Nicholas More: Anilao

Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide are proud to announce the results of the 2018 DEEP Indonesia imaging contest. The field was incredibly strong and the most hearty congratulations are due to Yung-Sen Wu for his stunning image of a blue ring octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) with eggs. Further congratulations to all of the among the placings, especially to the many members of the Wetpixel community.
The affluent, celebrity studded, seaside town of Malibu recently voted to ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cutlery. The ban goes into effect on June 1st when the 65 restaurants will have to cease using the single use plastic items. Malibu was an early adopter of a plastic bag ban, voting in 2008 to stop using them in stores. 500 million plastic straws are thrown away every day across the country, all of which cannot be decomposed.
Ikelite has released details of their housing for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III mirrorless camera. It offers TTL flash exposure control (with Ikelite strobes) and both shutter release and AEL/AFL controls have curved ergonomic levers. The housing is constructed of Ikelite’s signature white ABS-PC and utilises their DLM port system.
Steve Perry of Backcountry Gallery has posted a video entitled “7 More of the Best Nikon Tricks Ever” on YouTube. He discusses saving and sharing camera settings, image file renaming, in viewfinder virtual horizon, high speed flash sync, easy ISO/exposure compensation, viewfinder grid display and exposure delay mode.
A gray whale has survived a 3-day beaching ordeal in Baja, Mexico. In mid-February the whale swam into a shallow canal in Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos and was then trapped when the tide receded. Over three days workers with the federal environmental protection agency kept the whale hydrated by using pumps and digging holes in the sand around it to allow water to pool. On the third day the tide rose high enough to allow the whale to be freed, and it swam away using its own power.
Olympus has released firmware updates for OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II and Pen-F mirrorless cameras. The updates add lens compatibility, a focus stacking feature and other performance enhancements and features.
The Underwater Tour, a joint venture by IDM, and Underwater.com.au is presenting four internationally acclaimed underwater photographers on tour together, visiting Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney on 4 consecutive evenings from 9 to 12 May 2018.
Scientists studying Northern Atlantic right whales have observed no new calves born as the calving season comes to a close. This is bad news as the whales are endangered and the conclusion comes after a terrible year for deaths, 17 recorded off North America. The population is up from being nearly decimated by whalers, but hovers around 450 total individuals.