The New York Underwater Photographic Society (NYUPS) will feature a presentation from acclaimed professional photographer Howard Schatz at the upcoming meeting on May 17, 2007 at the Rock Theater.

The presentation will be followed by a showcase of new underwater photography and videography equipment by H2O Photo Pros. Seating is limited, so be sure to RSVP for the event.

Celebrating its 26th year, the annual California Beach Dive Photo Competition (CBDPC) is held every spring in Monterey, California by the Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS). This is a one-day competition where all photos must be taken from beach dives along the Monterey coastline.

Entries are accepted in both film and digital formats, and underwater photographers have the chance to win up to $35,000 in prizes, including trips to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, gear from Backscatter and Stormcase, and more. This year’s competition is being held from May 26-27, 2007.

Continue reading for the full press release and more information on participating…

The deadline for the 2007 Under the Blue International Photo and Video Competition is 11:59pm (Pacific Time), May 16, 2007. Compete for over $20,000 in prizes, including trips to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia, and dive and photo gear from Amphibico, Ultralight, and Ikelite. 15% of proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

Winners will be announced online and exhibited at the 2007 SCUBA Show in Long Beach, California (June 2-3, 2007). May 16 is a hard deadline, so get your entries submitted!

*UPDATE*: Due to technical issues, the deadline for competition entries has been extended to 11:59pm (Pacific Time), May 16, 2007. 

Reminder: the Wetpixel Embedded Photo of the Week contest deadline is just around the corner!  Enter before midnight, May 18, 2007 to win brand-new 20th Anniversary Citizen Aqualand Eco-Drive (JV0030-01E) dive watch, donated by Marine Visions.

Wetpixel lighting moderator Julian Scheunemann has written an excellent article comparing the relative size and brightness of various camera viewfinders when viewed through both regular and enhanced Sealux underwater finders.

It was kind of a luxury during film days to have [an enhanced viewfinder]...things have become a bit more critical with digital APS cameras because the simple housing finders now shrink an already cropped camera viewfinder image even further. Different from simple housing optics, enhanced viewfinders almost maintain the size of the camera’s viewfinder underwater (close to 1:1)...

Continue reading to view Julian’s graphical examples for numerous cameras, and his opinion on the differences between the viewfinders…

Fantasea Line has recently released their FL-10 and FL-11 camera housings for the Nikon Coolpix L-10 and L-11 digital cameras.

The housings feature access to all camera functions, an anti-glare hood and built-in diffuser, and will soon be optionally available with a 46mm threaded port ring for accessory lenses or filters. As with all Fantasea housings, purchase includes a year of pre-paid flood insurance. Continue to view the full press release…

I’ll be honest. Having never been fortunate enough to dive in Asia, I’d never heard of Gorontalo - until recently. Nestled among sheer limestone cliffs on the northern arm of Indonesia’s four-fingered island of Sulawesi, the Province of Gorontalo is situated at the heart of the “coral triangle,” the most biologically rich concentration of marine life in the world.

Smack-dab on the equator, Gorontalo is a centuries-old community that is largely dependent on farming and fishing. However, as the world learns of the rich marine ecosystem just off its shores, tourism will no doubt gain in importance. Soon, people will likely be heading to the region in increasing numbers. And by “people,” I mean: divers.

Continue reading for the rest of Volk’s review of Gorontalo: Hidden Paradise…

Fish-Eye Photo has announced that Bonaire Digital Summer Camp 2007 will run for four sessions, each a week long, starting July 1st and ending July 27th. The sessions will alternate between underwater photography and videography, starting with photography, and will each finish with a photo or video competition.

Prizes include a Sea & Sea YS-110 DS-TTL strobe, Aquatica and Amphibico gift coupons, and free car rental, as well as accommodation at local resorts and a three-course dinner. Continue reading for the full list of prizes, or visit Fish-Eye Photo for more information on the event…

Underwater Photography Magazine Issue 36 is now available for download.

Featured again are many familiar Wetpixel members - contributors this month include Tim Rock, Mark Webster, Pete Atkinson, and Alex Mustard (with yet another cover shot). This issue’s articles range from reviews of Aquatica, Subal, and Seacam housings, to proper dome placement and the use of mid-range zoom lenses, and a guide to the increasingly popular destination of Bali.

UWP Magazine is a free PDF magazine, published every two months.

The DivePhotoFest underwater photography workshop at the beautiful El Galleon Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines still has space available. The workshop runs from June 3-10, 2007 and includes 3 dives per day plus breakfast and lunch, as well as 7 nights accommodation at the resort.

Daily presentations will be given by Simon Buxton, Tim Rock, and Wetpixel video moderator Mike Veitch. Sponsors include Aquatica, Ikelite, Magic Filters, and the PADI Diving Society - society members will receive $50 off the package price. Full details and booking information can be found at the DivePhotoFest website.