangledive,particularlyiftheyareintact,asevennondiverscanreallyrelatetoanimageofadiverexploringawreck.Butwherenaturehasdoneherworkwrecksarealsoexcellentmacrodivessowhen
SS Turbo ‘half wreck’. The shallow elevations of the hull have the heaviest coral growth and are home to a variety of reef species. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, 10.5mm fish eye, Subtronic Mini flash guns, ISO200 f8 1/60.
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Sometimesblackandwhiteisjustplaincool.Yeah,theoceansarefullofcolor,seeminglyimpossiblysosometimes;butthenuancesand‘simple’feelofagoodB&Wimageisoccasionallythewaytogo.Thetrickistodecidewhatmakesagoodmonochromephoto.Thiscanbehighlydependantonthepersoncreatingandviewingthefinished work. Of course, not everything that you pointyourcameraatwilltranslatetoaniceB&W.Anumberofimagebasicsneedtobeconsideredsuchassubjectmatter,contrast,tonality,luminosity,especiallyinthemutedworldunderwater.Ontheotherhanditisn’trocketscienceeither(atleastknowingwhatyoulike)andit’sneverbeeneasiertoexperimentwiththeseparametersthannowinthedigitalage.
Beforeyougettheheebie-jeebiesworriedaboutallthePhotoshopspeak,restassuredtherewon’tbeany.Andourgoalisn’ttotryandmakeunderwaterversionsofAnselAdamsorEdwardWestonmasterpieces.Thefocuswillbeonbothsavingahum-drumcolorpictureaswellasconvertingaselectfavoritecolorviewingtoanevocativeB&Wimage.
Unlikeourtopsidecolleaguesweareverylimitedinthebigwideanglescenicdepartment.Evencolorisn’tgoingtogetusveryfarinthisendeavorandthereasonis-drumrollplease-we’reluckyifwecanseeahundredfeet.Theclearest
When the Answer is Black & Whiteby Joseph C. Dovala
waterisstillmessingwithourvisualphysicsandsuspendedparticles(oftenalotasweallknow)playfurtherhavocwithsomethingwecancollectively
callcontrast.Contrast,obviously,isveryimportanttocolorphotographytoo.Infact,colorcanactuallyhindercontrastwhendealingwiththepervasive
USS Apogon on the bottom of Bikini Atoll. It is a fairly long shot in an attempt to show as much of the submarine as possible while still managing some detail. The diver adds scale and depth to the many different grays throughout the image. As a color capture the lack of contrast in the dark blue lagoon just doesn’t present the feel of an old WWII warrior resting under the sea. D2X, Subal ND2, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, f 7.1 @ 1/50sec, available light.
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bluish-greenworldunderwater.Thelackofcontrastalmostalwaysbreakstheimage.B&Wimagemakinghasbeencalled“astudyincontrast”forthe final image needs white “whites” andblack“blacks.”Well,whatdoesthatmean?Nograys?Sometimes,butusuallywhatitmeansistohaveanicegradationfromtheblacksthroughtothewhiteswithabroadrangeoftonalities(grays)inbetween.Again,itdependsonwhatisbeingconveyedinthepicture.Simplecompositions
tendtoworkbetterwithB&W.Remember,withoutcolor,thevisualrepresentationhastorelyonstrongform,shape,ortexture.
Whilewedon’thavethebigscenics,wehavesomethingelsethatcanbeverydramaticinB&W–shipwrecks!Manyhulksundertheseaarejustbeggingtobecapturedinmonochrome.Theytendtobehistorical,havewonderfulshapesandangles,andasenseofmystery.Evengrain,oraswenowhavenoise,can
The very bridge where Admiral Yamamoto stood on that “Day of Infamy” and ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.D2X, Subal ND2, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, f 4.5 @ 1/40sec, two Sea&Sea YS120 strobes _ power.
This “hi-key” photo has little variation between blacks and “lights,” that is, while not strictly whites the highlights are contained within just a few shades of gray. The blacks stand out dramatically against the background. The color capture was destined for the waste basket but when converted to B&W, with minimal range of gray tones, it succeeds. D100, Light & Motion housing, Nikkor 16mm, f 13 @ 1/125sec, available light.
Bow of the destroyer USS Anderson (also at Bikini Atoll) is another scene that “needs” to be viewed in B&W.D2X, Subal ND2, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, f 5.6 @ 1/60sec, available light.
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actually prove beneficial in providing a taste of “vagueness” to the final image.JustlookatallthosegrainyblackandwhiteWWIIphotosandyou’llseewhatImean.
Ishootallmyimagesincolorup front no matter what the final renderingwillbe(moreonthislater)andinrawformat.Forthemostpostprocessingcontrolitpaystouserawformatduringcapture,thatwayyou have all the file info to work withasyouoptimizeforB&W.It’scertainlynotadealbreakerifyoudon’t start with raw, for many fine conversionscanbehadfromjpegortiforiginals.IprimarilyuseNikonCapture4.4.2forallmyconversionswithanydodgingorburningdoneinPhotoshopElements5.0.Itdoesn’treallymatterwhatsoftwareyouuseaslongasyouachievetheresultsyou’relookingfor.Iimporttherawfile into Capture and convert to B&W, settingtheblackandwhite-pointsusingthecurvesadjustment(MasterLightnessChannel,LCHEditor).ThecontrastusuallyneedstobeboostedsoIdothatheretoo.Ithenmovethecyan/red,magenta/green,oryellow/blueslidersasneeded(PhotoEffectsPalette)untilIachievethebestlook.It’smostlyagameoftrialanderrordoingtheadjustmentsonebyone“tillit’s finished” and then save and export to whatever file type I need.
There are times that to finish
theimageIneedtomovethejpegor tif file over to another program to refine the results. I usually move the photoovertoPhotoShopElementsfor some final adjustments. By using theBurnorDodgeToolandalteringthesizeofthebrush(circle)Icandarkenorlightenselectareasasneeded to optimize the final picture. Thiscertainlyisnotanewmethodasdodgingandburninghavebeenusedinthedarkroomforoverahundred
years.Infact,thereareanumberoffeaturesbuiltinto21stcenturysoftwarethatarenothingmorethenelectronicversionsofveryoldpractices.ExcusemewhileIgoofftopicnowandrant!Forallyouanti-digitalfolksouttherewhoclaimthatdigitalcaptureisn’trealasopposedto film – WAKE UP! All photography
from the very first image hundreds of yearsagois“NOTREAL”Youaretakingathreedimensionalviewandplacing it on a flat plane and unless youareshootingwithonly~50mmlens(fullframe)thenyouarealso“lying”ashumansonlyseeroughly45degreesinfocus.AnselAdams,etal.toapersonmanipulatedtheir
This “hi-key” photo has little variation between blacks and “lights,” that is, while not strictly whites the highlights are contained within just a few shades of gray. Fig 7 D100, Light & Motion housing, Nikkor 24mm, f 7.1 @ 1/100sec, two Substrobe 200 strobes
Egg yolk jelly. The jelly is saturated with bright colors against a bright blue background and as a color image it works quite well.If you exchange the bright hues for blacks, whites, and a few grays you become more aware of the exotic detail of the tentacles. With the water background also reduced to a few grays the flowing form is more readily apparent as well. Is the monochrome image better? I don’t think so; it just provides a different take on the original photograph.D2X, Subal ND2, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, f 10 @ 1/125sec, two Sea&Sea YS120
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images–togreatlengths!Icouldgoonandon,sogetoverit.Right.Sorryaboutthat.We’llmoveonnow.
OK,nowaboutthosepeskyrulesneedingstrongcontrast,blackblacks,andwhitewhites.Likemostphotographiclaws,thesecanbestretchedorbrokentomaximizetheauraofanimage.OnefeaturethatB&Wisrealgoodatisprovidingmood.LookatallthoseAlfredHitchcockmovies.Oneofthemost“sinister”shipwrecksinBikiniAtoll
istheJapanesebattleshipHIJMSNagato.ShewasAdmiralYamamoto’sflagship and it was from this ship that hesignaledfortheraidtobeginonPearlHarbor,December7th,1941.Totryandbringouttheominoussensationonegetsswimminguptothisstructurerequiredamorehazyapproachtocontrast,andcreatinga gray feel to the final image. Fortunately,reducingcontrastandenhancingmurkinessdoesn’trequiremucheffortforunderwatershots!
Doingthiswithacolorimagewouldjustlooklikeapoorlyexposedframeinmediocreconditions.
BlackandWhitecanbejustthat,ornearlyso.It’scalledHighKey.Thistechniqueisalsobigincolorasanylookthroughafashionmagazinewillshow.Basically,inthemonochromeimage,grayshavebeenreducedorevenremovedentirely.Itismoreofaseriesofdifferentshadesofwhite.Thelookcanbestrikingbutit’seasytooverdoitandsomefolksdon’tlikethisformofimageexpressionatall.Itcanbeaverygoodwaytosaveaphoto,however.Whilethecolorversionmaybeprettymuchworthlessonaparticularimagebecauseofseverecontrast,exposure,orcolorproblems.Andtryingto“fix” it during post capture seriously degrades the image file, converting tohi-keymonochromemightbetheanswer.Themaintaskistopushtheblackandwhite-pointsasfarastheycangobeforelosingthepictureandthenbackingofftowhatyoulikebest.Asa“HighKey”renditionthesekindsofimagesmightstillhavesomethingtosay.
Notallconversionshavetobedoneinordertosaveanimageormakeitbetter.Onoccasionyoucangleananicemonochrometostripawayallthecompetitionthatcolorcangivetootherelementswithinaphoto.Oneofthestrongpointsabout
seeinganimageinblackandwhiteistheabilitytomorefullyappreciateformand/ortexture.Itcancompletelyalterthe“feel”ofapictureaswellasitsintendedmessage.
ManydigitalcamerastodayallowfororiginalcaptureinB&W.Still,withthedegreeofcontrolpossiblewithsoftwarenowitdoesn’tmakealotofsensetoforgoinitiallytakingthephotoincolor.Thesinglebiggestreasonisyoucanalwaysremovecolorfromtheimagebutyoucan’tputbackwhatwasneverthere.Also,youhaveabetterdegreeofcontrolwiththeRGBchannelsincolortheningrays(seesidebar).PlayingwiththeB&Wmodemightbeusefultogetanideawhataparticularviewwouldlooklikebutthenswitchingbacktocolorfortheshotisabetteroption.
Inthedaysofold,anyseriousB&W film shooter experimented and used filters on their lenses to enhance theimage.Perhapswhenshootingtopsideitmightpaytoplaywithsomeof these filters. Having a camera in a metalorplasticboxmeansyou’llbestuckwithwhateveryou’veplacedonthelensforthedive’sduration.Also,theeffectswillnotbeclearifshootingincolororaccurate.Itisfareasiertomakethesekindsofadjustmentsonyourcomputer.
Therearenoshortagesofsoftwaretoolstohelpprovidea
The diver and some of the kelp fronds had too much light spill over and looked washed out. By using the burn tool in P.S. Elements I can darken the diver and some of the kelp fronds to my liking.D2X, Subal ND2, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, f 14 @ 1/100sec, available light.
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differentlooktoyourB&Wensemble.WhilePhotoshopisandhasbeenking,aplethoraofplug-insandstandaloneshavebeendeveloped.ColorEfexProhasseveralniceeffectsincludingmimickingoldstyleB&Wfilm stocks. The “Infrared Film” controlisalsoveryintriguingandwiththerightimagecouldproduceastunningpicture.AlienSkinisanotherplug-inwithB&Wcapability.Thelistcouldgoonbutrememberdespitethedigitaltidalwaveandmassive
Abstracts can me much graphically simpler when reduced to black and white.Canon F-1, Ikelite housing, 100mm macro, f-stop/shutter unknown, one Substrobe 200 strobes full power.
By popular demand an expanded version of the eBook, Ghost Fleet of
Bikini Atoll by Joseph C. Dovala, is now available. With almost 4x the pages it contains nearly 100 photos and much more text. The book is in PDF file format easily read by a number of free existing software programs such as Acrobat Reader. Electronic photo books, or eBooks, are able to showcase high quality images and text in a new, exciting, and very inexpensive way. They have relatively small file sizes, usually less than 20mb. Ghost Fleet of Bikini Atoll (12mb, 89 pages) is only $6.95 each emailed. Please visit www.jcdovala.com for details.
computingpowerthatarelativelyfewshortyearsagowasn’tpossible,itstilldependsoncapturinganimagethathassomethingtosay.It’sjustnowwecantranslateitatwilltodeliveradifferentmessage.Havefun!
Joseph C. Dovalawww.jcdovala.com
41/67www.uwpmag.com
Thereisawonderfulqualityofnaturallightpresentunderwater,whichIbelieveisverymisunderstood.Iandmanyotherphotographersrefertoitas‘dapplelight’.Anotherpopulartermis‘crinkles’.Thenamedoesn’trealymatter,it’showtoachieveitthatisthemostimportant.Justaftersunriseortowardstwilighttimethesunbeams,whichenterthesurfaceofthesea,areatthemostacuteanglebyvirtueofthedramaticangleofsunandsurface.Thesesunbeamsproduceagoldenlightandthis effect is amplified into strong goldenshaftsoflightasthebeamspervadethesurface.
UnderwaterphotographershavebeenusingthisqualityoflightasadramaticbackdroptotheirimagesforaslongasIcanremember.Doubilet’swide-angleimagesfromhiscoffeetablebooksarewonderfulexamples.TheUKgodfatherofunderwaterphotography–PeterScoones,patientlyexplainedittomesometwenty-five years ago. Whenever IhavetheopportunityIenterthewateratthetimebestsuitedtoshootdappledlight.Live-aboard’sandshorebaseddiveresort’sareideal.To
catchthelight,onecanoftenenterthewateratatimetosuityou.Dayboatunderwaterphotographersoftenmissoutasthehavetoheadbacktobaselongbeforetheafternoonlightisatitsbest.
OnmyphotoworkshopsIsetanumberoflateafternoon’sasideforthosephotographerswhochoosetotakeaguided‘lighttour’withme.Ihavebeendoingthisforsometimeinordertodemonstratesomeofthedrawbacks.Themisunderstandingsare mistakes made in finding the lightandknowinghowtoshootit.Yousee,theeffectisonlynoticeableinshallowwater,inmyexperiencebetweenoneandfourmeters.It’sessentialtoascertainassoonasyoucanthebestdepththatthebeamsaremostdramatic.Iftheseaisglasscalmtheeffectisheightened.Youhavetowork quickly though to find a subject atthebestdepthtophotographagainstthesunlight.Remember,thesunsetsrapidlyintropicallocationsandalltoosoontheeffectofthesunbeamsfade.Themainreasonwhyunderwaterphotographersfailtorecognizethelightisbecausetheydescendpasttheoptimaldepthandtheoptimaldepthis
Behind the shotwith Martin Edge
determinedbyhowlowthesunistothehorizon.
LastJune(2007)wetookaliveaboardphotoworkshoptotheSouthernRedSeatoshoottheshallowcavesandgrotto’sintheStJohn’sarea.OneafternoonIplannedaguided‘dappledlight’dive.Iknewthebesttimetoenterthewaterandwiththehelpofthediveguide,Ichoseareefwithgoodqualityhardcoralsandasteepdropofffrom1mofwaterdownto10m.Wehadalsotakenintoconsiderationthedirectionof the setting sun over the reef flat.
Inthiswaywecouldstayshallow(theoptimaldepth)andshootthelighttowardsthedirectionofthereefinsteadoflookingouttosea.Iwasconfident that good subject matter wouldbeplentifulandbroughtthegroup together to talk specifically aboutdappledlighttechniques,depths,subjectsandcamerasettings.TheonethingIcouldnothaveaccountedforwashowthedivebriefing from the dive guides would influence the logic of the group.
Seduction-istheonlyword,whichcomestomind!Withdrywipe
Butterfly fish in Dapple light Southern Red Sea 17mm-35mm lens. F5.6 at 180th sec. Nikon D200 in Subal housing. Two Inon Z220 flash guns
41/68 www.uwpmag.com
markerboardinhand–completewithasketchofthereef,theboat,theanchor,north,south,eastandwestpoints–ourdive-guidebegantobriefmyeagerandenthusiasticgroupofphotographers.Itwentsomethinglikethis(imaginejustaslightaccent)–Quote
“Theboatwilldropushere,we’lldescendto10mandfollowthereefclockwiseuntilwecometoasharprighthandturn.Thereareusuallybluespottedraysortheoddturtleonthesand.TakeyourpicturesandthenI’llshowyouwherealargegreenmorayhangsout.Ifanyofyouwishtodoyourownthingthennoproblem,we’llseeyouonthesurfaceafteronehour.AnyQuestion?No,okayletsgodiving”
Seduced!Afterexperiencingliterally thousands of dive briefings overtheyearsIhadneverbeforeappreciatedhowagroupofkeenunderwaterphotographerscouldsoeasilybedistractedfromthetaskoftakingpictures.Don’tgetmewrong,thereisnothingwrongwithfollowingthediveguide,wedoitallthetime.But,whatstartedasasnorkel–come-1mto4m‘dappledlight’‘sunclosetothehorizon’photoshootsuddenlyturnedintoadivetoat10mtolookforray’sandturtlesonthesand.
For the first time I began to witnessandappreciatehowadivebriefing could divert the intentions of
agroupofavidlykeenphotographers,justastheywereabouttojumpinandshootsubjectstheyhadplannedtoshoot,perhapsfromthepreviousafternoondiveorasinthiscase–alessonallaboutshallowwatersunlight.IwasfascinatedwiththedynamicsofthissituationandIchosetoletithappenandwitnesstheoutcome.Iwasinterestedinwhowouldstayshallowandshootthelightasplannedandwhomightmomentarilyforgettheoriginalideaandgodivinginstead.
Icannotrecallhowmanyofusenteredthewaterthatlateafternoonbut I do remember that for the first twenty-five minutes all bar one was at10mlookingoutforanythingonthesand.Myselfandoneotherphotographerweredirectlyabovetheminthetopthreemetersofwatershootingthesunlightasitsettowardsthehorizon.Theyhadfallenforit!They’d been seduced by the briefing andtheyweremissingthereasonwehadchosenthatparticulartimeofdaytoenterthewater.Theothersjoinedusafterthirtytofortyminutes,takingtheirdecostopat�mandshootingthelightwhilsthangingout.
Whenyougotoshootpicturesyougotoshootpictures.Haveadivebyallmeans,once,twice,threetimesadaybutwhenyouhaveasubjecttoshootandyouknowwheretogotoshootit,thenthinkaboutdetaching
250th sec F8 100 ISO. D200 with Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens in Subal housing. Two Inon Z220 Flashguns
(Right) Graham Cleminson shooting towards the late afternoon light between 2m and 4m. F4.8 at 90th sec. 100 ISO. 200 Subal housing.
yourselffromtheconceptofadiveandallowyourmind-settothinkmoreintermsofyourphotogoals.
Wecapturedsomegoodshotsthat afternoon. The sea was flat which accentuatedthesunbeams.Wehadthereefjustbreakingwaterandtherewereplentyofopportunitieswithbothmovingandstaticsubjects.We
41/69www.uwpmag.com
discussedthesecircumstancesbackontheboatandwereabletoshowonlaptopourresultsinthesunlight,atthetimemosthadbeenonthesand.Itmadesomemembersofourgrouprealisethattheyhadbeen‘snappingawaywhilstdiving’forthemajorityofthetime.Itwasabiglessonlearnt.
Fortheremainedoftheworkshop(andallsubsequentone’s)Istartedtoconductmyownphotobriefings in conjunction with the dive guides so that thegrouphadmoreofachoicewiththeirdiveplanandcouldchoosetofollowiftheywished.ThelessonIlearntasaneducatorwasyetanotherreminderonhowone’smindsetcanbecompromisedwhendivingandwhyseriousphotographers,alltooften,leavethewaterfrustratedwiththeirresultsandtheirabilitytoconcentrateonthetaskinhand.
Martin Edgewww.edgeunderwaterphotography.co.uk
"It is always a joy to return. Hard to improve on perfection!"
Heather & Bud Sellick, USA, September 2007 (4th visit)
Kungkungan Bay ResortLembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
T. 62-431-817347, divekbr.com
UWPMAG_01_08 18/1/08 10:47 Page 1
41/70 www.uwpmag.com
Greatartisnotcreatedbycommitteesorconsensus,butbypassionateindividualswithvisionanddesire.TheFerraris’GuidetotheArtofUnderwaterPhotographyisaspersonalandasopinionatedabookonthesubjectasyouareeverlikelytoread.Anditisallthebetterforit.
Thisbookgivesusarareinsightintothemindset,dedicationandimaginationinvolvedincreating magnificent underwater images. Although healwaysseemskeentomodestlydenyit,AndreaFerrariisanexcellentunderwaterphotographer.Whileyoumaynotalwaysagreewithhiswellargued opinions, all of us will benefit from reading them.Igettheimpressionthattheauthordoesnotexpectustoagreewithhimallthetime,anyway.
Althoughthisbookgivesadviceonmanytechnicalaspectsofunderwaterphotographyittakesamorephilosophicalapproachtothesubjectandisamotivationalmanualthatencouragesyoutostriveforbetterimages.Itshowsyouthepath.
Ferrari’stext,perhapsproseisamoreaptword,isindividual,warmandhighlyentertaining.Isatdownandreadthisenjoyablebookfromcovertocover.Thelackoftechno-talkmakesitaveryaccessiblemethodtoimproveyourphotography.Particularlyforthenon-technicalminded.Ireallyenjoyed Ferrari’s original take on the difficult subjectofcomposition.Bydrawingcomparisonsbetweenfamousscenesfromthesilverscreenand
underwaterphotoshedemonstrateshowthesharedcompositionalelementsworktocommunicateconsistentmessagesandemotions.
The images are some of the finest you will see inaguidetounderwaterphotography.AbouthalfaretheverybestfromtheFerrari’sowncollection,whileuniquelytheotherhalfcomefromacastof21guestphotographersthatincludesthelikesofDougPerrine,TonyWu,EricCheng,CharlesHoodandStephenWong.Someoftheguestphotographersaregoodfriendsoftheauthors(I’dcountmyselfinthethatgroup)whileotherstheauthorscontactedafterseeingtheirimagesinbooks,magazinesortheinternet.Alltheimagesareverywellreproduced,whichwillnotcomeasasurprisetoanyonewhoownsanyoftheotherbooksbytheauthors.
Theguestimagesalmostmakethistwobooksin one. They are ordered to fit in with the themes of thechaptersandinterspersedwiththemainthesisofthebook,buteachiscaptionedasastandalone.ReadingFerrari’scommentsonwhyeachiseffectiveisfascinatingstuff.Iwouldhavefoundthebookeasiertofollowiftheguestphotographerpagesweremoredifferentiatedvisuallyinthedesign(perhapswithadifferentfontorbackgroundcolour)becauseIfounditwaseasytolosethemaintextandaccidentallyslipintoreadingaboutaguestimageasIturnedthepages.
Asanunderwaterphotographermyself,Iwouldhavelikedtoseemoretechnicalinformationabouttheimages,atleastincludingshutterspeedsandapertures,whicharefundamentaltoolsthatcontributetotheartisticprocessofimagecreation.Also this is a book straddles the digital/film divide offeringrealworldadviceonhowtomanagetheswitch.TheevidenceIseeondiveboatsisthatmosthaveswitchedandthiselementofthebookwillbe
fastesttodate.ADiver’sGuideToTheArtOfUnderwater
Photographyisalargeformat(25x2�cm)�60pagefeastoffabulousimageswiththoughtprovokingandenjoyablewritingonhowtotakepicturesintheocean.
Ifyouwereonlyallowedonebookonunderwaterphotography,Iwouldrecommendamoretechnicaltomethanthis.However,ifyoualreadyhaveabookortwoonthesubjectthenthisistheperfectaccompaniment.I’dgoasfarastosaythatwhateverbooksyoualreadyhave,thentheoriginalityofthoughtinthisvolume,alliedwiththephotographicqualityandFerrari’sengagingwriting,meansthisonedeservesitsplacealongsidethem.
www.reefwonders.net
Alex Mustard www.amustard.com
A Diver’s Guide To The Art Of Underwater PhotographyBy Andrea & Antonella FerrariReviewed by Alexander Mustard
41/71www.uwpmag.com
Marine Life of Bootless Bay Papua New GuineaBy Mark Baine and David Harasti
NotonlyisDavidHarastiamarinescientist,heisalsoasuperbunderwaterphotographer.Combinethetwoandyouhaveagreatrecipeforabook.Davehasspentmanyhoursco-producingthisbookandtheresultsarefantastic.
Itisfullofamazingimages,informationandagreataidtohelplocalcommunitiesunderstandtheoceananditsimportance.
The‘MarineLifeofBootlessBay-PapuaNewGuinea’identification guide by Dr Mark Baine andDaveHarastiistheaccumulationof18monthsworkandseveralhundredhoursspentunderwaterphotographinganddocumentingthemarinebiodiversityofBootlessBay,locatedjustoutsidePortMoresby.
The152pagefullcolourbookreleasedinFebruary2008containsapproximately900imagesofover850species,accompaniedbyintroductoryinformationonallmajormarinetaxasuch as corals, echinoderms and fish.
ThebookisnotjustforscientistsbutisalsoamustfordiversandphotographerswhoregularlyvisitLoloataIslandResort,situatedinBootlessBayandworldrenownedfor
itsscubadiving.Thedivingthroughout
BootlessBayissodiverse.Divingvariesfromcoralreefs,shipwrecksandmuckdivingthroughthemangrovesandseagrasses.OneofthemostfascinatingsitesinBootlessBayis‘Suzie’sBommie’,famousworldwideforitsincrediblelifethatvariesfromgianthump-headedmaoriwrassetothecrypticpygmyseahorses.
Anexampleofthediversityoftheguideisthatiscontainsimagesof335 fish species (including rarespeciessuchasthelacy scorpionfish Rhinopias aphanesandhalimedaghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda), 145molluscspecies,88speciesofechinoderms(seastars,featherstars,urchinsetc)andmanyothercritterscommonlyfoundthroughouttheIndo-Pacific region.
Toensureaccuracywithintheguide,anexperttaxonomicreviewprocesstookplacewhichinvolvedapproximately45worldrenowned experts in their fields. GerryAllenandRudieKuiter(fish), Chantal Conand and Anne Hoggett(echinoderms),JereLipps(forams),RichardWillan(molluscs),
DaphneFautin(anemones)andPeterDavie(crustaceans),allprestigiousindividuals,tookpartinthereview.
Theprincipalfocusoftheguideistoimprovelocalknowledgeoftheimportanceofmarinebiodiversityandtoinstilinlocalcommunitiesandvillages,asenseofwonderatthediversityoflifepresentintheirwaters.Tothisend,approximately�,000copiesarebeingdistributedtocommunityschoolsandvillagecommunitiesearly2008.ThishasbeenmadepossiblewithsupportfromtheDavidandLucilePackard
Foundation,ProjectAWARE,thePapuaNewGuineaInstituteofBiodiversity,andtheUniversityofPapuaNewGuinea.
CopiesofthebookareavailabletointerestedpartieswhovisitBootlessBay.ForfurtherinformationvisittheMIRCwebsite
www.mirc.ac.pgor
www.daveharasti.com
Jayne Jenkinswww.jaynejenkins.com
41/72 www.uwpmag.com
Ifyou’veeverrolledyoureyesatyetanothertabloidmisrepresentationofsharks,evershookyourheadindespairatphraseslike‘man-eater’or ‘shark infested waters’ this film is for you. Finally, thankfully, long overdue, we have a film outtherethatbeginstorightsomeofthepopularmisconceptionsofsharks;Sharkwater.
Sharkwatermakescompellingviewing.Attimesfunnyandhumorous,packedwiththefactsrevealing the scale of the shark fining trade, and carried along by a dramatic story the film leaves you amazedthattheworlddoesnotalreadyknowaboutthescaleoftheproblemfacingtheworldssharkpopulations.
ThestorycentersonRobStewart,aphotographer and underwater filmmaker. Whist filming in the Galapagos he encountered a long-lining fishing boat and saw first hand the destruction wroughtbyjustoneboat,ononeday.Wheremanyotherswouldhaveheadedhomeaftersuchatrip,toldafewangrystoriestotheirfriends,andthengonebacktoworkonMondaymorning,Robdecidedthattheplightofsharkswasastorytheworlddesperatelyneededtohear.
You can count on the fingers of one hand the placeswheresharkshavelegalprotection.TeamingupwithPaulWatsonofSeaSheppardRobtravelledtoCostaRicaandGalapagostojointheSeaSheppard team monitoring fishing bans in these two importantreserves.
It’sherethatthestorystartstotakeadramaticturn with run ins with the Taiwanese mafia, illegal fishing vessels, armed custom agents and, if that
wasn’t life threatening enough, flesh eating tropical diseases.
The style of the film might not appeal to all. Narrating the film himself and telling the plight oftheworldssharkpopulationsthroughhisowndramaticexperiencesitwouldbetemptingtoconcludeStewartwasmoreconcernedwithpromotinghimselfthanthesharks.Maybe.However the film industry has created little, ifanything,thathighlightstheplightofsharkpopulationsandwhilstmostoftheworldisrightly indignant at a Japanese fleet slaughtering athousandwhales,itremainslargelyignorantofthemillionsofsharksthataretakenfromtheseaseach year. As divers we have a natural affinity for sharks,weshouldnotforgetthatthenondivingpopulationmightneedaslightlymoredramaticyarntogetthemessagethrough.Itisthiswideraudience that the film is clearly aimed at as any changeinthewaytheseanimalsaretreatedwilldependontheirawarenessandinvolvement.
Sharksdonotseemtoengendersympathyinthewaywhalesorsealcubsdo.Asdiversweareoneofthefewgroupsontheplanetthatcanspeakfirst hand about how magnificent and graceful theseanimalsare,andhowimportanttheirsurvivalis. It’s the kind of film every diver should see, if onlytobecomemoreacquaintedwiththefactssurrounding shark conservation. It is also a film we shouldencourageourfriendsandfamilytosee.
I was lucky enough to see the film’s premier inLondonandaftertheviewingRobcameonstagetoanswerquestionsandtalkwiththeaudience.Attheendofhisimpassionedtalkhesummedupwithasimplestatement,“whateveryoufeelaboutthefilm, what ever you feel about me, the important messageconcernstheSharksandtheirconservation.
Pleasegetinvolved,pleasehelpsavetheseamazinganimals”.
www.sharkwater.com
John Walliswww.jwphotographic.com
SHARKWATER PRODUCTIONS AND DIATRIBE PICTURES PRESENT A FILM BY ROB STEWART MUSIC BY JEFF RONA DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ROB STEWART UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY ROB STEWART AND DAVID HANNANEDITING MICHAEL CLARK RIK MORDEN JEREMY STUART EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SANDRA CAMPBELL ALEXANDRA STEWART BRIAN STEWART WRITTEN DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY ROB STEWART
FEATURING MUSIC FROM MOBY NINA SIMONE ALI FARKA TOURE THE RIDERLESS GEOFFREY ORYEMA APHEX TWIN AND PORTISHEAD
TM & © 2006 SHARKWATER PRODUCTIONS INC.WWW.SHARKWATER.COM
THE TRUTH WILL SURFACE
COMING SOON
You'll never look at sharksthe same way again.
PR
INTE
D IN
CA
NA
DA
SW_postR8Aug17_50% 8/21/07 12:04 PM Page 1
SharkwaterReviewed by John Wallis
41/7�www.uwpmag.com
Guidelines for contributorsWearealwayslookingforinteresting,wellillustratedarticlesabout
underwaterphotographyandwouldliketodiscoversomeofthenewtalentoutthereandthatcouldbeyou!UwPistheperfectpubicationforyoutoincreaseyour profile in the underwater photography community. As a free magazine we havenobudget,justexposure!
The type of articles we’re looking for fall into five main categories:
Uw photo techniques-Balancedlight,composition,etcLocations-Photofriendlydivesites,countriesorliveaboardsSubjects-AnythingfromwhalesharkstonudibranchsEquipment reviews-DetailedappraisalsofthelatestgearPersonalities -Featuresaboutleadingunderwaterphotographers
If you have an idea for an article, contact me first before putting pen to paper. E mail [email protected]
How to submit articles
To keep UwP simple and financially viable, we can only accept submissions by e mail and they need to be done in the following way:1. The text should be saved as a TEXT file and attached to the e mail2.Imagesmustbeattachedtotheemailandtheyneedtobe144dpiSize-Maximumlength15cmi.e.horizontalpictureswouldbe15cmwideandverticalswouldbe15cm.File type - Save your image as a JPG file and set the compression to “Medium” quality.Thisshouldresultinimagesnolargerthanabout120kwhichcanbetransmittedquickly.Ifwewantlargersizeswewillcontactyou.�.Captions-Each and every image MUST have full photographic detailsincluding camera, housing, lens, lighting, film, aperture, shutter speed and exposuremode.Thesemustalsobecopiedandpastedintothebodyoftheemail.
We’ve got you covered!
www.magic-filters.com
Magic filters are now available in 3 options.Original Magic for use in blue water with DSLR and
compact cameras with Manual White Balance, Auto-Magic for compact cameras in automatic
point and shoot mode.GreenWater Magic for use in green water with
DSLR and compact cameras with Manual White Balance.
Prices start at just £19.
41/74 www.uwpmag.com
Parting Shot 1
SlovenepartoftheAdriatichasonly2or�divingspotsonits42kmshoreline.InFiesabaythereisasmallreeffrom5to10mdepthinitslengthapprox700m.Besidethatonlyaflat seabed of sand and mud descendingslowlytomax20m.
Agroupofdiversdecidedtoenrichabitthiskindofenvironment.Firstweplacedsomeconcretecubesontheseabedandtheywerepopulatedimmediately.Encouragedbythisexperiencewestartedtoplanfurtherdevelopments.Oneofthefriendssucceededtoputhandsona7msailboatwhichlaidabandonedinalocalmarinaanditsmanagerswantedtogetridoftheboat.Therewasanintentiontoobtainalltheapprovalsneededtosinktheboatasan artificial reef in the Fiesa bay,butitbecameevidentthatthisprocedurewould
lastvirtuallyforever.Thebestthingtodowastoactanaccidentalsinkingoftheboatbeingontugjustontherightpositionattherighttime.NaturallywecleanedtheboatofallpollutantsandenvironmentallydangerousmaterialsasseenonmuchbiggershipslikeSpiegelgroveorOriskany.
Soonthenewsspreadbothaboveandunderthewater.Thewreckattractedseveralregularinhabitantswithalobster(homarusgammarus)andacongeramongthem.Thediverswerecomingandtheyfoundnew
motivationinvisitingthecubesandtheboat’swreck.Inthatareaseveralcoursesfornewdiversareheldandthereforeformanydiversthatwas a first encounter with a wreck.After�yearsunderwater,thepropellerwaswellcoveredwithencrustationsbutsurprisinglystillcouldbeeasilyrotated.
Attheseason’sopeninginAprilwewenttoFiesaforone of the season’s first dives. Atthecubestherewereplentyofnudi’seggribbonsontheweed,someaplysiapunctatamating,anoctopushidingunderneathetc.Just
seemedquiteenoughforaniceinterestingspringdive.WhenIapproachedthewreckfromitssternmyregulatoralmostfelloutofmymouthfromthesurprise.Therewasapropellershaftendingwithashinysurfaceshowingstillfreshsaw’strails.Andnopropeller!
Afellowdivertookthesouvenirjustadayortwobefore.Needlesstosaythatthepropellerhadnospecialmaterialorhistoricalorwhatevervaluesexceptforthejoyitwasbringingtothevisitingbeginnerdivers.
Forsomepeopleitis
hardtounderstandthatthereisalwayssomeonewhoisaffectedbytheirirresponsiblebehaviour.Thestoryisquitesimilaronlargerwrecksandinthatcaseitisoursonsgenerationaffected.Ifweallwon’tbehaveandwecontinuetakingsouvenirs,theymightbeabletovisitjustsomesheetmetalplatesremindingslightlytheship’soriginalform.
Dejan MavricNova Gorica, Slovenia
Photo by Boris Vuga
41/75www.uwpmag.com
Parting Shot 2Oneofmyfavouritedivesitesforphotography
is Curtin Artificial Reef, which is near my home inBrisbane,Australia.Thissiteisgreatforeithermacro or wide angle, with prolific sub-tropical marinelifeanddozensofshipwreckstoexplore.
Curtin Artificial Reef is one of the oldest purposely created artificial reefs in the world. The first ship was sunk here by the Queensland UnderwaterResearchGroupin1968,andsincethentheyhaveaddedovertwentyships,plustrams,tyres,pipesandotherobjectstowhatwasonceabarrensandybottom.
Visibilityonthewreckscanvarydramatically.Located in Moreton Bay the artificial reef is washed bycurrents,youcanhave15mplusvisibilityonthehightideandseveralhourslateronly5mvisibilityonthelowtide.
Onarecentdiveonthewreckswearrivedatlowtide,soa60mmlenswasmyweaponofchoicefor all the invertebrates and reef fish that shelter on thewrecks.
Uponenteringthegreenishwaterthevisibilitywaspushing5m,somybuddy,Lisa,andIdecidedtoconcentrateonthecrittersonjustonewreck.
After finding octopus, butterflyfish, hawkish andcrabs,IwasbusyframingagobywhenIheardacryfromLisa.Ilookeduptoseeherpointingata common lionfish. Nothing to get excited about as theyareprettycommononthewrecksIthought,untilIsawithadabandedcleanershrimpinitsmouth.
However,thiscleanershrimpwasn’tdoinganycleaning; it was struggling as the lionfish was trying toswallowit!
NowIthoughtcleanershrimpsandcleanerfish had a sort of diplomatic immunity, with theunwrittenlawbeing‘DON’TEATTHECLEANER’. This rule is followed by most fish, but not this lionfish.
I fired off several photos as the shrimp struggle to get free. Not much chance of that. At first it had both claws and half its body out of the lionfish’s mouth.Butacoupleofquickgulpsandtherewas
onlytheclaws,antennaandafewlegsshowing.Afewmorephotosandfewmoregulpsand
justoneclawandtheantennaremained.Icapturedthispartingshotjustbeforetheclawdisappeared,itopened and closed one last time in defiance and was gone.
Nigel Marshwww.nigelmarshphotography.com
Nikon D50, Ikelite housing, 60mm lens, 1/80, f25, ISO 200, single Inon Z240 strobe
41/76 www.uwpmag.com
Parting Shot 3
Do you have a nice shot with a short story behind it?
If so e mail me and yours could be the next “Parting shot”.
ItwasacoldJanuaryeveninginFloridaandwiththelightalmostgonewehadgivenupphotographyforthedayatCrystalRiver.Wewerefinning home when suddenly we had theimpressionwewerenotalone.Afemalemanateewascruisingalongwithus.Westoppedtogiveherascratch.
Whilethisisnotaremarkablybeautifulphotographofamanateeencounter,IthoughtI’dsubmititforPartingShotfortworeasons.FirstitfeaturesUWP’seditoronhis(andmy) first snorkel with manatees. I waspleasedtohaveasmallobject,suchasPeter,tohelpmakethemainsubject,theseacow,lookaslargeandimpressiveaspossible.Diminutivemodelsarealwaysabonusinunderwaterphotographyforthisreason.Buttherealinterestfactorinthisimagerelatestoshootinginlowlight.
DespitetheneartotaldarknessandthemurkywateroutsidethespringsIdecidedtoturnonmycameraandtakeafewsnaps.HadIbeen shooting Nikon’s new flagship DSLRtheD�ImayhavewounduptheISOsettingto6400andsnappedaway.WhenIshotapre-prodD�backinOctoberIwasamazedbyISO�200and6400onthiscamera-quitethe
equalofISO400onmyD2X.Apparentlytheproductioncamerasarebetterstill.Ihaveyettotryone.
AnywayIhadtheD2XandwastoolazytomovethecameraawayfromISO100!SoIjustslowedandslowedtheshutterspeeduntilIgotadecentgreen.IntheendIwasshootingatashutterspeedof1/2second.Thatisclick…click.
Andthepictureslookedgreatandwereblurfree.ThereisslightmovementbluronPeter’shand,butotherthanthattheylookgreat.HighISOperformanceisarguablythefavouritefeatureofthemeasurebator(apersonfarmoreinterestedincameraspecsthanphotographs).Itissomethingthatcanbequiteaccuratelyquantified and then argued about on internetforums.Anidealstatistic!Itisperhapsthemostoftenquotedstatisticwhendebatingwhichcameraisbest.
AnywaybeforeyouallrushoutandbuyaNikonD�oraCanon1DMk�or5D(theacknowledgedhighISOkings)Ithinkthatthispicturemakesthepointthatthereismorethanonewaytotakeaphotoinlowlight.IfweareusingstrobesandawideanglelensitisworthrememberingthatinsteadofincreasingtheISOwecanalwaysadopttheoldschooltechniqueofextendingtheshutter
speedsoutbeyond1/60th.Strobeswillfreezetheforegroundandwecanrelyonthestabilityprovidedbythewater,alsoknownasnature’stripod,toensureourbackgroundsareacceptablysharp.
Ofcourse,ahighISOkingcameramightbebetterstill,butforthosetryingtoresisttheexpenditureofanupgrade,goodtechniquecansaveyoudroppingyourcurrentcameraintheskipjustyet.Riskymethodsmaynotalwayswork,butif
wearepreparedtopushthelimitswemightbesurprisedwhatisactuallypossible.
Alex Mustardwww.amustard.com
Manatee Encounter. UWP Editor, Peter Rowlands (right) is befriended by a female manatee at dusk. Nikon D2X + Tokina 10-17mm @ 12mm. ISO 100. F7.1. Half second exposure. 2 x Inon 240 strobes.