Sigma has released an artistic interpretation of their new product line in the form of a video. The company; “used some internal parts from our lenses to show the commitment to the highest level of the work.” The film, entitled “Dancing parts” was partially inspired by the contemporary dancer, Pina Bausch and was shot using only Sigma lenses.
Erin Quigley has posted a tutorial on backscatter removal using Photoshop CS6 onto Vimeo. The technique uses a combination of selections, layers, the move tool, Gaussian blur and adding some noise.
The Marine Policy journal has published a paper that attempts to provide an up-to-date and scientific assessment of the number of sharks that are caught each year. This number has been in dispute for some time, but the new paper seems to suggest that the number of sharks is around 100 million per year. The vast majority of these are caught to satisfy demand for shark fin soup. The CITES conference, due to start in Bangkok tomorrow will discuss adding five shark species to its endangered list.
Backscatter has released its AirLock vacuum system with. This offers the option of being able to manually verify that a housing is watertight, by creating a vacuum and maintaining a vacuum within the housing. Backscatter acknowledges that “most camera housing floods are preventable with good assembly technique but say that the vacuum system will prevent issues when “even the most experienced shooter can get in a rush and make a fatal error”
The Golden Dolphin annual dive show was held in Moscow, Russia from 14 to 17 February. Andrej Belic was exhibiting his Nikonos RS conversion and new housing at the show, and was kind enough to take some images and write some text for the Wetpixel community about it. He has overviewed the imaging products, and has also sent a few images of the rebreathers that were on display.
Unlike most other housing manufacturers, Seacam choose not to issue press releases of new products. In the case of their new housing for the Canon 5D Mark III, SEACAM owner Marko Dimitrijevic has sent us pictures (via Seacam USA’s Stephen Frink) of his newly acquired housing for his Canon 5D Mk III.
Wetpixel Senior Moderator Shawn Heinrichs has premiered his new film on Vimeo. Entitled “Mantas Last Dance”, the film serves as a finale to the Manta Ray of Hope Campaign. This aims to raise awareness to the plight manta rays prior to the CITES meeting, which begins this weekend. At the meeting, 177 member nations will vote on whether to grant international protection to certain highly threatened and endangered species, which for the first time this year, includes manta rays. There is a petition that needs your support to pressurize the CITES delegates into protecting these animals so if you haven’t done so yet, please sign now.
Aquatica has released the specifications and renderings of their new housing for the Nikon D4 SLR. The new housing, which will be known as the AD4, will have access to both the Fn and Pv buttons that are situated on the front of the camera body, a new smoother operating lens gear, a new camera tray that indexes with a push-tab and a left-hand lever that adjusts the camera’s ISO.
Shipping dates for the AD4 are still to be confirmed, and it will have a US retail price of $4,590.
Jason Isley is co-founder of Malaysian-based, independent production company Scubazoo. He has filmed and photographed extensively all over the world including overseeing the underwater logistics and filming for the two UK Survivor series and the Disney IMAX production Sacred Planet. He also filmed on programs like Journeys of a Lifetime, Animal Planet’s The Jeff Corwin Experience, Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures and Perfect Predators for Discovery Channel’s shark week.
In a departure from traditional underwater photography, Jason has been creating macro images using toy figures “interacting” with underwater scenery and marine life. Jason’s work is being featured in Wetpixel’s new Full Frame; Adam Hanlon caught up with him and asked about his innovative images.
The Indonesia World Underwater Photo contest is now accepting entries. The competition, organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, actually started to accept entries on 1 January, and will remain open until 30 November 2013. Images are being accepted in 7 categories, with prizes for each as well as a prize for Best in Show. Images must have been taken in Indonesia, and all entrants submitted are required to have taken the images whilst diving with a participating dive operator (PDO) and be accompanied by the local dive leader provided by them. Entries are free but must be submitted via the PDO.
Full rules and procedures are on the Indonesia Underwater Photo contest website. Given that the prize fund is $200,000, this is another good reason to come to Indonesia as a part of the Wetpixel Lembeh macro workshop.