Monday, January 10th, 2011

From my view gallery opening in Monterey

Wetpixel members Mike and Jody Elliot are opening a gallery dedicated to fine art about the sea and land. The gallery is called “from my view”, is located in Monterey, California, and features Jody’s aluminum prints of macro underwater life and Mike’s HD underwater video. They are holding a grand opening on 22 January, from 1-5pm and all Wetpixel members are invited to attend!

20% of the proceeds from sales at the opening will be donated to Shark Savers, so you will be supporting a great cause too.

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

Laurent Ballesta films live coelacanths in the wild

There is an incredible documentary online that features Laurent Ballesta filming live coelacanths in the wild off the coast of Mozambique. Coelacanths were believed to have been extinct for over 60 million years until a specimen was found off the east coast of South Africa. The short documentary is part of a series called Ushuaia Nature. It’s all in French, but the video is very interesting for those of us who explore the ocean’s depths. Skip to 20:30 for the start of the deep dive footage.

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Wetpixel Expeditions: Alaska in June 2011

Wetpixel Expeditions are seeking a few good people to join them on their Juneau to Sitka Alaskan trip running from 11 to 23 June. Based on board the Nautilus Swell the trip will take in: Underwater kelp forests, white plume anemone forests, Steller’s sea lions, rockfish, anemones, crabs, shrimp, amphipods, ratfish, and much more. Reef walls are nearly 100% covered in bright orange, red and yellow invertebrates and on top of all this is the amazing top-side scenery of Alaska.

Eric Cheng had a phenomenal trip on a similar route in 2007, so expectations are high for this one. If you would like more information, please head on over to the expedition page, or contact organizer, Jason Bradley, directly.

Friday, January 7th, 2011

The Kittiwake: Cayman’s newest wreck and artificial reef

On 5 January 5 2011 the USS Kittiwake was finally sunk off the west coast of Grand Cayman. Once she was ready to go down and the water was pumped on board it took only 60 seconds for her to fall to the sandy sea bed. The wreck sits in reasonably shallow water and is therefore great for both snorkelers and divers alike.

Only one day after sinking and marine life is already settling in; from snapper, jacks and juvenile sergeant majors. A private dive site (a first in the Cayman Islands) all divers will receive a medallion while snorkelers a wrist band for entry. Having dived the Kittiwake already I can attest to it being great for photography, there are some great angles and interesting objects all over the place. It is also vast so expect to take more than just a few dives to experience it all and get that perfect photo.

Friday, January 7th, 2011

3D Expansion kit for GoPro HERO cameras

Amidst all the new product releases at CES, Engadget has reported on a revised expansion kit to combine two GoPro HD HERO cameras into one housing with a synchronization cable to shoot full 1080p 3D video. The cable will make sure that both cameras are recording in sync. GoPro state that all 1080p HD HERO cameras will be compatible with the 3D Expansion kit.

it is expected to launch in the next few months, and prices have not yet been disclosed.

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Registrations open for Underwater Festival Shootout 2011

The Underwater Festival 2011, tagged “the Australasia Challenge”, has announced that it is accepting early registrations for the Shootout to be held from 2 to 11 September 2011. This will take place Australasia-wide, with the proviso that any images or video submitted must have been taken during the competition period. The competition is currently offering over $150,000 worth of prizes.

As a bonus for early registration, the organizers are offering special lucky draw prizes for competitors who register before 31 March 2011.

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Olympus releases full details of the PEN E-PL2 EVIL camera

At the CES show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Olympus has revealed full details of their PEN E-PL2 EVIL camera. Details and images have been widely leaked prior to the show, but highlights include a high ISO ability of up to 6400, a new 14-42mm lens and 720p HD video. Olympus has also released details of a range of accessories including fisheye, wide-angle and macro add-on lenses as well as the underwater housing reported previously.

The new camera is priced at $599.99 including the new lens, and is expected to be on sale this month.

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

The Secret of Pig Island published

The Secret of Pig Island, by Jennifer R. Nolan and featuring the photography of Jim Abernethy and Eric Cheng is now available to purchase. Author Jennifer R. Nolan was aboard the Shear Water in 2007, when Jim showed her his images of the wild pigs that inhabit the beaches of the Bahamas, and from this came the seeds of the idea for this book. The Secret of Pig Island centers on a little pig with a big secret. When a boy ventures out to a tropical island which is a sacred home to a herd of wild pigs, he discovers a lesson to bring back to humankind. The book features a message about protecting planet Earth that all readers, young and old, are sure to enjoy.

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Sony 3D cameras announced at CES

At CES this week, Sony announced 3D-ready camcorders with glasses-free displays. The 1080p 3D Bloggie pocket camera (with 2.4” glasses-free 3D LCD) will be around $200 (MHS-FS3), and a “Double Full HD” 3D camcorder with dual image sensors and lenses will be around $1500 (HDR-TD10).

Also interesting are Sony’s new line of Cybershot cameras, most of which are “3D capable” by taking two consecutive shots at different focus positions that are combined somehow to produce a 3D effect. I’m not sure how effective 3D without parallax will be, but it’s pretty clear that Sony is taking 3D very seriously!

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Canon releases XA10 camcorder

Canon has announced a new camcorder: The XA10. Designed to be compact and lightweight but still have pro features, the camera records full 1080p video using an AVCHD codec. The camera features a detachable handle, which may help housing options, a 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor, variable frame rates, waveform monitor and peaking or magnifying focus assist options.

The camera has a 64GB internal memory and the ability to record to SDXC cards via two slots. The camera is due for release in March and will retail at $1999.

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