Launched in late January, TheUnderwaterChannel.tv is an online underwater TV show created by Nicholas Claxton, with the support of Tim Ecott, Monty Halls, and Peter Scoones.

TheUnderwaterChannel.tv will broadcast short films about the challenges facing the world’s coral reefs and other natural phenomena...from the Great Barrier Reef to the Caribbean, and from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, programs will focus on the natural history and fascinating marine life that lives off the coral reefs - as well as the scientists monitoring their well-being.

The site is currently running a 10-week pilot that is available for viewing at TheUnderwaterChannel.tv.
 

The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS) will be hosting Jack and Sue Drafahl for an underwater digital photography workshop on March 10, 2007.

There will be both morning and afternoon sessions, and the pair will cover such topics as improving composition, animal behavior, and lightning techniques, as well as applying Adobe Photoshop to underwater photography. The event costs $75USD for the morning session, or $100USD for both (with lunch included), and there is a discount for NCUPS members.

Nikon has released updaters for Capture NX for versions 1.x to 1.1 and Camera Control Pro from 1.x.x to 1.3.0. The software updaters are available for both Apple and Windows platforms.

The Apple versions are now universal binary, giving the Mac version a boost in performance for the Intel Macs. The Windows versions are now Vista compatible but in 32bit form. In addition, numerous tweaks and bug fixes have been added for Capture NX. Capture Control expands the compatibility to the newer Nikon cameras, D40 and D80 and also includes bug fixes.

You can find the download links in the forum here.

The winning images from the Wetpixel & DivePhotoGuide 2nd annual Our World Underwater and 1st annual DEEP Indonesia photo and video competitions have been posted at UnderwaterCompetition.com.

Congratulations to Jose Alejandro Alvarez and Magnus Lundgren for their Best of Show placings in each competition, with photographs of a juvenile lionfish and an oceanic whitetip shark flanked by pilotfish, respectively.

A special thanks to the generous sponsors, without which these competitions would not be possible. Good luck next year!

This March, Singapore will play host to the inaugural Wildlife Asia Film Festival. The festival will include a trade show, film screening and photo exhibition. It will feature environmental films and presentations by leading filmmakers and conservationists.

Seminars and workshops will provide up-to-date information on techniques and trends in wildlife filmmaking. In addition, awards will be presented to entrants of the best films in various wildlife categories.

Unfortunately, the submission deadline of February 10th has just passed, but if you happen to be in Singapore in March, this festival looks worth attending.

The winning images from the 2nd Annual Wetpixel & DivePhotoGuide International Underwater Photo & Video Competition were announced during the Saturday night film festival at Our World Underwater in Chicago. Jason Heller from DivePhotoGuide presented the winning images and videos to a packed crowd.

The film festival at Our World Underwater is an amazing event that demonstrates the vision and diversity of some truly talented film makers and photographers. Among the presenters last night were Emeroy Kristof, Stan Waterman, John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, Jim and Pat Strayer and Michele and Danielle Gilbert.

Winning images and videos will be posted soon at the competition’s official website, UnderwaterCompetition.com.

Kona Honu Divers has announced their package for the 2007 Kona Classic Underwater Photography/Videography Workshop and Contest, held in Kona, Hawaii from May 5-12 of this year.

The package includes nine dives (including the famous Manta Ray Night Dive), access to a photo pro on every charter, and covers event registration for the photo festival. Bottom Time Hawaii and Jack’s Diving Locker are also participating dive operators.

Our sponsor and good friends at Backscatter are looking for a new webmaster! Requirements and responsibilities include strong scripting and database skills as well as performing daily updates to Backscatter websites.

In addition to working with the latest underwater photographer and video gear, Backscatter employees are highly encouraged to make use of the rental / demo equipment and are required to expand their personal imaging skills. Continue reading for full job details…

Wetpixel lighting moderator Julian Scheunemann (Jolly) is the last in a series of Wetpixel members to have visited the 2007 BOOT diving show and written about the experience.

While ”time was obviously too limited to see all of the underwater-related photo and video gear,” Julian’s report includes a short summary of the offerings from the major manufacturers represented at the show and a wealth of product photos.

We at Wetpixel appreciate the contributions of any member willing to send us information from a particular dive show. Keep reading for Julian’s thoughts and images from BOOT 2007…

In 2004, the judges at Antibes, France, downed the last of their Haut-Médoc, set down their Bordeaux glasses, dabbed at the corners of their mouths with their little monogrammed handkerchiefs, and awarded Andrea and Antonella Ferrari the World Grand Prize for their large and exquisite coffee table book, Oceani Segreti.

Italian for The Secret Oceans, this 390-page sparkler of a book showcases the beauty, the majesty, and the freakishness hidden deep beneath the world’s waves.

For the rest of the review, keep reading…