Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Face of Australia finalists chosen—vote now for the winner!
Help choose the Face of Australia for the Underwater Channel
February saw the launch of an international competition by The Underwater Channel (UWC) and PADI to find the Face of Australia for The Underwater Channel. Their quest - to find an ace Aussie diver / presenter who, with their regular TV dive reports would light up diving in Australia for the global viewers of UWC - the new web TV Channel for divers - and armchair divers!
Candidates were asked back in February to send in videos pitching for the job and your votes have now got us down to the 3 fab finalists—Bess, Josh and Hayley. Please head over to UWC to see more about the finalists and to cast your vote. The winner head off to Sydney to collect their prize. Vote now! Voting closes on 10th May, 2009 (23:59GMT).
Northwest Dive and Travel Expo 2009 Report ...
Ellen Quale reports from this year’s Northwest Dive and Travel Expo in Tacoma, Washington:
On a cold and rainy morning, I left Portland at 7 AM for the 2 ½ hour drive up to Tacoma, Washington where the show was being held. Michaela Brockstedt of Wetpixel Quarterly greeted me and showed me to the Wetpixel booth. All of the issues of Wetpixel Quarterly were on display, and although I had a copy of the first issue, I hadn’t had a chance to see the other issues—I was like a kid in a candy store going through all the amazing images I’d not previously seen…
Michaela, Ellen, Kathryn, and Martin manned the Wetpixel booth and met many underwater photography and video enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading for full report and photos!
Categories: Features, Official Reports
Aquatica announces HD WAVE housing for Sony XR500V/520V ...
Underwater video housing for Sony HDR-R500V/520V high-definition camcorder
Aquatica has announced the HD WAVE underwater video housing for Sony HDR-XR500V/520V high-definition camcorders. The new housing is machined from a solid block of marine-grade aluminum, is black anodized for corrosion protection, and is textured with a polyurethane powder coat paint for durability. It provides angled access to the camera’s built-in angled viewfinder, and features all-mechanical controls for reliability.
The HD WAVE is rated to 300 feet and retails for $2,395, including a wide-angle port. Continue reading for a bunch of product photos and for the full press release.
Photographing models in a swimming pool
A Wetpixel member's first and second attempts at underwater model photography
There is an interesting discussion in the Wetpixel forums about how to photograph a model in a swimming pool. Does one use topside studio lights or underwater strobes? What does one use for a backdrop? What lenses work best? How do you prevent bloodshot eyes in your model?
Check out the thread for advice from our experts and for photos from one member’s first and second shoots, including images of the lighting system and underwater backdrop.
Monday, May 04, 2009
The history and impact of African shark nets
Thomas Peschak of Save Our Seas investigates shark nets in South Africa
Thomas Peschak, chief photographer of the Save Our Seas Foundation, has a 15-page article in Africa Geographic about shark nets at beaches at the subtropical waters off KwaZulu Natal (KZN), South Africa [PDF, 1.2MB]. The SOSF website features an informative 11-minute video about the history and impact of shark nets.
KZN is one of only a handful of places in the world where shark nets are still used. Many people wrongly believe that these nets are a continuous barrier that prevent sharks from approaching beaches. In reality they are gill nets designed to entangle, suffocate and kill sharks. In fact 40% of sharks are caught on the beach side of the nets on their way back out to sea… Between 1978 and 2008 the nets caught 33,684 large sharks and the present day haul is 600 sharks every year.
The web page also features a lot of historical images; if you’re curious about the environmental impact of shark nets off the southern cape of Africa, it’s definitely worth watching.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Enter your video in the Sensational Seas Two DVD contest
Create a 3-minute underwater video to be showcased in an upcoming DVD benefiting REEF
In March of 2009, we announced New World Publications’ call for entries for its upcoming DVD, Sensational Seas Two. Scheduled for release in March 2010, the DVD is another exciting collaboration between filmmakers, photographers and multi-media artists who have donated their work for the benefit of ocean-related non-profit organizations.
Wetpixel has a video slot reserved for the DVD, which means that our readers have two ways of competing for entry into Sensational Seas Two! Enter our free contest to be the Wetpixel feature in the DVD. The deadline for entry is June 15, 2009. Good luck! Continue reading for full contest details…
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