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Underwater PhotographyUnderwater Photographya web magazine Issue 40Jan/Feb 2008
Ikelite AutoFlash AF35Light & Motion Sunray 1000Amphibico Endeavor Olympus PT-041
Olympus E-330 Compact flash comparison Capture the CharacterBehind the shot
PortraitsNemo33 MentangaleMozambique
Deep OceanEl Hierro PhotosubBook Reviews Parting Shots
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!
40/�www.uwpmag.com
Underwater PhotographyA web magazine
UwP40Jan/Feb 2008
Underwater PhotographyContents4 News & Travel12 New Products
20 Nikon iTTL byPeterRowlands
22 Olympus E-330 byRobSpray
27 Compact flash byDanBoltandDanHopkins
Underwater Photography2001 - 2008 © PR Productions
Publisher/Editor Peter Rowlandswww.pr-productions.co.uk
32 Character byMarkWebster
38 Behind the Shot byMartinEdge
40 Portraits byErikHenchoz
43 Nemo 33 byMichelBraunstein
45 MentangalebyStandelaCruz
49 MozambiquebyTimRock
54 El HierrobyLindaPitkin
56 Gelatinous feastbyMarioLebrato
59 Book reviews
60 Parting Shots
Cover shotby
Alex Kirkbride
40/4 www.uwpmag.com
News, Travel & Events OWU2008 and DEEP2008 Deadlines
ThedeadlinesfortheOur-WorldUnderwater2008andDEEPIndonesia2008underwaterphotoandvideocompetitionsarecomingupshortlyafterthenewyear.
OWU2008’sdeadlineisJanuary1�,2008andDEEP2008endsonFebruary15,2008.
Getyourentriesinnowtocompetefor$80,000inprizes!Inaddition,winnerswillbepublishedinacelebratoryissueofWetpixelQuarterly
www.wetpixelquarterly.com
www.underwatercompetition.com
Destination Dominica webzine
Wearepleasedtoannouncethelaunchofourexciting&innovativenewwebzineaboutDominica.
The webzine is a PDF file (approx 5mb) downloaded from this website. Whilepeoplecansenditviae-mail,weencourageyoutolinktothispage.Thatwaypeoplewillalwaysbeabletoaccessthelatestversionofthewebzineandfutureeditions.
www. destinationdominica.com
Ocean Optics Open Day with Mark Webster 12 January 2008
WellknownphotographerandworkshophostMarkWebsterwillbehostingasecondopendaywithOceanOpticsinLondononSaturday12January2008.
Markwillmaketwotechniquebasedpresentationsduringthedaywithplentyofopportunitytoaskquestionsandgetadviceonyourequipmentandtechnicalproblems.Therewillalsobeashortimagecritique session for specific issues.
TheOceanOpticsdayisfreebutitisnecessarytobookyourplaceinadvance.Ifyouwishtobringimagesforcritiquepleaseletusknowwhenyoubook.Timeforthissessionislimited and will be booked on a first come first served basis.
ContactOceanOpticsforfulldetailsandtobookyourplace
www.oceanoptics.co.uk
Tel.0207240819�
40/5www.uwpmag.com
DiveTHE BEST
of both worlds
eco-divers.com
North Sulawesi’s only PADI 5 Star Gold Palm IDC Resorts
KUNGKUNGAN BAY RESORT,Lembeh Strait
TWO amazing dive destinationsTWO fine resorts
ONE dive operator
Steve Smithson silent-symphony.com
TASIK RIA RESORT, Manado
Award-winning reefsof Bunaken
The capital of muck-diving,Lembeh
UW photo 146x210 18/4/06 12:34 pm Page 1
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition 2008
Fromsub-ArcticwatersoffnorthernCanadatothefreshwaterspringsofNorthFlorida,thesearchfortheyear’sbestwildlifephotographerhasbegun.
TheWildlifePhotographeroftheYearCompetitionistheworld’sgreatestwildlifephotographycontestandaninternationalleaderintheartisticrepresentationofthenaturalworld.Everyyear,itshowcasestheverybestphotographicimagesofnaturetoaworldwideaudience,givingpeopleaninsightintothebeauty,dramaandvarietyofthenaturalworld.
Nowinitsforty-fourthyear,the2008competitionisopentoanyonewithanappreciationofwildlifeandapassionforfresh,innovativephotography.Entrantsstandtowinanimpressive£10,000prizeif
theyaregiventhecovetedtitleofWildlifePhotographeroftheYear2008or£2�,550shareaprizefundifsuccessfulinothercategories.
Thecompetitionhas11adultcategoriesincludingUnderwaterWorld.ThesubjectsintheUnderwaterWorldcategorycanbemarineorfreshwater.Judgesarelookingforpicturesthatarememorable,eitherbecauseofthebehaviourdisplayedorbecauseoftheiraestheticappeal-andideally,both.
Entryopenson17January2008andallimagesmustbesubmittedby24Marchbypostor�1Marchonline.
www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto
40/� www.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
There are only 4 competitions in Jan and Feb, but the year is starting off with some big ones! Good luck!
Jan 102008 World Press Photo contest
Jan 133rd Annual Wetpixel & DivePhotoGuide International Photo & Video Competition
Jan 31 3rd Annual British Underwater Image Festival
Feb 152nd Annual DEEP Indonesia International Underwater Photo Competition
KungkunganBayResorthasjustcompletedamajorrefurbishmentofallitsrooms,whichhasseenaradicalchangeof‘outwiththeoldandinwiththenew’.
Bedding,pillows,towels,lamps,decorations,furnishings,curtainsandcushionshaveallbeenreplacedincorporatingacontemporaryyettraditional style, which really reflects thestatureofthisfabulousresort.Allroomsarenowfullyair-conditioned.
Renownedforitsbeautiful,secluded setting, fine food and high levelsofpersonalattentionandservice,the17-roomresortalsoboastsanswimmingpoolwithbarandan‘over-the-water’restaurant.
Kungkungan Bay Resort refurbishment
TheLembehStraitisarguablythebestdestinationontheplanetfor“MuckDiving”,offeringauniqueconcentrationofrareandexoticunderwaterspecies,or“critters”,includingthepygmyseahorse,mimicoctopus and Ambon scorpionfish.
www.divekbr.com
Three New Lonely Planet Books by Tim Rock
LonelyPlanetandTimRockofDoubleBlueImagesarehappytoannouncetherecentreleaseofthenewDivingandSnorkelingguidebooksforitscolorfulandinformativeseries.
D&SThailand,D&SBelizeandD&SCaymanIslandsjoinsTim’sothernewbooksonSouthAfrica/MozambiqueandBonaire.
Theguidesareinfullcolorandfeaturenumerouspopularandalsouniquesitesfromeachofthesehotbeddivingdestinations.AllphotosarebyTimaswellastheinfo.
www.doubleblue.com
40/7www.uwpmag.com
1000th Whale Shark Found
The1000thspecimenoftheworld’slargestand most cryptic fish, the whale shark, has been identified thanks to global efforts by hundreds of ‘citizenscientists’andeco-tourists.
ECOCEAN,thegroupbehindaunique,award-winning*conservationefforttosavetheworld’sthreatenedwhalesharks,todayannouncedtheidentification of the 1000th identified whale shark in itsonlineLibrarywhichsharesdatafromscientistsandecotouristsworldwide.
“Itsamajormilestone,forscienceandforconservation,”saysECOCEANprojectleaderBradNorman,ofPerthWA.“Anditwasachievedwiththehelpofordinarypeopleworldwidewhowanttostudyandprotectthiswonderfulcreature.”
ECOCEANtracksindividualwhalesharksthroughouttheworld’soceansusingaweb-basedphoto-IDlibraryoftheuniquespotsthatpatterntheanimals’skins.Researchersandeco-touristssubmitimages,whichareloggedtorevealapictureofwhalesharkmovementsandbehaviourovertime.
The1000thsharkwasreportedbyamajor
contributortotheECOCEANPhoto-IDLibrary,SimonPierce,amarinebiologiststudyingthesharksthatvisitMozambique.Itwasa�.5mmale.Simonhascontributedmorethan100sharksfromhisthreeyearstudyinMozambique.
“Wecanexpecttheretobesubstantiallymorethan1000sharksaliveintheworldtoday.But,evensoitisstillaverytinyglobalpopulationthatneedsclosemonitoringtoensureitssurvival.
ParticipationintheECOCEANLibraryhasincreaseddramaticallyinrecentyears.Ittookthreeyearstoreachthe500thsharkmilestonebutonlyoneadditionalyeartoreach1000.ThisisevidenceofwillingnessbypeopleworldwidetousetheLibrarytostudythiscrypticgiant.
BradNormannotes:“We’recallingonthepublicworldwidetobecome‘citizenscientists’andhelpusstudythiswonderfulanimalbyloggingtheirimagesandsightingdetailsonwww.whaleshark.org
“Thiswillbuildabetterunderstandingofthisthreatenedspeciesandhelpsave the largest fish in the oceanfromextinction”
www.ecocean.org
©TimRock
Manta ManiaYap, Micronesia24th - 31st May 2008
MantaRayBayHotel&YapDiversinassociationwith“SaveourSeas”areproudtohostMantaMania24th-�1stMay2008.
Thiswillbeaweekofcombinedscience,underwaterphotographyandfunwithDr.AndreaMarshallandTimRock.AndreaisthefounderoftheMozambiqueMantaResearchProjectandisdoingsomeground-breakingworkintheareaofmantastudyandmarinescience.TimisaLonelyPlanetauthorandMicronesia-basedphotojournalistaswellasexpertMantashooter.
TheywillbeonthediveboatsdailyalongwithMantaManBillAcker.Theweekwillincludeanumberofmantadivesaswellasreefsandwalls.Evenings will feature captivating film shows and seminarsbyDr.MarshallandRockaboutmantasanddivinginYapandthroughouttheworld.
MantaManiaparticipantswilldomorethandive.Theywilllearnaboutidentifyingmantaraysandkick-starttheYapMantaRayIDprogram.TheirphotographsandobservationswillbeusedaspartofaglobalcomparativestudyonMantaRays.
AskforCodeTR01andgetthe7night/10DivePackagesstartingfrom$1229.00perperson.
www.mantaray.com
40/8 www.uwpmag.com
Wrecks, Reef and Muck in Tulambenwith Mark Webster26th Nov - 3rd Dec 2008
Baliisalreadywellknownasanexoticholidaydestinationandisnowbuildingareputationasaworldclassdivingdestination,particularlyamongstexperiencedphotographers.
MarkWebsterwillbehostingaphotoworkshopatTauchTerminalinTulambenBay,perhapsthebestknowdivesiteinBaliandhometothespectacularwreckoftheUSSLiberty.WhatmakesTulambensoattractiveforphotographersisthatwithinafewmetreswalkyouhaveatrulyworldclasswreckdive,muckdiving,shallowreefdivingandawalldive.Thereisastunningvarietyofmarinelifeanddifferenthabitatstokeepyourcamerabusyforaweekormore.
TheworkshopwillincludedailypresentationsfromMark,theopportunitytoaskquestionsthroughoutthedayandacompetitionto find the best image of the week.
www.photec.co.uk
Ferraris at Kungkungan BayJune 13th - July 2nd 2008
World-famousunderwaterphotographersandmarinelifeauthors,Andrea&AntonellaFerrari,areholdinganinformalhands-onphotoworkshopatthenewlyrefurbishedKungkungan Bay Resort (KBR) from June1�toJuly2,2008.
Theworkshopisreallyinformalandwilllookatthecreativityandactualunderwateractionofcapturingshotsaswellasin-depthchatsaboutthesubject.Shareexperiencesandmakethemostofimprovingyourunderwaterphotographywiththeirpricelesstipsandsuggestions.
TheFerrariswillalsosigncopiesoftheirnewbook,ADiver’sGuidetotheArtofUnderwaterPhotography-theidealtutorialforallthosedivingatKBR.
www.eco-divers.com
International Year of the Reef 2008
ThreeoftheUK’smostrespectedmarineconservationgroups–CoralCayConservation,BlueVenturesandProjectAWAREFoundation–announcedtodaytheyhavejoinedforcestopromotecoralreefconservationduringtheInternationalYearoftheReef2008.
TheUnitedNationshasdesignated2008astheInternationalYearoftheReef-aworldwidecampaigntoraiseawarenessabouttheimportanceofcoralreefsandthethreatstheyface.Throughout2008thethreeUKgroupswillannouncepubliceventsandactivitiestopromotereefconservationandmotivatepeopletotakeactiontoprotectthem.
Ithasbeen10yearssincegovernmentsandconservationorganizationsaround the world declared the first International Year of the Reef in 1997. During that first campaign, hundreds of groundbreaking studies were conducted todeterminethestatusofcoralreefsandnumerousinternationalpolicieswereenactedtoprotectthesevitalresources.
Coralreefshavebeencalledthe“rainforestsofthesea”becauseofthevastdiversityoflifetheysupport.ReefscoverlessthanonepercentoftheEarth’ssurface, yet they are home to 25 percent of all marine fish species.
Butmorethanhalfoftheworld’scoralreefsareatriskfromhumanactivities.Atthepresentrateofdestruction,70percentoftheworld’sreefswillbedestroyedbytheyear2050.
ThethreeorganisationshavewoninternationalrecognitionovertheyearsfromsuchbodiesastheUnitedNations,theWorldConservationUnionandgovernmentsworldwidefortheirworktoprotectcoralreefsinAfrica,Asia,theCaribbean and the Pacific.
www.projectaware.org www.coralcay.org www.blueventures.org
40/9www.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
John Boyle first visited the remoteatollofAldabraaspartoftheNationalGeographicexpeditiontherein1991,alongwithDavidDoubilet.At that time they were the first divers togotheresinceCousteauovertwodecadesbefore.No-oneknewwhattoexpect.Therewasnopriorknowledgeofwheretodive.OnlythefactthattheCalypso’sdivershaddaredtodoitgavethemthecouragetodriftdivethecrazycurrentsofthechannelsleadingfrom the lagoon to the sea. John’s film ofthatadventure‘ExpeditionAldabra’soldtotelevisionstationsaroundtheworld.
TheboatitselfisoneofJohn’sfavourites (he says it is the most comfortablemotoryachtsthathehasbeen on) and the crew is impeccably trained.AndourvoyagewillnotonlytakeinAldabrabutanumberofotherremoteandisolatedatollsinthisuninhabitedregionoftheIndianOcean,asweisland-hopacrossthisbeautifulandgenerallyuninhabitedarchipelagoonavoyagefromAldabrabacktoMahéintheSeychelles.
SeaStarisaverycomfortable,fullyair-conditionedteakmotorsailingboatwith9cabinsaccommodatingupto18passengers. However, as the flight to
Aldabracanonlyaccommodate14passengersplustheirluggage,thenumberofpassengersontheboatwillbelimitedto14andthereforetherewillbeplentyofspaceforeveryone.TheHoneymoonSuiteissituatedinthebowoftheboatandhasonedoublebedandensuiteshowerandtoilet.Thereare8furthercabinsallwithensuiteshowerandtoilet;fourhaveadoublebedandfourhaveadoubleandasinglebed.Inadditionthereisasalonwithbarandasalonwithdiningarea.ThereisTV,DVDandstereoforentertainmentwhenyouarenotsearchingthroughyouridentification guides or working on yourimages.Awashingmachineanddryerareavailablesononeedtobringalongmuchinthewayofclothing.Thereisaverypleasantsundeckforenjoyingthoseinter-islandcruises.
www.divequest.co.uk
Aldabra with John Boyle14th April –1st May 2009
40/10 www.uwpmag.com
Alex Mustard’s Red Sea Digital Photography Workshop 7th-14th November 2008
JoinleadingunderwaterphotographerAlexMustardonhis2008digitalphotographyworkshopinthesouthernEgyptianRedSea,broughttoyoubyRedSeaSafarisandBlueOTwo.ThetripwillfocusonphotographicdivingatthecelebratedElphinstoneReef,TheBrotherIslandsandistimedtocoincidewiththepeakoftheOceanicWhitetipSharkseason.Ifthesharksarearoundwewill
dedicateplentytimetophotographingthem.Weatherpermitting,ofcourse.Theareaalsooffersdramaticreefs,exhilarating fish action and several impressivewrecks.
FollowingthepatternofAlex’sliveaboardworkshops,digitaltechniquelectureswillbesplitintobit-sized20minutemorselsandgivenonceortwiceadaybeforedives.Notonlydoesthisprovidedetailedtechnicalinformationwhenyouneedit,butitalsofreesuptheeveningsforonetoonereviewingofyourimages,discussingpostprocessingandtroubleshooting.
AlexwillbejoinedbyCasperTybjerg,photographerandNikonAmbassadorforDenmark,whowillbeonboardtoprovideadditionaladviceandfeedbackonyourimagesduringtheeveningreviewsessions.
ThetripwillbeonMYBlueHorizon,widelyregardedasoneofthe best boats in the Red Sea (see the Blue O Two website for more details).
Thecostis£1200whichincludesdiving,accommodation,Alex’sdigitaltechniquesworkshop,food,softdrinks,transfers,MarineParkFeesetc. This price also includes flights from the U.K (London Gatwick) or Denmark (Copenhagen/ Billund). This isjust£1morethanastandardtriponthisboatinthehighseason.Giventhedemandinpreviousyearsitisalso possible for us to arrange flights fromotherEuropeanairports.TheworkshopisaimedatDSLRshooters.Someofthedivesitesmayhavestrongcurrentsandcouldbeexposedtoswell.Thereforethisisnotatripforthose diving with a camera for the first time.
Thisworkshopisafantasticopportunitytolearnfromoneoftheworld’smostrespectedunderwaterphotographers.Uniquely,AlexhasbeenanawardwinnerintheBBCWildlifePhotographyOfTheYearforthelastthreeyearsrunningandhislatestbook“ReefsRevealed”wasawardedthe“WorldGrandPrizeforBestBookofUnderwaterPhotography”fromtheAntibesFestival2007.Ifyouareinterestedpleasebookearly.
ToreserveyourplacepleasecontactDaveBennettatRedSeaSafaris:
MY Blue Horizon
www.redseasafaris.dk
Shark Angels
Alison Kock, Julie Andersen, Kim McCoy
32 years after the film Jaws showedadefenselesswomanbeingdraggedunderwateranddevouredbyaninsatiablemonster,threewomenhavecometogethertodebunkthatlargely fictitious image.
SharkenthusiastsKimMcCoy,ExecutiveDirectorofSeaShepherdConservationSociety,JulieAndersen,DirectorofSharkSavers,andAlisonKock,HeadFieldBiologistofSaveOurSeas,havejoinedforcestocreateashortfeaturedocumentarycalledSharkAngels.Representingthenextgenerationofsharkconservationists,theseorganizationsarecomingtogether for the first time to combat mythsaboutsharks.ProductionbeganonNovember14,2007intheBahamas.
www.seashepherd.orgwww.sharksavers.org
www.saveourseas.com
www.urprofilters.comClick on the link below to go to the Tech-Talk Newsletter
40/12 www.uwpmag.com
New ProductsIkelite AutoFlash AF35
TheAutoFlashAF�5kitisaneffortlessandaffordablewaytoaddaflash to your point-and-shoot camera system.Everythingyouneedtogetstartedisinthebox-justattachittothebottomofyourhousingandstarttakingpictures!
Singleordualtraysattachdirectlytomosthousingsforpoint-
and-shootdigitalcameras.MountinghardwareisalsoincludedforusewithmosthousingsfromOlympus,CanonandSony.
Notoolsareneededtoremovehandle,armandstrobeassemblyfromthetrayforpacking.ThesystemislightweightabovewaterfortravelandapproximatelyneutrallybuoyantunderwaterwhenattachedtoanIkelitehousingwithcamera.
Theexposureselectordialontheside of the sensor provides fine-tuning tooptimizeresultswithavarietyofdigital still cameras. Once you find anexposurelevelthatyoulike,leavethedialonthatnumberforautomaticoperation.
Foradvancedusers,theselectordialcanbeusedasexposurecompensationwhileremaininginautomatic mode. The flash also featuressixmanualpowersettingsforfullcontroloverexposure.
www.ikelite.com
Sea & Sea TTL Converter III
ThisconverterisequippedwithaTTLPCBthatconnectsaNikondigitalSLRwithSEA&SEAYS-Seriesstrobesandusesthecamera’sTTL flash adjustment to control the amountoflightputoutbythestrobe.
TheconverterallowsquickswitchingbetweenTTLandmanualmodefromoutsidethecamera.YoucanusetheTTLcorrectiondialtoadjusttheamountofstrobelightforthenextshot.Becausetheconvertercomeswithtwoseparatestrobeconnectors,youcanuseadvancedautomatic TTL flash adjustment with twostrobes.
www.seaandsea.com
Light and Motion Sunray 1000
LightandMotion’snewlineofsolidstateLEDlightsareanindustrybreakthrough.These1000lumenlightsdeliverlight,morereliablyand efficiently than the HID lights theyreplace.Our1000lumenlightconsumeslessthan12wattsofpower,whiledeliveringalmostthesamelightoutputasour22wattHID.
Solidstateconstructionmeansextremelyrugged,nothingtobreak—noneedtoopenthelighthead.Completelyreliablewith9separateLED’s in each light head (18 total per system). Our LEDs are rated by the manufacturerat50,000hoursservicelife.Youshouldneverneedtoreplaceabulbagain.
www.uwimaging.com
40/1�www.uwpmag.com http://www.digideep.com
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Ocean Optics and Action Underwater Studios
clientstheopportunitytopracticetheirownunderwaterphotographyatmonthlysessionsduring2008andisalsopromisingspecialteachin’satActionUnderwaterStudios.AwardwinningcommercialphotographerZacMacauleyisplanningamodelshoottotakeOceanOpticsclientsbehindthescenesofshootingglamourportfoliosunderthewater.
MariaMunnof“OceanVisions”willbehostingunderwatercompactphotographycoursesinconjunctionwithOceanOpticsatActionUnderwaterStudiosinthenewyear.
Therearealsoplansforspecialistfreedivertrainingtohelpunderwaterphotographersextendtheirbreathholdtimesforworkingwithshyanimalssuchasmanateesandwhales.Alldivingequipment,includingtanksandweights,isavailableatthestudio.Thereareindividualchangingroomsandshowersandparkingonsite.
SteveWarren,forOceanOptics,explained-‘WeimpressedthedirectorsatActionUnderwaterStudioswithourprofessionalismandattitudetowardssafety.ActionUnderwaterStudiosisauniquefacilityandourexclusivetieinforofferingunderwaterphotographyeventsatthestudioopensuplotsoffuturepossibilitiesforcoursesandequipmentteachin’s”.
www.oceanoptics.co.uk
©ZacMacauley
OceanOptics,theLondonbasedspecialistsinunderwaterphotographyequipment,hasannouncedatieinwithActionUnderwaterStudios,theEssexlocatedmovietank.
ActionUnderwaterStudiosisapurposedesignedstudiocomplexforfilming both in water and underwater sequences.Themaintankoffers�metresofwaterinwhichtowork.
OceanOpticswillbeoffering
40/14 www.uwpmag.com
TRAYS, PIVOTS AND ARMS FOR CAMERAS, HOUSINGS, STROBES AND LIGHTS
The original arm with O-rings in the balls for ease of use. Accept no imitations.
Your quest for the best arm system is over.Once you have an Ultralight armyou will never need to upgrade.
Used by more underwater photographers than any other arm system.
Visit our website www.ulcs.comE mail: [email protected]
Fantasea Nikon Coolpix S50 and S51 housing
FantaseaLinehaveannouncedtheirnewFS-51housingthatiscompatiblewiththeNikonCoolpixS50,S50c,S51andS51ccameras.TheFS-51housingprovidesphotographerswithaccesstoallcamerafunctions.Depthratedto�0meters/200feet,thishousingalsofeaturesFantasea’slatestdesignandimprovedconstruction.TheFS-51isidealforoutdoorandunderwaterphotographers,whocannowquicklyaccessallNikonCoolpixfeaturestocapturefastactionpictureseasilyandcreatively.TheFS-51housinghasadoubleO-ringsealonallcontrols,anti-glarehoodoverLCDscreen, built-in flash diffuser and a 41mmlensport.
www.fantasea.com
Ultralight AC-CSL clamp
Ultralight’snewclamp,AC-CSLislongerthanaregularclampandlongerthanaultrabuoyancyclampallowingyoutogetyourspottinglightfurtheroutinfrontofyourport.
Anumberofhousingshavetheirspottinglightthreadbackawaysfromwhereyouneedthelightonyoursubjectormanyofthemacroportswithextensionringsorextrenaldioptersneedthelightoutfurther.Thisgivesyourspottinglightafurtherdistance.Ifthisisstillnotfarenoughyoucanadda�”armlengthandanotherregularclamptogetthosesupermacrosubjects.
www.ulcs.com
40/15www.uwpmag.com
Aquatica Buoyancy Compensating Floats
AquaticaisproudtointroduceitsnewTLCunderwaterBuoyancyCompensatingFloats.ThisnewproductispartofanewlineofAQUATICAunderwatercamerahousingsaccessoriesthataredesignedtoraisethecomfortandperformanceleveloftheunderwaterphotographer,These floats are compact, economical andsimpletoattachtoaTLCstandardstrobearmortomosthousingbrandonthemarket.
Today’scameras,housingandunderwaterstrobesareoftensmaller,denserandheavier.Thesecombinationscanmakealongdive,especially one in macro configuration, tiresomefortheunderwaterphotographer. Using these floats willeasilyshedpoundsoffyourrig,makinghandlingandconcentrationmucheasierfortheuser.
Madeofnoncorrosivelight
weightmaterialtheyaresuppliedwitha1”TLCballformountingtoeitherahousingorstrobearmallowingthephotographertoperfectlytrimthebalanceofhisorherhousing.
SomeofthefeaturesoftheAquaticaBuoyancyCompensatingFloat“BCF”include:Flexiblepositioningfortrimminghousing’sbalance.Universal design will fit existing HousingfromAquaticaandotherbrandsaswell.�00fts/90meterdepthratingatparwithallourhousings.Simpletoassembledesignforthetravelingdiver.Standarddiameter1”ballsuppliedformounting.Each float as about .5 kg / 1 pound of lift
www.aquatica.ca
40/1� www.uwpmag.com
Nexus INON45 degree viewfinder
The new 45 Degree viewfinder byInonforNexusD200,D80,D2x,Canon5Dand1DsMark2.Itcanalsorotateforverticlepositionshooting.The45degreeanglehelpsyoukeepbubblesoutofyourvisionandallowsyoutogetthecameraatmuchlowershootingangle.Itgivesyouthefreedom to shoot on the flat ocean bottomwhilestillbeingabletoseethrough the finder.
The Inon 45 degree finder is aoptionalaccessoryandhastobeinstalledbyUSANexusfactoryintheUSA.
www.usanexus.com
Amphibico Endeavor
AmphibicohaveannouncedtheEndeavorhousingforthe“NEW”SonyHDR-FX7&HVR-V1-�CMOSHDVcamcorders.DesignedfortheProsumerinmindwithaccesstofullcamcordercontrols,outstandingOpticsandsuperiorbalanceitwillcreatebroadcastHDqualityimaging.Amphibicocontinuestoexceltoanewlevelbyaccessingfromthehousing,alltheimportantfeaturessuchasWhiteBalance,Gain,ShutterSpeed,Irisandmanualfocus.Wehavealsoaddedalarge�.5”SDLCDrear viewfinder to facilitate your framing.
www.amphibico.com
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New owners at Sealux
Witheffectfrom1stOctober2007thestaffmemberofmanyyearsMr.JürgenOstertagandtheexperiencedCAD-designerMr.Dipl.-Ing.ArnoThielhavebecomethenewownersofSEALUXUnterwassertechnikinKempten.
Mr.OstertaghasalreadybeenactingasdirectorofcompanySEALUX.
Mr.ThielhasbeensupervisingtheCAD-constructionofSEALUXfreelanceforapprox.twoyears.ThecompanyfounderDipl-Ing.MilanCzapayisstillbusyasadviserinthebackground.AlltheotheremployeesstayunchangedintheteamoftheunderwaterhousingbuilderintheAllgaeu.
Thiswellpreparedchangeinleadershipguaranteescontinuityindesign,manufactureandmarketing.WiththisstepweassureyouthatthebrilliantqualityofourSEALUXproductsisimprovedcontinuouslyandnewideasarerealizedtothesatisfactionofourcustomers.
AttheBOOT2008inDüsseldorfthenewteamwillpresenttogetherwithMr.Czapayasusualavarietyofnewproducts,forexampletheunderwaterhousing for Nikon D300, Canon EOS 40D, the system flash CANON 580EXII aswellastheSonyUniversalhousingwithinstalledlarge1�:9monitorandislookingforwardtowelcomeandadvisemanyinterestedcustomersatourstand�F20.
www.sealux.de
YoumaynotknowthisbutnoneoftheUwPcontributorsgetpaid.TheyprovidetheirarticlesandphototalentinsupportofthecauseofUwPwhichaimstokeepthemagazinefreeforanyonetodownload.
DonationsareallhandledintotalsecuritythroughPayPalandyoucanalsopaysecurelybycreditcardusingthePayPallinks.
Yourdonationswillbedistributedtothecontributorsofeachissueonaproratabasisi.e.themorepagestheycontribute,the
moretheirpercentage.Whendecidinghowmuchyou
wanttodonatepleasebearinmindthatPayPal’schargeforamountssmallerthan£�or$�canbeashighas24%!!WhilstIacceptthatPayPalisabsolutelybrilliantandsafe,Idon’twantthistobecomea‘DonatealottoPayPal”!!
YoucanmakeadonationineitherUS$dollars,UK£sterlingor € Euros by following this link
www.uwpmag.com/donate.html
Have you learnt something invaluable by reading this issue of UwP? Have you saved a lot of time benefitting for the experience of UwP contributors or do you simply just enjoy UwP and want to help it continue?If so, please donate to the UwP contributors
Donate here
40/18 www.uwpmag.com
Gates XHA1/G1 Housing
LikeitsbiggerXLH1cousintheGatesXHA1/G1Housingisdesignedforthediscriminatingdiver.LegendaryCanonopticspairedwithGatesreliabilityreturnunderwaterimagesofunmatchedcaliber.Iris,focus,whitebalance,customkeyandcustompresetcontrols,adjustablehandlegrips,optionalEM4�highresolutioncolormonitorandGatespremiumportsareavailableinthisfeature-richdesign.
www.gateshousings.com
Olympus PT-041for Mju790 compact
Waterproofto40mtherearecontrolsforallthecamerafunctionsandthere’sadetachableLCDhoodforLCDmonitor.
Thehousingisneutralunderwaterandthefrontportincorporatesascrewmountforconverterlensesandfilters.
The internal flash can be usedunderwatertotriggerdigitalcompatibleslaveandastandardtripodsocketpermitsattachmentofalightingtray.
www.olympus.co.uk
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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
40/20 www.uwpmag.com
WhenIcutmyteethinunderwaterphotography a flashgun was triggered basically by touchingtwowirestogetherandthatformewastechnologyIcouldbothunderstandandaccept.EvenwhentheNikonosVarrivedwithits5pinTTL flash system I could still understand how it workedbecauseitwasbasically5wiresmakingthecontact between camera and flashgun.
Everythingwasgoingswimminglyinthe(good?) old film days, especially if you used a housedNikoncamera.TheirTTLsystemneverchangedfromcameratocamerasoifyouupgradedyour camera you could still use your existing flash. TTL flash was the norm and became so established thatmanynewcomerstounderwaterphotographyhadneverusedanythingelseandsohadlittleneedto understand the flash exposure basics of aperture anddistance.
Thenthedigitalagearrivedand,tobeperfectlyhonest,Ithoughtthecameramanufacturers,especiallyNikon,startedshowingoff.WitheachnewcameramodelcameanewTTLsystem.GonewasgoodoldunderstandableTTL.NowtherewasDTTLwhichbegatiTTLandthemaximumshutterspeed for flash also varied in both directions.
Theresultofthisposturingmeantthatexistingunderwater flashguns could only be used in manual exposureandweallhadtorememberhowtovarythe aperture dependent on the flash to subject distancetogetthecorrectexposure.
In truth and practice it wasn’t that difficult, especiallywiththeinstantreviewontheLCD
screenbutitwasonlywhenItestedanIkeliteD80housingandtheiriTTLconversioncircuitrythatIrealised how useful TTL flash exposure really was.
AsaNikonD70SubaluserIhadtoreturntomanual flash exposure again after the test so I was delightedwhenGermanelectronicsmanufacturerHeinrichsWeikampsentmetheir“ExternalconverterforNikoniTTL”toevaluate.
AtthispointIfullyadmitthatIhaven’tgotacluehowitworks.Mygoodoldtwowireshavebeenreplacedwithcentipedemultiprocessors,
HeinrichsWeikamp converter for Nikon iTTLby Peter Rowlands
The perspex cover slides back to allow a USB connector to be plugged in to charge the on board battery. This takes 1.5 hours to charge and the blue light indicates charging is taking place. In use, this light glows green to indicate the flash is ready to fire. If it glows red, the battery needs to be recharged
The converter connects in line between your camera housing and flashgun connector, shown here. In use, I taped mine to the base section of the arm for neatness. At the moment, the external converter is available only in a Nikon version for iTTL. The following cameras may be used with this external converter: D200, D2X, D40, D50, D70, D70s, D80, D3 (soon) and D300 (see HeinrichWeikamps web site for full details of compatible flashguns)
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discreetcomponents,surfacemountedthisandthatandaubiquitousUSBsocket.AllIknow,andallIneedtoknow,isthatitworksandallowsmeto use a range of flashguns in the TTL mode.Thisinturnallowsmetopresettheaperturetogivemydesireddepthof field and the TTL flash electronics willautomaticallyadjustthelightoutputtogiveacorrectexposure.
Thisisaclassiccaseof,ifyouwant TTL flash exposure, get one of these. They’re not cheap at €350
butwhenthealternativeistobuyand house a Nikon land flashgun, it suddenlygetsalotcheaper.
Tocheckifyourcamera/housing/flash combo can take advantage of the HeinrichsWeikampExternalconverterforNikoniTTL,checktheirwebsite
www.heinrichsweikamp.net
Peter [email protected]
Most flashguns can be used straight away but some need to use different switch settings on the tiny on board DIP switch (Check their web site for full details). This switch can also be set to provide exposure compensation of +/- 3EV.
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Thereusedtobeagulfbetweenthetwocastesofunderwaterphotographers-compactsnappersorSLRtoting‘photographers’.ThatwasbeforetheE-��0,whichevenayearafteritslaunchremainsunique.Whatmakesitsounusualgoesunnoticedwhenpeople‘giveitago’.SLRs,asarule,caneitherviewortakeapicture.Themirrorthatgivesthemtheirnameroutestheimagetoeithereyepieceorsensor-thusaliveviewisnormallyimpossibleasnolighthitsthesensor.AnincreasingnumberofSLRscanholdthemirrorup,allowingthesensortobeexposedfora‘lockupliveview’.ThisincludestheNikonD�and�00,Canon40Dand1DMK�andallnewOlympusSLRs.It’sOKbutthemirror has to flap to focus and shoot so there’s an unwelcomedelay-justlikeacompact-onlytheE-��0worksasanormalSLRatthesametimeasprovidingaliveview.
So real, full-time SLR live view is impossible? Notatall,cuetheE-��0!Anextrasensorsharestheviewfinder, seeing what you see and putting it on the screen. That mode (called Mode A) works like acompactanditalsohasamirrorlockupmode(Mode B). You can use it like a compact or SLR, ithassomeoftheadvantagesofboth.Pairedwithahousingit’saneatpackagefordiverslookingtograduatetotheundoubtedadvantagesofanSLR.LikevariousthingsthatOlympusdo,e.g.effectivedustreduction,it’saproductoflateralthoughtnotjustevolution.SomereviewsandSLRfundamentalistshavemissedthepoint-compact
users never have trouble finding new ways to take pictures,holdingcamerasup,downorsidewaystogettheirshot.Ithinkthere’samessagethere!
The body
TheE-��0isanunusuallookingSLR,thesideswingingmirrorwhichallowstheextrasensorgives it a flat top. It’s a solid plastic lump with a goodhandgripandpleasantnon-slipsurfaces.Thecontrolsareclearandarrangedaroundthecentrepieceofthebackpanel–anarticulated2.5”LCDwhich is bright and sharp but catches reflections easily.Itmovesinoneplane-tiltingupordown-veryusefulonlandbutnotpossibleinthehousing.
Theresolutionisanodd7.5Megapixels,slightlyretrogradeastheE-�00andE-500wereboth8.ThenewLiveMOSPanasonicsensornecessitatedthedropandinfact8Megapixelsare accessible from RAW files. Counting dots is missingthepoint,thedifferenceisnegligible.Thereare�auto-focuspointswhichsomeregardasa demerit – the first thing I did was to disable the
outertwosoitwasn’taproblemforme!Therearescenemodes,severalforunderwater,butalsofullmanualcontrolandeverythinginbetween.Itwasneverdesignedtobeentrylevelandtherearefewthings you can’t configure.
Lenses
The standard lens (14-45mm, film equivalent 28-90mm) isn’t bad but not very versatile underwater,the50cmminimumshootingdistancemeansthisisnomacrolens.Olympus’newerkitlens,atiny14-42mm,focusesmuchcloser.ButbuyinganSLRisallabouttheopportunitiesofferedby specialist lenses, so I’ll concentrate on those :-)
The first choice lens is Olympus’ f2 50mm macro. For extra magnification it can be paired withanextensiontubeor1.4xteleconvertor.It
Going LiveThe Olympus E-330 by Rob Spray
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isfamouslyamongthesharpestlensesavailablefor any camera and behaves like a 100mm film lens-excellentforportraits.The1.4xand50mmcombinationisnowmymacroweaponofchoice-itallowscrisp,closefocusandconsiderablemagnification. A compact 35mm lens offers greater magnification if you can get closer - excellent for slugs but not for fish portraits.
Olympushavenoqualityhandicapintheirwidelensesbuttherearenothirdpartyoptionsonoffer. The only prime option is an 8mm fisheye whichcovers180degreesdiagonally.There’salsoaverywellreviewed11-22mm.Likethetopoftherange7-14mm,itisratedasgoodasaprime,whichisararecomplement.
The7-14mmisthewidest‘madefordigital’lens available, a 14-28mm in film terms. You can’t matchthiswithoutafullframeSLRwhichcostsmuch, much more! It’s not a fish eye and has very, verylittledistortion.Yourwalletwillgetaworkout,thisbeautifullenscosts£1,200.It’sforthoseuniqueshotswhichcaptureawholesceneordefeatimpossiblybadvis.
Strobes
There’snoroomtoraise the pop-up flash to triggerslavessotheonlyoptionsarewiredviathe5pinbulkhead.ThisisOlympus’ownconnectorand they make 2 flash and casecombosbuttherearealsoseveralthirdpartyoptions.
I’vetriedbothandtherearesomeimportantprosandcons.IntheirfavourtheyworksuperblyandhaveextraordinarydelicacyofTTLcontrol.InadditionyouarenotrestrictedtotypicalSLRsync speeds (often slower than 1/200th second) andarefreetogoupto1/4000thofasecond-evencompactscan’tdothat!OnthedownsidetheFL-20isn’tverypowerfulandwhilsttheFL-��hashigheroutputitsapsthepairofAAbatterieswhichpowerthembothevensooner.Botharebulkyintheircases,theFL-��toastrikingextent–the�0mhousingis10mmthick.Thethirdpartyoptionsworkbutarerestrictedtomortalsyncspeeds(1/180th second) and limited in TTL capability as the E-330 uses a very fast pre-flash which most unitscannotrecoverfrom.
Battery life
AftermyC-7070’sepicbatterylifeIfearedtheE-��0washeadingforafall-butit’sactuallyvery good. Using the viewfinder helps and I’ve only reacheditslimitsonlongdives.Over450pictures(6GB of files) and around 3-3 _ hours is a very
usefulperformance.Inormallyfeediteverycoupleofhoursordives.ItseemstobettersomeSLRs,e.g.Canon400D,whichI’veseenfedbatteriesonaperdivebasis.
PT-EO2 Housing
The E-330 fits the 60m PT-E02 snugly, with littleairspace.Ifyou’veusedanOlympuscompacthousingyou’llnoticehowsimilareverythingis,justbigger,betterandtougher.Thecameraslidesinona locking sled, the strobe cable fits on the hotshoe andoncethemodecontrolisengagedyou’rereadytolockthecasedown.4sprungcatchessecurethebackandcompresstwolarge,redo-rings.Allthecameracontrolsarebroughtout,noneareshared.TherigislargebutnotbigbyhousedSLRstandards.Sizeisonparwithmetalhousingsratherthanlarger,moregenericofferings.Theblackaluminiumportshaveadeepthreadandarestifftoturn once the signature red o-ring engages - a filter
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wrenchisaboonwhentheyneedswapping.Alltheportwindowsareglass.Thecaseallowsmanualcontrolofonering–focallengthforzoomsorfocusforprimes.Thecontrolcan’treachiftheteleconvertorisused.
There’snoshortageofotherchoiceswithcasesfrom10bar(also sold as Fantasea), Ikelite and Aquamir.
In use
TheE-��0wasbaptisedinHolland.ThebulkoftherigdisappearsoncesubmergedandI
wasveryquicklyathome.Althoughliveviewisthiscamera’sUSPIsoonfoundmyselfswitchingtotheviewfinder and back as though I’d beendoingsoforyears.Itstruckmethatsomescenesandsubjectswere easier with the viewfinder – it’s moreaccurateframingmacrowiththecamerasteadiedonyourhead…whilst wide benefits from the free viewofboththesubjectandcamera.Apuristmightsuggestthatbothoptionswerecompromisedbuttheywouldn’thavebothoptions.It’sashamethedisplaycan’tbeangledinthe case (it can in the Aquamir) but it would obscure the viewfinder (the
Aquamir can’t use it).Althoughawareliveviewmight
bepoorinlowlightthiswasn’tthecaseevenonsomeverymurkydives.Oneoftheusesofliveviewwastoarrangelightingfromtorcheswhichhelpedfocusunderthesetoughconditions.Itwasatreathavinga‘real’viewformacrofocussingandIwasimpressedforthemostpartatthenewdegreeofcontrolovermacrowhichopenedupincomparisontotheC-7070-stillchallengingbutthestrikeratewasgreatlyincreasedwiththeSLR.
WedivedtheE-��0setupforwideandmacroandasidefromlens
changingitwasmuchlikedivingwithacompact–onlybigger!Thedrillof‘o’-ringandstrobecheckingisthesameandinsomerespectsit’seasiertolineuplargercatchesandmorereassuringtoseebigger‘o’-rings‘squidged’thruthecase.
Thedomeportlookslikeacookingutensilaftersmall,snappycameras,youaresoonveryconsciousofallthescratchythingswhichcoulddamageit.Beingglassit’snotasvulnerableasapolycarbonatedomebutthenitdoescost2-�timesasmuch,gulp!Preandpostdiveroutinesnow include fitting and removing thedome’sneoprene‘knickers’.Themacroportisasubtleraffair,givingthehousinga‘pigsnout’fornosingintotightspaces.OneinterestingfeatureisthateachOlympushousinghasthesamethreadandlensdatumsoyourlens/portpairscanprogressfromcasetocaseifyouchangeyourbody.
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The results
Ispentdayswanderingaroundthegardentakingpicturesofeverything until my first dive arrived, sotherewerefewersurpriseswhenItooktothewater.
Divingwithnewkitcanbe a challenge but after a first diveexpectingtoomuchinstantimprovementIwassoonathomewith macro - using the viewfinder in preferencetothedisplay–butwiththeoptiontoplacethecameraoffatanangleorlowdown.OneaspectofSLRphotographywhichshouldn’t
havebeenasurprisewasthelinkedeffectoftheincreasedaperturerangeand reduced depth of field. With the C-7070Icouldsetittomanualat1/1000th and F8 and TTL flash would givefoolproofexposurewithinafewfeet.Ittooksometimetounderstandhow to trade depth of field for light. Theinstantreadinessforthenextshot,snappy focus and viewfinder were changesIhadnoproblemaccepting.
BackatmylaptopIdiscoveredbuyinganSLRhadn’tmademeintoagreatphotographerovernight.Istillhadtoholdthecamerastill,squeezetheshutterandcompose
forapicturetoworkbuttherewasaclean,purelooktotheresultsthatwasimmediatelyapparent.There’slittlepicturenoiseandoutsidethedepthof field the background detail was flattened, almost to extinction in some cases.
Whilstmacrowasanimmediatepleasureittooklongertogetusedto ultra-wide angle. The 114o field ofviewwasfarbeyondwhatIwasusedtoandneededextracareincomposition.ItcameintoitsowninHolland, we went for the cuttlefish breedingandconditionsweremurkytosaytheleast!Havingthewidest
possiblelensletusgetreallyclose,luckily the cuttlefish are preoccupied. Thiswasagodsendandallowedsomestunningpicturesingrimvis.We’vesometimesstruggledtouseourprizecompanion as it suits confident, static subjectsorclearwideviews-butit’llbeourchallengetogetthebestfromit.It’llbeamazingforreefscapesandwhenwe’reattackedbysomethinghugewe’llgetgreatpicturesofourselvesdisappearinginside.
Oneproblemweencounteredwiththehugeangleofviewwasthatitwashardtogetthestrobefarenoughouttoavoidbackscatterat
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thefringesofthepictures–clearlysomelongerarmsarerequired…Wefoundourownsolution;Dawnswamabovethescenewithaslavestrobewhichtriggeredoffthewiredone.That kind of performance benefits fromtheliveviewasthewholescene;strobes,lightsandsubjectcanallbemarshalled.
Conclusion
ShortonSLRexperienceIwon’tsaywhethertheE-��0isbetterthanothers.ThebalanceofreviewopinionseemstobethatsomecompetingsystemsfocusatouchfasterbutthatOlympuslensesareamongtheverybest.AsapackagetheE-��0makesastrongcaseasanupgradefromcompactsystemswithgreatlongtermprospects.Thecaseisverywelltailoredandsmallerthanthethirdpartyhousings.
The flash connection is a weakness,butI’vemadehundredsofdiveswithnoproblem-althoughothershaven’tbeensolucky/careful.I’llmakesimpleguardsforthembutitwouldbegoodtoseethempositionedsafely in the first place. Spares and replacementsareavailablesodamageismanageable.
Theresultshavebeenreallygood;sharp,truecolouredandclean.Operationisinadifferentleaguefrom
compactcameraswithnegligibleshottoshotdelayandnospeedpenaltyinchoosingtouseRAWformat-youcansavefullqualityJPEGatthesametimewhichcoversallbases.
Thelargeliveviewscreenisakey benefit which makes the compact toSLRtransitionpainless.IfyoualreadyhaveanSLRitmaynotbethecompellingreasontochangebutusingthe optical viewfinder is no problem either.IfyouarestartingfromscratchtheveryattractivedealsontheE-��0makeitagoodchoice-auniquecamerawithadvantagesabovewatertoo.
Pros:Biglive-view,neatcase,excellentlenses,crackingresults,arealSLR
Cons:HighspeedTTLonlywithownbrandstrobes,portsnotcheap,fewcheaplensoptions
Rob Spraywww.1townhouses.co.uk
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!
40/27www.uwpmag.com
Therecentlyreleased12mpixCanonG9hascreatedquiteastirinphotographiccircleswithbothCanonandIkeliteproducingahousingforit.Allowingunderwaterphotographersto add this fabulously-specified cameratotheirChristmaslistthisyear.OneofthemainadvantagesofcamerasliketheG9,or‘bridge’camerastousethepopularterm,isthathavingahot-shoemountforexternal flash-guns means that there is true TTL metering and flash control beingproducedbythemeteringsysteminthecameraitself.
To reflect this ability of the G9andtoextendittoourchosenphotographicenvironment,anumberofstrobeshavebeeninproductionoverthelastfewyearstomakethemostoftheTTLcapabilitiesofferedbybridgeunitsliketheCanonGseriescameras,theOlympusSP�50&SP5�0modelsandNikon’sP5000.
Whatwearegoingtotrytodointhisarticleistoconductahead-to-headtestofthesestrobestoseeiftheyliveuptotheirreputationandtoseeif you really can get TTL-like flash exposurefromanon-DSLRset-up.Whatagreatexcusetoplaywithlots
ofnewkit!TTL flash exposure has its
advantagesanddisadvantages,indeedshootingmanuallyonbothcameraand flash is perhaps the way to get ultimatecontroloveryourshots,butformanyunderwaterphotographersstillshootingin-camerameteredshotsoncompactdigitalcameras,aTTLstrobecouldbethenextstepinthelearningprocess.Choosingtherightstrobewillalsoallowadegreeofmanualadjustmentovertheamountoflightproducedanyway,sogivingultimate flexibility underwater to cater foralllightingsituationwearelikelytoencounter.
The equipment we chose (and Cameras Underwater kindly supplied) wastheCanonG9inboththeIkelitehousingandCanon’sownWP-DC21,alongwiththeSea&SeaYS110,IkeliteDS51andInonZ240strobeheads.Asawild-cardwealsotriedtheInonZ240onaCanonA�40inanIkelitehousing,justbecausewecould.WeusedtheDS51‘hardwired’intothecanonviatheIkelitebulkheadandyoumightsuggestthisisnotafaircomparisontomakeagainsttheother ‘optically’ fired strobes, but as
Compact flash comparisonby Dan Boltand Dan Hopkins
Olympus E330, Olympus Housing, natural light, ISO200,f/3.5, 1/6th, digitally applied colour filter, programmed auto (Dan Hopkins)
IkelitehavejuststoppedmakingtheirTTLcontrolleritwouldnothavebeenrealistictotestkitthatisnolongeravailable.ItisworthmentioningIkelite’s new strobe the Autoflash 35, thisstrobewasnotquiteonthemarketwhenweconductedourtestsbutitwouldhavebeenanexcellentchoiceforanentrylevelautomaticstrobe.Onpaperitisdesignedtoachievesimilarresultstotheotherstrobesweused,obviouslywithlimitationsoncoverageandpower,butitisclearly
aimedatthecompactdigitalcamerauser.HopefullywewillbeabletogetholdofonesoonandwriteafullreviewofitforUwPMag,sowatchthisspace.
BeingNovemberitwasimpossibletoguaranteetheseaconditionsaroundtheUKsowechosetheVobsterQuayinlanddivingcentre(an old flooded quarry) to conduct our tests as they have clear (if a little cold) water,goodfacilitiesandtrainingplatformsatvariousdepthsonwhich
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wecouldrunthroughourtesting.Notonlythat,butalsohavingconstantconditionsoveranumberofdivingdayswouldbenecessarytomaintainafairtestandtogetthe‘feel’ofeachsetupinactualdivingconditions.
Tocreateavalidtestandallowcomparisonstobedrawnitisimportanttokeepasmanyoftheconditionsconstantaspossible.Sotryingtobearthatinmindwedesignedtwoteststorunthekitthrough;oneaclose-upshotandtheother
awideanglecomposition.BecausewehadincludedtheCanonhousingfortheG9weobviouslycouldn’tuseanysupplementarywet-lenses...butthat’sadebatefordifferentarticleall-together.
ForthetestshotsthecamerasweresetonAperturePriority (Av), ISO100, auto white-balance,evaluativemetering,andfortheclose-uptestmacrofocusingmode.Thezoomwasnotusedsoallshotswereatthe�5mm(equiv) wide end of the zoom range.Theneachcamera
wastakenthroughtheentireaperturerangestepbystepwhichproduces10shotspertestforeachcamera/strobecombination.Thevisibilitywasacrisp15mbutthe10mdeepplatformweusedwasintheshadeofacliffsotherewasnotagreatdealofnaturallightaround.
Asforthestrobeheads;weusedthe‘straight-out-of-the-box’recommendedsettingswithnoadjustmentstotheoutput-hadwetriedto find the best adjustment foreachstrobewe’dstill
bedowntheredoingthetest!Eachunitwassetupasfollows:
DS51-TTLSyncCordandhot-shoeconnector,ModeSwitchtoTTL
YS110-Opticalcable,ModeSwitchtoTTL,SlaveswitchtoOn,LightLevelControltoFull
Z240-Opticalcable,ModeSwitchtoS-TTS,EVController to B (ie: no power adjustment)
CanonG9-FlashOn,FlashControlsettoAuto,1stCurtainSynch,SlowSynchro
Off, no adjustment to flash output
RunningthroughthetestshotswasquiteasimpleexercisebutwedidhaveabitofastrugglewithallthesettingsoftheG9togettheresultswewanted,thoughtobehonestthatwasmoredowntousnotreadingthemanualproperlythananyfailingofthecamera!Notincludingthecostoftraysandarms,themostexpensivestrobewastheInonZ240,followedbytheYS110andthentheDS51.Theyareallfairlypriceyunitsandsomewouldquestionifmanycompactdigitalcamerauserswouldwanttoshelloutmorefortheir flash than the camera/housing cost them in the first place.Thatsaid,purchasingcheaper,manualstrobescouldinstantlyturnpoint-and-shootsimplicityintoamanual-control-nightmare.Whatthesestrobesallowforisthecontinueduseofpoint-and-shootmethodswhileallowingthephotographertogrowintothemanuallyexposedshotsweseethe‘pros’taking.
Lookingatthetestshotsside by side (and judging onexposurealone,we’re
Having completed the test shots it was time to enjoy the dive and relax with the simplicity of TTL flash
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not expecting top marks for composition here!) itisfairlyeasytoseewhichstrobesgavethebestresults.UnsurprisinglythemoreexpensiveInonZ240fairedverywellgivingevenexposurethroughouttheaperturerange.ThiswasalsoevidentwhileusingtheZ240onadivearoundthequarry,it’sexposurewasprettyspotoninallthesituationphotoswetried.InterestinglytheZ240fairedquitewellonthelesser-equippedCanonA�40too.TheIkeliteDS51wasbeingcontrolleddirectlybythecamerausingasynccableandsoshouldhavebeenrightonthemoneyeverytime.Again,lookingatthetestshotsitfairedverywelltoo,producingtherightamountoflightforeachshotwetook.InuseduringthediveitseemedtonotdoquiteasgoodajobastheZ240,sometimesgreatlyoverexposingtheshot.FinallywelookattheYS110chartandit’squiteobviousthatthisdoesn’tcopequiteaswelltheprevioustwostrobes.Thereisanobviouslight-spotaroundf/4.5onthewideshotandf/�.�onthecloseup.Justtobesureitwasn’taglitcheachoftheseshotswererepeatedwiththesameresultbeinggiven.DependingonthesituationtheYS110tendedtogiveoutalittlelesslightthanwasrequiredwhenweuseditaroundthequarry,somemaysaythisispreferabletooverexposingimageswhichwillrenderthemuselessinpost-production.
Pleaserememberthatwedidnotadjustthestrobeoutputtogetthebestresults,soyouneedtobearthatinmindwhenlookingattheresultsanddrawingyourownconclusionswithregardtoprice/performance.SadlywehadtogiveallthekitbacktoCamerasUnderwaterattheendofthedaysowehavenovestedinterestinwhichoneisbetterthattheothers-we’vetriedtobetotallyimpartialjudgeswhile doing these tests (though we each had our favourite after using them!)
A640/Z240 G9/YS110 G9/DS51 G9/Z240
F2.8
F3.2
F3.5
F4
F4.5
F5
F5.6
F6.3
F7.1
F8
A640/Z240 G9/YS110 G9/DS51 G9/Z240
F2.8
F3.2
F3.5
F4
F4.5
F5
F5.6
F6.3
F7.1
F8
(Photos by Dan Bolt)
Onethingforsurewhentakingpicturesofmarinelife,ifyouwantthatpunchyshottograbthe observer by the throat you need artificial lighting.Onlytimewilltellifpeoplearepreparedtospendmoreontheirstrobethanontheircamera
ANDhousingputtogether.Onethingistrueandthatis;yougetwhatyoupayfor.Compactsaregettingbetterandmanufacturersaretakingthemmoreseriouslyproducinggoodqualityaccessoriesincludinglensesaswellasstrobes.
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SowiththematuringcompactmarketandTTLstrobetechnologywecouldbeseeingthestartofrivalexposuresystemstothatofDSLRs.Attheendofthedaythat’sapersonaljudgementweshouldmakeforourselves,butitisinterestingandworthkeepinganeyeon.
Aswellasallthetestkitwehadtoplaywith,wewereluckyenoughtohaveevenmorecameras,housingsandstrobestousein-betweenthetestdives.Thisthrewupsomeinterestingphotographicresultsandwelearnedagreatdealaboutdifferentlens/housingcombinationsinadditiontothelightingeffectivenessoftheteststrobes.Youcanseemoreimagesfromouradventuresonhttp://www.underwaterpics.co.uk/2gallery/vobster
wherewehaveadditionalimagesfromanOlympusE��0,CanonA�40,FujiE900,andanoldYS�0withHeinrichsWeikampconverter-enjoy!
BigthankshavetogotoCamerasUnderwaterforprovidingkit,manpowerandexpertise;TimatVobsterQuayforaccommodatingussowell,IanforlettingusborrowhisCanonG9housing/YS110rig,andPeteratUWPmagforgivingthebacking to the article in the first place!
Dan Boltwww.underwaterpics.co.uk
Dan Hopkinswww.dyanisis.com
www.camerasunderwater.co.uk
The two Dans - Hopkins left and Bolt right.
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Often fished but rarely dived, Connemara loughsarebogdivingterritoryatitsbest.
Slidingintobrackishwaterriddledbyaseasonaldownpourmightnotbeeverybody’sideaofaweek-endintheWildWest...butforthefrustratedwinterdiverthatIam,thereissometimesnothinglikethepeatywatersofConnemara.
Lough diving in Connemaraby Jerome Hingrat
Ocean Optics 7 Bush House Arcade, Bush HouseStrand, London, WC2B 4PA
Tel 020 7240 8193 Fax 020 7240 7938
Nexus. The Best Value Aluminium Housing For Your D200
* Professional level specification
*Alloy for durability
* Lightweight for travelling
* Includes genuine viewfinder magnifier
* Two strobe outlets
* Specialist split level and super macro ports available
Introductory price £2200 inc 45 degree viewfinder
40/�2 www.uwpmag.com
Theunderwaterworldisblessedwithamultitudeofcolourfulandsometimesweirdsubjectstokeepeventhemostavidofphotographershappy.Aswildlifephotographersweshootalotof‘portraits’ofmarinelifeperhapsillustratingtheirhabitataswell,orisolatingthemfromtherestofthereef.Anobjectivethatwesharewithmostlandphotographersistryingtocapturethe‘character’ofasubjectsothatthereisasenseofcommunicationwiththeviewer.Thiscan be a challenge with fish, but it canbedonewithcertainsubjectsandjudiciouscompositionandoftenalargemeasureofpatience.Therearealsootherspeciesonthereefwhichoozenaturalcharacterandsomeareonlytoowillingtoposeandperformforthecamera.
Ithelpstobeginbyidentifyingthespeciesthatmaybewillingtocooperate,whicharelikelytobethosethatpredominantlysessileorterritorial. Many fish species are constantlyonthemoveandwhilst‘grab’shotsdoworksometimesyoudon’thavetheopportunitytogettheconfidence of your subject. Larger specieslikesharkscanalsoproducegoodportraitshots,butmostlyonly
bybaitingforthem,butformedonothavethecharacterorexpressionthatthesmallerspeciesoffer.
Knowingsomethingaboutyoursubject and its habitat is the first step,butgettingtoknowadivesitebyvisitingregularlyiscertainlyabigadvantageasyoucanidentifypotentialsubjectsandencouragethemtoacceptyourpresence.Thisofcourseisnotsomethingwecanallpracticeunlessyoudiveregularlyinyourhomewaters,butitisaprocedureyoucanadoptonatripifyouhavetheopportunitytodiveasiterepeatedly.Thereare‘shorebased’locationswhichofferaselectionoflocaldivesitesthatyoucandiverepeatedly during your stay (Lembeh, TulambeninBaliandBonairearegood examples) and if you join a live aboardwithadedicatedgroupyoucan
Capture the Characterby Mark Webster
Pygmy seahorse – these little beasties are technically challenging to photograph as they are so small but they are a very appealing subject as they do ooze with cute character. Lembeh Straits, Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, Nikkor 105mm micro, Inon Quad flash, Inon wet lens, ISO200, f11 @ 1/15.
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oftendiveasitethreeorfourtimesduringatrip.
Whicheversubjectyouhavechosen,themostimportantelementofthecompositionwillnormallybe‘eyecontact’oratleasttheappearancethatthesubjectispeeringintothelensandconnectingwiththeviewer.Somesubjectsseemtolookinterestedorinquisitivewhilstothersmaylookhaughtyordismissivebutitisimportantthatyouhavegainedtheattentionofyoursubjecttoestablishthisrelationshiptoproduceamorepowerfulimage.
Fish
Therearenumerousspeciesoffish to target as portrait opportunities, butyouwillhavemostsuccesswiththosethatareterritorialorarecamouflage hunters or are just plain inquisitive.Manyoftheblennyspeciesfallintothelattercategoryandnomatterwhereyouaredivingintheworldtherearegoingtobespeciesofblennythathavebugeyesandoftencolourfulmarkings,patternsandappendageswhichmakethemsuchappealingsubjects.
IntheUKitisthetompotblennythattakestopspotasreefposer. These comical looking little fish canbefoundlivinginthesameholeinareefforyearsonend.Ihaveone
onmylocalbeachdivesitethatIhavebeenvisitingandphotographingformore than 5 years. He (I am making a sexist assumption here) is now so accustomedtomyvisitsthathewillimmediatelyadoptaposeatthefrontonhisholewhenIarrive–andiftheholeisvacantwillgenerallyreturnwithinacoupleofminuteswhilstIwait.HeissotamenowthatifIoffera gloved finger he will nibble it to see ifthereisanyfoodonoffer.
TheseblennieshavetropicalcousinsofcourseandoneofthemoststrikingistheleopardspottedblennyfoundintheRedSeaandinotherIndoPacific reef areas. These guys are very muchmoretimidandareextremelydifficult to spot as their pattern helps themblendwiththeshadowsinthebranchingcoralswhichishometothem.Theyalsoliketheshallowelevationsofthereefandareoftenfoundin2-�mdepthwhereswellmotionmakesthemarealchallengetophotograph.Havingspottedoneitisthenagameofpatience.Theynormallyhavearoutemappedoutontheirpieceofthereefandwillappearinthesamespoteveryminuteortwototakealookatyou.Pre-focusingonthesespotsgivesyouthebestchanceofcapturingthemandalongermacrolenswillkeepyououtoftheirpersonalspace.
AnotherofmyshyRedSeafavouritesarethelemongobies.These
Tompot blenny – A common species in the UK and Mediterranean with a very comical and expressive face which makes them an excellent macro portrait subject.(Top right) Leopoard spotted blenny – A timid and sometimes hard to find species which needs a good deal of patience to get close to for a frame filling portrait.(Right) Lemon goby – A nervous but very territorial fish found mostly on table corals often in small groups. Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, Sigma 180mm macro, Inon Quad flash, ISO200, f11 @ 1/30.
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tiny little fish live in small groups ontablecoralsandpresentanothertestofthephotographer’spatience.They also have a defined patrol area ontheirchosencoralandagainareverysensitivetoacloseapproach,butwhentheydostoptolookinyourdirectiontheyhaveamostappealingexpressiononaperfectvividyellowfacewithdelicatewhiteandbluemarkings.Alongermacrolensbetween150-200mmistheidealtoolfor a frame filling shot, although you canstillgetverygoodimageswitha105mmifyouhavethepatience.Youaregenerallyshootingbetweenthebranchinglayersofatablecoral,sowatchingthepositionofyourstrobesisimportantsoasnottocastshadows– ring flash is ideal in these situations.
Frog fish are a species often difficult to find and also difficult to photographasthenblendsowellwiththereef.Occasionallyyouwillfind them on the edge of the reef orgrippingspongesinanelevatedpositionwhichallowsyoutogetalowapproachandseparatethemfromtheirbackground.Althoughnobody would describe these fish as attractive (although I do admit to a certain passion for them) they do have wonderfulexpressionsandseemtostareintothelensfullyconvincedthatnomatterhowcloseyouapproachtheycannotbeseen.
AspeciesthatIhaveonly
encounteredonceinBelizeistheshort nosed batfish, which visually appearstobemorecloselyrelatedtofrog fish or hand fish (of Tasmania) than the other Indo Pacific species of thesamename.TheyareinfactfoundthroughouttheCaribbeanandalsointhe Pacific, in Galapagos for example, but like all camouflaged species are
very difficult to spot in their preferred habitatofshallowsandandrubbleseabeds.Theirfaceislikenootherandtheyhavethemoststrikingpairofredlipsinthemarineworldwhichappearstohavebeensmearedonlikechild’slipstick!Theyhaveaveryhaughtyexpressionandwilllookdisdainfullyatyoudowntheirnose
–thereisalsoa‘longnosed’specieswhichjusthasalongernoseasfarasIcantell.
JohnDoryareaspeciesthatIhavepreviouslywaxedaboutinthesepages.Asidefromthechallengeoftrackingthemdowntheydoseemto have that indefinable element of characteronceyouhavegainedtheir
Frog fish – Occasionally you will find a frog fish on a strongly contrasting background. This one definitely does not look pleasd to have been found. Lembeh Straits, Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, Nikkor 60mm micro, Inon Quad flash, ISO200, f11 @ 1/125.
Short nosed bat fish – Perhaps one of the strangest looking fish in the sea most often seen in sandy areas in the Caribbean. Confident of their camouflage, they will hold a pose but you may need to dig in the sand a little to get a lower view point. Belize, Nikon F90X, Subal housing, Nikkor 60mm micro, Sea & Sea YS50 & YS30, Fuji Sensia, F11 @ 1/60.
John Dory – A temperate and Mediterranean species that is well camouflaged amongst seaweeds. These need patient stalking to get close but make a terrific subject.
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confidence and they begin to pose for thecamera.Theirstrikinggold/greencolouration,spikyappendagesandmournfulexpressionmakethemoneofmyfavouritesparticularlyasaportraitcomposition.
Othercommonspecieswhichareofteneasilyapproachedandcanpresentagoodtoothygrinforthecamera are groupers (many different species) and lone barracuda which are quitecommonandoftenalmosttameonpopularsitesintheCaribbean.
Cephalopods
Possiblyoneofthemostentertainingandresponsivecreaturesonthereefistheoctopus.Theyarenot always easy to find being past masters at camouflage, but once found theyarenormallyveryinquisitiveandoftenkeentointeract.Changesofshape,textureandevenexpressionmaketheseguysexcellentcharacterportraitsubjects.Theyarefoundeverywherearoundtheworldbutareparticularlyabundantincertainareas.
Perhapsthemostspectacularoctopusbehaviourcomesfromthemimicandwonderpusspecies.Thesearenotoftenencounteredbychance,astheyspendmuchoftheirtimeinburrowsinthesand.DiveguidesinlocationslikeLembehStraitsareskilledatrecognizingtheirburrows
or spotting a fleeting glimpse of eyes peekingoutofthesand.Theywillthensettoworktotempttheoctopusoutintotheopenbyusingalongsteelpolewhichtheytaptheseabedwithinfrontofthelair.Thisnormallydoesthetrickandsoonhastheoctopusoutandlookingforaneasymealitseems.Itisatthisstagethattheywillbeginthenowfamousrepertoireofshapes and imitations (although not allmarinebiologistsagreethatthisis really mimicking behaviour), but
betweentransformationstheywilloftenstopandriseupontheirlegstotakeagoodlookataphotographerandthisisformethebestopportunitytotakeaportraitshot.
Octopusareextremelyintelligent,butisitpossibleforthem to feel jealousy? I have one experienceintheLembehStraitswhichmightdemonstratethis–whilstphotographingacoconutoctopusinapairofclamshells,anotherslowlyapproachedandwatchedforafew
Wonderpus octopus – these octopus can be difficult to compose well as they are always on the move. They will stop occasionally to rise up and look at you which provides the opportunity for a ‘head and shoulders’ portrait. Lembeh Straits, Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, Nikkor 60mm micro, Inon Quad flash, ISO200, f11 @ 1/60.
minutesbeforecomingbetweenthecameraandmysubject.Imovedtocontinuetakingpicturesoftheotheroneinitsshellsandeventuallythisoctopusmovedagaintobebetweenus.WhenImovedoncemoretogetabetterangleonmyprimarysubjectthissecondoctopusmovedswiftlytotheotherandtriedtopries’aparttheshellsinwhatIthoughtwasanattempttoevicthim–wasthistogainmy attention? I am not certain but I withdrewafterwatchingthestruggle
Coconut octopus – I began shooting this octopus in his clam shell home when I noticed a second octopus joining us and trying to muscle in on the action. The second octopus was perhaps jealous of the attention to the first or coveted his neat home, as he tried to pull the shells apart to extract the resident! Lembeh Straits, Nikon D100, Light and Motion Titan housing, Nikkor 60mm micro, Inon Quad flash, ISO200, f11 @ 1/60.
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forafewminutes.Cuttle fish are a member of the
samefamilyandtheyalsodisplayanumberofsimilarcharacteristicsastheirlongarmedcousins.Theyarelessterritorialandoncespotteditisbesttodisplaypatienceandperhapsfeigndisinterestwhichnormallyencouragesthemtobecomemoreinquisitive.Theywillcomeverycloseeventuallyandperformanumberofdisplayactivitieswhichmaybeaformofcommunicationwithusbutneverthelessproduceexcellentimagingopportunities.
Cuttle fish are a common species intheUKbetweenlatespringandearlyautumn.Inthespringtimetheyarebusymatingandlayingeggsandaremostoftenfoundineelgrassbedsinmylocale.Theyareveryapproachablewhenmatingorlayingeggsandwilloftenignoreyourapproach–thisappliesintropicallocationsaswellwhenyouwilloftenfind a group of males watching over perhapsoneortwofemalesplacingtheireggsinthecoral.Oneverycolourful small species of cuttlefish whichdisplaysnostagefrightisthe flambuoyant cuttle fish which is commonthroughouttheFarEast.Theseguysareadulldarkbrowntoblackcolouruntilapproachedorareintheactofhunting,whentheydisplayavividsetofcoloursrangingfrombrightyellow,throughorangeto
redandwhite.IntheLembehStraitsyou will often find their eggs in old coconutshellsandonmylastvisitIwitnessedoneoftheseeggshatchingwhilstphotographingthem.Thetinyguythatemergedwasnomorethanafewmillimeterslongbutwentimmediately into its flambuoyant display–amazing!
Lenschoiceforportraitshotsdependsentirelyonthesizeofyour
subjectandwhetherornotyouaretryingtoincludesomehabitataswell.Even the larger fish can be captured effectivelyintightfaceportraitwitha50/�0mmmacrolens,sothisisasalwaysagoodallroundworkhorse.Ifyouknowthedivesitewellandthesubjectyouaretargetingthenthatwillmakelenschoicealittlesimpler,butonceunderthewaterasalwaysalmostanythingcanturnupunexpectedly
Flambuoyant cuttle fish – these small cuttle fish look dull brown until they are disturbed or are hunting when they light up with this impressive display of colour. Cuttlefish (right)– once you have their confidence, cuttlefish often seem to be trying to tell you something and signaling with their centre arms is very common. You can encourage them to display colours and patterns by returning the signal with waved fingers – but I have no idea what you might be offering! Nikon D200, Subal ND20, Nikkor 105mm micro (left) 60mm micro (right), Inon Quad flash, ISO100, f16 @ 1/60.
so be prepared to be flexible! By concentratingonthecommunicationwithyoursubjectyoucanturnanimageofacommonsubjectintoapotentialcompetitionwinner.
Mark Websterwww.photec.co.uk
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ThemantaraynightdivesofftheKonacoast, Hawaii were first made famous by National GeographicunderwaterphotographerDavidDoubiletbackin1994.HeemployedtheuseofHMI lights (Hydrargyrum Medium Arc-length Iodide) a continuous light source that illuminates underwateratadaylighttemperatureof5�00A°Kelvin,similartothetemperatureofatraditionalunderwater flashgun. My attempts were quite modestincomparison.WeshottheMantaovertwonights,spendingatotaloftwohourswiththem.Iusedthesamephotoequipmentonbothoccasionsbutvaryingthetechniqueonthesecondandmostsuccessfulattempt.IusedaNikonD200withaNikon 10.5mm fisheye lens inside a Subal housing and fisheye port. My flashguns were two Inon Z220 onshortultra-litearmsplacedouttothesideofthehousing. I ensured that both flash guns were behind the two side shades of my fisheye port. This was tominimisetheeffectofparticleswhichwereinabundancebyvirtueoftheplanktonattractedbythe fixed lights and our own dive torches.
Fisheyephotographyatnightinpoorvisabilityandplanktonicwaterisaboutashardasunderwaterphotographycanget.Ihadputafairamountofthoughtandconsiderationintohowbesttoshootthemanta,yetIwasunabletoconjureupanygoodideastomakemyattemptsdifferentinsomeway.My first attempt at the Manta dive site resulted inimagesofmantawithmouthsagapeafewfeetinfrontofthelens.Whilsttheyweresharpandwell
exposed,theyfailedtocapturetheatmosphereoftheexperienceandwerenodifferentthanthenumerous‘mantadive’postcardsonsalethroughoutKona.Iponderedthisforsometime.Iwantedtorecordthemantaatadistance,interactingwitheachotherandtheaudience,butwithtraditionalflashguns this was impossible. Because of weather concernswehadconsoledourselvestojusttheoneMantadive,howeveronthelastnightofour
chartertheweatherpickedupandwehadasecondopportunityadjacenttotheSheratonHotelofKeauhouBay.Tenofusenteredthewateratduskandwaitedforthemantastoappearfromthedeep.
As normal I had tested both flashguns before enteringthewaterandonceI’dsettledonthebottomIrepeatedthisprocedure.Myheartskippeda beat! The left side flashgun failed although the readylightwasglowing.Iusedthetestbutton
Behind the shotBy Martin Edge
Nikon D200 with a Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens inside a Subal housing and fisheye port. My flashguns were two Inon Z220 on short ultra-lite arms placed out to the side of the housing.This particular shot was taken on F5.6 at 1/8th second at 400 ISO.
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– it fired! “No problem there then”. “It must be a knackered flash lead”. Allthebendingandpullingmadeno difference. The flash failed continuouslyagainandagain!HowwasIgoingtolightthesecreatureswith only one good flashgun and at night with an ultra wide lens? Ten more minutes of fiddling! The water had turned black and on cue the first mantaappearedfollowedbyseveralmore.“HowcouldImakethemdifferent with only one flash gun”?
TheManta’shadbeenwithusfor about fifteen minutes with me shootingthesameoldstuffwhensuddenly I had a flash of inspiration! Idecidedtousetheilluminationfromthetorch-lightsofthedivecrew,thenon-photographersandthedecklightsfromourlive-aboard,whichwereclearlyvisiblethroughtheunder-surfaceaboveus.Iusedmy one flashgun as fill light on the manta.Iselected400ISOandopenedmyshutterspeedto1/8th15thand�0thofasecondandusedpanningtechniques (fingers crossed that this would work).. I used wide apertures ofF2.8andF4.IproceededtoshootthespectacleatadistanceandbyconstantlyreviewingmyLCD,bracketingapertures,shutterspeedsand flash power I began to get the alternativeimagesIhadhopedfor.ThisparticularshotwastakenonF5.�at1/8thsecondat400ISO.
If my flash had not failed I doubt verymuchthatIwouldhavedoneanythingdifferentfromtheprevious
opportunityearlierintheweek.Instead, the faulty flash lead had forcedmetothink‘outofthebox’andasaresultIspontaneously,withoutthoughtuppedmyISO,droppedbothshutterspeedandapertureandcommencedpanningtechniques.ThiswasthatinnovativeideaIhadponderedoverfordays.
Remember.Experienceiswhatyougetwhenyoudonotgetwhatyouwant!
Sheratan Hotel, Hawaii
Martin Edgewww.edgeunderwaterphotography.co.uk
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Idedicatethisarticletoallthepeoplewholovetheseaandtoalldiverswhotrytotakeportraitsofseaanimalswiththeircamerasoneverydive;faces,liveries,colors,formsandbehaviorsthatattimessurpriseandexcite.
Fromablennythatleansoutofitsholetocomefacetofacewithabigbarracudaorwithagreyshark; an infinity of “poses” and of “expressions”showhowvarioussealife is and how fishes have a character, habitsandfearsoftheirown.
Just few days ago Ansa (an italian news agency) published an articlereferringtoastudyoftheuniversityofLiverpoolontherainbowtrout.Thestudyshowshowbold,shy or curious these fishes can be accordingtothevariousindividualsandtothedifferentsituations.Theexperiencedscubadiverwillcertainlybealreadyawareofit.Totellthetruthoneofthemostinterestingaspectsofmydivesisreallytheinteractionthatisestablishedwiththeseaworldandparticularly with fishes, so much that I amabletoexperienceanexchangeofemotionsandfeelings.Forthisreason,Ihavedevotedmyselftoportraitsin
underwaterphotoforalongtime,inordertophotographthesemomentssofullofemotionandattimesunrepeatable.
Butwhatdowemeanbyportraitin the photo? For a long time the portraithasbeenoneofthemostimportantanddiffusedphotographictypes.Withsuchatermwegenerallymeantheclose-upshootingofasubjectisolatingitfromthebackgroundinordertogiveitmoreprominence.
Thisisthereasonwhyphotographersmakeuseofareduceddepth of field (the focusing zone in the image) and therefore F Stop with elevated numbers (F22-F32) to stop thetimeandtoisolatethesubject“inapose”,leavingamoreorlessout-of-focusbackgroundathisshoulders.
Portraitsby Erik Henchoz
Moray eel. Fuji S2 Pro, DX-S2PRO Sea&Sea housing, 2 YS-90DX flashguns, 60 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens1/200th @ F 22ISO: 200, Manual focus
Turtle. Fuji S2 Pro, DX-S2PRO Sea&Sea housing, 2 YS-90DX flashguns, s0 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens1/100th @ F 8ISO: 200, Autofocus
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Alsointhephotosubweuseasimilartechniquebutwithsomedifferences:managing the depth of field withaverycloseddiaphragmandwithlittlebrightness,asitoftenhappensunderwater,issomethingofaproblemandwewillinevitablyneedat least of a good flash in the reflex photography. Withacompactdigitalcamerawewillbeforcedtouse the small built-in flash (better if supported by a good flash or external light box). Moreover, the poses
arealreadyreadyforthistypeofframeandtheyusuallyhavelenseswithanangleofviewsimilartothatof the human eye (a frame similar to the human frame). Howeveryoumustgetasnearaspossible.Thecameraflash is not very powerful and ifwephotographfromtoofar (more than 1,5-2 mt) we risktolosethecolorsofoursubject. The built-in flash is forshotsatadistancenonsuperiortothe4-5meters,ofcourseonthedryland.Inadive,becauseofthe
absorptionofthelightbythewater, our flash will be even lesspowerful.
Therefore,totrytotakesomebeautifulportraitsyou must: 1) draw as near aspossibletotheanimal2) Frame the subject well, alsobyusingpossiblythezoom (without however exaggerating) 3) Remember always to use the flash forcingtheshotwiththespecialfunctionofthecamera(through menu or special button) 4) If possible use an external flash positioned
aside (angle at 45∞) to work betterwiththeshadesandtoavoid to get a flattened image 5) Have a good management ofthedelayattheshotofourcompactcamera;almostallcompactdigitalcameras,beforeeffectingtherealshot,sendforthsomebriefpre-flashes to focus the subject andtoeffecttheexposure;notconsideringthatoftenmeanstotakethephotowhenthefish has already gone away or moved,irremediablyruiningourcomposition.
Digital SLR cameras
WithmyNikoncamerasImakeuseofdifferentlensesandIjointhemwithDomeportplanes,theclassicalFlatPort,andwithPortssuchastheSuperFishEyeortheCompactDomePort.
TheobjectiveIusemoreoftenissurelytheNikkorAF-Micro�0mmsF2.8D.Itísalensformacrophotobutitstypologyallowsfantasticportraits.The�0mmisfamousamongthefansofNikon (Nikonists) and it is consideredanexceptionallensbothforitsneatnessandforitsconstructivequality.
Fuji S2 Pro, DX-S2PRO Sea&Sea housing, 2 YS-90DX flashguns, 60 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens. 1/125th @ F 22. ISO: 200, Manual focus
Nikon D200, DX-D200 Sea&Sea housing, 2 YS-90Auto flashguns, TTL converter II, 60 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens. 1/100th @ F 8. ISO: 200, Autofocus
ofoursubjects,eventhoughspontaneous,willalwayshavetobetakenveryquicklyandoftentherewon’tbemuchtimefortheshot.
Butwhatequipmentshallweuseforourseaportraits?
Compact digital cameras
Anunderwaterportraitwithacompactcameraissurelypossible,itisratheroneofthebestshots:theobjectivesofthesecameras
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FormyportraitsIoftenusetheTTL.OftenIworkalsoinmanualandImanageallthetechnicalvariables,fromtheexposuretothefocusingtogetthedesiredresults.
Theportraitisatruechallenge,especiallywiththe most bashful and timorous fishes; you draw near and the fish turns around hiding its face, or inawhileitgetsintosomehole.Forthisaperfectbuoyancyisneeded,slownessinthemovementsandalltheslynesstypicalofthephotographichunting.Withsometrainingandgoodwillsuccessisinsuredbothwhenusingacompactcameraandan expensive reflex camera.
Isuggest,atleastatthebeginning,tophotograph little timorous subjects, the fishes that willletyouapproachmoreeasily,allowingyoutomanagebetterthefunctionsofyourcamera;forthis,atleastatthebeginning,automatisms,exposureandautomaticfocusingarerecommended.Asyoumake
progress,youwillbegintofeelthenecessitytoworkinmanualandyouwilldemandmoretoyourunderwaterequipment.
AnotherobjectivethatIenjoyusingfortheportraitofthesmallestanimalsistheNikkorAF-Micro105F2,8D.Thisobjectiveismorepowerfulthan the 60 mm; used on the digital reflex camera... because of the Cropping (the Lcd sensor is smaller than the dimensions of the film for which the Micro 105 had been studied), it becomes very similar to a180mm.Itísanobjectivemacrofromanypointof view. I also find it fit to photograph, with the techniqueoftheportrait,allthebashfulandtimidfishes that will run away when you approach. We willsucceedintakingshotssimilartothosetakenwiththe�0mmbutstayingmuchmoredistant(the minimum focusing is in fact at 75 cm). I recommendthemanualfocusing,thefocusingmotordriveofthe105isabitslowandoftenthe
Nikon D200, DX-D200 Sea&Sea housing, YS-90Auto flashgun, TTL converter II, 60 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens. 1/160th @ F 18. ISO: 200, Autofocus
Nikon D200, DX-D200 Sea&Sea housing, YS-90Auto flashgun, TTL converter II, 60 mm AF-Micro Nikkor F/2.8 D lens. 1/125th @ F 20. ISO: 200, Autofocus
dialofthehousingallowsveryrapidandaccurateregulations.
SoonIwilltryalsothenewNikkor105VR,afantasticMacroobjectivethathasabuilt-inopticstabilizer,soonsometestsandadetailedarticlewillbeissued.
For bigger subjects (but not only for those) suchassharks,mantarays,etc.,IprefertheNikkor20mmF2.8D.Itisnotanobjectivecreatedexclusivelyforportraitsbutitsfocusingatonly25cmandtheampleframerangeallowstoshootframes to big oceanic fishes from a really short distance. The only and big difficulty is drawing near, but with particular animals (such as manta rays) it is not often a problem.
Erik Henchozwww.erikhenchoz.com
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BornandraisedinBelgium,Ihadtheopportunitytodivequiteabitin the country’s dark lakes and flooded quarries (Opprebais, Vodelée, Ekeren, Barrage de l’Eau d’Heure, and more). Oneofthefeaturesthesesitesallhaveincommonisthefreezingwater!
Actually,Iwouldhaveneverhadimaginedthatitwouldbepossibletodiveinclear��°CtropicalwaterintheveryheartofBelgium.Surprisinglyenough,Ihadtheopportunitytodosoinaveryspecialplace,thedeepestswimmingpoolintheworldlocatedinBrussels,Nemo33 (http://www.nemo33.com).
IarrivedatNemo��’sononeofthosetypicalBelgianrainydays.Theorganizationwassometiculousthatalltheemployeeshad“Smart”cars licensed NEM_022, NEM-033, NEM-O88,NEM-099.Therewasasmallyellowsubmarineatthebuilding’sentrance.Afterentering,youcouldseetherestaurantwithsoftlightsandlargedeepbluewindowsfacingtheswimmingpool.Thissightdefinitely reminded me of Captain Nemo’sNautilusSubmarine,onlythemonstersinthewaterwerewearingdivinggear!
ThefewthingsIknewabout
FrançoiseHerman,theswimmingpoolmanagerpriortoourmeetingwasthatshehadbeeninchargeofadivingcenterforsevenyearsinSharmElSheikh,thatsheownedadivingboat,andthatshewentthroughmanyadventures.Well,IthoughtI’ddealwithastrongandauthoritativepersonbutinfact,shewasacharmingandsensibleyoungwoman.
We went up three floors to reach theswimmingpoolandIwasgivenfull diving gear (Tank, regulator, BC and fins). It’s really fun to get to a divingspotwithouthavingtobringalongalargeandheavybagfullofequipment!
Theplaceisveryclean.Alltheequipmentismodern,wellsetupandmaintainedtoahighstandard.Onthepool’ssurface,aniceredZodiachelpsnewdiverslearntostepofftheboatandclimbbackintoitafterthedive.
Whenwewereready,Françoisetookmetothedeependaftergoingthroughtheshallowerpartsofthepool.Thedeepestpartofthepoolisactuallyquitewide.Wewentthroughitslowlyandafterafewmoments,sheshowedmeherdivingcomputerwhichdisplayed�5meters.It’squiteimpressivetolookupwardsfromsuch
Nemo33 – Dive another wayby Michel Braunstein
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adepthacrosssereneandclearsourcewater.Itwasreallymovingtoobservethescenefromthebottomthroughthatwidecavity.Therewasnosunlightbutinsteadthepowerfulglowoftheelectriclightonthebuilding’sceiling.Whatasplendidimage!
Afterthe“abyss”,Françoiseledmeinside“caves”werewecouldstickourheadsoutsidethewaterdespitethefactthatwewereatadepthof 10 meters. The first cave was nicely decorated withstalactitesontheceilingandonthewalls;mybuddydidsomemeditationthere.Thesecondcavewasdecoratedwithsubmarinewindowsshowingsomeunderwaterlife.Thethirdcave,notyetdecorated,isusedattheendofdivingcourseswhentheinstructoropensupabottleofChampaignanddrinks it together with the newly certified divers to celebratetheirsuccess.
Afterourdive,wewenttoeatAsianfoodinNemo��’srestaurantinwhichtheyinvestedagreatdealintheatmosphere,foodstandards,aswellasservice.I’vebeentonumerousrestaurantsinsportscentersbutIhavenevertastedsuchdeliciousfoodinthistypeofenvironment.It’snotsurprisingthatmanypeopleworkingincompaniesnearbygothere
tohavelunch,justtoenjoy.Whileattherestaurant,Iwasluckyenough
tomeetJohnBeernaerts,thefascinatingmanwhohadtheNemo��dreamandengineeredtheproject.Johnusedtobeanengineerandonedaydecidedtobeginworkingindependently.HeisnowmanagingNemo��.Sinceformanyyearsdivingwashispassion,hedecidedtointegrateitintohisprofessionallife.HebuiltNemo��,thedeepestpoolintheworldtodate.Contrarytoothersimilarpoolswhicharedugdirectlyintotheground,Nemo��’spool is built from the third floor of the building downwards,whichfromatechnicalperspectiveismuchmorecomplicated.Whenattherestaurant,yousitatadepthof-7metersunderwater.
Afterthemeal,Françoiseinvitedmetogoonanotherdive.Thiswasarealpleasure.NodoubtthatnexttimeIaminbeautifulBrusselsorsurroundings,Iwon’tmissadiveatNemo��.
InadditiontoenjoyingadiveandhavingafantasticmealatNemo��’s,youcantakeanyPADIdivingcourseaswellasgoingtoaquagymor“Livingbetter”courses.
Michel Braunsteinwww.braunstein.co.il
www.nemo33.com
40/45www.uwpmag.com
Alibuagisthelocaltermforunderseafreshwaterspring.Youreadthatright:spurting,icecold,freshwater,underthebrinysea.ThisnaturalphenomenoncanbefoundinanumberofdivesitesaccessedbytheMantangale-AlibuagDiveResort(MADR). Looking like a column of darkoilywaterissuingfromcracksintheseabed,divingthroughoneofthemisanotherworldofexperience.Visiongetsclouded,thesoundisakintothatofbubblesburstingfromabottleofsoda,thefeelisverycold,and the taste is definitely fresh…. OnceIswimthroughandmyvisionreturns,InoticetheexquisitepastelhuesofthesceneryandrealizethatIaminmidstofasoftcoralgarden.Ipeelmyeyesoffthereefscenerytotakeinasmallschoolofbarracudaandashyeagleray.ButbrightspotsofcolorpullmyeyesbackandIseethenudibranchshuddledtogether,makingsurethatthereisanextgeneration.
IhadcometoMADRtogetmy nitrogen fix and get away from thehasslesofcitylife.LocatedonthenorthernshoresoftheMindanaomainland,80kms.fromCagayande
OroCity,Philippines,itisoneofthebestkeptsecretsofPhilippinediving.Withaccesstomorethanadozendivesites,thelocationoffersavarietyofsites/topography,conditionsand critters that I find better than in thewellknowndivelocalesinthecountry.
ThehousereefinBanaug,isalsoknownas“again”reef.Idescendedaheadofmygroup,downthebuoylinetothereeftopat17metersescorted by a squadron of batfish. Shapedlikeanunderwaterpinnaclerisingfromthedepths,thetopwascrowdedwithplatecorals,gorgoniansandblackcoralsandpopulatedbygroupers, snappers, trumpetfish, scorpionfish, and a host of other reef fishes. I watched the rest of the divers comedownthebuoyline,silhouettedbytheblazingsun.Thesoundofapproachingbubbleblowersstirredtheinhabitantstolife.Thentheactivitymeterkickedupanotchwhenthedivemaster started handing out fishy tidbits,eventheeelspokedtheirheadsoutoftheirhidingholestogobbleupscraps.Despiteassociationsofa“housereef”withsomehohumdiving,guestshaverepeatedlyaskedtodive
Mantangale MelangeBy Stan de la Cruz
(Top) Olympus C7070 in PT27,Manual F5.6 1/125 iso80, Inon M67 WAL + dome, Inon D2000 in sttl
(Right) Fuji E900 in ikelite case, Manual F6.4 1/200 iso80, INON M67WAL + dome, Inon D2000 in STTL
thissiteagain,andagain.Sta.IneswreckisthatofaWWII
pontoonboat.Lookinglikearailroadboxcar,itsitsonasteepsandyslopestartingat10metersdownto45meters.Coveredinblackcorals,itservesashometosnappers,grouperand sweetlips. The resident frogfish
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wasaverygirliepinkthatday.Thesurroundingreefhadanabundanceofsoftcoralsandwhipscompletewithgobiesandxenocrabs.Thepreviouslyfishbombed talisayan shoal was abandoned by the fisherfolk and over timehasrecoveredenoughtowarrantadive.Thecoralrubbleismostlyontheslopingsidesoftheshoalwiththetopstrewnbylargebouldersfestoonedwithsoftcoralsandleathercorals.Thefastgrowingspecieofhardcoralsareofagoodsize.Mantisshrimpscurryabouttherocksandtoxicurchinsmarchalongthesand,
manywithColemanshrimpamongsttheirspines.Adensepatchofcoralrubbleservesasplaygroundtosomeskittish mandarinfish.
IhadaverymemorablediveinnearbyLapinigisland.Wedroppeddownto�0meterstopayavisittoastableofshybargibantipygmyseahorses.AfterIhadtakenaboutadozenpictures,theDMtappedmeontheshoulderfrombehind.Iturnedaroundandhewaspointingatadifferentlookingseafan.Takingacloserlook,Isoonspiedtheobjectofhisinterest;afamilyofdenisepygmy
seahorses.GoingbackupthereeftoMandarincity,wesettleddowntowatch the psychedelic colored fishes doingtheirfranticmatingdance.Totaldarknesscamedownalltoosoonandwebroughtoutourlightstocontinuethedive.TheTubastreacupcoralsweresooninfullbloomandotherreefcrittersstartedcomingouttoo. We spotted cuttlefish, anemone crabsfeedingintheslightcurrentand flatheads half buried in the sand. Acrocodilesnakeeelwasholdingmyattentionwhenasignalfromthedivemasterbroughtmetohisside.
Andthereinthehaloofhisdivelightwasamimicoctopus.ItwasenjoyingamealandIblindeditwithmystrobeforagood5minutesbeforeitfoundaholedownwhichitdisappeared.
Thenextdaydawnedbrightandclear.Inthemiddleofbreakfast,thecallgoesoutthatawhalesharkhasenteredanearbybayandthediveboatwasheadingtherein5minutes.AmadscrambleensuesasmyfellowdiversandIabandonourmeal,andheadforthediveshoppetokitup.Inanother5minuteswewereinthewaterfacetofacewithworld’slargest
(Left & centre) Olympus C7070 in PT27, Manual F10 1/800 iso80, inon D2000 in STTL, inon UCL 165 (Right) Fuji E900 in Ikelite case, Manual F6.4 1/640 iso80, INON M67WAL + dome, Inon D2000 in STTL
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fish; Rhincodon typus, known locally as tawiki, or betterknownaswhaleshark.Suchwastheimpactofit’spresencethatsomediversquicklywentthroughtheirairsupplyandhadtosurface,tryingtokeepinsightoftheanimalwhilesnorkelinginfullscubagear!DodongUy,thediveguide,explainedthatthisplaceusedtobethebiggestwhalesharkfishery on the Mindanao mainland, and that it took awhiletoconvincethehunterstostopthispracticeandinstead,reportsightingstothediveshoppewhoseclienteleforkedouta“spottersfee”fortheopportunitytobeinthewaterwithsuchamajesticfish.
We headed out farther afield to the current sweptsitesintheBoholSea.Buriasshoalisaseriesofminiwallsandslopesandisknownasthehauntoftheelusivemantarays.Withthecurrentthreateningtoblowusoffthereef,wemadeourwaydowntheanchorlineto�0meters.Wesaw
aparadeofhorseeyedjacksandblacksnappers,andalargeschoolofdrumsgoingupanddownthewatercolumn,butalas,nomantastoday.Disappointed,theotherdiversmadetheirwaybacktoboat.Ilingeredon,hopingthatthedivinggodswould bless me with a manta fly-by. Instead, the currentpickedmeupandbroughtmebacktotheanchorpoint.IgrabbedholdoftheropeandstartedtoheadbacktotheboatwhenInoticedmovementneartherockswheretheanchorwaslodged.OnacloserlookIspottedanormallyshyzebramoraysnappingitsjawsinprotestatmyintrusion.IsurfacedtotheraresightofCamiguinislandandMt.Hibuk-hibukwithoutacloudcover;anddespitecommentsfromtherestofthegroupthatIwastheanti-manta,Ifeltthatthegodshadnotwhollyabandonedme.
CabuanisonthesouthsideofCamiguinisland.Amoderateslopealwaysawashincurrents,
itfeaturesbouldersstrewnaboutbysomelongagoupheaval,nowcoveredinsoftcoralandgreengorgoniantrees.Thatdaywehad90+feetofvisibilityandalightcurrenttopushusalong.Schooling bannerfish and Moorish idols were all around, Cuttlefish were in every other coral head, and we spotted an anglerfish in hiding behind some platecoral.IntheshallowsIspottedagobysizedholethatwasemitingadarkcloudofveryhotwater,remindingmeofthevolcanicnatureoftheisland.
Headingbackinthegeneraldirectionoftheresort,wesawapodofdolphinsheadingawayfromus.Ourboatmadeasweepingturnandweweresoonparalleltothepod.Thedolphinsseemedtobeinahurrytogetsomewhereanddidnotlingertoplayandweresoonoutofsight.
LaststopofthedaywasinSipacapoint,Mantangale’s claim to muck diving (minus the
Olympus C5060 in PT 20, Manual F6.4 1/250 isp80, Inon D2000 in STTL
Olympus C7070 in PT 27, Manual F6.4 1/100 iso80, Epoque WAL, Inon D2000 in STTL
Olympus C5060 in PT20, Aperture priority F5.6, Iso 100, manual white balance
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mud). Nudibranchs, anglers, whip gobiesandwhipshrimpswereseeminglyeverywhereonelooked.Titan triggerfish regularly patrolled thewatersandtheendemicmushroomcoraleelwerealsospotted.IspiedagiantanglerandIpositionedmyselftotakeaniceportraitwhenitopeneditsmouthtoyawn!Igotoffoneshotandthenspenttherestofthedivewaitingforittomoveagain….Whentheneedleonmypressuregaugewentintothered,Ireluctantlyheadedforthesurfacewheretheboatwaswaitingtopickmeup.
Anotherblazingsunsetendedaperfectdayofdiving.Likeaconjurerpullingonetreatafteranotherfromhishat,Mantangalehadgivenmeagloriousweekendbreak.
WhenIawokenextmorning,therainwasfalling.
Ifyouareeverinthispartofthe
2 views of Camiguin island
world,IencourageyoutotakeapeekbeneaththewavesofMantangale.
Stan de la [email protected]
www.mantangale.com
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.
40/49www.uwpmag.com
Whalesandwhalesharks.Mobulasandmantas.Bottlenoseandhumpbackdolphins.Bullandgreatwhitesharks.They’reallherewaitingforya.Thepotentialoftheplacereallysinksinfromatoparolling,sandyhillneartheMozambiquecoast.
Lookinland.IttakesbutoneeveningwatchingasunsetfromhighatopanancientduneoverlookingbroadplainsoftreesandrollinghillswithnotatelephoneorpowerpoleinsightandonlytwotrackroadsmeanderingoffinthedistancetorealizeMozambiqueissomeplacespecial.Perhapsitisasclosetothe“real”Africaoneexpects.Looktowardthesea.Thesoundofcrashingsurfandrollingseasstretchoutacrossthehorizon.Thebeachesareendlessandthere’snooneonthembutseaturtles.
ImmediatelycrossingtheborderthechangefromSouthAfricato“Moz”isastonishinglyapparent.SituatedonthenorthernborderofSouthAfricaandalongsidetheIndianOcean,Mozambiqueisacountrythatboastsrichdiving.DiverscanspendafewdaysinnearbySouthAfricainthefamousKrugerNationalParkhuntingbiggamewithacameraandthengo
Adventure MozambiqueStory and Photos By Tim Rock
fortheundersealifeaswell.JustleavetheCrocodileBridgegateanddrivetowardMaputo.
There’samostlyonelaneblacktopthatcarriesdiversnorthofMaputotothehotspotofTofoBay.Mozambiqueisknownasayearrounddivingdestination.ThebestmonthstodivealongthiscoastlineareMaytoJuly,duemainlytomoremoderatetemperatures.
History
HumanoidshavebeenaroundMozambiqueforover2millionyears,andHomosapienshavebeensettlingtheareaforatleast100,000years.Startingaround2000yearsago,Bantupeoples (named for their language group) began migrating into the area, bringingirontoolsandweaponswiththem. Toward the end of the first millennium,severaltownsalongtheMozambicancoastgrewintoBantutradingportswithlinkstootherpartsofAfrica,theMiddleEastandIndia.The Arab influence in these ports was strong,andSwahiliwasthelinguafrancaoftrade.
Thecountrywasnotalways
Above: Yoko Higashide snorkels with a youth male whale shark off Tofo.
Right: A giant potato cod fills a crevice at Manta Reef.
Tim Rock uses Nikon D200 cameras and primarily the Tokina 10-17mm zoom lens in Aquatica housings. Ikelite strobes and TLC arms are part of the kit as well.
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accessible and hospitable. A recent long, horrific civilwarhasscarredthecountry,shattereditsinfrastructureandleftamillionlandminesscatteredaboutthecountryside.Muchofitswildlife,includingbiggamesuchaselephantsandrhinos,wasdecimatedbywar,andmuchofitscoastlinehasbeen ravaged by cyclones. Droughts and floods take turnsrubbingsaltinMozambique’swounds.
ButitseemsMozambicansarearesilientbunch.Theyhavebegunputtingthepastbehindthemandhavebegunrebuildingtheircountryataremarkablepace.
Mozambiqueisfastreclaimingitsformerstatusasprimeseasidedestination.Mozambiqueisasomewhatreasonablypriceddestination.VerycomfortabledivetravelisavailableforUS$150adayorless.
Mostdivesaredonefrom8m-rubberinflatable boats powered by 2x85hp+ motors. Dives sitesvaryconsiderablyfromapprox.7mdowntoacurrent-swept�5mplus.
Inhambane & Tofo
Diversheadnorthupthecoastalhighwaytothevariousvenuesalongtheexpansivecoast.GettingthereistrulypartofanamazingjourneythroughMozambicanlife.Peoplecentermuchoftheirlivesandactivitiesalongthemainroads.Kidsswimmingnakedinswimmingholes,womenwithimmensebundlesofwoodatoptheirheads,menshooingcattledownthesandypathareallimagesgatheredwhilecareeningdowntheoftpotholedtwo-laneblacktopthatwindsnorthtothefamousbeachesandreefs.Aboyhawksasmallparrotinahandmadewirechange.Younggirlswithbasketsofredberriestrytoattractpassingbuyers.Buseswithmassivelistsandacrushingloadshuffdownthehighways.Pickuptaxisbrimtocapacitywithpeople.
MozambiquehasbecometheescapeofchoicefornortherndwellingSouthAfricandivers.Manymakeweekenddrivesinto“Moz”toenjoythe
beachesandreefs.Abouteighttotentotwelvehoursdriveupthe
two-lane (sometimes pocked) blacktop is a jutting peninsula. It can now divers can fly on small turbo-propplanes.Baggagecanbeabitlimitedbutitisfastandlessbone-jarring.Intwohoursyou’retherefromJohannesberg.
ThenewesthotspotisTofoBay.Protectedandscenic,thisbayholdssomenicelodgesandmotels.TheCasaBarryLodgeisthehomeoftheTheMantaRay&WhaleSharkResearchCentre,smallscienceoutpostwithabigjoboftryingtosurveyandprotectthearea’smainattractions.Youcanhearwhalesharkandmantalecturesatthelodgetwice-a-week.TofoScubaisthemaindiveoperationhere.It’saPADI5-Starwithallkindsoftrainingavailable.LongtimeMozdiverJohnPearsruns the place and is still finding new dive sites alongthecoast.
The rich mangroves of the Inhambane Peninsula. Fishermen watch from their tiny boat as a humpback whale sounds
Divers from the Manta Research Center head out into Tofo Bay.
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Manta Reef
ThepremiersiteoftheInhambanecoastalpeninsulaiswithoutadoubtthemassivemantacleaningstation.MantaReef,asitiscleverlycalled,startsinabout20mofwateralongthetopofarockyandcraggyridge.
Diversarealwaysonthelookoutheadingforthesite.Whalesharksfeedalongthecoastandseasonalhumpbackwhalesbreachandplayamazinglyclosetoshore.SometimestheyevencomerightintotheshallowTofoBay.Weslippedintothewaterwithapodofbottlenosedolphinsandthepodplaydwithusforawhilebeforemovingontobetterthings.Weweretoldweweresnorkelinginthesameplaceadiverhadseenagreatwhitesharktheyearbefore!
TheMantaReefreeftopisfeaturelessalthoughtherearesomecracksandcrevices.Its
fullofmanyseaanemonesinamazingnumbers.Softleathercoralsalsothrivehereandstubbybutbrilliant red soft corals feed in the constant flow. Theattractionisnotonlythemantasbutalsotheholes,valleysandcracksthatrunalongeithersideofaridgebottomingoutat27montheshorewardsideand�1montheseawardside.Hereschoolsofstripedsnappercongregateinlargenumbersalongwithshoalsofbigeyesandlotsofredfangtriggerfish.
Thecleaningstationsherearealsotheplacetoseelargeandsomewhatdocilepotatocod.
Butthereefgotitsnameforthemantasandtheyaretherefeedinginthecurrentandswoopinginforcleaning.AccordingtoresidentmarinebiologistAndreaMarshall,thisrelativelyunexploredsectionoftheMozambicancoastlineboastswhatappearstobeoneofthelargestmoststablepopulationsofmantasintheworld.Shehas
seenupwardsof�0mantasonasingledivebeingcleanedatthevariouscleaningstations.Shefeelsover400mantasactuallyliveandthriveinthearea.HeryearsofresearchattheCentreleadshertobelievetheconsistencyofthenumbersofmantasonthesecoastalreefsisunparalleled.MantaReefisconsistentlybeingusedbymantasthroughouttheyear.
Thereareactuallythreemaincleaningstationsthatthemantasvisit.Andthesemantasaregenerallyhuge.Thebiggestaremostlyfemales.Mantascanbeseeninnumbersofupto�0raysat a time. They circle a reef flat area looking for a quickcleanfromawrasseandcangetquiteclosetodiversifonesaysstillanddoesn’tchasethem.Thelargestraymayexceed7macross.
Andoneoddthingaboutthispopulationiswellover70%ofthemantashavesomesortofsharkbite.Somehavehugecrescentstakenfrom
Top left and center: Snorkeler Yoko Higashide cavorts with bottlenose dolphins and a young whale shark. Right: A large manta hovers over the cleaning station.
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theirwingsandrearareas.Othersareevenmissingamandible.Manyhavenotails.Inall,itistoughtobeamantainthesewaters.Andeventhoughlargesharksarerarelyseenonthisreef,theyareevidentlyhere.Notonlyarethemantasatestamenttotheirpresence,butbaitballsoftenboilinthewateronlyto dissipate in a flurry of writhing fins and tails at thesurfaceoftheTofosea.Sothesharksarehere.Zambezis (bull), tigers and even great white have beenreportedinthearea.
Diverscanalsolookformobulas,eagleraysandtheoccasionalreefsharktocruiseby.Sometimesthetoylikemobulascomeintocleanwiththegiantmantas.Andmarbleraysandguitarfish can be seen in the sandy flats off the reefinthesandorundercrevices.Seaturtleslikeloggerheadsandevenleatherbacksarehereaswellaslotsofothertropicalsandthecollectionofgoldies (anthias) is amazingly colorful and active.
Ascendthebuoylineanddecompressinopenoceankeepinganeyeoutforwhalesharksastheylikeithereandaresometimesseenfeedingoverthisreef.
Thisisoneofthosediveswherethediverwishedheorshecouldstayallday.Evenasweascended, the batfish patrol reappeared and then six giantraysmovedacrossthereefdirectlybelowus.Fewdiveshavetheconsistentelectricityandvarietythisplacehasandevenfewercanpackageitallinonesubmersion.Thislittlespotoffthecontinentalshelfisatrulysuperbsitebyanyandallstandards.
Asifthemantasaren’tenough,oneofthemanygreatattractionsinMozambiquewatersisthechancetoseeanddiveorsnorkelwithawhaleshark,Rhincodontypus.ThefocalpointofthisendeavoristheareasouthofTofoBaybuttheycancruisetheshallownortherncoastaswell.Thesharksherearefeedinghappilyonanabundanceof
planktoninthewater.Encountersofuptotenwhalesharksofallsizeshavebeenreportedinatwo-hourspan.Thisrelativelyshallowexpanseisonly5-�0mdeep.
Forbestresults,snorkelwiththesharkanddon’t touch the big fish. Some get spooked and dive downawayfromsnorkelersbutothersgetcuriousandactuallyseemtowanttoplay,slowingtoswimwiththesnorkelers.Eventhoughthemseemtobebarelymoving,whalesharksarecruisingataprettybriskclip.Watchthegracefulmotionofthelargestfish as it seines food. When the whale shark does decidetoleavethepresenceofitsshort-termguests,itmaydoesanalmostballeticmove,twistingtailandbodyandshowingoffitswhiteundersideasitcareensdownwardintotheabyss.Theraysofthesun reflect in shafts through the water and make the departureofthesharkandamazingsighttosee.
More TofoBeachyandlaidback,thistipofthe
peninsulaisblessedwithaneasternsunriseandawesternsunsetoverthemangroves.Watersareplanktonrichandfeaturewhalesharksinseasonand plenty of game fish and sea life. It isn’t a luxuriousplacetostayandpushingtheboatintothesurfeverydaycanbearealchore,butrewardsareworth the efforts. This is the ocean at its finest. Wild Tofo.
Thereisalsoanothermantacleaningspotcalled The Office. On one dive we saw twin leopard morayeels,amantawithwhitewingtipsandsmallvalleysandgorgeswithlotsofsealife.Anemonescolonieswereencasedinsoftbristlecorals.Therewere Goldies, triggerfish and lots going on. When
A resident school of batfish hang in th current in the waters above Manta Reef.
A beach launch is a daily chore along the sandy coastline here.
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wesurfaced,ahugeleatherbackturtlewassunningitselfclosetoourRIB.
AlsonicearetheshallowreefsjustoutfromCasaBarryLodge.Thereareverygoodsitesforsmallfish life and juvenile fish. Linkia starfish releasing, dragonets, many nudibranchs, oyster, crocodilefish, greenmantisshrimp,glassysweepinghugenumberswithbabybarracuda.
Moreandmoreofthecoastisbeingexploredandthewealthofbigmarinelifehereisjustbeginningtobefullyappreciated.Frommigratingwhalestowhalesharkstooneoftheworld’smostincrediblemantaarraypopulations,thispieceoftheAfrican
coastdelivers.Itisadiver’sdreamvacationandaspecialpartoftheworld.
Tim Rockwww.doubleblue.com
The Manta Ray & Whale Shark Trust is a non-profit organisation formed in 2004 to encourage and facilitate research, conservation and education on manta rays and whale sharks in southern Africa. As a result of hunting and war, large land animals are scarce in Mozambique. This costs the country millions in lost tourism revenue each year as it is bypassed by the ‘safari circuit’. However, marine life in the country is outstanding.
Mozambique may have the largest populations of mantas and whale sharks in the world, presenting a major addition to ecotourism in southern Africa and a point of difference for Mozambique itself.
These massive fish are now the focus of a burgeoning tourism industry in the south of the country, providing much-needed employment in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The Manta Ray & Whale Shark Trust is now conducting world-leading research in Mozambique on the ecology and conservation of mantas and whale sharks.
To learn more about the work of Drs. Andrea Marshall (left), Simon Pierce (centre) and locally born boat driver Gulamo Mamudo Ismael (right) go to:
http://mozmarinescience.googlepages.com
The coastal dunes and broad beaches are excellent places to watch the sun rise
Linda Pitkin went as an invitee on the jury to an annual underwater photography competition in the Canary Islands. The 11th Open International Fotosub Isla de El Hierro was held from 22-28 October, 2007. Here Linda recounts her impressions of an eventful and very enjoyable week.
Thehornsoundsat9a.m.andtheraceison.A fleet of RIBS speeds out of La Restinga harbour, jostlingforpositionastheycarrythecompetitorstotheirallotteddivesites,eachteamkeyedupforthestressfultaskofmakingthebestpossiblephotosin�0minutesunderwater.Thethreedaysofcompetitionofthe11thOpenInternationalFotosubIsladeElHierrohavestartednowinearnest.
ThisFotosubisaprestigiousannualeventwithbigmoneyprizes,andthisOctoberitattracted22underwaterphotographerswiththeirmodelsorassistants,mainlyfromSpainandtheCanaryIslandsandafewfromGermanyandFrance.Asfatewillhaveit,somethingisboundtogowrongforsomebodywhenitreallycounts,andGermanphotographer Andreas Koffka had a disastrous first divewhenhismemorycardpersistedingivinganerrormessagedespitehimsurfacingtwice,gettingbackontheRIB,andopeningthecamerahousingtotry and fix the problem.
ItisincidentslikethisthatmademegladIwasonthejury,andourboatlefthalfanhourlaterforustoenjoyarelaxeddivewithnopressureonusotherthanthewaterykind.Fineweathermeantthatwedidnothavetocontendwiththeroughseas
thatmadethecompetitionmorechallengingthepreviousyear.
It was my first visit to the Canary Islands and, after 28 years of diving, my first experience of somethinginbetweenBritainandthetropics,andIwaspleasantlysurprised.Firstly,asIhitthewater,it was a relief to find I could manage OK in the stillwarmseasonwithmyonepiece5mmwetsuit,plushood,andIdidn’tregretthatI’dbeenunabletosqueezethesecondpiece,mytopjacket,intomybulgingluggage.Then,thewaterclaritywas
impressive,20metresormorevisibility,andthemarinelifewasfascinatingasitwasallnewtome.Icouldseeplentyofscopeforthephotographersinthecompetition,withstrikingvolcanicsceneryall around and a good diversity of fish and other animalsincludinganabundanceofsomeofatropical nature, such as parrotfish, trumpetfish and filefish. El Hierro has a richer fauna because it is the mostsoutherlyoftheCanaryIslandswithslightlywarmerwatersthantheothers.HelpingtopreservethecoastalareaaroundLaRestinga,atthesouthern
Open Fotosub El Hierro 2007
1st Prize went to Arturo Telle and Teresa Rodriguez
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endoftheisland,isamarinereservewhere there are restrictions on fishing anddivingismainlylimitedtositesmarkedbybuoys.
NotmuchEnglishisspokenontheislandand,strugglingtorecallanyofmyrustySpanishpickedupduringfieldwork in Costa Rica 11 years ago, I was glad that the dive briefings just beforewedroppedinofftheboatwerebrief.ForBrianandIitwasacaseofsuckitandsee.OnonediveIfollowedBriantoasmallpinnacleatabouttenmetres,butIknewwemustbeinthewrongplace.Straining
myeyesfaroutintothehazyblue,Icaughtaglimpseofbubbles,andheadingacrossastretchofopenwaterweeventuallyfoundourgroupdivingaroundamassivelytallpinnaclethatdroppedtothesandat40metres.Ienjoyedallthediveswedid,especiallyElBajonandElDesierto.Pelagic fishes swirl around the sheer current-scouredfacesofElBajon,andseverallargegrouperstoo,butmyfavouritegrouperhadtobedocileandphotographer-friendlyPancho,theresort’s40kgmascotthatlivesatElDesiertoamongtherocks�0metres
orsodown.Thereiscurrentlyamovetosavehimfromthethreatofbeingfished, so that he can enjoy the full 50 yearssuchagroupermightliveto.
Thecompetitorsdivedtwiceadayandsubmittedtwophotographsto be judged each of the first two days,plustwoextraonthethirdday,thattheyhadtakenonanyofthethreedays.Thestandardwasveryimpressiveandapleasureforusinthejurytosee,butquitehardworktomaketheall-importantdecisionsinthescoring,especiallyonthelastdaywhenwehadtogothroughallthe17�pictures to make the final selection ofthetoptenteams,bestwideangleandmacro,bestmodel,photomostrepresentativeofElHierro,andourfavouritephotoofaCanaryIslandsparrotfish. This fish is the emblem oftheeventandsomethingofalocalspecialitynotjustinthewaterbutratherdisconcertinglyontherestaurantmenustoo.Itdoesseemjustalittleabitunfairtospendthedive establishing a rapport with a fish andthengoandeatitfordinner!
ThejurywasmadeupofthreefromSpainandtheCanaryIslands,plustheHungarianunderwaterphotographerTiborDombavani,andmyself,makingforaninternationalmix.AftermuchdeliberationwewerehappytopickastheoverallwinnerArturoTellefromGranCanariawithhismodelTeresaRodriguez.
Best macro (close-up): Jesus Villalba
Best wide angle: Carlos Villoch & Maite Uribarri
Arturo’scollectionofeightimageswasspectacular.SecondplacewenttoDavidBarrioandLuisaQuintanilla,andthirdtoJulioDÌazandEstherTorrent.
TheorganizationoftheFotosubwasexcellentandacredittothetirelesseffortsandattentiontoeverydetail of Carlos Minguell (three timesworldchampionofunderwaterphotography) and his team of helpers. Thescaleoftheeventwasamazinginthe small, quiet, fishing village of La Restinga.ElHierroisthesmallestandleasttouristyoftheCanaryIslands,andtheFotosubistheeventoftheyearforlocalpeopletoo,youngandold.Theenormousmarqueeerectedontheharboursidetostagetheshowswas full to overflowing on the night of theawards,whenwewereentertainedbyanamusingandcleverlyputtogether film of the competition, and a terrific instrumental band including a brilliant timple player (a characteristic Canary Islands instrument). In the main street of La Restinga a fiesta continuedthroughthenight,andaswepreparedtoleaveforourearlymorning flight home, the young locals werestilldancingtothethrobofthedisco.
Linda Pitkinwww.lindapitkin.net
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“Gelatinous bonanza” for the deep ocean beasts by Mario Lebrato
Whenwe“humananimals”feelhungry,ashop next to our home may fulfill our necessities, whilethecreaturesthatlivethousandsofmetersdeepintheoceansneedtopatientlywaitfortheir“meal”tojustarrivetothem.Lifeformsinthesurfacewatersoftheoceanslowlysinkoncedead,disappearingandbecomingpartofthemysteriousandunexploredabyssaldepthsbelowwherenolightfromthesuncanreach.Thankstotheadvancesintechnology,scientistscannowobservethemighstiestcornersoftheoceanwiththeaidofROVs (submarines), or Remote Operated Vehicles, inrealtime,thuschallenginganddescribingthefaitofanimalsthatwhereonceinthesurface,butarenowdeepintoan“oceanofmystery”.Theseincrediblepiecesofgearallowawiderangeoffunctionsandsamplingpossibilities,withseveralcamerasandcontrolledarmsthatcangrab,twist,orsuckalmostanytypeofsample.
Atpresentseveralresearchlinesaredelvinginto the knowledge of what happens to jellyfish-like
(Top) ROV Isis in the National Oceanography Centre. A similar one was used in the Ivory Coast study.
(Left) Pyrosoma moribund corpses at 1251 meters, with a sea star Solaster sp. feeding.(Right) Angular Roughshark Oxynotus centrina near the pipelines. Probably they will scavenge or predate on other animals and not directly on Pyrosoma corpses.
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creaturesoncetheydieandsinktothebottomoftheocean. A creature scientifically named as Pyrosoma sp., which forms part of the floating life in the surface waters (or plankton) is a close “relative” to jellyfish, gelatinous creatures by nature that form massiveswarmsattheveryoceansurface.OncePyrosomadie,theirmoribundbodiessinkdowntodeepwatersinmassasitcanbeseenintheimage,whereanincrediblenumberofcreaturesfeastonthis“bonanza”indirectly“manufactured”bytheactionofthesun.ThisissobecausePyrosomafeeds on floating algae commonly known as phytoplankton,whichcarryoutphotosynthesis,takingadvantageofthewell-litsurfacewatersoftheocean.
Thestudywascarriedoutin200�offWestAfricainIvoryCoast,aspartoftheSERPENT
Projectincollaborationwiththeoilindustry.ROVvideoswereretrievedfromsurfacewatersdowntomorethan1000metersalongoilpipelines,andthisenabledthepossibilityofstudyingthefateofPyrosomaoncetheydieandbecameavailableforthe creatures down to 1000 meters. These findings addnewandintriguingdataintothefoodresourcesavailablefordeepoceananimalsthatwereoncebelievedtobeonlyderivedfromphytoplanktonicproduction.Arecentstudyin200�byDavidBillettandcolleaguesintheArabianSeadescribedfor the first time the fate of jellyfish creature’s massdepositioninthedeepocean,butdirectfeedingobservationssuchastheonesprovidedinourrecentstudyareextremelyrare.Thisstudyshowshowimportantepisodicfoodeventsmaybeinmaintainingecosystemfunctionalityand
Anemone, probably Actinostola sp. feeding in the middle of a patch of Pyrosoma accumulated in the continental slope channel.
Ophiuroids feeding on the sandy bottom.
ecologicaldiversity.Thisworkisnotonlyattractivefrom a scientific point of view, but also from a photographicperspective,sincenewbehaviorsandcurious“animals”canbeframed.Bringingimagestothesurfacefrommorethan1000metersisachallengingbusinessandthequalityisnotasgoodasconventionalunderwaterphotography.Theimagesareratherquantitativethanqualitative,andtheyrelyontheiruniquenesseveniftheyarepoorintermsofartisticcomposition.ROVimageryisprovingasapowerfultoolinscience,andIthinkit not only needs to be used to drive scientific initiatives,butalsothepublicneedstogetsomekindofvisualaccesstoexperiencewhatisgoingonintheabyss.
The science behind the images
Population explosions of jellyfish and other zooplanktonicgelatinousorganismsarecommonintheoceans,affectingshallowecosystemsprocessesanddynamics.Theirproductioninmasshasbeenknowntopotentiallyaffectthetransfer of organic matter (carbon) to the deep sea benthos,thusprovidingadditionalresourcestoanalready “low food” environment (as the deep sea is sometimes described). Organic carbon can enter thedeepseaecosystemassmalldetritalparticles,episodicdeliveriesoflargeorganicparcelssuchaslargeanimalcarcasses,activelyswimming/deadzooplankton,turbiditycurrents,andmacrophytedetritus (as described by Rowe, 1981). The relative importanceoftheseorganiccarbonpathwaysiswidelyrecognizedtovarybetweenhabitatanddistancefromtheneriticwaters,althoughpracticalquantification remains still in its infancy (after Gage and Tyler, 1991). The present use of ROVs
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ofIvoryCoastdowntotheabyssaldepths.Thiscertainly influences the community distribution anddiversityaddingnewinsightsandcontroversyintothechangesindiversitywithdepth,whichisnotonlyafunctionofthe“pressure”butmayalsocovariatewithorganicmatteravailabilityandotherenvironmentalfactors.
Implications for the futureGoingbeyondpureobservationalandrationale
interpretations,itisknownthatclimatechangewillaffect the distribution and abundance of jellyfish-likecreatureswithatendencytooverpopulation.This certainly will lead to changes in the flow of foodtheyprovidethatsinksdirectlytothebenthicinhabitants.Itisknownthatlargepatchesoforganicmaterialcancauseanoxiaduetooxygenconsumption/exhaustion,andthatexcessesinfoodinputsleadtoareductionindiversityandatendencytowardsopportunisticbehaviour.Inthissubtleway,ecosystemdynamicsarebelievedtobealteredasaconsequenceofglobalchanges,withmajorimplicationsintherelationshipsbetweentrophiclevels.Wearestilldiscoveringhowdeepseaanimalsgettheirfoodsupplies,andwearestillkeen on finding out what global changes may bring totheirlife-stylesandecology.Somepeoplethinkeverythingwouldchange,othersbelieveingeneticadaptationsandfastevolutionatthegeneticleveltowardsadaptivestrategies.Personally,Ibelievethat species-specific and ecosystem-specific effects willbetherealityinthefuture,sincedifferentlifestrategiesandhistoriesmayleadtodifferentwaysofcopingwiththesamepressures.Weasindividualsmaybeabletodosomethingfromoursides,our“littlebit”inallofthosedailyactivities
Inside Isis ROV control box.
thataddedgloballymakeupthebigone.Evenifweknowthatourprimaryactionswillnotbemanifestedinrealtimeinsomethingthatistangibleforus,our“materialisticnature”mayatleastfeelabitofreliefinknowingthat“itwasourintention”todosomething.
Mario Lebrato National Oceanography Centre,
University of Southampton, [email protected]
Thanks to the SERPENT project for providing the opportunity to get these images, the oil companies involved, the Baobab Oil Field in Ivory Coast, and
CNR international, Sonsub, and the DP Reel vessel, which did the survey.
will certainly facilitate the quantification of these episodicevents,whichareknowtoactas“historicalvectors”offooddowntothedeepocean.
PopulationsofPyrosoma,whichareknownassalps,feedonphytoplanktonatthesurfacewaters,andcollapseonceparticleconcentrationsexceedanapproximatethresholdof1mgChl.am-3 (as defined by Perissinotto and Pakhomov, 1998). This is related to the inability of salps to regulate their filtration rate, and avoid clogging ofthefeedingapparatus.TheuseofChl.amapsinthisstudyenabledtomonitoratalocalandregionalscalethephytoplanktonconcentrationsinthemonthspriortotheobservationofPyrosomaatthebottom,thusrelatingtheirbenthicavailabilitywiththeproductioninthesurface.Passivesinkingofthebodiescoupledwithdepositionattheseabedandsubsequenttransferbyturbiditycurrents,canyonsandchannelsmayexplaintheirappearanceinthedeepseabenthicenvironment.The“patchy”natureofthedepositionalongwithitsspatiotemporalheterogeneitymaycreatehotspotsoforganicmaterialfromthecontinentalshelf
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Book Reviews
H20By Howard Schatz
‘H20’isanextraordinaryvisualfeastofimagestakenbythisNewYorkphotographerandcompiledintoabeautifullyprinted180page14”x10.5”coffeetablebook.
Theimagesareinthemaintakenunderwaterinapoolwithpreciselycontrolledlightingandphysicallyarticulatemodelstoproduceimagesofgreatbeauty,richnessandcomplicatedsimplicity.
InastrangesortofawayitisoftenwhatisleftoutthatcancontributesomuchtoanimageandIbegantorealisethatmostofmyfavouriteonesinthisbookwerethosewherethereseemedtobenowater!Thebackgroundwasjetblackandthemodelweightlesslysuspended,adornedbydiffused,pastelchiffon.Acombinationofgreatelegance.
TheintroductionbyOwenEdwardsispreciselyinformativeandprovidesanexperiencedinsightintothephotographerandhiswifeandbusinesspartnerBeverlyJ.Ornstein.Togethertheyhaveworkedwiththemedium, used its reflections and lit its depthstogreateffectinwhatare,forthemostpart,personalprojects.The
CirqueduSoleilsection,however,wasacommercialassignmentwhichcombineseverythingmagicalaboutthetroupethemselvesandSchatz’sphotographictalentandformethiswasthehighlightofthebook.
Theteamworkrequiredisreflected in the Acknowledgements sectionandgoestoprovethatbeautifulsimplicitytakesmanytalentstopullitoff.Waterhasneverlookedsogood.
H20 is published by Bullfinch Pressandcosts$�0.
www.howardschatz.com
American WatersBy Alex Kirkbride
IwasverypleasedtolearnthatAlexhadbeenbroughtupinEnglandwhere,Ihavenodoubt,Englisheccentricitymusthaverubbedoffonhimandtoproveit,Iofferyouthisbook.
‘AmericanWaters’worksonsomanylevelsgluedtogetherbywater.Partroadtripandpartdivetripyetaverypersonalandattimessplendidlysilly(cows from their water tank, New York cabs from a blocked drain?!) journey.
ThebasicpremisewastovisiteveryUSstateandreportphotographicallyonthenation’swaterbothsaltandfresh.Thiswasachievedovera�yearperiodcovering50statesbasedinaclassicallyAmericanAirstreammotorhomepulledbyequallyAmericanSUV.Thecombowas55feetlong!
Manywellthoughtoutprojectsdon’tachievetheirgoalbutthisonekeepsontrackandproducesarangeofimageswhicharebothstraightforward and surreal (a
cranberry bog?!). On the way we learn ofthepeopleandtheirlandscapes,seenaturalandunnaturalsubjectsandallphotographedfromawateryperspective.
Theresultisabookwhichisfarfromordinaryandtheauthorhasgonethatextramiletocapturetheextraordinaryinagloriouslyinformativeway.
‘AmericanWaters’ispublishedbyDavidandCharles.
www.alexkirkbride.comwww.davidandcharles.co.uk
Peter [email protected]
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New Yap Book by Tim Rock
TimRockishappytoannounceanewhardcoverbookhighlightingtheculture,beautyandnatureofYapinMicronesia.Thisfullcolorbookcontainsover�00photographsofthepeople,culture,natureandmarineworldofYapinMicronesia.
Award-winningphotojournalistTimhascompiledsomeofthemoststunningimagesevertakenonYaptocreateabeautifulhardcovervolume.Amustforislandlovers,diversandtravelbuffs.
Large Format Landscape 13x11 inches (33x28 cm) 192 pages.Youcanbuyitat:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/143868
Oneglitch...asofnow,thispublishingcompanyusesSwissPostandUPS.UPSisveryexpensivesoitmaybecheaperforthoseoutsideoftheUStosendthebooktoafriendintheUSusingUPSgroundandhavethefriendforwardthebookusingtheregularmail.
A Divers Guide to the Art of Underwater Photography is now available worldwide!
Eighthighlyenjoyablechaptersaboutmotivation,equipment,technique,mindframe,philosophy, artistic influences, cameras,housings,strobes,macro,wide-angle,portraits,topsidesurfaceintervalphotographyandmany,manyothersubjects.It’sabigbook-high-qualitypaperback,��0pages,�00+largephotos,25cmx22,5cm,printedonglossyheavypaper.
Illustratedwithaspectacularselectionofsomeofourbestshotsplusimagecontributionsbysomeoftheworld’sbestprofessionalandamateurunderwaterphotographers-includingDougPerrine,TonyWu,CharlesHood,JohnScarlett,AlexMustard,EricCheng,StephenWong,TakakoUno,AlbertoLucaRecchi,FionaAyerstandmany,manyothers.ADiver’sGuidetotheArtofUnderwaterPhotographystrivestobecompletelydifferentfromallotherguidescurrentlyonthemarket-notonlyitisproducedonheavyglossypaperbythehighestcolorseparationandprintingstandardstocoffee-tabletop-levelquality,italso
featuresscoresofselectspectacularimagesbysomeoftheworld’smostinfluential professionals but also by manyextraordinarilygiftedamateursfromallovertheworld,reinforcingthebasicthemunderlyingitall:thattakinggreatunderwaterimageshaslesstodowithcameramodelsortechnicaltrickerythanwiththe“artofseeing”andthewillingnesstoreactoninstinct,recognizingbeautywhenitappearsinfrontofus.Itstrivestoteachhowtouseone’sowneyes.Eachphotograph-allthreehundredofthem!-isextensivelycaptionedillustratingtechnique,equipmentused,location,creativechoices and final results.
Availablefromselectretailshops,
www.nhbs.com
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Guidelines for contributorsTheresponsetoUwPhasbeennothingshortoffantastic.Wearelookingforinteresting,wellillustratedarticlesaboutunderwater
photography.Wearelookingforworkfromexistingnamesbutwouldalsoliketodiscoversomeofthenewtalentoutthereandthatcouldbe you! UwP is the perfect pubication for you to increase your profile in the underwater photography community.
The type of articles we’re looking for fall into five main categories:
Uw photo techniques-Balancedlight,composition,etcLocations-Photofriendlydivesites,countriesorliveaboards
Subjects- AnythingfromwhalesharkstonudibranchsinfulldetailEquipment reviews-DetailedappraisalsofthelatestequipmentPersonalities -Interviews/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. This should result in images no larger than about 120kwhichcanbetransmittedquickly.Ifwewantlargersizeswewillcontactyou.�.Captions-Each and every image MUST have full photographic details including camera, housing, lens, lighting, film, aperture, shutterspeedandexposuremode.Thesemustalsobecopiedandpastedintothebodyoftheemail.
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Parting Shot 1Thepikeimagenearlydidn’tmakeitinto
binaryformat.IhadgonetotheWildfowlandWetlandscentrenearArundelhopingtoshootmoresplitlevelduckimages,butthebirdswerejustnotinterestedinposingforthecameraandnothingavian-focusedwasworking.Idecidedtotakeabreakfromourfeatheredfriendsandwalkedtoanearbystream.ThestreamdrainedfromanearbymillpondintoatidalsectionofthenearbyriverArun..ThesouthofEnglandisdominatedbychalkhills which soak up the (copious quantities!) of rain, filter the sediment and then rise as crystal clearspringsatthefootofthehills.Whatmadethestreamajoyforunderwaterphotographyistheclarityofwater.
AnywalkwearingadrysuitandcarryingahousingsoonbecomesatrekandbythetimeIreachedthestreamIwishedIhadtakenupcrossstitchorchessasahobby.Isatonthebanktocooldown.Apikewastwistingitswayupanddownoneof the weed lined channels. As I watched the fish a fewnegativethoughtswanderedintomyhead.Whybother? The pike will bugger off the moment it sees youleavethebank.Allthiseffortandthepikewillbejustasfrustratingasthebirds.AttimeslikethisIbanishthesethoughtswithsimplephrase.“Ifyoudon’tgetinthewater,youwon’tgetlucky”.And“themoretimesIgetintothewater,theluckierIseemtoget!”
Iclambereddownthebank,pulledonmymaskand fins and slipped quietly into the water. I’m not surewhowassurprisedmost-meorthepike.Wecamefacetofaceinthestreamandtomysurprise
the fish didn’t turn tail and take off in the opposite direction. Instead, he casually turned and flicked overabankofweedsbeforeturningtoeyeballme.Insidemythoughtswerescreaming‘takethepicture-anypicture-beforehedisappears’.ButIjustrelaxedandobservedbeforestartingtotakepictures,hopinghewouldrelaxandcooperate.Thepikeletmegetcloserandcloser.Gazingthroughtheviewfinder I thought my eyes were playing tricks onme,forIcouldnowseetwopike.Iloweredthecameraandtherewerenotonebuttwopikeamere12inchesfromthedome.
Thewholeshootwasoverinlessthan5minutes.Twopikeincrystalclearwaterclosetothedomeport.Sometimesyouneedtogetintothewatertogetlucky.Nikon D200 with 16mm (effective 24mm) lens. Subal housing Inon Z240 strobe F8 at 1/160th ISO100
Simon Brownwww.simonbrownimages.com
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Parting Shot 2
SeveraltimeseachyearIamfortunateenoughtotraveltoexoticlocationstoteachunderwaterphotography.
Latein2007IfoundmyselfontheislandofYapinMicronesiaalocationthatisfamousforit’sresidentmantaraypopulationwhicharesightedwithgreatfrequencyinchannelsleadinginandoutofthesurroundingreef.
Iwasontheislandforseveralweeksand,ashardasthismaybetobelieve,IgottiredofmantasandwantedtorecordsomeofYapsothermarinelife.FormylastweekImadeitapointofgoingoutasoftenasIcouldonanyofthediveboatsthatwerenotgoinginsearchofmantas.TheverysouthernendofYapsreefstructureextendsoutfarfromtheislandandcomestoacornerthatdropsintoopenocean.Visibilityhereisspectacularandthereefanddrop-offsupportsawonderfulcombinationofseacreatures.
WhenspeakingofunderwaterphotographyIoftenmentionfocusandIdon’tmean your lens. It is amazing what you can find ifyouhangoutinonesmallsectionofthereefandreallytakeyourtimeandwatchwhatisgoingonaroundyou.Thatiswherethisimageofthescorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, came from.
I had seen the scorpionfish and taken a few shotsofhim.Hewasinmytinypatch,butnotreallyasubjectIwasconcentratingon.AshymoraywasgettingusedtomycameraandeachtimeIexhaledmybubbleswouldcausethesurrounding
schooling anthias fish to dart into the hole with the moray.
AsweallgotusedtoeachotherIsawamovementoutofthecornerofmyeyeandturnedtosee the scorpionfish (not far from my elbow) with it’smouthagapebeyondwhatIthoughtpossible.AsIsaidtomyselfthatIwishIgotthatshot,Iwentbacktothemoray.Afewminuteslaterthescorpionfish repeated the great yawn and I decided
not to miss it a third time. With the scorpionfish filling my frame I sat and waited…and waited…and waited. My persistence finally paid off and lighteningstruckforathirdtime.
David Fleethamwww.davidfleetham.com
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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”.
JuneheraldsayearlymigrationofdiversfromtheBritishSocietyOfUnderwaterPhotographerstothehuntinggroundsofRasMohammedfortheannualeventofshoalingsnappers, batfish and barracuda. This yearwasnoexception,agroupoftwelvephotographerscharteredtheTempestfromSharmElSheikhandsetoffforthewrecksandreefsofthelocalarea.
TheweatherwasverycalmandanearlycrossingtotheCarnatic,GiannisDandtheChrisoulaKsetthetripinamoodofhighexpectations.
Alanthediveguide,ranaverygoodboat,mosteveningswewouldwatchhimentertaintheEgyptiancrewwithhiscardtricksandsleightofhand.Apparentlyinhis“previouslife”hehadbeenaprofessionalmagicianandbelongedtotheMagicCircle.Littledidweknowwhathehadinstoreforus.
OnthethirddayafterdivingtheChrisoulaKatAbuNuhaswemovedofftoSharkReefatRasMohammed.Thedivestartedat11amand I decided to put a 10.5 fisheye and 1.4TClensonmyNikonD70s.Thebatfish and large shoals of snapper werejustofftheverticalwall,sotimewasspentphotographingtheir
displays.EventuallyweswamtothelittergroundofYolandareefwheretheboatofthatnamefloundered and shed some ofitscargooftoiletsandplumbingware.WeweretowardstheendofthediveandourguideAlanwashoveringnearby.Hesuddenlystartedtopointtowardsthesurface,wethoughtmaybehehadconjuredupawhaleshark,butno,outoftheblue,ashimmeringmermaidappeared.Thiswaspuremagic,soacontrolledswim,cameraattheready,broughtmewithinshootingdistance.The flash as I took the shot alerted hertomypresence.Themermaidalittle startled, and her minder, finger waving,sentmebacktoasaferdistance.
Theyproceededdowntowardsthewreckagewhereadiverwaswaitingwithhislargevideocamera.Themodelwouldtakeherairandswimdolphinfashionintotheintendedscene,thenwithlungsburstingsheturnedandrushedbacktoherlifesupport.Wewatched
mesmeriseduntilourownairsupplystartedrunninglow.Finally,backonboardtheTempestweraisedourglassesandtoastedthebraveMermaidofYolanda
Nikon D70, with 10.5 Dx plus 1.4 tc in Subal housing and a pair of Sea and Sea YS 90’s strobes 1/60 f8.
Mike [email protected]