Underwater Photography - SENSACIONES.org · Underwater photographers will compete for the coveted David Doubilet award for excellence in underwater photography, the distinguished

Underwater PhotographyUnderwater Photographya web magazine

Issue 39Nov/Dec 2007

Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007 © Sergery Gorshkov / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

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

39/3www.uwpmag.com

Underwater PhotographyA web magazine

UwP39Nov/Dec 2007

Underwater PhotographyContents4 Editorial6 News & Travel16 New Products

21 Compact cameras byPeterRowlands

27 Nissan van byAlexMustard

Underwater Photography2001 - 2007 © PR Productions

Publisher/Editor Peter Rowlandswww.pr-productions.co.uk

[email protected]

29 Bali East byDonSilcock

36 Bay of Fundy byScottLeslie

Cover shot bySergery Gorshkov / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

56 Sorry Willy byTroyMayne

58 Book reviewbyPeterRowlands

60 Parting Shots byRandyVelikySR ChristianSgarbi JoeDovala

43 Big Red Sea byMarkWebster

52 Shell Wildlife Competition byAlexMustard

www.urprofilters.comClick on the link below to go to the Tech-Talk Newsletter

http://www.urprofilters.com/content.do?region=TechTalkNewsletter

39/�www.uwpmag.com

EditorialCover shot

IhavealwaysbeenespeciallypleasedandamazedatUwP’sabilitytocomeupwithconsistentlygoodfrontcoversandthisone,Ifeel,trumps the lot but first, let me explain something.

AsIhavesaidbefore,UwPisvirtuallyunplannedyetithasmanagedtoproduce39issueswhichI’dliketothinkhavebeenfairlyconsistentinboththenumberofpagesandvarietyofcontent.Aftereachissuethecupboardisbareandthenextissuereliesonwhatarrivesfromcontributorsintheinterveningtime.NowI’mnotonepronetopanicbuttherehavebeentimesaweekbeforepublicationwhenthecontentshavebeenlookingdecidedlythinbut,loandbehold,anemailnearlyalwaysarriveswithaperfectlyformedarticleandimages.Iliketothinkofitas‘kismet’ and so far, fingers crossed, touchwoodandbreakaleg,ourluck’sbeenin.

Thesameistruewithfrontcovers.Theyjustappear.Golookingforthemandtheywilldisappear.Trustinkismetand,sofar,she(?)hasn’tletusdownandIfeelthat,forthisparticularissue,shehasdisheditout

inbucketfulls!InmyworkIlookalotof

images.Theyaremostlygood,moreoftenthannotverygoodandsometimesabsolutelystunning.Andthen,eversoeverynowandagainwhenthemoonisblueandthepigsare flying, an image arrives which literallystopsme,stopstimeandtakesmethere.Suchisourlatestcovershot.It terrifies me but I can’t stop looking. Itissosimpleyetsofullandeveryaspectisperfect.

SergeryGorshkov,Isaluteyou.

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AdvertisingrevenueisthelifebloodofUwPbecauseithelpstokeepitfreeforyou,thereader.

IfyouoranyoneyouknowisintheadvertisingindustryorbetterstillthedivingadvertisingindustrywewouldliketohearfromyouwithaviewgeneratingrevenuetohelpkeepUwPfree.

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News, Travel & Events

Our World Underwater 20083rd Annual Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide CompetitionOver $50,000 in Prizes!

PopularwebsitesWetpixel.comandDivePhotoGuide.comhaveteamedupagaininassociationwithOurWorldUnderwatertocelebratethebeautyanddelicacyofthemarineenvironmentwiththeannouncementofthe3rdannual,internationalunderwaterphotographyandvideocompetition.Thecompetitionhasbecomethe“Superbowl”ofinternationalunderwaterimagerycompetitions,withworld-classprizes,celebrityjudges,andtheopportunitytohaveyourimagesshowcasedtotheworldassomeoftheplanet’sbest.

Photographers&videographerswillcompeteinsevenstill-imagecategoriesandtwovideocategories,towinmorethan$�0,000inprizesincludingpremiumdivetravel,underwaterphoto/videoanddivingequipmentandmore!Divepackagesincludetripstosomeofthetop

photodestinationsintheworld,includingSocorosIslands,Wakatobi-Indonesia,PapuaNewGuinea,Ambon-Indonesia,theRedSea,GrandCayman,theSolomonIslandsandVietnam!Otherprizesincludecamerahousings,strobes,lightingsystems,andothervaluableitems.Thecompetitionincludesacategoryforimagesthatfocusonconservationandthemarineenvironment,andone specifically for entries taken by compactdigitalcameras.

Celebrityjudgesincludeleadingprofessionalunderwaterphotographers,cinematographersandeditors:EricCheng,BerkleyWhite,TonyWu,RicFrazier,ChuckNicklin.andMaryLynnPrice.

Winningimageswillbepublished worldwide, and Divefilm.comwillbepodcastingthewinningvideosasepisodesoftheiTunes-featuredDiveFilmPodcastVideoandDiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video.

AswithallWetpixel&DivePhotoGuideevents,1�%ofproceedswillbedonatedtomarineconservationefforts.

DeadlineforsubmissionsJan13,2008

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DearUnderwaterFilmmakers,Weareverypleasedtoannounce

the11thInternationalUnderwaterFilmFestivalinBelgrade,Serbia.

Thiseventwillbeheld,likeeveryyear,inDecember,from14thto19thandweusetheopportunitytoask if you have any production/film to bepresentedatthe11thInternationalUnderwaterFilmFestival.Wewillbehonored to present your film or films toouraudience.

Filmsforthecontestwouldhavetobe200�.or2007.production,with

atleast30%underwatershotsandformatsareBETASP,DVCamorMiniDV(PAL)

Thesubjectisfree.Competitionadmissionisfree.

Wearehopingthatyouwillfind our festival interesting enough tosupportourdesiretomakeitanimportanteventandgatheringpointfordiversandallpeoplewhoenjoywatchingandbeingintheunderwaterworld.

Please,donothesitatetocontactusforanyadditionalinformation.

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39/7www.uwpmag.com

British Underwater Image Festival 2008 entry call

Filmandphotographyentriesarenowbeingacceptedforthe2008BritishUnderwaterImageFestival(BUIF).Followingonfromtwohugelysuccessfulyears,thethirdBritishUnderwaterImageFestivalreturnstotheGoDiving!showattheBirminghamNECon14to1�March2008.

Morethan£10,000worthofprizesareavailabletothewinners

ineachofthecompetition’sninecategories. The finalists of the 2008 Festivalwillbedisplayedatthethree-dayGoDiving!show,whichispartoftheOutdoorsShow(www.theoutdoorsshow.co.uk).

Thefestivalwillshowcasearangeofwinningstillimagesandfilms from a variety of abilities, from first-time photographers to professionaltelevisiondocumentarymakers.ApresentationofprizesandtrophieswillbeheldatthefestivalonSaturday1�March,followedbyachampagnereception.

Leading underwater film-makerPeterScoones,DIVEeditorSimonRogerson,BritishSocietyofUnderwaterPhotographers(BSoUP)founderColinDoegandaward-winningphotographersAlex

MustardandCharlesHoodwillbeamongjudges.

PrizesponsorsincludeSuunto,PADI,MaresandApeks.

To enter the festival and to find outmore,goto

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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

November 15th

International Underwater Film Festival - Belgrade

December 21st

Nature’s Best - Ocean Views 2008

December 31st

Beneath the Sea 2008 Photo & Video Competition

BeneaththeSea2008ispleasedtoinvitePhotographersandVideographersfromaroundtheworldtoenteritsannualWorld-wideUnderwaterPhoto/Videocompetition.

Inadditiontoasurpriseofprizes,includingatripaboardtherenownedliveaboardNai’adivingtheamazingreefsofFiji,competitionineachcategorywillbeforindividualrecognitionfromtheGrandmasterofthat field:

UnderwaterphotographerswillcompeteforthecovetedDavidDoubiletawardforexcellenceinunderwaterphotography,thedistinguishedStanWatermanawardforexcellenceinunderwatervideoandthecelebratedJimChurchawardforexcellenceincreativeunderwaterphotography.

Whereveryouliveinthiswideworld,acceptthechallenge,submit

Beneath the Sea 2008

yourunderwaterphotographicworktotheBeneaththeSea2008World-widePhoto/VideoCompetition.ThecontestdeadlineisDecember31st,2007.

ThewinnersoftheBeneaththeSea2008WorldwidePhoto/VideoCompetitionwillbeannouncedattheSaturdayNightFilmFestivaltheweekendofBeneaththeSea’sOceanAdventureExpositionandDiveTravelShow,March28th,29th,and30th,2008,attheMeadowlandsExpositionCenterinSecaucus,NewJersey.InadditiontotheawardsthattheGrandPrizewinnersofeachcategorywillreceive,therewillbeprizesforallFirst,Second,andThirdplacewinners.

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2nd Annual DEEP Indonesia International Underwater Photo CompetitionHosted by Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuideOver $30,000 in Prizes!

Wetpixel&DivePhotoGuidehaveonceagainorganizedauniquejointcollaborationwithasecondinternationalcompetitioninassociationwithDEEPIndonesia , Indonesia’s first-ever Diving, Adventure Travel and Water sports expo.

Photographerswillcompetein7themedcategoriestowinover$30,000inprizes,includingphotoequipment,divegear,andpremiumdivetravelpackagestosomeofthetopphotodestinationsinIndonesiaandbeyond.IndonesiatripsincludeAmbon,Bali,FakFak,Komodo,Lembeh,Manado,andRajaEmpat.AdditionaldivepackagesincludePapuaNewGuineaandTheBahamas.Thecontestincludesacategoryforimagesthatfocusonconservationandthemarine environment, one specifically for entries taken by compact digital cameras, and one specifically for Indonesian entrants.

EsteemedjudgesEricCheng,StephenFrink,andDavidEspinosawillselectwinnersaftertheFeb1�,2008deadline.Winnerswillbeannouncedonline,publishedbyourmediapartnersworldwideandexhibitedduringtheDEEPIndonesiaExpoinJakarta,Indonesia(March28-30,2008).

AswithallUnderwatercompetition.comevents,1�%ofentryproceedswillbedonatedtomarineconservationefforts.

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Rod Klein tripAdventurer II - Raja Ampat18 - 29 February 2008

Itisarareopportunitythatdiversareabletowatchaqualityphotographeratworkunderwaterandperhapsitisevenmoreunusualthatdiverscandiscusstechniquesandskillsinrelaxedenvironmentwithanexperiencedanddedicatedprofessional.TheArchipelagoFleetisproudtoannouncethatthiswillbepossibleinearly2008.

WorldrenownedUSphotographer,RodKleinwillbejoiningtheArchipelagoAdventurerIIasaPhoto-Proinresidence,inRajaAmpatforcruisedatesFebruary18-February292008atotalof11nights

aboardthevessel.WithanitinerarySorong-Sorong,thevoyagewillencompassthemostpopulardivesitesintheRajaAmpatregionand,inaddition,alsolesswellknownsiteswithuniqueandinterestinghabitats.

TherewillbenoadditionalchargesforthephotoadvicetipsorindeedanyassistanceprovidedbyRodduringthecruise.Asaresultspacesareatapremiumandaretobeinshortsupply.

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Ontheagendawasa‘StoptheSeaTurtleKilling’demonstrationleadbyProfaunaactivistsatKutaBeach,informationstandsandphotoexhibitsinthetown’slargestshoppingcentre,ameetingwiththeAuthorities,andamediaconference.Eacheventwasvitalinraisinglocalpeople’sawarenesstotheplightoftheendangeredseaturtle,keepingpressureontheAuthoritiesandmakingasplashinthemedia.

TurtleWeekwasonlyabletogoaheadthankstothegeneroussupport of the firms SEEMANN-SUB,SEACAMandSCHOENER-TAUCHEN,DE/CH.Butnobodycouldhaveguessedthattheeventsintherun-uptotheweekwerenearlyasexcitingastheweekitself!

A phone call is all it takes!

WayanWiradnayana,thedirector of the Pro-fauna office on BalireceivedacallfromanAustriantouristintheearlyhoursofthemorning.WhilstwalkingonSanurbeach,themanhadwitnessedtwolargeturtlesbeingloadedintoaboatandhiddeninanearbyhut.What

happenednextsoundsunbelievable,butistrue.Thankstowww.sos-seaturtles.chandmediapublications,themanwasfullyinformedoftheplightoftheseaturtleonBaliandthenamePROFAUNAhadstuckinhismind.TheownerofanearbyrestauranthelpedhimlookupthecorrecttelephonenumbersandWayanwastednotimeininformingtheChiefofPolice,theForestryDepartmentandtheBaliMarinePolice.

Timewasoftheessencebecausetherewasastrongpossibilitythattheseaturtlesmightbemovedon.Indeed,whenthepolicearrivedonsitetheanimalshadalreadydisappeared,andunfortunatelysohadthedeterminedtourist.TheMarinePolice,nottobedeterredinsuchsituations,soonfoundoutwheretheseaturtleshadbeentaken.

Both‘greenturtles’wereofgoodsizeandweremeasuredandtaggedbytheForestryDepartment.

ThereleasetookplacealittletimelaterasthetidewasgoingoutonKutaBeach.Asever,theeventsattractedtheinterestofmanyresidentsandtourists,andprovidedagreatopportunityforPROFAUNAto

Turtle Week Bali Report by Kurt Amsler

distribute information leaflets on the endangeredseaturtles.

In the Lion’s Den

ThetradeinseaturtlesinTanjungBenoaliesinthehandsoftwomen,PakTamiandPakHassan.OnemanwhoknowsallthegoingsonistheSwiss-bornHeinzvonHolzen.HehaslivedonBaliforthepast12yearsandownsthefamousBumbu-BaliRestaurantandRuma-

BaliVillage.Understandablyhisworkismorebehindthescenes,howeverhehasanumberofpeopleworkingundercoverwhokeephimdirectlyinformedonwhatishappeningontheseaturtlescene.Insteadofturningupatmarkets,astheydidinthepast,seaturtleeggsnowcometoHeinz’splace,whereheincubatestheminhismanyturtlerearingplantsandthenreleasesthem.Heinzliterallybuysthefreedomofillegallycaughtturtles,sothat they are spared the horrific end of


beingcutoutoftheirshellsalive.The news that five sea turtles were being kept

forabuyerinahidingplaceonPakKamiwasbroughttohimbyaninformerfromTanjungBenoa.ThemainprioritywastoliberatetheturtlesassoonaspossibleandalsotophotographtheproceedingsinordertoprovidematerialforthemediaandalsoprooffortheBalineseauthorities.Howthetraderwouldreacttothecamerawastheleastofmyworriesatthatmoment.

TheonlythingthatgaveawayourarrivalwastheBUMBUBALIRestauranttruckthatwasdrivenbyPakMadi,HeinzVonHolzen’sspecialistforthissortoftrickybusiness.

Althoughquitehardenedtothesesortsofthings, I still did not find it easy to remain cool whenconfrontedwiththismanwhohasinhislifetimebeenresponsibleforthedeathsofhundredsofthousandsofseaturtlesandtohagglewithhimovertheirpriceasiftheywerebananasorcoconuts!Bettertoseehiminadifferentlight,suchasthrough the viewfinder of my Nikon!

Thenoiseofthecameraproducednoreactionfromhimwhatsoever,butthesamecouldnotbesaidforhisside-kick,astocky,slylookingmanwho

wasevidentlyChinese.OnewordfromPakMadiputhiminhisplace.

Evidentlyhewaskeennottobunglethesaleoverasmalldisagreement.

Heencouragedustofollowwithexaggeratedpolitenessandafter1�minutesofinsanedrivingwearrivedattheshedwherethecreatureswerebeingkept.

Bothconcretebasinsmeasuredaround�by�metres and were filled with around 40cm of water. Here,ourfouradultgreenturtlesweretobefound,eachoneweighingmorethan100kilos,alongsideasmallandgenuinehawksbillturtle.

ThetransportingandpreparationforthereleasecarriedoutbyHeinz’smenisaprocedurethathasseenmanyyearsofpractice.

Lateafternoon,asthetidewasgoingout,theturtlesweretakentotheHolidayInnHotelbeachandreleasedbackintothesea–averymovingmoment!Backtotheirownsurroundingswhereupuntiltheircapture,theyhadbeenlivingforthepast30-40years!Itishighlypossiblethattheturtlescouldlivetodoublethisage…

Kuta Beach Demonstration

ThebackdropwaslikethesetofaTVcommercial.

Whitesand,bluesea,andintheforeground,dressedinwhite,thePROFAUNAactivistsholdingtheirbanner.Rigidexpressions,motionlessandastraightfaced–picketingfortheendangeredseaturtles.

Youngwomenwiththesamelookdistributedleaflets amongst inhabitants and tourists alike here onthemostfamousoftheBalibeaches.

PROFAUNAdemonstrationsalwayscauseabigstirinthemedia.Thisoccasionwasnodifferent.Cameras flashed, tv cameras filmed, and even an ARDcameramanusedtheopportunitytobuildthedemonstrationintoaproductionhewasalreadyfilming. Naturally the place was also teeming withuniforms:theChiefofPolice,theForestryDepartment and other officials were omnipresent.

InIndonesiademonstrationsandinformationcampaignsarecloselywatchedandtakenveryseriously.PROFAUNAbuildsonthis,foritistheonlywayinthiscountrytogetastronggripanimal

39/13www.uwpmag.com

andspeciesprotection.Thisiswhytheorganisationalsoworkscloselyalongsideschoolsanduniversities.PROFAUNAishowevernotonlyconcernedwiththeprotectionofseaturtles,butwithallendangeredspeciesthroughoutIndonesia.

Visiting the Governor

ThemeetingwiththeGovernorwasscheduledfor10am.OnourwaytotheGovernmentbuildingswenoticedagiantcloudofsmoke.Fireengineswithflashing lights and sirensblaringheaded

for the town centre. A large fire had brokenoutinDenpasarcitycentre.ThereforeitwasunderstandablethattheGovernorhadtobeexcusedfromourmeetingandthatinsteadweweretomeetwithaMinisterfor

theEnvironment,namedIr.NiWayanSudjj.Evenknowingtheextentofthe Governor’s influence, we were notdisappointedbythewaythingsturnedout.ItsoonbecameclearthattheEnvironmentMinisterwasfullyinformedoftheseaturtleplightandspokeperfectEnglish.Ourstatementwasclear:accordingtoIndonesianLaw,article7�4-98/April1997thekillingofseaturtlesisforbidden,andtradeovertheborderisseenasaviolationofCITESregulations,theinternationalCommissionfortheprotectionofendangeredspecies.

Thisiswhereimageisvital:andthereisnoclearerlanguagethanmorethan20,000lettersofprotestfromallovertheworldandevenmore

signatures.Hundredsofpublicationsandtheworld-widelinkwww.sos-seaturtles.chhasdrawnpeople’sattentiontothemurderofseaturtlesonBali,andasBaliiscurrentlyfighting to keep every tourist it can, suchthingsaretakenveryseriously.

When we began the first sea turtlecampaignshortlyafterthefalloftheSuhartoregimejustbeforetheyear2000around2�thousandcreatureswerebeingmassacredintheslaughterhousesofTanjungBenoa.Currentlyaround3thousandarebeingkilledinsecret.

Ofcourse,wereferredtothispositiveoutcome,andputacrossourferventdesirethatconsistentpoliceactionbecontinuedandeven


increasedsothatanendisbroughttoallkillings.Oncethishappens,wecanshowthemorebeautifulsideofthedreamislandofBaliinthemedia,andnomorebloodyimagesfromTanjungBenoa.

Alibi-Island

Thisturtleisland’isnotfaroffthesouthcoastofTanjungBenoa.Touristsareherdedoutthereonlittleboatstogawpandpawatthe30seaturtlesekingouttheirmiserableexistenceinthedirtywatersofthelagoonandaconcretebasin.Alongsidethemarecagescontainingbirds,giantlezaresandalargepythonwithtapewrappedrounditsmouth,thefrontpartofwhich,incidentally,ismissing,asitwascrudelyremovedalongwithitsfangs.Theicingonthecakeisthatsouvenirsmadeoutofturtleshellsarebeingsoldthere.Anexhibitionthatwouldtakethejoyoutofthedayofanynormalperson–thefewvisitorspresentwerenearlyexclusivelytouristsfromAsiancountries.

Byresearchingandcloselywatchingtheisland,PROFAUNAmembersandthejournalistDanielPeterlungercouldgatherclearevidencethat‚turtleisland’wasbeingusedasacover-upforthetradeinseaturtles.Throughthebackdoorsofthecompoundwewereabletoget

somepicturescreaturesstoredonasmallboatweretransferredtoahutlyingdirectlyoppositewithawaterbasin.Theshellsandboneslyinginthewasteoutsidewerefurtherproofthatslaughterwastakingplacehere.ThephotostakenofthesewheelingsanddealingsarelyingonthedeskoftheEnvironmentMinisteraswespeakandarebeingchannelledthroughatallgovernmentlevelsbythePROFAUNAteam.

In Summary

EverythingthathastakenplaceonBalisincethebeginningofourcampaigninMarch200�showsveryclearlythatour‚publicrelation’strategyinthemediaandontheinternetisworking.Howeverinordertobeatthefrontlineandinordertosupporttheactionsofourcomrades-in-armsonBali,weareheavilydependentonsponsorshipanddonations.Intheend,puttinganendtothemurderandtradeofseaturtlesonBalicomesdowntowhoisthemostdeterminedtosucceed!

Kurt Amslerwww.sos-seaturtles.ch

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Ikelite Housing for Canon A650

TheIkelitecompactdigitalhousingismoldedofcorrosionfree,virtuallyindestructibleclearpolycarbonate.Anunobstructedviewofthemaino-ringprovidesassurancethatthecaseissealedproperly.Itsheavydutywallsallowittooperatesafelyto200ft(�0m).

Allfunctionsofthecameraareaccessibleexcepttheprintbutton.A flash diffuser is included to aid inimprovinglightingqualitywhenthe camera’s built-in flash is used to illuminatesubjectsunderwater.

ForoptimumlightingunderwateranoptionalDSSubstrobeisrecommended.TheDSSubstrobesarebrighter,recyclefasterandofferwidercoverage than the camera’s flash. Beingfartherfromthecameralens,theoptionalDSSubstrobeaidsinreducingtheilluminationofparticlesinthewaterandhelpstoeliminate

backscatter.TheEVManualController

senses the camera’s flash and fires theexternalDSSubstrobewithoutrequiring any fiber optic “sync cord” .TheEVControllerprovidesprecisecontroloftheSubstrobein10powersettings.Availableincompletestrobepackageswhichprovideeverythingyouneedforbreathtakingphotos.

Theincludedtraywithreleasehandleprovidesstabilityandexceptionalhandlingunderwater.ThereleasehandleallowseasyattachmentandremovalofIkelitestrobemountingarmsatthetouchofabutton.Alsoavailableas#9�23.32TraywithDualReleaseHandlesforincreasedbalanceortheadditionofasecondSubstrobe.

TheIkeliteW-20andother�7mmthreadedwide-angleconversionlensesfromInonorEpoqueattachdirectlytothefrontofthehousing’sport.

www.ikelite.com

http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk


Ifyou’veeverhadanunderwaterhousing flood, you’ll certainly know whatpromptedAustralianunderwaterphotographerJeffMullinstodesignaLeakDetectorforunderwaterdigitalcamerahousings.Thatheart-in-the-mouth feeling when you first see a smallpuddleofseawaterrollingaroundinsideofyourhousing-threateningtodestroyyourprizedcamera;doestendtotaketheedgeoffaperfectlygooddive!

Jeff’ssmallelectronicsensorcircuit,givesearlywarningoftheslightestmoisture(orwater)gatheringinsideofyourhousing.ThewarningisbywayofaHi-IntensityLED(LightEmittingDiode)thatisplacednearthecamera’sLCDscreen(easilyseenwhentaking/reviewingphotosorlookingattherearofthehousing),

alertingthephotographertoanimpendingdisaster.Thephotographercanthensurfacebeforethehousingaccumulatesenoughwatertodamagethecamera.

Jeffexplains“Initiallythiswasjustahomeprojecttoactasasafetydevicetowarnmeearlyintheeventofanymoisture/watermanagingtogetintoourhousings.ButwhatthentranspiredisthatIended-upmakingthemformorefriends,whotelltheirfriends.........andwell,nowIhavestartedproducingthemforvariousDSLRandpoint&shoothousings,plusvariousvideohousings”.

TheLeakDetectorisvery-verysensitive,detectingtheslightestamountofmoistureontwocoppersensorstripsthatsitinthelowestpartofthehousing,(justbreathingonthe

sensorwillturn-ontheLED).Theunit is small and fits into many styles ofdigitalcameraandmostvideohousingsincluding;

Ikelite:AllDSLRhousings-AllVideohousings-MostPoint&Shoothousings.

10Bar/Fantasea:AllDSLRhousings-SomePoint&Shoothousings

Olympus,Canon,Nikon&Fuji:SomePoint&Shoothousings.

TheLeakDetectorisdesignedforeachindividualhousingandcomeswithsimpleinstructionsforself-installation.Eachunitis

Mullins Housing Leak Detector suppliedcompletewithabatteryandallnecessarycomponentsforyouto install in around five minutes - withouttools.

LeakDetectorsareavailabledirectfromJeffviahiswebsite.Ifhehasn’tproducedaLeakDetectorforyourparticularhousing;allthatherequiresareacoupleofe-mailedphoto’s to confirm the camera/housing dimensions. The finished unit can be postedanywherearoundtheWorldforUS$�0-$70includingpostage,dependingonyourlocation.

www.uwleakdetector.com

Theory Of Underwater Photography with Peter Scoones and Ocean Optics

PeterScoonesisunequalledinhisexperience,knowledgeandcareersuccessinunderwaterstillsandcinematography.ThemanbehindthecameraonnearlyallBBCnaturalhistoryblockbustersisrenownedforthegenerositywithwhichheimpartsinformationandknowledgehehasworkedsolongandsohardtoacquire.

Peterhasverykindlyagreedtorunaspecialcourseonthetheoryofunderwaterphotography.Thisisamasterclassfromanindividualwhoseunderwaterimagingtrackrecordisexceptionalandwhoisconsideredtheprofessionalsprofessional.

Itwilltakeplacemidweekforclientstoattendafterwork.Itisthenatureof Peter’s career that he can find himself on assignment with little warning. For this reason you will need to be flexible with attending this workshop as dates maychangeatshortnotice.ForuptodatedetailspleasecontactOceanOptics.

www.oceanoptics.co.uk

39/19www.uwpmag.com

Aquaticaisproudtointroduceitsnewunderwatercamerarelease.ThisexcitingproductispartofanewlineofAquaticaunderwatercamerahousingsaccessoriesthataredesignedtopushtheboundaryofcurrentunderwaterphotography,Thisremoteiscompact,economicalandmostimportantdoesnotrequireanymodification of the Aquatica housing. ItcanbeusedwithmostNikonandCanoncamerahavinganelectroniccablereleasesocket.

TheTriggerassemblyismadeofanodizedaluminumandisconnectedtothehousingviaastandardstrobecablethatcanbelengthenedby

addinganextensioncord.Aquaticahousingsaresupplied

witheitherdoublestrobeconnectorsorthepossibilitytoaddasecondone,thissecondaryconnectoristhenusedfortriggeringthecamera,leavingtheuserstheoptiontousesstrobe(s)onthemainconnectoriftheysorequire.

Possibleapplicationincludes:Polecameraoperationforsharkorwhalephotography,longexposureontripodmountedhousingfordeepwreckphotographyaswellasahostof other scientific or professional photography.

www.aquatica.ca

Aquatica remote release

http://www.aquatica.ca


Fantasea FP-5000

FantaseaLineispleasedtoannouncetheirFP-�000housingforNikon’snewCoolpixdigitalcameras,theP�000andP�100.

TheFP-�000housingisfullyfunctional,providingphotographerswithaccesstoallcamerafunctions.Itisdepthratedto�0meters/200feet.

www.fantasea.com

Nexus Nikon D300

TheNexusNikonD300housingcontrolsareallaccessibleandhavedualfiber optic ports for TTL withInonZ240strobesplus2StandardNikonossyncportsforconventionaldirectstrobelinkage.TheNexusD300isanaluminumhousingwithafullrangeoflensports.

Nexus Canon 40D

IntheNexusCanon40Dhousingallcontrolsareaccessibleandhavedual fiber optic ports for TTL with InonZ240strobesplus2StandardNikonossyncportsforconventionaldirectstrobelinkage.Itisanaluminumhousingwithafullrangeoflensports.

www.usanexus.com

http://www.usanexus.com

39/21www.uwpmag.com

Compact cameras updateby Peter Rowlands

Trendsindivingdon’tchangeveryfast.Despiteitsobviousadvantages,nitroxisstillusedbytheminority,evenBC’stookalongtimetocatchonandrebreatherswillonlyeverappealtothespecialists.Underwaterphotography,however,thelongtimepreoccupationofnerdyeccentrics,hasseensomethingofasecondcomingwiththeadventofthecompactdigitalcamera.Smallandlightweight,evenwhentheyareintheirhousing,thesecamerastrulyappealtothemassdivingmarketandcombinedwiththeirexcellentvalueformoneytheyhavebecomethe‘musthave’accessoryformanydivers.

ThesheernumberofcamerasandhousingsavailabletodaymakesadauntingtaskforthedecisionmakersowecontactedCamerasUnderwaterwhokindlysuppliedsomeoftheirbestsellersforustoevaluateandproduceanupdateonwhatisstilladevelopingmarketwithnewcamerasandhousingsappearingalmosteverymonth.

Despitethisseeminglyfastmovingtechnologyitisfairtosaythatmanyoftheperformancefeatures

and specifications have levelled out makingitcomparativelyeasytomakeadecisionwithoutthefearthatthereissomethingfarbetterandcheaperaroundthecorner.True,therewillalwaysbeareplacementmodelonthewaybutthebigadvancessuchasmegapixelsandLCDscreensizehavealltakenplace.Allofthecamerasreviewedherewillprovideeverythingyouwouldnormallyrequireintermsofeaseofuseandqualityofoutput.The decision is more in the fine print andthatiswhatwewillbelookingatinthisupdate.

What to look for:

Megapixels

Theamountofmegapixels(mp)thecamera’schiphasisanindicationoftheimagequalityyoucanexpecttoget.Themorethemegapixelsthe

merrier.Intheearlydaysofdigital

compactcameraswhena3mpcamerareplaceda2mponethatwasa�0%increaseinresolutionwhichwasverysignificant. Nowadays, when a 7mp camerareplacesa�mptheincreaseinqualityismuchsmallerataround1�%.

AllofthecamerasfeaturedherewillproduceexcellentA4printsandlargerorimagesthatcanbeprojectedontolargescreensforaudience

viewingsoyoucanrestassuredthat,unlessyouhavebigideas,anyofthesecameraswillbegood.Howevertheoldaddageofbuyingthemostmegapixelsyoucanaffordisstillsensible.Itisbettertohavetoomuchimagequalitythantoolittle!

LCD screen

Thisisthelargeviewingdeviceonthebackofthecamerawhichshowsyouwhatyouareabouttotake

The sheer number of cameras and housings available today makes a daunting task for the decision makerThis edited article first appeared in Dive magazine www.divemagazine.co.ukI am grateful to Cameras Underwater for supplying the camera and housingswww.camerasunderwater.co.uk


and then displays the finished result whenyouhave.

Heresizereallydoesmatterbutonlyuptoacertainpoint.Mostcamerasnowadayshave2.�”screenswhichprovideanicelargeimagetoview.Ithinkthatthisisthesizewhereitwill‘maxout’aslargerscreenswouldmeanalargercameraandtheremustcomeapointwhensizeincreasebecomesunattractive.Mindyou,the3” screen on the Canon IXUS 75 looksverytempting!

Zoom

UnderwaterthisisnotreallyafeaturethatshouldbeoverlyimportantandiscertainlynotoneIwouldrecommendusingattheextremetelephotoend.However

becauseyouwillnodoubtuseyourcameraonlanditisafactortotakeintoconsideration.

Most,ifnotall,camerasboastan‘optical’zoom.Thisisachievedconventionallybythelenselements.Thehigherthenumberfactorofthezoom,themoretelephotoeffectyouwillachieve.

Inadditiontothis,somecamerasboasta‘digital’zoomwhich,asthenamesuggests,isachievedelectronicallyandmyadvicewouldbetosteerwellclearastheimagequalityis significantly reduces to the point of beingunusable.

Lens angle

Thisisaperfectexampleofthespecifications jungle. Not all chip sizesarethesamesotheeasiestfactortolookforisareferencetolensangle/focallengthonconventional35mm film (remember that?). Most provideanangleofcoverageofaround��°cornertocornerwhichistheequivalentofa3�mmlenson35mm film. Some provide around 75°

(28mmon3�mm)andIwouldarguethat,underwater,thewiderangleofcoveragewouldbeusefulbuttherearefewercameraswhichofferthis.

Shutter delay

Thisreferstothetimelaginbetweenyoupressingtheshutterandtheactualpicturebeingrecorded.Thetimeisneededforthecameratoautofocusandcalculatetheexposuresettings.

Intheearlydaysthiswasmeasuredinsecondssonogoodforfast moving fish! Fortunately the time ofthisdelayhasreducedconsiderablybutnotdisappearedaltogether.

ISO rating

Thisisatermusedtodescribethesensitivityofthecamerachipandthis is an area of specification, rather likedigitalzoom,wherecameramanufacturerscanexaggerate.

ThehighertheISOrating,thelowerthelightlevelsyouwillbeabletoshootinbutthepoorertheimage

qualityislikelytobe.HavingsaidthathigherISOperformanceissomethingmanufacturersareconstantlydevelopingwhichisgoodnewsforusunderwaterphotographers.

Manual white balance

This,morethananyotherfeature,iswhatseperatesdigitalcameras from film.

In the (good?) old days most film wasdesignedtoreproducethecorrectcolourunderdaylightconditions.Ifthecolourtemperatureofthatlightvariedacolourcastwouldresultandtheonlywaytocounteractthatwaswith a colour correcting filter.

39/23www.uwpmag.com

Fuji Finepix F40 and WP-FXF40 housing

Fujihavebeenaleaderinprovidinghousingsfortheirdigitalcompactsandthiscombination,togetherwithkeenpackageprices,hasmadethemverypopular,andforgoodreason.

At8megapixelstheF40isatthetopofthetreeintermsofpicturesizeandqualityandthehighISOperformanceisimpressive.

Theprinciplesofthehousingdesignandconstructionhavechangedlittlebecausethey got it right first time. Ergonomically everythingisintherightplaceandthecontrolsaresmootheandprecise.

Theonlydownsideisthereardoorlockingcontrolwhichhasamanuallockingmechanismratherthananautoone.

VERDICTGoodqualitycombinationValue8/10Performance9/10

www.fujifilm.co.uk

Alotofmoderndigitalcompactcamerashaveseveralsettingstocorrectvariouslightingconditionsi.e.daylight, tungsten and flourescent. Inadditionsomehavetheabilityto‘manuallywhitebalance’whichisaveryusefulfeatureunderwaterwherethecolourcastproducedbyeventheclearestoftropicalwaterisquitestrongandgetsmuchstrongerwithdepth.

Manuallywhitebalancingentailstakingadummyexposurewiththelenspointingat,ideally,awhitecard(thoughinpracticethisisnotabsolutelyessential).Thecamerathenlooksatthecolourcastandadjustsitsprocessingsoftwaretoreproducewhiteaswhite.Underwaterthisisextremelyusefulandwellworththeextraeffortbeforetakingashot.

Inaddition,somecamerashave‘underwater’settings,theperformanceofwhichvariesfrommanufacturertomanufacturerbuttheyareeasytouseand,effectively,addsomecolourbackintothepicturewhichisnobad

thing.Thesesettingsarenearlyalwaysdesignedforclear,bluewaterwherethemajorityofuserswillnodoubtbeoperating.

Movie mode

Finallydon’tforgetthisfeaturebecauseitisarealplus.Allofthecamerasherecanshootmovies!True,theimagesizeandqualityissmallbuttheresultsaresurprisinglywatchable(muchbiggerandbetterthanUTube)andwithsoundthrowninyouhaveapowerfulrecordingmedium.

Finallyintermsofscoringthecamerasandhousings,youwillnotethattheyallgetfairlyhighmarks.Thisisbecause,inmyopinion,thisgenerationofcompactdigitalcamerasprovideprettymucheverythingyouneedintermsofvalueandperformancequality.

Underwaterphotographyhasbeenrevolutionisedbytheadventofthesesmallmiracles.Theirpriceandeaseofusewillappealtoalmostanydiverand,foronce,underwaterphotographyisstartingtolookattractive.



Canon PowerShot A570 IS and WP-DC12

Lookingslightlyoldfashionedcomparedtosomedesigns,theA�70neverthelesscomespackedwithfeaturesandcontrolsnormallyassociatedwithanupperpricebracket.AswellasProgrammeModethereisalsoApertureandShutterpriorityandevenfullManualMode.

Thiswastheonlycamerawhichhastobeswitchedto‘playback’toviewpreviousimages.

Thehousingisawellproven,ergonomicdesign.Theexternalcontrolsaretransparentincolourwhichgivesthehousingaslightlylessruggedappearancewhichisdeceptivebecausethisisafullyrated40metrehousing.

VERDICTVersatileworkhorseValue9/10Performance8/10

www.canon.co.uk

Canon IXUS 75 and WP-DC14 housing

Thiscameraisstylish,sleekandeven,dareIsayit,sexy.Turnitroundtoseethegorgeous3”LCDscreenandyouhaveavisuallystunningcamera.

ThesetupfunctionstookabitofgettingusedyoubutwereOKonceIunderstoodthelogic.WithsuchabigLCDscreenthecameracontrolsaresqueezedintotheremainingspacewhich can make operating them a bit fiddly but with practice they worked fine. The 7.1 megapixelchipgaveexcellentimagesbutthe1�00ISOperformancewasdisappointing.

ThehousingissimilartotheA�70andthecontrols,beingslightlyspacedapart,makethecameraeasiertouseunderwaterthanonland!

VERDICTGorgeouslookingperformerValue9/10Performance9/10

www.canon.co.uk

39/2�www.uwpmag.com

Panasonic DMC-FX01 and DMW-MCFX01

Thisisactuallymycameraandhousingwhichisnolongercurrentbutitdoeshaveonefeaturewhichappealedtome–1�:9formatofwhichIamagreatfan.Admittedlyit’snottrue1�:9(itchopsoffthetopandbottom)butitsavesmehavingtocropeachframe.

Inadditionitisthewidestlensofthisgroupat28mmwhichisveryusefulunderwater.ThecameraisagoodpointandshootwithanunclutteredlayoutbutIwouldsaythatbecauseI’veusedthisonemuchmorethantheothers.

Thecamerahasrecentlybeensuperceededwitha12mpversionbutIdon’tseetheneedtoupgradethecameraandthenthehousingbecausethiscombinationproducesexactlywhatIneed.IneverthoughtI’deversaythat!

VERDICTStylish1�:9performerValue8/10Performance8/10

www.panasonic.co.uk

Sony DCS-W90 and MPK-WB

At8.1megapixelstheDCS-W90leadsthe field in image size. The quality is very impressiveindeedand,likethePanasonic,itcanshoot1�:9.Unfortunately,inalotofways,itstopsthere.ThisisverymuchapointandshootcamerawithveryfewModeadjustmentsorcontroloveryourimages.Havingsaidthat,ifallyouwantiseasypicturetakingthenthiscamerawillsurpassyourrequirements.

Thehousingiswithoutdoubttheleader.ThedesignandconstructionisqualityandtheLCDshadewillmakeviewinginbrightconditionsmucheasier.Internallythereisarubberinsertwhichprovidesprecisepositioningof the camera as well as light baffling of the LCDscreenformaximumcontrast.

VERDICTTopqualitypointandshootValue7/10Performance8/10

www.sony.co.uk


Olympus mju760 and PT-036

Olympus housings stand out from the field with their provision of a metal filter thread ring. This allows for accessory lenses and filters to be used whichgreatlyincreasestherangeandqualityofpicturestheycantake.InadditionthereisanLCDshade.Themainpushbuttoncontrolsaretieredinlengthmakingiteasytodifferentiateeachone.

Theclosurelatchesarewellshrouded,traditionalmetalover-centrecatcheswhichrequirea healthy set of fingernails to operate but this does makethemvirtuallyfoolproof.

Themju7�0isaqualitypointandshootwhichisan‘allweather’designsoitwillsurviveandshootinsplashenvironments.Havingrecentlybeensupercededyoucanmakebigsavingswithoutanoticeablelossinperformance.

VERDICTStylish,smallandversatileValue9/10Performance9/10

www.olympus.co.ukhttp://www.digideep.com

join the contest and win a funkyt-shirt!!!

2.700 underwater imaging products - photo & video5.200 enthusiastic underwater photographers600 news, articles, reviews and travel reports 5.000 images in our weekly photo contest ...growing every month!

Your online resource to more than

the online directory for digital underwater-imaging equipment. c o mD I G I D E E P

http://www.digideep.com

39/27www.uwpmag.com

During200�IwasapproachedbyNissanwhowereplanningtodesignandbuildaconceptcarfortheTokyoMotorshowinlateOctober2007.Thiswastobenoordinarycardesignedformassmarketappeal.Nothiswasanicheproductaimed specifically at my needs as anunderwaterphotographer.Ididpointoutthataboatwouldbemoretraditional,butNissanknewtherewould be multiple benefits for both its designersandfuturecarsbyexploringsuchanunusualdesigndirection.ThevehicleiscalledtheNissanNV200andthisisashortarticleaboutsomeofitsfeatures.

ShiroNakamura,seniorvicepresident and chief creative officer at NissanMotorCo.takesupthestory,“Nissanpridesitselfondesigningits cars to fulfil the needs and requirementsofitscustomers.ForNV200wehavetakenthatguidingprinciplequiteliterallyandcreatedavehicle for one specific customer. But it is a totally adaptable and flexible conceptthatcouldhaveapplicationsinanumberofareasofthemarket”

Atypicalsmallvanislittlemorethananemptyboxonwheels:functional,certainly,butseldominnovativeorsmart.Fromtheoutside,

NV200istheepitomeofamodernvan.Butit’sthedetailsthatsetitapart.AttheheartofNV200isapatentedslidingcargopodwhichisdividedintoanumberofseparateareasintowhichdifferentpiecesofdivingandphotographicequipmentcanbestored.

StephaneSchwarz,designdirectorofNDEcontinue“Wewanted to create a flexible toolbox for professionals.NV200ispracticalandfunctionalbutaestheticallypleasingatthesametime.”Thepodislatchedinsidetheshelloftheloadareawhenthevanisbeingdriven.Butuponarrivalatitsdestination,itslidesoutrearwardstoalloweasyaccesstothestoragezones.Thepodisdeployedmanuallywiththeaidofhydraulicrams,andsitssecurelyonintegrated‘drop-down’legswhenfullyextended.

Thepodcontainswetanddrystorageareasfordivingequipment.Lockablerollerblindsprotectthecontents,whilevaluablecameraequipmentcanbeaccessedeitherfromwithinNV200orfromoutsidethepod.Asthepodiswithdrawnfromthevan,thearealeftbehindistransformed into a mobile office and ITdock.Acomputertabledropsdownfromthesideofthevantorevealtwo

A car for the underwater photographerBy Alexander Mustard

Text and photos courtesy of Nissan.


LCDscreensuponwhichimagescanbeedited.Thefrontpassengerseatswivelsbackwardsonasinglecurvedrailtofacethetable.Ashockproofbriefcasemadefromruggedribbedplastichousesalaptop.Whennotinuse,itdocksintoasideofthevanbeneaththeworktable.Thepodalsohousesasmallrefrigerator,dropdownsink unit and first aid kit.

NV200’stanksholdenoughwater to supply a shower, fitted ontheoutsideofthepod,toallowdiversandequipmenttobewashedafteruse.Powerforthecomputer,shower,‘fridgeandotherelectricalfixtures comes from a small generator housedwithinthevan.This,inturn,ischargedbysolarpanelssituatedontheroofofthepod.Whenthepodisdeployed,thesolarpanelsaredirectlyexposedtodaylight.Butevenwhenthepodispushedbackintothevan,thepanelslineupbeneaththeskylight.Inthisway,powercanbegeneratedindaylighthourswhetherthevehicleisstationaryornot.

Atwo-mantent-accessedfromoutsideNV200-ishousedatthebaseoftheB-pillarbehindthedriver’sdoor, while fillers for fuel and water arehousedwithintheoppositeB-pillar.Thedriverandpassengerdoorsopenconventionally,whileaccesstotheworkspaceisviaasingleslidingdooronthepassengerside.

Mostthematerials,textures

andcoloursusedthroughoutNV200reflect the materials, textures and coloursusedinthedivingworld.Theexteriorhasascratchresistantmattsatin finish in a steel grey colour to emphasisethe‘toolbox’natureoftheproject.Interiormaterialsareeitherhardenedlightweightplasticsorrubberised fabrics finished in a dark greywithacidyellowhighlights.Perhapstheonlyareanotdirectlyinfluenced by the ocean, is the wooden floor of NV200. This is finished in a hardwearingwood,bringingatouchofwarmthtoanotherwiseworkingenvironment.

Sadly,Nissanaren’tabouttomaketheNV200commerciallyavailable.ButIwasfascinatedtoseehowatalentedgroupofdesignerswereinspiredbyourworldandtheproblemsweallfacewhenwegoshore-divingbycar.Nowifonlytheywouldletmekeepit…

Alex Mustardwww.amustard.com

http://www.wetpixel.com

39/29www.uwpmag.com

ThenorthcoastofBaliiswellknownfortheexcellentdivingatTulamben’sLibertywreckandtheweird&wonderfulcritterstobefoundatthemucksitesatSeraya,PurlJati(PJ)&SecretBay.Gettingtothesesitesmeansa3to4hourdrivefromthemaintouristareaofKutaandinvolvesatripupthesceniceastcoastoftheisland.

IhavemadethatjourneymanytimesandnormallystopforatoiletbreakatCandiDasa,about�0kmnorthofKuta.OftenreferredtoastheeasternfrontieroftourisminBali,CandiDasaisapleasantsmalltownlocatedatthenorthernendofAmukBayandhostsawideselectionofhotels,restaurants&cafes.

InDecember200�IdecidedthatinsteadofpassingthroughCandiDasaIwouldstaythereanddivetheeastcoast.InallImade33divesonthattripandthepurposeofthisarticleistodocumentwhatthereistoseeinthisareaofIslandOfTheGods.

The East Coast of Baliwith Don Silcock

Dive Sites

Therearetwothingsyoureallyneedtoknowaboutdivingontheeastcoast - first the area is subject to some ofthestrongestcurrentsyouareeverlikelytoexperienceandsecondlythewatercanbereallycoolsoa�mmwetsuitishighlyrecommended.Thestrongcurrentsaretheresultof the Indonesian Throughflow (see sidebar)andthewatertemperaturesareproducedbythecold-waterupwellingsfromthedeeptrenchestothenorth&southofBali.Thisisapowerfulcombinationthatactsasthecatalystforsomereallygreatdiving,butagoodguidewithlocalknowledgeandexperienceisessentialifyouwanttoexperiencethesitessafely.

Reef scenic - Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 10.5, f9 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure Large cuttlefish on the bommie at the Blue LagoonD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 70-180, f8 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure


Amuk Bay – The Blue Lagoon, Mimpang & Gili Tepekong

AmukBayitselfisroughly8kmwide,withCandiDasaatthenorthernendandPadangbaijustroundthesoutherntipofthebay.Padangbaiisasmallbutverypleasant&picturesquefishing village, best known as the placetocatchtheferrytoLombokandwheremostofthediveoperatorsworkingtheeastcoastdepartfrom.

Thethreemaindiveareasofferquiteconsiderablediversityandeachonehasitsownuniquefeatures:

The Blue Lagoonisthelocationthatlessexperienceddiversareusually taken to first, as the dive sitesinthisareaaregenerallymuchlessexposedtothestrongcurrentsexperiencedattheothersites.However,don’tletthisfoolyouintothinkingthatthisisasecondratearea-it’snotandofthesixdivesexperiencedhereIwasimpressedwiththehealthofthebommiesandthegeneralmarinelife.

Moreofamacrothanawideanglearea,Isawagreatselectionof frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, moray eels, scorpion & stone fish, bluespottedstingraysandlotsofnudibranchs.

ThenameBlueLagoonconjuresup images of deserted Pacific Ocean islandswithswayingpalmtrees,howeverit’sactuallyasmallbay

locatedjustaroundtheheadlandandtothenortheastofPadangbaibay.Thereisasmallresortlocatedrightonthebeach,whichispopularwithtouristsfromCandiDasawhogotheretosnorkel.

ThemorecorrectnamefortheareaisTanjungSariandthereareanumberofsitestodive,notjustthebayinfrontoftheresort.Therelativelackofcurrentsandmaximumdepthsofaround1�-18mofferapleasantcombinationofanuncomplicateddivesitebutwithplentytosee.

Gili Mimpang isoneofthreeislandslocatedjustoutsideAmukBay as the seafloor starts to drop downintothedepthsoftheLombokStrait,whichmeansthatallthreespotsaresubjecttothestrongcurrentsassociated with the Throughflow. Noneofthemaresuitablefornewlyqualified divers and again a good guideisessentialforeventhemostexperienceddiver.

Jelly fish at BiahaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 12-24, f6.3 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

Leaf scorpion fish on the bommie at the Blue LagoonD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 70-180, f20 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

39/31www.uwpmag.com

TheothertwoislandsareGiliTepekongandGiliBiaha,withTepekongabout1kmsouth-eastofMimpangandBiahaabout4kmnorth-east.

GiliMimpangisactuallyagroupofsmallislands,threeofwhichbreakthesurfaceandareknownasBatu

Tiga.LocallegendhasitthattheywereusedfortargetpracticebytheIndonesianairforceinthe19�0’s–thuspossiblyexplainingwhytheyaresobrokenupcomparedtotheverysolidlumpsofrockthatmakeupTepekong&Biaha.Mimpang’spositionisclosertowardsAmukBay,

whichmeansthatitislessexposedtothecurrentsoftheLombokStraitandthereforeisoftenconsideredtobealessersitethantheothertwo.

MyexperiencefromtwodaysofdivingbothMimpangandthenearbyTepekongisthatithasagreatdealtooffer,particularlythesouthernedgeofthesitewheretherearesomeexcellentsmall caves teeming with fish life

andveryhealthysoftcoralwhicharesurroundedbyveryphotogenicglassfish.

Iwasamplyrewardedforvisiting Mimpang when, on the first diveofthesecondday,myveryexciteddiveguideMitrabasicallydraggedmeawayfromthecavesgivingmeaverystrangehandsignthatIsubsequentlylearnedisthelocal

Anthias on the reef at Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 12-24, f7.1 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

Moray eel on a bommie at Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 17-55, f11 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure


codefortheMolaMola,orOceanicSunFish,thatthisareaofBaliiswellknownforatcertaintimesoftheyear.

IhavelongwantedtophotographtheMolaMola,butwasnotexpectingtobesofortunateasitwaslateDecember,andSeptemberisknownasthetimetoseethem.Notonlydidonegraceuswithitsamazingpresencethatday,butIwasactuallyabletophotographitasIhadmadethe decision to use a fish-eye lens afterbeingshownthecaveareaonthepreviousday.

Theyreallyareauniquecreature,

almost3mfromtiptotiptheyappearquite ungainly at first glance but can moveveryquickly,asIlearnedwhenItriedtoget“theshot”.Atruepelagicaboutwhichverylittleisknown,theyarebelievedtocometothisareaofBalitobecleanedofparasites– usually by the common banner fish, whichwasindeedthecasewiththeonewesawthatday.

ThesouthernedgeandthewesternsideofMimpangareoneofthebestplacesinBalitoseewhitetipreefsharksandonmyseconddayIsawagroupofabout10larges

onesswimminginthestrongcurrent.Likemostsharkstheyarewaryofdivers,particularlyonesemittinglargestreamsofbubblesastheystruggleagainstthecurrenttogetinpositiontotakephotographs–noawardwinningshotsthatday!

Gili Tepekong isonly1kmfromMimpangbuttheconditionscanvaryconsiderablybetweenthetwositesandoftenwhenonecanbedivedinsafety,theotherisoutofthequestion.

Locatedasitis,rightontheedgeoftheLombokStrait,GiliTepekongisswept by the Indonesian Throughflow

whichmeansthatwhenitissafetodivethesiteitisspectacular,butifyoutrytodivethesiteinthewrongconditionsyoumayexperiencetheso-calledtoileteffectwhereinsteadofgoinguptothesurfaceasnatureintended,yourbubblesarespiralingintheoppositedirection-caughtinoneoftheinfamousdown-currentsthatmaketheeastcoastsopotentiallychallenging.

Definitely a site only for experienceddivers,Tepekongrewardsthosewhodoventuretherewithsomespectaculardiving.Thehighlight

Reef scenic - Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 10.5, f9 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

Mola Mola at Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 17-55, f6.3 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

39/33www.uwpmag.com

ofwhichistheCanyonatthesouth-westerntipofthesitewherefallenrocksfromtheislandhavecreatedanareareminiscentofRomanruinsthatisnowpopulatedbylargeschoolsofsweetlips,jacks,groupersandwhitetipreefsharks.

TheCanyonhasapparentlyestablishedareputationasa“mustdive”locationbutmanyoperatorsareveryreluctanttotakediverstherebecauseofthedangersofthedowndraft.Patienceandtrustinyourdiveguideareamust,becauseiftheytellyouthattheconditions

arenotsuitableyouneedtoaccepttheirjudgmentastheycanreadthesituationbetterthanyoucan.

SuchwasthestoryonthedaysIwasdivingTepekongandmyguideMitraknewhowmuchIwantedtodivetheCanyon,butcautionedmeagainstit,whichisbasicallywhatyouarepayingfor–goodadvice!

AtthenortherntipofTepekongthereisasiteknownasthe“FauxCanyon”,asapparentlysomeoperatorshavebeenknowntotakediversthereandtellthemitistherealCanyon!Idivedthissiteafewtimes

andenjoyedit,particularlythesharknursery–awidebutlow&taperingcavethatishosttoasubstantialnumberofwhitetipsharks.It’scalledthenurserybecauseofthebabywhitetipsthatarealwaysfoundthereand infact the first couple of times I visited,thatwasallIfound–4to�onemetrelongjuveniles.Howeveronthelastdiveitmusthavebeenlunchtime,asmum&dadwerehomeaswellandalthoughinitiallyquitecamerashytheystartedtocomecloser&closer.Quiteanexcitingsensationwhen you find yourself jammed into thecaveduetothestrongsurge!

Nusa Penida - Sental, Ped, SD & Toyapakeh

NusaPenida,togetherwithNusaLembongan&NusaCeningan,isagroupofthreeislandsthatsitrightinthemiddleoftheLombokStraitbetweenBaliandLombok.ThispositionmeansthattheirnortherncoastsbearthefullbruntoftheIndonesian Throughflow as it hits the islands,andthewestern&easterncoastsexperienceverystrongcurrentsduetothehugevolumesofwatersweepingpast.

NusaPenidaisbyfarthelargestofthethreeislands-roughly18kmlong&14kmwide,comparedtothecombinedsizeofLembongan&Ceninganatjust3by�km.Separated

fromLembongan&CeninganbytheToyapakehStrait,Penidaisalow,drylimestoneisland,whichmeansthatitdoesnothavethewetseasonheavyriver run-offs that significantly reduce theunderwatervisibility.

Ihadreadstoriesoftheexcellentvisibilityandhealthyreefsonthenorthern&northwestcoastsofNusaPenida,buthadalsoheardothersaboutcoralbleachingasaresultofElNinoin1998andIguessmyexpectationswerefairlylow.Howeveron my first few dives there I was franklyquitestunnedbythe2�mplus visibility, excellent fish life and overallvibrancyofthereefs.

Thewatertemperatureatallthesitesonthenorthcoast–Sental,Ped&SDandToyapakehonthenorthwestcoastcanbereallyquitecoldandmycomputerregistered22DegCononedive!Butthestrongcurrentsandnutrientrich,cold-waterupwellingscombinetocreatesometremendouslyrewardingdiving.

IhadalsoreadthatmanyoftheNusaPenidasiteswerenotparticularlygoodforunderwaterphotographyasthestrongcurrentsbasicallyturneverydiveintoahigh-speeddrift.However,IactuallygotsomeofmybestimagesofthetriponthesesitesbykeepingclosetothereefandlookingforspotswhereIcouldshelterfromthecurrent.

Thenorth&northeastcoasts

Reef scenic - Nusa PenidaD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 10.5, f13 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure


ofNusaPenidaarealsoknownaslocationstoseetheMolaMolaandtomysurprise&delightonthe4thdayofdivingintheareaIsawanotherone.ThistimeIspotteditmyselfwhensomethingcaughtmyeyedownintheblue–Iwasatabout1�matthetimeandwhatIsawwasacloudofbanner fish surrounding a large but non-descriptlumpofsomething.ThelumpwastheMolaMolalookingupthereefslope,asitwascleanedofthemanyparasitesthatliveonitsbody,andwhenitturnedslightlymy nitrogen saturated brain finally

registeredwhatitwas.ThistimeIdidnothavethe

fisheye lens, but it did not really matterastheMolaMolaonlyallowedmetogetcloseenoughforoneshotbeforedemonstratingit’sstrangebutveryeffectiveswimmingtechniqueanddisappearedrapidlyintothedepths.

Conclusion

Asageneralruleofthumb,Imuchpreferliveaboarddivingtolandbased–mydayjobpaysformy

divetravel&camerasand,likemostpeople,Igetalimitednumberofdaysvacationeveryyear.Liveaboardsallowmetogetthemaximumdivingintheshortesttime,whereaslandbaseddivingusuallyrestrictsyouto3divesadayandtoomuchtimegettingtothesites.

Havingsaidthat,whatIreallylikedaboutdivingtheEastCoastonthistripwerethelogistics.IbasedmyselfinCandiDasaandwaspickedupeverymorningabout08.30forthe1�-minutedrivetoPadangbai,whereIwasabletoenjoyaBalicoffeeattheTopiInn(www.topiinn.com)whilstthediveboatwasloadedwiththegearfortheday’sdiving.

Wewereusuallyonourwaybyabout09.1�andthemaximumtimetoanyofthesiteswas40minutes,butusuallymuchless.Themorning’stwodivesweredonebeforenoonandthenitwastimeforanicelunchorderedthedaybeforefromtheTopiInn,followedbyaquicksnooze.

TheafternoondivewasusuallycompletedbythreeandthenitwasbacktoPadingbaiforaquickfreshwatershowerandanothercoffeebeforeheadingbacktothehotelintimeforasundowneroficecoldBintangwhilstreviewingthedaysimages–verycivilized!

Don [email protected]

www.indopacificimages.com

Footnote

MyvisittotheEastCoastofBaliwasorganizedthroughAquaMarineDivingandIwouldliketothankAnnabelThomasandherstaffforafirst class trip, which was superbly organizedandveryprofessionallyconducted.

www.aquamarinediving.com

White tip reef shark at TepekongD200 & Subal housing, Dual SS200 strobes, Nikon 12-24, f7.1 @ 1/60, Manual Exposure

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

[email protected]

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


Bestiary in the BayObserving life in the Bay of FundyBy Scott Leslie

Theebbtidegetspinchedintoapowerfuleight-knotcurrentasitpassesthroughthenarrowsofGrandPassagebetweenLongandBrierIslandsatthewesterntipofNovaScotia.Thecurrentmeetsheadonwiththebriskwind,whippingthewaterintoafrothofstandingwaves.Our lobster fishing boat pitches and rollsthroughthepassageaswemakeourwaytoourdivesiteintheBayofFundy,homeoftheworld’shighesttides. Samuel de Champlain first sailedtheseturbulentwaterssome400yearsago,whenhediscoveredwhatwastobecomeCanada.

ThetorrentofGrandPassagebehindus,ourdestinationloomsintoview:GullRock.ThreekilometresoffNovaScotia’sBrierIsland,thisobduratebasaltisletlooksprettyunremarkable;thatisuntilyoulookbelowthesurface.

Sweptbypowerfulcurrents,thewatersaroundthiscolumnofrockthatrises40metresfromtheseafloor is replenished twice daily byasmorgasbordofplankton.Thisconstantlyrenewedsupplyoffooduponwhichthemarineecosystem

restsiswhytheBayofFundyisoneoftherichestcold-waterecosystemsonEarth.

Withthetidelowandslackrightnow,there’sabriefwindowofopportunitytodiveinstillwater.Withmycamerainhand,Irolloverthesideoftheboatintothenumbing4Cwater,protectedinmydrysuitandplentyofwoollies.ThroughthecrystalclearwaterIcanseemydestinationbelow,akelp-coveredrockjuttingfromthesideofthereef.Descending past 10 metres I find myselfinaconstellationofhundredsof luminous little jellyfish, each carryingacargoofminuteamphipods.Idon’tknowiftheyarefeedingonthejellies,orsimplyhitchingaride,buttheycertainlymakeaninterestingsubject!

High tide at the head of the Bay of Fundy where the tides can be up to 15 metres.A lion’s mane jellyfish cruises just beneath the surface of the Bay of Fundy. Common in the bay, the lion’s mane is the world’s largest jelly, with a diameter of 2.5 metres and tentacles up to 15m long.

39/37www.uwpmag.com

Likeinner-spacevoyageurs,theanimalswecommonlyknowas“jellies”driftthroughtheBayofFundyintheirbillions.TheBayishometomanyspecies,includingthelargestofall,theLion’sManeJellyfish, which can reach a diameter of 2.5 metres andhavetentaclesover1�metreslong.Thisanimalhasonlyonepredatorweknowof,thatantediluviangiantwandereroftheseas,theLeatherbackturtle.

Jellyfish are referred to as macro-plankton (fromtheGreekfor“largewanderers”),andlikeother plankton they generally float passively in the

boundlesssea.Transparent,andoftenasbeautifulascrystal,theirlife’sjourneythroughtheoceaniscontrolledmorebytidesandcurrentsthanbyanyprimitiveinstinctorlocomotiveabilitytheymightpossess.Theyareatrulyancientfamily,havingpliedtheoceansoftheworldforhundredsofmillionsofyears.

Photographinganyanimalthatdriftsinmid-water is particularly difficult and the small size ofthesejelliesmakesitmoreso.Lackingasolidsurfaceasareferencepointwhilelookingthrough

a small viewfinder calls for some careful buoyancy controltohoversteadilyinmid-water.

Becauseanabundanceofjelliesatanygivenplaceisunpredictableandtheirpositionintheseaiscompletelyatthemercyofoceancurrents,I am fortunate to find as many as I have. Working quickly,Isetexposureandadjustmystrobestocapture these little jewels on film. Time is of the essence; I have only about fifteen minutes of still water before the tide begins to flood and soon I mustascendtothewaitingboat.

(Left) A ctenophore named Mertensia ovum can be common in the bay at times.

(Centre) A jellyfish with a cargo of little hitch-hikers of unknown species.

(Above) A lion’s mane jelly drifts through sunbeams, it’s bell raised like the wings of a bird

All the images were shot with a Nikon F90x in Aquatica housing using nikkor 20mm lens, sigma 24mm macro or a 60mm micro nikkor. The topside shots are taken with a Canon 20D with a 15-30mm zoom.


SlackwaterissobriefherethatifIwanttodomorethanonetank,Ihavetofaceaninescapablefact:atleastonedivewillhavetobedonewhilethetideisrunning!Luckily,theboatcaptaintucksintothesmalleddybehindGullRock,whereit’ssafefrom the raging current flowing past on either side. Backinthewaterwithafreshtank,

Idescendto1�metreswhereseagooseberriesdriftthroughthelongstalksofbroadleafkelp,vacuumingupplanktonthatisinvisibletome.Theireight rows of tiny cilia, or “combs” flash neon green

andredastheyrefractthelightfrommystrobes. On the bottom I find a myriad of oddly

shapedanimals-fanworms,anemones,nudibranchs,lampshells,seastars,spongesandseapeaches-clingingtotherockandcreatingarococotapestryofred,pink,orange,white,yellow,blackandblue.Suchasrainbowoflifeconjuresupimagesofatropicalreef,notthecoldwatersoftheBayofFundy.

Themultitudeofbodydesignshereillustratesthebasicdifferencebetweenbiodiversity

A sea raven peers menacingly through some sea lettuce as it waits in ambush

(Top left) The long-horned scuplin sometimes becomes prey for the larger sea raven

Top right) A winter storm rages along the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy

(Bottom left) A lumpfish in it’s bright red breeding colour rests among the broadleaf kelp

(Bottom right) A northern lobster emerges from a hiding place under a rock

39/39www.uwpmag.com

onlandandinthesea.Virtuallyalltheterrestrialanimalsbelongtojusttwophyla-chordataandarthropoda-majortaxonomicgroupingsoforganismsbasedonthefundamentalformoftheirbodies.Theformerincludesallmammals,birds,reptiles,andamphibians(nottomention22,000species of fish in fresh and saltwater) andthelatter,insects,spiders,andmostothercrawlythingsthatcanbeseenwiththenakedeyeonland.It’sadifferentstoryunderwater,however,

andonthisonelittlereefbeneaththeBayofFundy,Ihavefoundatleastsevendifferentphylaofanimals.Eachoneisasdistinctfromtheothersasanantisfromananteater.

Usingamacrolens-it’sthesmallendofthespectrumthat’sinhabitedbythereallyfascinatingorganisms-Ibeginphotographinginthestillwateroftheeddy.Beneaththesea,appearancescanbedeceivingandthingsaren’talwayswhattheyseem.Caseinpoint:despitebeing

distinctlyclam-like,thenorthernlampshellstuckedintotheverticalcreviceinfrontofmearen’trelatedtoclamsoranyothermollusk.Membersofanentirelydifferentphylum,brachiopoda,lampshellsandtheirilksweepalace-like“hand”backandforthsnatchingtinypreyfromthewater.Havingchangedlittlein�00millionyears,manymembersofthisancientphylumareconsideredlivingfossils.

Nearby I find a red-gilled

nudibranch,oneofthemorecommonspeciesof“seaslug”foundinthenorthwestAtlantic.Shapedlikethefuselageofanairplane,these30mmlonganimalspossesaprominentmaneofgillsandtwoprotrudingnosestalks.Theirappearanceisbizarreandevidentlytheyavoidbecomingamealbytastingverybad(itwouldhavesuckedtohavebeenthebiologistwhohadtocheckthatoutinthenameofscience!).Fartherdownthereef,Ispotasearaven.

A slender sea star at rest on some kelp Though it doesn’t look like one, this is actually a member of the jellyfish family, a trumpet-stalked jelly to be precise

Frilled anemones are a common species throughout the Bay of Fundy

This tiny pink sculpin blends perfectly with its surroundings


Thislugubriousbottom-dwellerconcealsitselfinambushamongsomesealettuce.Ofcourse,he’snothreat to me, but small flounder, sculpins and rock gunnelshadbetterkeepaneyepeeledsincesearavens can swallow a fish two-thirds their size in asinglegulp.Despitetheirmenacingcountenanceand resemblance to the deadly stonefish of southern seas,searavensaresomewhatcurious,tamecreatures.

Nearthesearaven’shideoutIspotalumpfish amidst the kelp looking up at me with its

bigsaucereyes.Theslowmoving,blunt-headedfish rises from the bottom and swims in a circle overitspreciouspatchofeggs,settlingagainonceI’vepassed.Inlatespring,malesintheirbrilliantredbreedingcolour,useaspeciallyevolvedsuctiondisktoattachthemselvestotherockybottomwheretheyguardtheireggs.Theyoungwillhatchoutandeventuallymakeuseoftheirowndisktoanchorthemselvestothesafetyofakelpfrondtohidefrompredatorsandtorest.Theseendearingdenizensoftheseapropelthemselvesthroughthewater

by fluttering their pectoral fins and rather small tails,movinginaslow,deliberatemanneroverthebottom,TaiChimastersofthesea.

At43metresdeepIcometoGullRock’sbase. The flat muddy bottom dissolves into the murk ineverydirection.Butevenherelifeabounds,andI find a metre-long ocean pout rolled up on the mud like a firehose. Aptly named, the eel-like fish waits for dinner to happen by before engulfing it with an enormousmouthrimmedbyfat,poutylips.Justa few metres away several large winter flounders

(Far left) This red-gilled nudibranch finds itself on the tentacles of a frilled anemone

(Top centre) A school of sand lance swim through a sandy cove

(Above) This sea raven has swallowed a long-horned sculpin, a fish nearly two-thirds its size.

(Left) Close-up of a winter flounder, showing its Picasso-esque face

39/41www.uwpmag.com

snuffle through a sandy patch. Every timeonemoves,legionsofAcadianhermitcrabsscatterinastarburstoflegs,clawsandshells.Comicallyasymmetricallikesomethingrightout of a Picasso, these flounders have botheyesontherightsideofthehead.Whenthey’reveryyoungtheylooklike an average fish, but as they get olderoneeye“migrates”totheothersideofthehead.

After30minutesofexploring,Isenseachangeinthesea.Theeddybeginstodissipateasthetideturns. I don’t want to be fighting the

currentatthisdepth,soit’sabouttime to finish my dive. As I near thesurface,acuriousharboursealcomesoutofnowhereanddoesbarrelrollsasitcirclesme,asiftocelebrateitsdiscoveryofabubbleblowingunderseamonster.Iamamazedatthedisplayofeffortlessagilityasitswoops,pivotsandpirouetteswithpowerfulgracelikeaPittsSpecialstuntplaneatanairshow.Ituckintotheshelterofanoverhangforamomenttowatch,butthesealdisappearsintothedancingballofsunlightabove.Withmyair

almostgoneandadecolimitfastapproaching,ItakeonelastlookatthisremarkableplacebeforetheacceleratingtidesnatchesmefromthereefandpullsmeintotheopenseaasIascend.

Scott Lesliewww.scottleslie.com

A short-honed scuplin in its kelpy habitat Low tide at the same spot as earlier, showing how transformed the seascapes is when the tide is low. Note the people standing on the bottom of the sea on the right side of the photo.


YoumaynotknowthisbutnoneoftheUwPcontributorsgetpaid.TheyprovidetheirarticlesandphototalentinsupportofthecauseofUwPwhichaimstokeepthemagazinefreeforanyonetodownload.

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Go Big in the Red Seaby Mark Webster

TheRedSeaisaverypopulardestinationforunderwaterphotographersparticularlyfromEuropeduetoitsproximityandoftenbargainpricescomparedtootherlongerhauldestinations.Thereisawellestablisheddivinginfrastructure and large fleets of day boatsandliveaboardswhichwillcaterfortheneedsoftheoccasionalsnap-shootertothefullydedicatedphotographersandprofessionals.Thenumberofboatsoperatingdoesofcourseleadtosomeovercrowdingatpopularor‘classic’divesitesbutitis still possible to find some levels of solitudeifyouarepreparedtoforgothebignames.

Althoughsomeofthestrangeandexoticcreaturesfoundelsewherearound the globe are harder to find intheRedSea,thereisstillamindbogglingvarietyofspecieshereandnumerousspectacularcoralreefs.Ifyouhavedivedheremanytimesitistemptingtobecomeblaséaboutthequalityofthedivingandasphotographersitisoftennecessarytoconsciouslyfocusourmindsonparticulartechniquesorimagestogetthebestfromyourvisit.Althoughthereareanabundanceofexcellent

macrosubjectshere,manyofthesitesfeaturesomuchcolour,spectaculartopography,activityandexcellentbluewatervisibilitythattheyarecryingoutforyourwideanglelens.Hopefullythisshortarticlewillprovide a few pointers and fire your enthusiasmforthenextvisit.

Lens choice

Theoldadageinunderwaterphotographyisofcoursegetcloseandthengetcloserstill–reducingthewatercolumnisimportantnomatterhowclearitappearstobe.Wideangleandsuperwidelensesallowustodothisandwithsofewstraightlinesonacoralreefyoumightbetemptedtothinkthatthewidestpossiblelens (i.e. a fish eye) will be the best

Oceanic white tip shark. Nikon D200, Tokina 12-24mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Magic Filter, f8 @ 1/60, ISO 200

Coral bommie and diver. Nikon D200, Tokina 10-17mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Magic Filter, f11 @ 1/30, ISO 200


choice.Thiswillbetrueinmanycircumstances but a fish eye (defined as1��ºto180ºdiagonalviewregardless of sensor/film size) can bejustalittletoowideonoccasionsandevenonanirregularshapedreefcanproduceobviousdistortions.Ifitistheonlywideanglelensyouhavethenofcourseinthisdigitalagewecancropapictureeasily,butyoumustremembertocomposeforthis.

I personally love using the fish eyeonmyD200andarecentlenstohitthemarketseemstohaveresolved

thedilemmaofwhethertochoosea full frame fish eye or super wide anglelensforaparticulardive.ThenewTokina10-17mmzoom(forDX format sensors) seems to have beenespeciallydesignedforUWphotographersandgivesusafullframe fish eye at one end and super wideofapproximately100ºattheother,whichisroughlytheequivalentof an 18mm lens on a 35mm film format.Thislensalsofocusesextremelycloselywhichmakesitidealforclassic‘closefocuswide

angle’and‘widemacro’compositions.Themaximumapertureisvariablebetweenf3.�-4.�comparedtotheNikon10.�mmoff2.8,butfranklyyouwon’tnoticethedifferencethrough the viewfinder and we rarelyneedfullapertureunderwater.LaboratorytestcomparisonsmightpickafewholesintheTokina’sperformancebutyouwouldbehardpushed to find them – if you are in

The Tokina 10-17mm zoom requires a small extension ring. Shown here is the Subal 15mm ring. The lens will work behind a standard FE dome without an extension, but the ring will give optimal positioning.

There are a host of wide angle lenses to choose from – clockwise from left Sigma 15mm FE (an aged manual lens that the editor may have fond memories of); Tokina 12-24mm zoom; Nikkor 18-35mm zoom; Tokina 10-17mm zoom; Nikkor 10.5mm.

Soft corals and diver. Nikon D200, Tokina 10-17mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/30, ISO 100

Masked butterfly and banner angel fish. Nikon D200, Tokina 12-24mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/60, ISO 100

39/4�www.uwpmag.com

the market for a DX fish eye lens thisistheonetogofor.ItisbarelylongerthantheNikkor10.�mmandcan be used behind the standard fish eyeports,althoughopticallythebestsetupwillbeachievedwithashortextensionringofbetween1�-20mm.TheexactlengthwillbedependantonyourhousingandtheFEportdesign.Subalrecommenda20mmextensionring,butIusethe1�mmwithmyhomeengineeredportsasthebaseplatedesignisdifferent.Asthislenshassuchagoodminimumfocussetting,youcanuseitwithsmalldiameterdomeswithoutcompromisingquality.Nexusinfact

offera4”diameterdomeforthislensandtheNikkor10.�mmFE.

ForthesuperwideendyoucanlookattheshortrangezoomsfromNikon(12-24mm),Tokina(12-24mm)andSigma(10-20mm)orchooseafixed focal length. The zoom lenses needacombinationofextensionringanddomedependantonyourhousingandchoiceoflensandwillmostlikelyneedacloseupdiopterforoptimumperformance,unlessyouareusingalargediameterdome.IfyouhaveaDX sized sensor then you can try a ‘film’ full frame fish eye (15/16mm) whichwillbecroppeddowntoaround100º.Forafullframesensororifare

using film then there are a host of lensesbetween14mm(rectilinear)and20mm plus fish eyes to choose from –mostofthesewillworkwellbehinda standard fish eye dome port.

Lighting

IntheRedSeawenormallyhaveplentyofnaturallight,sowearerarelytryingtolightthewholeofawideangleimageentirelyandareusuallyaimingforagoodbalancebetweentheavailablelightandthelight from the flash guns. So high powered flash guns are not essential butabeamangleof100ºormore

Some photographers favour long arms for wide angle photography. In most circumstances I find these unwieldy and prefer a pair of 8” arms with my Subtronic Minis.

Diver photographing reef. Nikon D200, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/100, ISO 100

Green turtle. Nikon D200, Tokina 12-24mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f14 @ 1/30, ISO 100

Schooling banner fish. Nikon D100, Tokina 12-24mm zoom, Light and Motion Titan housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/80, ISO 200


isdesirable,althoughyoucanworksuccessfullywithnarrowerbeamstrobes.

Strobepositioningandarmlengtharemostlydictatedbythesizeofthemainsubject,distanceandcomposition.Fortwinstrobesapopulartechniqueistopositionthestrobes for ‘flat lighting’ and use the pointatwhichthebeamsconvergetolightthesubject,therebyavoidingpotentialbackscatterfromilluminatedparticlesbetweenthedomeandthesubject.Thistechniqueworkswell,butneedssomethoughtandpracticeparticularlywhenworkingveryclosetothesubject.Somephotographerspreferverylongarmsfor this technique, which is fine when workingatgreaterdistancesfromthesubject, but I find unwieldy in most circumstances.Mypreferenceisformediumlengtharmswhichareeasiertopositionwhenworkingclose–butyouhavetoexperimentwithavarietyofcombinationstodeterminewhichsuitsyourownstylebest.

Strobe positioning with fish eye lensesisparticularlyimportantasitisveryeasyforthemtocreepintothepicture.Theyneedtobewellbehindthe dome and ‘film or sensor plane’ toavoidthisandonlypracticeand

experimentationwillhelpyougetthisright.Trytoavoidpositioningthematthecornersoftheframewheretheangleofviewiswidest.Thezoomlenses, particularly the 10-17mm fish eye, present another problem. I find IamrepositioningmystrobesmoreoftenasIusethezoomanditisalltooeasytoforgettopullthestrobesbackagainafteracloseshotatthelongendofthelens.Itcansometimesbe difficult to see the resulting ‘flare’ fromthestrobesattheedgeofthepictureinthecameraLCDandyouonlydiscoverthisafterthedive.Sotryanddevelopamentalprocedureforeachtimeyouchangefocal

lengthorsubjectdistancetochecktopositionofthestrobes.

Filters

Using filters was a rare event when shooting with film, but now in thedigitalagewehavethe‘MagicFilter’whichhaschangedourapproachtonaturallightphotography.Thesecrettosuccessistheabilitytoadjustthewhitebalanceduringthedivetooptimizethecolourcorrection provided by the filter and

we can make further fine adjustment afterthediveifyoushootinRAWformat.Infact,ifyoudon’thavea filter or perhaps your strobe fails thenitisworthpre-settingthewhitebalanceandshootingwithavailablelightasyoumightbesurprisedatthe results. Filters don’t replace flash photography,buttheyarecertainlycomplimentary,andinanenvironmentliketheRedSeatheyaresuperbforthewidereefvistasandperfectforwrecks.Usingthemwillteachyoumoreaboutmanagingavailablelight,

Soft corals. Nikon D200, Tokina 10-17mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f16 @ 1/100, ISO 100

Diver over reef. Nikon D200, Tokina 10-17mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Magic Filter, f8 @ 1/60, ISO 200

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thebesttimeofdaytoshootandreadingthewaylightandshadowswillimpacttheimage.

Timing

Youcanshootwideangleatalmostanytimeoftheday,althoughclassicallythe‘besttime’isbetweensay10amand2pmwhenthesunisatitshighest.IntheRedSeathevisibilityoftenseemstodeteriorateintheafternoonasthesungetslower,somorningdivesareoftenthebest.Youmustalsoconsiderthetopographyof

thedivesite.Itisnogoodplanningtoshootonawestfacingwallearlyinthemorningwhenthesunrisesintheeast!Fortunatelymanyoftheoffshorereefsoffermorethanoneface,althoughonesideissometimes‘best’forlifeduetocurrentdirection,soyourtimingmaybedictatedbyavarietyoffactors.

Divingearlyandlateinthedaycan also bring the benefits of striking lightingconditionsandeffects.Whenthesunislowyoucanoftencatchthedanceofshaftsofsunlightfromthesurfacebyusingafastershutterspeed,

whilstshootingstraighttowardsthe surface with a fish eye lens can capturetheattractiveeffectofSnell’sWindowonthesurface.

Reef Subjects

ThereefsherearetrulyspectacularinsomelocationsandtheRedSeaisrenownedforitssoftcoralswhichadddazzlingcolourtoanimageinmultiplehuesrangingthroughdeepred,purples,delicatepinksandyellowsandpurewhites.Thesesoftcoralsaremostabundantonreef

wallsexposedtothecurrentwhichcanbequitestronginsomelocationsdependantontidalconditions.

Hardcoralsareabundantindifferingcolours.InthesouthernRedSeathereefsaredominatedbymassiveandamazingcoralformationsparticularlyintheFuryShoalandSt.John’s reef areas, and even a fish eye lenscanbechallengedwhentryingtocapturethescene.Thesetopographiespresentanidealopportunitytousefilters and natural light exposures.

The reef fish are equally striking and your first impression is one of

Divers return to boat. Nikon D200, Tokina 10-17mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, f11 @ 1/80, ISO 100

Soft corals. Nikon D100, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, Light and Motion Titan housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/60, ISO 200


constantmovementandactivity,particularlyfromtheRedSeatrademarkorangeanthiaswhichswatheoverthereefsandreacttoeverymovementandsound.Framingthesefish against the deep blue water backgroundwiththereefbelowcreatesaclassicimagewhichyouwillbetemptedtoshoottimeandagaininsearchoftheperfectcomposition.Therearenumerousothercolourfulfish in small and large schools which makeperfectforegroundsubjectsonthereef,butdon’tforgettokeepaneyeonthebluewateraswellas

almostanythingcanturnupwhichmaypassbyonlyforamoment.

Wrecks

TheRedSeahasbeenabusyseawaysincethetimeofthePharaohsandconsequentlytherearenumerouswreckshere.Themostpopularandbestknownarethosesunkwithinthelast1�0yearsorsowithsteelhullswhichhavesurvivedmoreintactandcanbecarpetedincoraltoalmostmergewiththereef.BignamewrecksliketheThistlegormhavesuffered

fromtheirpopularityandmuchofthecoralgrowthhasbeenknockedoffbythelargenumbersofdiversvisitingandindiscriminatemooringpractices.Howevertheyareallworthavisitasseeingsemiintactwrecksingoodvisibilityisnottobemissedandtherearemanyimagingopportunities.

Tocapturelargesectionsofawreck,orperhapseventhewholeofasmall one, a fish eye lens is essential butyouneedtobecautiouswithyourcompositiontoavoiddistortionofstraightlinesattheedgeoftheimage.Sometimesthisdistortionis

unavoidableandwewilljustacceptitiftheimageisstrongenough.Illustratingexplorationbyincludingadiverintheshotaddsextraimpacttoawreckshot(somemaysaythisisaclichéofcourse)butitisalsoagoodideatolookformarinelifeonthewreck to fill the foreground and show howtheseaistakingover.

Big Subjects

Bigsubjectslikewhalesharks,mantas,turtlesandevendugongsareoftenfoundintheRedSea,but

Diver on Atlas half wreck. Nikon D100, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, Light and Motion Titan housing, manual white balance, f8 @ 1/60, ISO 200

Tien Sien tug boat wreck. Nikon D100, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, Light and Motion Titan housing, manual white balance with Magic Filter, f8 @ 1/60, ISO 200

39/49www.uwpmag.com

areperhapsalittlelesspredictablethaninotherdestinations.Djiboutiinthefarsouthisgainingareputationforreliableencounterswithwhalesharksandmantasattherighttimeofyear,butelsewheremeetingthesecreaturesismoreofagameofchance.IntheEgyptianRedSea,wheremoreofthedivingactivityiscentred,youcanincreaseyourchancesbyplanningyoutripforspringtimewhentheplanktonbloomsoccur,butthisisnoguarantee.However,theunpredictabilitydoesnotdetractfromtheadrenalinrushofanunexpectedmeetingwhichcanoccuralmost

anywhere.Sometimesthesemeetingsare fleeting and grabbing the moment canbeachallenge,althoughifyouareshootingRAWthenthereismorechanceofrecoveringausableshot.Don’tforgetthatyoucanshoottheselargersubjectsinsilhouetteandthiscanoftenbethequickestsettingtomakeasyoutargetpassesbyoverhead.

EvenifyouridealsubjectdoesnotturnupalmosteverydivesiteintheRedSeawilloffersomeopportunityforwideangleimages.Ifitisnotoneofthebigsitesthentherearemanyshallowcoralgardensand

pinnaclesor‘ergs’whichcanproducepunchycompositionsparticularlyifyouconcentrateongettingclosetoacolourfulforegroundsubject.IrecentlyvisitedSharmElSheikhforthe first time in six years to give my youngestdaughtertheopportunitytotryscubadiving.Myinitialimpressionofthe(oncelush)beachdiveswasnotinspiring,butIfoundthatbycarefulisolationofthemainsubjectonsmallcoralheadsitwasstillpossibletoproducesomepleasingwideangleimages.

Avoiding the crowds

IfyouareseriousaboutyourphotographythenthebestoptionforatriptotheRedSeawillbealiveaboardboat.Joiningagroupofphotographerswhoallhavethesamegoalwillalsogiveyousomecontroloverthedivesiteschosen.Unlessyouyearnforthebignamesites,andsomelikeRasMohammedarestillstunning,youcanavoidthelargecrowdsofboatsanddiversbyheadingforreefsofftheusualrouteorreversingtherouteoftheboat–ifmostboatshead

Dugong with photographer. Nikon D200, Tokina 12-24mm zoom, Subal ND20 housing, Subtronic Minis, f11 @ 1/60, ISO 100

Hawksbill turtle. Nikon D200, Nikkor 10.5mm FE, Subal ND20 housing, Magic Filter, f11 @ 1/80, ISO 200

39/�0 www.uwpmag.com

Ten Wide Angle Hotspots in the Egyptian Red Sea

Thisisnotintendedtobeanexhaustivelist,justafewofmyfavourites:

RasMohammed–thewallisstillaclassicdive,buttheshallowsareashadowofwhatwasoncethere.

AbhuNuhasReef–Classicwrecksallinarow–GiannisD,Carnatic,KrisoulaK(tilewreck),KimonM(lentilwreck)andSeastar(rarelydivedduetodepth).Therearealsosomeexcellentpinnaclesinthelagoontothesouthofthereef.

BigBrotherandLittleBrotherislands–Fantasticwalls,thechancetoseesomebigpelagicsandsharksandthewrecksofAidaandNumidiaonBigBrother.Conditionscanbechallenginghere–largeswellsandstrongcurrents.

DaedalusReef–anotheroffshoreclassicwithspectacularwallsandsoftcorals.

MarsaAbbuDabab–seagrassbedswhicharehometodugongsandgreenturtles.Recentlyclosedtodiversbuthopefullyonlytemporarily.

TugBoatTienSien,FuryShoal–Abeautifullittlewreckcoveredincoralandmuchlovedbyphotographers.Normallyquietasmostdivegroupsjustpassbyafteraquicklookonaguideddive.

UmHalhalla(WitchesHat),SatayaReef,FuryShoal–thisisaverylargereefareawhichhassomespectacularhardcoralformations.However,myfavouritepartofthediveisaseriesofpinnaclestothenorthofthemainreefwhicharesmotheredwithalltheusualRedSeasuspects.

ErgSataya–alsoknowastheElphinstoneofthesouth–aspectacularwalldivewithplateausandshallowcoralgardens.

Atlas‘halfwreck’,RasBanas-althoughonlythesternsectionofthiswreckremains(sunkundertowforsalvage)itisstillveryintactandfulloflife.Thevisibilitycanbedisappointinghereafterroughweatherasthewreckliesonthefringingreefprotectingthelagoonclosetoshore.

StJohn’sWood,StJohn’sReef–aforestofcoralpillarsrisingfromabrightsandybottom–eachoneofferingsomethingalittledifferent.Agreatplace for filter photography.

TheNursery(akaDangerousReef),St.John’sReef–ananemonecity,someimpressivecoralcoveredpinnacles,passingmantasandoceanicwhitetipsharks and the chance to see bumphead parrot fish.

northatthebeginningoftheweekthenpersuadeyourskippertogosouth.

Thesouthernreefsarestillfarlesscrowdedthanthenorthgenerally,butsouthofFuryShoalisreallyonlyaccessiblebyliveaboard.

However,whicheveryouchoose,beitliveaboardordayboatyouwillalwaysbespoiltforchoiceonmostreefs.Gettoknowyourequipment,thinkaboutyourcompositionandlightingandenjoycapturingthemagicoftheRedSea.

Mark Websterwww.photec.co.uk

We’ve got you covered!

39/�1www.uwpmag.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.









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Animal Portraits - WinnerSergey Gorshkov (Russia)Bear glare

‘I’dbeensobusytakingpicturesofthesalmonintheOzernayaRiverinsouthernKamchatka,eastRussia,Ididn’tnoticethebearuntilitwasametreaway.Itwasaterribleshock.IkeptcalmenoughtotakethepicturebutonlylaterdidIrealisehowseriousthesituationwas.’BrownbearsroammainlyinfarnorthernpartsofAmericaandRussia.ButtheyusedtoliveasfarsouthasnorthAfricaandMexico.Excessivekillingandhabitatlosshasmadetheirexistencemorefragile.Theytendtoavoidhumans,butcanbecomeaggressiveifdefendingacuborcarcass.

Nikon D2X + Nikkor 12–24mm f4 G AF-S DX lens at 12mm; 1/250 sec at f10; ISO 200; Subal housing; two strobes INON D2000.© Sergery Gorshkov / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

TheShellWildlifePhotographeroftheYearisprobablythemostprestigiousphotographiccompetitionfortheunderwaterphotographer.Thisyearthecompetitionattractedarecord32,000entriesfromprofessionalandamateurphotographersfrom78countries.TheShellWildlifePhotographeroftheYearisownedbytheNaturalHistoryMuseumandBBCWildlifeMagazine.

Likelastyear,underwaterphotographersdidparticularlywell.TheUnderwaterWorldcategorywaswonbyFelipeBarrioforhisphotographoffeastingwhalesharksandThomasPeschakwontheNatureInBlackandWhitecategorywithasplitlevelofablacktipsharkatdawn.OtherawardwinningunderwaterimagesweretakenbyPaulNicklen,GrahamEaton,JurgenFreund,AngelFitor,DouglasDavidSeifert,LenDeeley,PatrickWeir,BelaNasfay,JeffYonover,WadeHughesandAlexMustard.Alsothreeotherunderwaterphotographers,AmosNachoum,PaulNicklenandSergeyGorshkov,werecategorywinnersalthoughwithphotosthattheyhadtakenabovethe

Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007Report by Alex Mustard

surface!TheWildlifePhotographerof

theYearhaslongbeenconsideredasabarometerfortrendsinnatureandunderwaterphotography-bothaestheticandtechnical.Perhapstheclearestmessagefromtheentrieswasthatthetransitiontodigitaliscomplete,withalltheawardwinningunderwaterimagescomingfromNikonorCanondigitalSLRs.Thecompetitionalsoleadsthewayinpreservingandrewardingtheskillof the photographer in the field, as opposedtoonthecomputer,astherulesprohibitmanipulationofthecontentofthephotographs.

Personally,Ithinkthatthisyear’sselectionisoneofthestrongestIcanrememberandthismakesmeparticularlypleasedtoseethatunderwaterphotographersarecompetingsosuccessfulagainstterrestrialwildlifephotographers.Itisanexcitingtimetobeinthisgame.

Alex Mustardwww.amustard.com


The Underwater World - WinnerFelipe Barrio (Spain)Giant feast

‘IwaswokenbyahugecrashagainsttheboatintheRedSea.Itwasa10-metre-longyoungwhaleshark.Fourothersharksthenjoinedit,gatheredbelowaschoolofsardines.Weslippedintothewaterusingsnorkellinggear,andwatchedthemfeed,non-stopforthreehours.Theynotonlysuckeduptheplankton,butalsothesardines’excrement.Itwasafantasticexperience.’Whale sharks are the largest fish on Earth. The Gulf of Tadjourah off Djibouti, intheRedSea,isahotspotforthesegiants,whichcongregatefromOctobertoJanuary to feed. Despite their huge size, they are filter feeders, sucking in water and filtering out the plankton, algae, krill and small squid or fish.

Nikon D200 + Nikon 10.5mm lens; 1/50 sec at f4; ISO 160; Seacam housing.© Felipe Barrio / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

The Underwater World - Runner-upPaul Nicklen (Canada)Teeth exposure

‘Iwantedtoseeifleopardsealsweresavagebeastsorsimplycuriousandmisunderstood.Idivedwiththemmorethan�0timesatAnversIslandofftheAntarcticPeninsula,andtheyalmostalwaysapproachedinthesameway,openingtheirmouthsinchesfrommyface.Aftertheyestablishedtheirdominance,theyseemedtorelax.’LeopardsealsareoneofthelargestsealsinAntarctica,withareputationforbeingaggressive.Theyaretheonlysealsthatregularlyeatwarm-bloodedpreysuchasbirdsandotherseals.Theyhavepunctured inflatable boats and even followed people onto the ice. But like allpredators,theyareusuallyjudgedbytheworststories.Leopardsealsareinquisitiveandsolitary.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II + 17-40mm f4 lens; 1/30 sec at f11; Ikelite 125 digital strobes.© Paul Nicklen / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007


The Underwater World - Highly CommendedAlec Connah (United Kingdom)Fish roundup

‘IvisitedLankayanIsland,offSabah,Borneo,tophotographnestingturtles.OnemorningfromthejettyIsawtheseyoungblacktipreefsharks,seemingly herding small fish into the shallows. I liked the patterns that formed as the fish leisurely

Nikon F5 + 70-200 f4 lens; 1/1000 sec; Fujichrome Provia 100.© Amos Nachoum / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

evadedthem.Sometimes,asharkwouldlashoutandtrytofeed.Ineverdidgettheturtleshots,butthismorethancompensated.’Theblacktipreefsharkisrelativelysmall,lessthantwometreslong.All its fins have black or dark brown tips, and it lives around shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific. It is a fast predator, feeding mainly on reef fishes, but alsostingraysandcrustaceanssuchascrabs.Itsfins are valued for shark-fin soup, a market that is decimatingsharkpopulationsworldwide.

Nikon F5 + Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 lens; 1/250 sec at f5.6, Fuji Velvia 50 rated at 100 asa© Alec Connah / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

Animal Behaviour: All Other Animals - WinnerAmos Nachoum (USA)Great white torpedo

‘Ispenttwoyearsplanningthisproject,inanareaknownastheRingofDeath,SealIsland,inSouthAfrica,wheregreatwhitesharksambushseals.Sometimestheybreachforseals,sometimesonewoulddoitforarubberdummytowedbehindtheboat,ashere.Itwasalwaysunexpectedandoverinlessthanasecond.’Sharksarethemostnotoriouspredators in the sea. They are fish, but unlike other fish, sharks do not have bones. Their skeletons aremadefromcartilage,makingthemmorelightweight and flexible. They survive on blubber from whales, seals and dolphins and large fish. More peoplediefromencounterswithbees,elephantsandcrocodilesthansharks.

39/��www.uwpmag.com

The Ghost Fleeet Of Bikini Atoll and Pacific Realm – A Kelp Forest, two newly released eBooklets by Joseph C. Dovala, are now available. These are PDF files easily read by a number of free existing software programs such as Acrobat Reader. Electronic photo books, or eBooks, are able to showcase images and text in a new, exciting, and very inexpensive way. They have relatively small file sizes, usually of 10mb or less. Both above titles are only $4.00 each emailed. Please visit www.jcdovala.com for details.









Donate here


39/�� www.uwpmag.com

IworkontheGreatBarrierReefasanunderwaterphotographer.IswimaroundphotographingpassengersastheyengageinunderwateractivitiessuchasSCUBADiving,PlatformHelmetDiving,andsnorkeling.

Intow,Ihaveafewworkmates,aNaploeanMaoriWrassenamedWally,andafewTurtles,twoinParticular,ShelleyandCasey.Ispendover3hoursunderwatereachdaywiththeseanimals.WallyisveryintelligentandtheTurtlesarewelltrainedsoIamabletogettheseanimalstoprettymuchdoanythingIwant.

AfterafewmonthsofworkingwiththeseanimalsIwasperusingmycollectionofphotographsIhadtakenoftheseanimalstogether.Iwassurprisedtoseeacollectionofphoto’sinvolvingtheseanimalsininterestingpositions.

Itdidn’ttakelongtorealisethatthephotoshadaccidentallyformedabasicplot.Theplotwasthatofaconflict with Wally at the centre. I cameupwithanideaforathemeandextendedtheplot.

AfterIhadcameupwiththe

storylineIhadtobuysomeprops,andthenplansomephotos.

Fortunatelytheseanimalsarethereeveryday,unfortunatelytheyarenotalwaysthereatthesametime.

TheplotcentersonabrotherandsisterGreenturtlenamedCaseyandShelley,thatliveandgotoschoolontheGreatBarrierReef.Shelleymustescortheryoungerbrothertoschooleachday.Onedaysheencouragesherbrothertoswimbyhimselfagainstherparentswishes,carryinghisnewlunchbox.

EnterWally,theschoolbully.Hefollows,andchasesCaseydownthenstealshislunchbox,andhidesitintheschoolground.

Shelley finds her younger brothercryingintheschoolyard.Aftercomfortingherlittlebrother,shelearnsofthetheft.Thentheybothgoinsearchforthestolenlunchbox.

Thesearchyieldsnoluck,sotheyseparateandroamthereefquestioningvariousreefcharactersintheirtravels.ThesearchendsinaphysicalencounterwithWally.ThestoryendsamiciablywithWallyapologisingandthelunchboxreturnedtoit’sowner.

SoIhadtogetphotoswiththeseanimalsandwithalunchbox.Ihadtobalanceacameraaluchbox,andfoodforbothWallyandtheTurtleswhilstsettingandcomposingthephoto’s.

LookingbackIamnotevensurehowIdidit,IrememberwishingIwasanoctopus.

Allofthephotographsarereal, with no modification or superimpositionofanyofthesubjectswithinthephoto’s.Theprojecthastaken18monthstogatherthephotosandwritethestory.

Thecharactersarereal,itisthesameturtlesineveryphoto.Theplot

Sorry Wallyby Troy Mayne

Author “at work” with Wally and Casey


ofthestoryisactuallybasedonatruestory.Wallyreallyisabigbully.WallygetsveryjealousoftheturtlesifIpaytoomuchattentiontothem.Heresortstobullyingtacticsinordertopreventmefromattendingtothem.

AfteralotofresearchonbullyingIdecidedtofocustheplotofthestorylinearoundtheissue.Bullyingisthenumberoneissuefacingchildrenaroundtheworld.

IbelievedIhadanopportunitytohelpaddressanissuetohelpchildrenusingnonbiasedcharactersthatwouldalsoinspireandexcitechildrenaboutouroceanswhilsthelpgetthemessageacrossaboutbullying.

Thestarsofthebook,ANapoleonMaoriWrasseandtheGreenTurtlesarelistedontheIUCN(InternationalUnionforConservationofNatureandNaturalResources)RedListOFThreatenedSpecies.Thereisinformationatthebackofthebookonbothspecies,andthemanyotherreefanimalsthatarefeaturedwithinthestory.

SorryWallyisnotonlyentertainingforchildrenandadultsalike,butalsoeducatesaboutthebiggestissuefacingchildreninschoolstoday,bullying.Ialsohopethatthephotographywillinspirechildren’simaginationtowardsouroceansaswell.

AlthoughIhavewrittenthisbookasachildren’sbook,fromthereactionsIhavereceivedfromalltheadultsthathavereadthebook,IthinkImaybemarketingthebookatthewrongagegroup.

IamalsocurrentlyworkingontwootherbookscenteredaroundthesamecharactersasSorryWally,eachwithit’sownmoralmessage

SorryWallyisbeingtranslatedinTetun(EastTimoreseLanguage)andproceedsfromthesaleofSorryWallygoestowardsaspecialprintofthebook.ThateditionofSorryWallywillbeintroducedintoeveryschoolinEastTimortotryandcombattheirextremelylowliteracyrate,whichisthelowestintheworld.

PurchasingSorryWallywillnotonlyhelpto

educatechildrenaboutbullyingandtheoceanbuthelpthechildrenofEastTimortoabetterlife.

Troy Maynewww.sorrywally.com

Wally grabs Shelley by the flipper after she confronts him about stealing her little brother’s lunchbox.

Casey swimming to school with his lunchbox, his sister Shelley behind him.

Wally, the Reef School Bully, steals Casey’s lunchbox after sneaking up on him.

Casey asking Adam and Annabelle the Anemonefish, if they had seen Wally and his lunchbox.


Book ReviewReefs RevealedBy Alex Mustard

TheArtofDivingwasAlex’sfirst book in collaboration with wordsmithNickHanna.TheircombinationproducedwhatDavidDoubiletdescribedas“ThebestbookaboutdivingsinceJacquesCousteau’sTheSilentWorld”andofAlex’simageshestated“Alexhasauniqueeye.Thisisunderwaterimageryatitsbest”.

Reefs Revealed sees Alex flying solo,tacklingahugesubjectwithhisowncombinationofimagesandtext.Hisbackgroundasamarinebiologistprovideshimwithanunderstandingofhissubjectbut,ascansooftenhappenwithacademics,theknowledgesometimesfailstotransfertothewrittenword.Notsointhiscase.Alex’swordsarelikehisimages-cleanandconcise,informativeandreadable.Hisintroductorychapterisagoodexampleofhowtoexplainsuchalargesubjectgloballyyetpreciselykeepingthereadersattentionwithagiftedblendofinformationandenlightenment.

Theproductionofthisbookisopportune,comingatatimewhenthebalanceofthenatural

worldisindisarraywithcoralreefsrepresentingthemostdelicateandtotallydependentecosystemofthemall.Alex’simagesconveyallthatismagicalaboutthesewonderfulandvariedenvironmentsinhabitedbyweirdandwonderfulcreatures.Thereis,quiteliterally,notabadimageinthisbookand,intruecoffeetablestyle,eachimageisaccompaniedbypreciseyetinformativecaptions.

Ifpushed,Iwouldmaketwonegativecomments.FirstlyAlexhaschosennottoincludeanyimagesofdamagedordeadreefsandIfeelthatthisisanomission.Pictoriallyyoucomeawayfromthisbookwithanover-confident view of the situation thatisfarfromthetruth.Alex’stextdoescovertheproblembutIfeltthatevenjustacoupleof‘reality’imageswouldjoltthereaderoutofafalsesenseofwellbeing.

Thesecondnegativecommentis,however,morepersonal.I’mcreditedintheAcknowledgementssectionandthisisonlyrightandproperasItravelledwithAlexonseveraloftheshootsforthisbook.IndeedIoftengaveupmydivingtimeduringthesetripstoactashismodelunderwater.Sotoreadthat,referringtomymodelling,“alargeobjectisusefultogivesomescale”isratherlikeoneofGaryLarson’sFarSidecartoonswhichshowstheelderlyLoneRangerinaretirementhomelookinginan

Indiandictionaryanddiscoveringthatkemosabeis“anApacheexpressionforahorse’srearend.”

Thekidsoftodayhavegotnorespectbut,annoyingly,thisparticularonetakesameanimageandwritesacrispword.

Reefs Revealedcosts£30andispublishedbyConstable&Robinson

www.constablerobinson.com



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,countriesorliveaboardsSubjects - AnythingfromwhalesharkstonudibranchsinfulldetailEquipment reviews - DetailedappraisalsofthelatestequipmentPersonalities - Interviews/featuresaboutleadingunderwaterphotographers

If you have an idea for an article, contact me first before putting pen to paper.

[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-Maximumlength1�cmi.e.horizontalpictureswouldbe1�cmwideandverticalswouldbe1�cm.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.3.Captions-Each and every image MUST have full photographic details including camera, housing, lens, lighting, film, aperture, shutterspeedandexposuremode.Thesemustalsobecopiedandpastedintothebodyoftheemail.



Parting Shot 1“Don’tHarasstheFish.“Ican

stillhearmyfather’swordsechoingthroughmyheadsome30yearslater.

IgrewupinFortLauderdale,Floridaandmyfatherwouldtakemeandmybrotherssnorkelinginthevariousreefsoffthecoast.Myfathertaughtusthatthereefwasafragileecosystemandweneedtorespecttheinhabitants.

FortLauderdaleisoneofthefewplacesintheworldwhereyoucanwalkoffabeachinthemiddleofabustlingcityandswim�0meterstoabeautifulunderwater“GardenofEden”.

TodayitismyturntoteachmysonswhatIlearnedandtopassdowntherespectthatthisenvironmentdeserves.

ItisabrightcleardayinOctober.Theoceanisstillawarm82°Fandthevisibilityisnearly100feet.IamdivingwithmyfavoritedivebuddiesRandy,age14andBrandonage12–mysons.ThemainpurposeofourdiveistotryoutournewCannon20DandseeifIcansnapafewpicturestodecoratethewallintheirbedrooms.

Halfwaythroughthedive,Iamfocusingonamorayeelatacleaningstation,tryingtoconvincetheeel

andthebandedcoralshrimpto“pose”forme.Mysonshoverabove,gettingprettybored.Allofasudden,Randytapsmeontheshoulderandpointstowardshislittlebrother.Brandonhasfound a porcupine fish and hasstartedtotauntthefish, causing it to swell withwater,adefensemechanismtodiscourageanywouldbeattackers.Itsdefenseisuselessagainstthe80poundBrandonMonster.

“Don’tharassthefish” I say through my mouthpiece–repeatingthewordsofmyfathersome30yearsago.ButofcourseBrandondoesnotspeakbubble-languageandImustresorttoamoresophisticatedformofcommunication.IhandthecamerarigtoRandyandstartmydisciplinaryactionagainstTheBrandonMonster.Iswimover,pullhimawayfromthebesieged porcupine fish and shake my finger at him. He gives me his best “It wasn’tmeDad”.Weareonlydivingin20feetofwatersoIbringhimto

Canon 20D in an Ikelite housing w/ single DS125 strobe. ISO 200 Shutter speed

thesurfacetorepeatthe30yearoldsloganinstilledinmyheadfrommyfather “Don’t harass the fish”. I get theusual“SorryDad”andhisfacedisappearsbackunderthewaves.

Uponourreturntothebottom,IseethatRandyhasfocusedthecameraon the over-stuffed porcupine fish and issnappingawaywiththeCannon.

Well,thephotonowhangsonthewallinBrandon’sroomwiththecaption:

‘Don’tHarasstheFish”

Randy Veliky SR [email protected]


Parting Shot 2About three years ago, I was testing my film camera and housing for the

first time. I had started my dive and began to look for a colourful subject to photograph.

Icouldseesomediversobservingsomethingamongthetubularsponges.WhentheyrealizedthatIwasholdingacameratheybackedawayandoneofthempointedoutthesubjectforme.Itwasalittleseahorse,agreyone.Itriedtophotographit,butitwashidingfrommycamera.Ionlymanagedoneshotandcontinuedmydive.

Aweeklater,Iviewedmyrollofslidesandcutofftheuncolourfulonesandputtheminthewastebasket.Mywifesawtheseahorsepictureandkeptit.

ImaginemysurprisewhenIfoundoutIhadwonaprizeinacontestwiththislittlegrey-uncolourful-seahorse!

Nowadays,Itakethepictures,butmywifechosesthemforme…

Nikon F100 film camera+ Hugyfot Arius [email protected]@1/2�0th-0.7

compensationSea&SeaFlashYS120TTLPorcosIsland–ArraialdoCabo/RiodeJaneiro–Brazil

Christian [email protected]

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”.

[email protected]


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”.

[email protected]

IcancountononehandthenumberoftimesI’vefeltlikesomethingwas“stalking”meunderwater.WhendivingofftheChannelIslandsofSouthernCaliforniayoualwayskeepthoughtsofthe“Landlord”(GreatWhitey)inthebackofyourmind,especiallyhangingoutdoinggreenwaterdeco.OnetimeIactuallymighthaveseenone,justatthelimitofvisibilityandforonlyasplitsecond.Morethanlikelyitwasmyownbrainmakingupstuff.Inanycase,therehasneverbeensolidevidence for a peeping “fish” following me until aparticularlydarkandcolddiveataplacecalledShipRockamile-and-a-halfoffCatalinaIslandinCalifornia.

TheRockisanexceptionaldivesiteandyoucandoeverythingfromashallowkelpsojourntoafullonsub200foottechnicaldiveonaverticalface in open water. It’s definitely one of my favoriteplaces.Therealsohavebeenmorethanafewcrediblesightingsofbigcritterswithlotsofteeth;includingakillerwhalestandingonhisheadwatchingadivertakelobsteroutofahole.Dolphin,barracuda,andgiganticschoolsofmackerelarenostrangershereeither.

Itwaswithmuchexcitementthatweloadedupthegearandbeganourchannelcrossing.Theovercastskydidnotdotheusualthinning,andinfact,itgotdarkerasthemorningworeon.Thetemperaturedroppedaswellandwehardlysawanymarinelife,notevenbirds,onthetripover.TherewerenootherboatsatTheRockandthedarkwaterwasaboutasinvitingasataxaudit.

Eveninmydrysuitthewaterfeltc-c-coldand

thevisibilitywasadark1�feet.DespitetheconditionsandmysubduedmoodIhadelectedtobringmycamera.Oncewehitourtargetdepthof80feetwestartedaclockwiseswimalongthekelpperimeter.Totheleftwasnearblackopen-oceanandtotherightwasadarkforebodinglookingfairytaleforest.WithinacoupleofminutesaverystrongemotioncameovermeandIbegantomakerapidspinslookingbehindmeaswemovedalong.AfterafewmoreminutesIwassureIcaughtaglimpseofsomethingfairlylargedartinginandoutofthelimitsofvisibilityconstantlyfollowingus.Myimaginationtookholdfullforceandconsideringmyframeofmindwedecidedtoheadupintoshallowerwaterandheadback.

OncewegotintolighterwatersIstartedfeelingkindofsillyandactuallybegantoenjoythedivewhenInoticedamovementjustaheadandbelowme.IstartedlaughingbecauseimmediatelyIknewwhomypredatorystalkerwas.Shootingdownwardisrarelyproductiveinu/wphotographybutasIdriftedovermynemesishepeeredupatme

throughthekelpandsuddenlythewholedaywasworthit.

Joe Dovalawww.jcdovala.com

Nikon D100, LMI Titan Housing, Nikkor 16mm, ISO 200, 1/100 @ f8, Raw

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