Underwater News
2016 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition Announced; Over $75,000 in Prizes will be Awarded.
The Underwater Photography Guide is pleased to announce that the prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition 2016 will be accepting images today through November 22, 2016.
Culver City, CA - August 23, 2016 - The Underwater Photography Guide is proud to announce that it is accepting entries for the 6th annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition.
Ocean Art is one of the most prestigious underwater photo competitions in the world. A long list of prizes valued at over $75,000 also makes it one of the richest, attracting pro to amateur photographers across the globe. Sixteen categories ensure all photo disciplines and cameras compete fairly, while the 75+ winning images create a portfolio of the best underwater photos of the year.
Ocean Art prizes are provided by over 35 scuba diving resort, liveaboard dive yacht, and underwater photo gear manufacturers. Grand prizes are a choice of Indonesia liveaboard itinerary on the S.M.Y. Ondina, a 10 night Cocos Island liveaboard trip with the Undersea Hunter Group, a 7 night liveaboard trip on the Palau Siren, a 7 night Solomon Islands liveaboard trip with Bilikiki Cruises, a ...
This is the sixth part of our special articles about Thecnical Diving. Read also [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]
After our last course the wrecks of a.o. Malta and Croatia have been our playground, building experience and confidence until the dives worked like clockwork, letting us fully enjoy the beauty of the places we dived. Wreck's like the Um el Faroud, HMS Hellespont, HMS St Angelo, SS Vis and SS Kalliopi...if you don't know these and ever get the chance, go dive. Every single one of them is worth multiple dives. If you need information on excellent diving centres that make your diving great, just contact us.
But...an increase in bottom time in the range we were diving and ? to be honest ? the longing of the deeper wrecks eventually made us decide to go the final mile. We spend many an evening discussing with whom we would like to take the Tech-2 class and ? more important ? were we would like to dive.
Decision was made and...
Finally you have to grab all your diving gear together for a final check and see if it fits the bag and meets the luggage restrictions.
Malta, here we come...6 course days ahead and some additional days for fun diving ? hopefully in the Tech-2 range (75m) - the beautiful Maltese wr...
We all see many excellent macro photos every day, but what does it take to stand out from the crowd? It's simple - add some rarely seen marine life behavior to your trip portfolio. A good behavior shot will take some time and will probably not impress your non-diving friends any more than a regular shot, but divers and photographers will respect the planning, skill and luck involved in getting the shot. This nod from more seasoned photographers makes the effort well worth it.
Here are a few of my thoughts on capturing unique and rare behavior shots, whether you are camping out waiting for a precise moment or randomly notice something in the corner of your eye.
1. Do Your Homework
Yes, this tip is in every article, but it's especially important for macro marine life behavior. I have seen lucky photographers shoot hatching eggs without even knowing it. Imagine if they knew what was happening and had spent more time getting the shot, or even calling over their dive buddy. Recognizing behavior like feeding, hunting, cleaning, mating, aggression and protection can help you decide when a photo opportunity is unique enough to spend the rest of your dive with.
2. Work Quickly and Methodically
Some marine life behavior is fairly common and d...
Of course there is no substitute for adequate working knowledge of the camera system, and a good eye for composition is a bonus, but the key factor in creating dynamic, creative and impactful underwater images is understanding the light.
Learning and understanding how light falls on the subject and having the ability to control and shape the light is crucial!
The lighting is what creates the mood and atmosphere of any image.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT
The harshness and softness of the light plays a key role in the shape, appearance, dimension and texture of an image. It is important to know when to add light and when to subtract it.
Direct light will cast harsh shadows while diffused light will create a much softer look. Shadows will be cast on the opposite side of the light source.
A small light source produces hard, directional light with a narrow beam, while a large light source will produce a softer light with a wider beam.
The direction and angle of light will dictate its quality.
Light coming from an angle will produce texture, drama and creates character. Direct light coming from the standard flash camera position will usually be flat and unflattering, revealing min...
This is the fifth part of our special articles about Thecnical Diving. Read also [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
As you may have read in the previous issue, all members of Team Pitch Blue managed to pass the brutal T1 course. Amazingly enough, the whole team stayed together after that and we did a lot of diving together. In fact, since then we have been joined by Cees (nicknamed Case / father of team-member Jeroen), Richard (nicknamed UMM) and Thomas (nicknamed TL). These divers were certified a year earlier, but unfortunately Case saw his team fall apart due to a combination of money and time constraints of his other team and UMM? just wants to dive as much as possible and is actually diving in two teams. Team member Thomas is also our technical support. If TL can't fix it...no one can. With his ridiculously heavy toolbox he more than once managed to save dives that otherwise would have been cancelled.
They were more than welcome in Team Pitch Blue and an additional benefit for us is that Case is a more than gifted underwater photographer. The pictures in these articles and all pictures on our Facebook page are of course taken by Case. They have joined us to keep practicing and we maintain our team dive skills every Sunday at Scuba Academie Vinkeveen. But they also plan t...
Nauticam is pleased to announce the latest release in its acclaimed line of precision crafted camera housings, the NA-D810 Housing for Nikon's 36.3 megapixel D810.
NA-D810 is the first underwater housing for Nikon D810 to be shown publicly, and will be on the shelves of dealers, and in the hands of users, by the end of August. Nauticam once again leads the industry by delivering this superior system less than 6 weeks from the initial camera ship date.
The NA-D810 Housing
The NA-D810 is an evolutionary marvel. A long list of pioneering engineering breakthroughs from previous Nauticam designs are now standard in NA-D810. The patented housing Locking Latch System has received acclaim worldwide for its ease and functionality. These recessed latches are equipped with safety locks, reduce bulk and require minimal physical effort to engage and release. Port changes have never been simpler than utilizing the Patented Nauticam Locking Port Release. No wrestling, no twisting, no misalignment - just seat and lock. Lens changes are also easily accomplished without removing the camera from the housing using the lens release button logically accessed on the housing front. The lightweight, rugged Nauticam handles are generously contoured with a durable over-mold pr...
I'm on board: Sachika Safari boat. I want to see "big stuff" and this is the perfect place... Life is like that: being in the right place at the right time. And this is the right boat...
It 'just after dawn and we are going to have the first dive.
6:15 am. A cup of tea and I'm ready to set my photographic equipment. The dhoni crew have already set up and checked the thanks, the jacket and all the underwater equipment. They are waiting for us.
Usually I have to assemble the equipment and check everything by myself but here I’m relieved of any task concerning diving stuff.
What are we going to discover today? Tree, four dives a day, feeling amazed and thrilled at any time.
Sharks, this morning!
So many elegant gray sharks and the harmless white tips sharks! Giacomo Ganda, the dive leader is a marine byologist, expert in maldivian dives. He tells us that there will be a lot of underwater current in this place. We will use hooks to latch on the rocks. It goes without saying: no currents, no sharks.
We go down quickly and suddendly we see grey sharks hunting near the passe. They are quiet, not concerned with us. We stop near a rock waiting for them to come nearer. Standing still, we admire their amazing...
The term "tropical" diving generally conjures images of crystal clear, warm water flowing over beautiful, lush coral reefs teeming with colorful fish.
"Muck" diving is a different experience altogether! Basically, it means rummaging around in sandy, muddy, murky areas among discarded bottles, old tires, pizza boxes?. all manner of garbage, in search of the oceans tiniest, most weird and wonderful creatures.
Many areas are particularly known for this type of diving. The term "muck diving" is descriptive of a particular environment. The oceans substrate is covered with fine sand and silt, currents are mild and visibility can be poor.
Patches of sand, sea grass, volcanic areas, and oddly enough, areas with a lot of rubbish can be great for muck diving. Many of the oceans strangest residents make their homes in these places, utilizing them to their best advantage. What a treat it is to see, for example, a coconut octopus scurrying around gathering pieces of cardboard which he uses for protection.
Muck diving can afford one the opportunity to see and photograph some of the ocean's most unique and amazing critters. Most subjects will be well camouflaged or entirely hidden in the sand, but with the knowledge and
well-tranied eyes of a good dive guide, the weird and wonderful w...
52,421 photos online!
728 videos online!
Sign Up Now !
Search
Partners & Events
