A few spots have opened up on the second trip of the Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia expedition. Join Eric Cheng and Indonesia dive-guide extraordinaire Graham Abbott on a charter especially set up for photographers. We will have a flexible itinerary that will bring us from Ambon, through the Banda Sea, to the famous sea snake island of Guning Api (featured in BBC’s Planet Earth series), and the amazing critter life around Alor, Pantar, Flores and Maumere. 

We offer a last minute discount for this trip. Contact Dan Baldocchi at for details.

EXPEDITION #1: Sorong, Halmahera, Ambon | March 7-22, 2009 (15 days)
Fully booked.

EXPEDITION #2: Ambon, Banda Sea, Maumere | March 25-April 9, 2009 (15 days)
UPDATE: 6 spots available

We’ll be aboard the Seven Seas, a fantastic luxury liveaboard vessel.  For more information, visit our Ultimate Indonesia info page.

Attention photographers and videographers: the deadlines for the Our World-Underwater and Deep Indonesia contests are coming up fast!  Make sure you enter your images before January 15 2009.  With over $75,000 of world-class prizes, major industry involvement, and the opportunity to have your images showcased to the world as some of the best, these competitions can not be missed. Prizes include premium dive travel, underwater photo and video equipment, scuba diving gear and more!

New this year is a Novice category for the Our World Underwater contest, making it even easier for everyone from beginner to pro to compete. 

Entry forms and detailed guidelines can be found at underwatercompetition.com

Publisher Dietmar Fuchs announces a new, high quality, limited edition art magazine dedicated to underwater photography, called Editions Fifty Fathoms. The first issue contains portfolios of the work of Ernest H. Brooks II, Maurine Shimlock & Burt Jones, Udo Kefrig and Helmut Horn.

The Editions Fifty Fathoms will be issued in three series. Strictly limited to 50 copies, series 1 will be delivered with a special edition of the diver’s watch. In a print run of 1,829 copies, series 2 will be available from Blancpain boutiques worldwide; whereas the 1,000 copies of series 3 will be available exclusively ordered online as of June 2008 at the price of 50 euros. All will be individually numbered and may be signed by one of the photographers.

Happy holidays, from the Wetpixel staff!  Over the past calendar year, we saw hundreds of amazing images flow through the forums, check out the current best of 2008 thread, the Picture of the Week contest, and the annual Wetpixel / DivePhotoGuide photo / video contests (OWU and DEEP). 

At the DEMA show, we hosted the largest happy hour yet, packing over 100 raucous people into a suite at the Hilton, much the chagrin of the hotel’s security. We also provided detailed and almost live coverage of all the underwater imagine related products.

As always, Wetpixel members have starred across the diving world, winning numerous awards and also featured in all sorts of media, including well-known magazines, books, and television shows.

And finally,Wetpixel Quarterly, our new print magazine featuring the best in underwater photography goes from strength to strength. Issue 5 of the acclaimed magazine, should be out soon.

Eric is currently on assignment in Antarctica, missing some home comforts, and has this message “Someone please eat some ice cream for me.”

Wetpixel would be nothing without its talented, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and generous members. Thank you for your support. Have a great holiday and Good Shooting in 2009.

We all know that Nikon’s new 24MP D3X will out resolve the 12MP D3, but how does it compare in terms of high ISO noise. That is the question that the Wetpixel member Chip Scarlett has set out to answer with some of the first tests of the D3X’s noise characteristics.

Visit the forums to see and discuss his findings.

Here on Wetpixel, it has become something of a tradition at the end of every year for members to share each of our favourite underwater photographs. It is not just about posting your best picture, but the one that is your personal favourite. It may be a shot you have been chasing for years, a photo that captures your best diving experience or something completely different.

There are no rules, it is up to you. The point is to get involved. So whether you are an experienced shooter or new to underwater photography visit the forums, marvel at the images and add your photo from 2008 and the story behind it. 

Wetpixel member and photojournalist Tim Rock has announced two new books on Guam and Palau, and a revised volume on Yap.

Each containing over 200 photos, the books highlight the undersea beauty of the ocean and coastal topography of these destinations; sharks, dolphims, dense jungles, lush reefs, feeding manta rays, hidden waterfalls, and more. All three books are available at Blurb - continue reading for more details…

Much like traveling with a child for the first time, you learn a lot during the maiden voyage with an underwater rig. Herein lies an unexpected challenge; you’ve added another entity to your travel caravan. Specifically, you now have another rolling bag to contend with. Whether carried-on or checked, it creates a a logistical puzzle. Let me explain.

Recognizing (though not fully) that my baggage had increased, I whittled my gear down to the minimum. At the risk of not having a backup of nearly every item, I aimed to minimize what I would need to carry (or pull)…

Backscatter‘s Berkely White grabbed a rare pre-production copy of the new Nikon D3x digital SLR last week and used the opportunity to test the fit in a number of housings available for the D3 precursor.

Those banking on the idea that the body mold-line would remain the same (similar to Canon’s 1D/1Ds line) are in luck - the D3x fit in the Subal and Sea&Sea housings on hand, and Backscatter believes that the Aquatica housing should be a lock as well.

Wetpixel member Gyula Somogyi’s (Jules Helioxfilm) award-winning The Ships of Darkness artistic film and One of us documentary have recently been released together on DVD. Filmed in the Red Sea, they show the audience the ”flooded chambers, broken masts, exploded walls and windows hardened into stones [that] make up the surroundings of a wreck-dive.”

With the DVD is a 16-page booklet containing ”factual information regarding the wrecks’ GPS position, basic data, and a short history so it can be used for dive-trip planning.” For a limited time, buyers of the package receive a $5 discount on Wetpixel Quarter subscriptions!