Wetpixel.com - Articles

Red Giant launches beta of BulletProof

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-23T20:42:54+00:00

Software company Red Giant has launched a [free beta](http://www.redgiant.com/products/all/bulletproof/#tabs) (after a registration process) of their new BulletProof offload, prep and delivery solution app. The company cites it as being the bridge between shooting footage and editing. It has the option of allowing footage to be reviewed on the fly, make first-pass color corrections, add metadata and create back-ups. The beta software only offers support for footage from [Nikon and Canon SLRs and GoPro POV](http://www.redgiant.com/products/all/bulletproof/compatibility/#tabs) cams, although there are plans to support other cameras in future, and currently works only on macs too.

Tagged: news, red giant, video

NG cover shot of James Cameron taken in a tank

Abi Mullens — 2013-05-23T16:50:23+00:00

Many underwater photographers specialize in underwater studio set-ups for portraits, but National Geographic opted for an even more controlled underwater studio for their June 2013 cover shot of James Cameron. Here is the behind-the-scenes story:

"*Putting Academy Award winner James Cameron underwater on National Geographic's cover this month called for a little Hollywood magic. "We have to show science is exciting,” Cameron says.*

*The National Geographic explorer-in-residence really was submerged—but inside a giant water tank at a soundstage he uses in Manhattan Beach, California (two 40-foot models of the Titanic, both seaworthy and wrecked versions, sat nearby).*

*Sand, plants, and bubbles were added to the image to create the illusion of Cameron on the seafloor, a place well-known to the director of Titanic and The Abyss.*

*Photographer Marco Grob had just two hours to make the portrait before his subject had to leave to catch a flight for Australia. So Cameron, whose solo dive into the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean, is featured in the June issue of National Geographic, donned a wet suit and went to work. He was a pro at holding his breath: “I was sometimes concerned,” admits Grob. “I’d knock on the window and say: Hey, come up."*’"

Find the full "*Behind the Cover*" article [here](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/05/130523-behind-the-cover-james-cameron/).

Tagged: cover shot, national geographic, news

How to print a life size photograph of a whale

Abi Mullens — 2013-05-22T19:23:30+00:00

When photographer [Bryant Austin](http://www.studiocosmos.com) came eye-to-eye with a humpback mother whale swimming with her calf, it changed his life. He decided he wanted to recreate that experience for others by making a life-sized print of a whale -- something that had never been done before. So he quit his job, sold his house, and flew to the South Pacific armed with only a snorkel and a camera.

Bryant has just released his first book, "*Beautiful Whale*," and was recently interviewed on *Forum* with Michael Krasny. Find more images and audio of the interview [here](http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201305221000).

Tagged: beautiful whale, bryant austin, whale

Agony in a bowl: Amazing claymation video

Abi Mullens — 2013-05-22T18:44:54+00:00

This amazing and moving claymation video was produced and photographed by 13-year old Kyle Kelleher to raise awareness about the issues around shark fin soup and to try and persuade people to "*say no to shark fin soup*". To the point and entertaining, we think [the video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6hgy1wY9Fg) speaks for itself. Excellent work Kyle!

Tagged: claymation, shark fin soup, shark fin soup, agony in a bowl

Flickr: “No such thing as professional photographers anymore”

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-21T11:17:52+00:00

Yahoo has had a busy week. On Monday, it announced the acquisition of blogging platform Tumblr for a reported $1.1bn and it launched a revamped version of its photo hosting site, Flickr. This was acquired by the company in 2005, and has been left pretty much untouched ever since. The redesign has changed the layout of the site and will give users the option of a free, advertising supported account with 1TB of online storage or a paid account that will cost $49.99/year and offers ad-free browsing. The current Pro account offered both unlimited uploads and ad free browsing for $24.95/year.

The rational for this change was laid out by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer at a press conference in New York yesterday. She claimed that the company wants "*to make Flickr awesome again*". She went on to say that: “*There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [with so many people taking photographs] there’s really no such thing as professional photographers anymore*,” although she acknowledged that there are photographers with “*different skill levels*”.

It seems that Yahoo's goal for Flickr is for it to be monetized by advertising revenue that it will receive due to its synergy with Tumblr. They obviously feel that "*professional*" content is not needed to drive the required traffic their way, in fact they seem to feel that this content doesn't actually exist! Their plan seems unclear as to why people will visit a photo sharing site if there aren't good images for them to look at when they get there? Perhaps Ms Mayer's quote should read that there are no such thing as a professional photographer on Flickr anymore?

Tagged: flickr, news

Google takes street view for a dive

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-20T17:27:30+00:00

TechCrunch has published an [article](http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/16/how-google-took-street-view-for-a-dive/)about Google's ongoing project to add "Street View" style imagery from the underwater realm. Google's recent I/O conference included a presentation from the [Catlin Seaview Survey](http://catlinseaviewsurvey.com/surveys/caribbean/aruba) team, and details have been made public of how the team's imaging scooters create the underwater mapping. During each hour-long dive, the divers travel around 2km and capture between 3,000 to 4,000 images. Each scooter has three cameras, oriented in a Y formation, and controlled via a tablet mounted on the rear of the scooter.

There are currently 4 of the $50,000 dollar systems in existence, although the team are looking into the possibility of using autonomous underwater vehicles for the future.

Survey operations are focusing in the Americas at present, but there are plans to expand the survey area significantly over the next three years. As to the reasons for such a project, project director Richard Vevers pointed out in his address during the conference that it is a powerful tool to get people to engage with the environmental challenges facing the world's oceans. He says: "*People don’t want to protect anything they can't see*,” and "*most people don’t dive, but there’s no reason why we can’t take them diving virtually*".

Tagged: catlin sea survey, google, news

Shark Angels launches online charity auction

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-20T12:55:51+00:00

Shark Angels has launched a [charity auction](http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/SharkAngels/catalog_items) to raise funds for its conservation initiatives. The sale, which runs through until 11 June, includes diving trips, celebrity attendances at film premieres and a fashion shoot.

###Press release.
Shark Angels, a US based non-profit, is thrilled to launch their first annual [World Oceans Day auction](http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/SharkAngels/catalog_items) on 16 May on Charity Buzz, one of the world’s leading auction platforms. Items up for bid, through 11 June, include incredible celebrity experiences, sports memorabilia, unique expeditions around the globe, and, of course, quite a few sharky items.

By bidding on their amazing auction items, you’ll fuel critical campaigns and play a vital role in protecting not just a threatened species, but also the oceans. Shark Angels employs grassroots outreach, creative media, and education campaigns aimed at inspiring a global movement to save sharks – and the ecosystems they keep healthy. And it’s working. For over five years, Shark Angels has been involved in some of the most well-known and highest impact ocean conservation programs around the world.

“*We’ve been thrilled with the support from our partners and are very excited about this experiential auction*,” says executive director, Julie Andersen. “*Like the angels – and the animals they protect – it is truly unique*.” Ms. Andersen hopes the auction will earn enough to fuel Shark Angels’ innovative education and advocacy programs, like FinFree, to protect sharks, the ocean’s apex species. “*The health of the world’s oceans depends on healthy shark populations, and every creature on earth depends on healthy oceans for survival. This is a tangible way to ensure your donations make a very real difference*.”

You can help by checking out the items, bidding, and helping to spread the link far and wide. Sharks, healthy oceans, and a committed organization dedicated to their preservation are depending on it. We’ve done a lot with a little. But now we need your help.

Tagged: environment, news, shark angels

Branson brokers deal to protect Caribbean sharks

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-20T12:18:54+00:00

Businessman Sir Richard Branson hosted a meeting of nine Caribbean governments along with chiefs of resort companies and cruise lines, representatives of the World Bank, representatives of the United Nations and other international bodies, private foundations and environmental groups last weekend. Held at the eco resort on Necker Island, the group discussed the "Caribbean Challenge", which calls for special protected zones along at least 20 per cent of the region's coasts by 2020. The delegates signed a memorandum that pledges to "*establish a framework for a regional approach to coastal conservation, including increasing considerably the number of marine protected areas. They also said they recognized an urgent need to protect sharks and rays, and vowed a dramatic acceleration in the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources over the next five years*".

Tagged: branson, environment, news

Amazing images of sea butterflies

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-19T10:51:14+00:00

A sea butterfly (*Clione limacina*.) ©Karen Osborn/Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian Collage of Arts and Sciences blog has published a [photographic study of sea butterflies](http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/artscience/2013/05/amazing-sea-butterflies-are-the-oceans-canary-in-the-coal-mine/) or pteropods by zoologist Karen Osborne. She and her fellow researchers are capturing the animals by hand while on scuba in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico and California and then bringing them back to the research ship and photographing them in a shallow tank of clear water with a Canon 5D camera with a 65mm lens, using multiple flashguns to capture their colors. This is taking place alongside genetic analysis of the specimens to ensure taxonomic accuracy.

A shelled sea butterfly (*Hyalocylis striata* ) ©Karen Osborn/Smithsonian.

Traditional capture methods have involved the use of a net, which makes the butterflies retract their "wings", and then the way the specimens have been preserved is also thought to affect their appearance. It has believed that this has resulted to mis-identification and classification. Hand gathering specimens is, the researcher feel, more likely to give accurate representations of the animals, as well as to "*capture never-before-recorded images of the living animals—and to inspire interest in these weird, wild animals*.” All images ©Karen Osborn/Smithsonian.

A sea butterfly (*Pneumodermopsis* sp.) ©Karen Osborn/Smithsonian.

Tagged: news, sea butterfiles

Ikelite announces its housing for the LUMIX GH3

Adam Hanlon — 2013-05-17T22:40:56+00:00

Ikelite has launched its Smart Housing for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds camera. This represents a departure for the company as it is its first housing for a mirrorless or EVIL camera. The housing is immediately recognizable as an Ikelite and shares the TTL flash control and polycarbonate design of its siblings, but also moves the video and AF lock controls onto the side of the housing for thumb activation.

The Ikelite GH3 Smart Housing will be available from late May at a US retail price of $1,500.
###Press release.
##Ikelite Housing for Panasonic Lumix GH3.
Other housings simply waterproof your camera. An Ikelite Smart Housing improves your photos.
###Features:
TTL or "Through-The-Lens" flash metering means the camera controls flash duration to properly expose an image. The Ikelite housing for the Panasonic Lumix GH3 is able to tell the camera that a TTL external flash is attached, allowing the camera to adjust exposure more accurately*. The housing translates direct electrical impulses from the camera, triggering the external strobe and precisely adjusting its power without the need to fire the camera's flash. In-line communication between the strobe and the camera completely eliminates signal interference and false triggering caused by light rays bouncing off the water's surface or another diver's flash going off. Avoiding the need to fire the camera's built-in flash also prolongs battery life and reduces recycle time between shots.

Exposure adjustments directly through the back of the housing put the perfect shot within reach every time. Tweak the exposure or take total control without taking a hand off of the housing. Two pushbuttons below the camera's LCD viewfinder act as a remote control for Ikelite DS-series strobes*. Access is provided to plus/minus exposure compensation in TTL mode, plus 7 manual power settings in half-stop increments. Strobe settings are indicated by a series of LED lights and plainly visible even at night.

Controls are customized to put all important camera functions within comfortable reach. Unlike other housings currently on the market, the Ikelite housing brings video record start/stop and AF lock out to the side of the housing for quick thumb-access without taking a hand off of the handles. Translating the movement via a lever control ensures that the video will start and stop without the shakiness typically caused by rear push button action.

For a system of this caliber, a tray with dual handles is essential to good handling, balance underwater and attachment of external lighting. An aluminum tray with right- and left-hand rubberized grips is included with the Ikelite housing for the Panasonic Lumix GH3, providing comfortable hold, two quick release points for strobe and video arms, and tripod attachment holes. The complete handle assembly removes with just two screws for traveling.

An over-sized knob smoothly engages a unique system of universal zoom gears. Two zoom sets are provided with each housing: one for use with most popular larger diameter zoom lenses and one designed for use with smaller diameter zoom lenses. Both sets are lightweight and easy to install with no modification to the lens required. A variety of dome and flat ports attach with four locking latches for maximum security and quick changes between dives.

Special polycarbonate blends shape up to an extremely strong yet clear and lightweight enclosure. There's no substitute for inspecting the actual o-ring seal once the housing is closed. A 100% clear back provides visual confirmation that the housing is watertight and dry before entering the water, and provides a full view of the camera while diving. The heavy-duty polycarbonate housing never bubbles or flakes and is fundamentally corrosion-resistant.

Like every Ikelite product, the 6860.03 housing for the Panasonic Lumix GH3 is designed, built and tested in the USA. All housings are built by hand and individually tested for fit, function and waterproof integrity. The average assembly technician is a certified scuba diver and has over 16 years of experience building Ikelite products. Each Ikelite housing is backed with over 50 years of experience and service within the dive industry.

###Availability.
The Ikelite housing for the Panasonic Lumix GH-3 is currently in production for late-May release. This product is available for pre-order through any Authorized Ikelite Dealer.

Product No. 6860.03
US Market Suggested Retail Price $1,500
Camera, lens and lens port not included.

Ikelite housings for the Nikon D7100 and Canon EOS 700D are shipping now. Photos and specifications for all housing models can be found on the Ikelite [website](http://ikelite.com).

* Requires current model Ikelite DS Substrobe. Click here for strobe requirements by serial number. TTL circuitry does not operate with non-Ikelite strobes. Non-Ikelite strobes provide manual exposure only.

Tagged: gh3, ikelite, news