Underwater Photography and Videography, News, Forums, Trips, Photo Contests :: Wetpixel.com

Lytro has started shipping its first cameras to US customers. Whilst housings and underwater equipment for the camera are not yet commercially available, it is apparent that the technology is going to change the way pictures are taken and as Wetpixel Publisher, Eric Cheng is Director of Photography at Lytro, I'm sure they will be going underwater soon. Ren Ng, Founder and CEO of the company said:

"Six years ago, I wrote in my PhD dissertation: “I find that this new kind of photography makes taking pictures that much more enjoyable, and I hope you will too. I look forward to the day when I can stand in the tall grass and learn from fellow light field photographers shooting in the field.” That day has arrived – see you out there!

A study published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series journal shows that the invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) blow directed jets of water at prey fish to disorient them. These jets may overwhelm the target's lateral line, part of a fish's nervous system that detects vibrations and warns of approaching objects and prey often end up facing the hungry lionfish, increasing the chances of head-first strikes and lowering the risk of the lionfish getting stuck by backwards-facing spines. The research team first observed this behavior while monitoring lionfish populations off Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas. It is interesting to note that less lionfish use this technique in the Atlantic than in the Pacific, possibly emphasizing that the Atlantic fishes are easier to catch due to them being less habituated to the predators.

The full journal paper available to download as a free pdf.

Wetpixel's Picture of the Year 2011 competition has now finished. Many thanks to all who voted for their favorite images and it is great to have had so strong a response to all the images. The winner, who will receive a trip on Solmar V as a prize, is Alexis Tabah, with his turtle hatchling in Snell's window. Second prize went to Nicholas Samaras, third to Dany Weinberg, fourth to Stephen Holinski and fifth to AlexTattersall. They will all receive prizes from Ikelite, Nauticam USA or Reef Photo and Video.

The competition has received a staggering amount of public interest, with the winning images getting over 2,500 votes each. Congratulations to all Picture of the Week winners, and especial congratulations to the winners of Picture of the Year 2011.

A study published in the journal Marine Drugs links the consumption of shark fin and shark products, including dietary supplements, to neurodegenerative diseases in humans including Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig Disease. This is due to the presence of high concentrations of a neurotoxin called BMAA in the shark products. The study was carried out by scientists from the University of Miami, and is reported on the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science's blog. Most significantly, the study suggests:

"That consumption of shark fin soup and cartilage pills may pose a significant health risk for degenerative brain diseases."

Norbert Wu presents a review of the SmallHD 4.3" DP-4 monitor with the Nauticam NA-DP4 housing. He cites that whilst SLRs are quite capable of producing good video quality, the ergonomics of framing and focusing on the subject using the camera's LCD screen makes for disappointing results. External monitors address this deficiency, and Norbert found that using one improved his productivity underwater. He found that he could not judge critical focus with it, but also admits that he did not use the peaking or focus assist modes on the monitor. He says:

"Having the image up on top of the camera in any position I want it, makes all the difference in the world."

Wetpixel are currently reviewing this monitor and housing combination as well. Please stay tuned for additional field reports.

New World publications has just released the second in its series of ebooks: The Reef Creature Identification: Tropical Pacific guide has joined its sister publication, Reef Fish Identification: Tropical Pacific, and is now available in Blio format for Android, iPad, iTouch, iPhone and Windows PC computers. It features sixteen hundred species of marine invertebrates, which are searchable in the app via a page specific table of contents and a scrolling toolbar.

The app is now available on Blio in the US, Canada and Mexico, and should be rolling out to the UK soon. It is priced at $29.95.

Digital Photography Review has published an article with the views of four professional photographers about the new Nikon D4 and D800 SLRs. The photographers come from different genres of photography and are: Leon Neal (sport and news), Dan Chung (multimedia journalist), Neil Lupin (music) and Andy Sheppard (music). Overall, the reception to the new cameras is positive, and Dan Chung in particular seems to feel that the Nikons could now replace his Canons. The lack of a headphone jack and clean HDMI out on the EOS1-DX counts against it he feels, when compared with the D4 and D800. Neil Lupin is very positive about the increased low-light performance of the new cameras.

Although interesting, the article is only a pointer towards what the pros are thinking, as at the time of publishing, none of them have actually used the new cameras.

The Wall Street Journal Metropolis reports that New York state lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday that would ban the sale, trade and possession of shark fin. If the proposal legislation is signed into law, New York will join Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii in restricting shark products. Identical bills are expected to be introduced in both the state Senate and Assembly. Assemblywoman Grace Meng who co-sponsored the bill said:

“I know there are people who depend on this… for a living, and I know that this has a long tradition in Chinese culture. However, I believe it’s the right thing to do in terms of protecting our environment and protecting sharks.”

The Veolia Environnment Wildlife Photographer of the Year is making its final call for entries. The contest has David Doubilet as one of the judges this year, and includes categories for animal portraits, behavior, animals in their environment and underwater worlds.

Full details are on the contest's website, and the deadline is at 23:59 GMT on 23 February.

Volume 4 of Andrea and Antonella Ferrari's Guide to Tropical Marine Fish is now available on iTunes. The guide will eventually encompass 8 apps for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Each app comprises an archive of 100 different tropical fish species, and aims to allow a full immersion into the reality of the underwater tropical marine universe. Within the app, all species have a full-screen zoomable photo and an info file describing common and scientific names, distribution, size, habitat, color, pattern, life habits and identification features.

Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. The app is available now on iTunes and costs $2.99.