PNW Diver 2012-01
PNW Diver 2012-01
PNW Diver 2012-01
Pacific northwest underwater PhotograPhic society british columbia | washington | oregon | January, 2012
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bi-monthly magaZine & web site Promoting underwater PhotograPhy, education, & traVel in the Pacific northwest | January, 2012
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Nanaimo to Corvallis Subscribing to Pacific Northwest Diver From the Archives: First Underwater Photo, 1893 Featured Photographer: Janna Nichols News Corner REEF Andy Lamb Joins PNW Diver Team Underwater Photo Workshops Call for Critter Photos Nudibranch ID App Congrats to Pat Gunderson & Laurynn Evans Feartured Operator/Resort: Sea Dragon Charters Photographers & Videographers British Columbia: John Melendez Washington: Mike Meagher Oregon: Aaron Gifford Dive Travel Corner Grand Bahama Island: Dolphins, Sharks, & Cavern La Paz: Whale Sharks, Sea Lions, & Hammerheads Technical Corner Subsee Super Macro PNW Diver Team
iPhone Users: Your PDF viewer does not support active links. To view video and use other links, we suggest the ap Goodreader <http://www.goodiware.com/goodreader.html>.
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Pacific Northwest Diver is a publication of the Pacific Northwest Underwater Photographic Society (PNWUPS).
Janna Nichols
In order to subscribe to this e-publication, please complete the Subscribe fields on the PNWUPS home page. Membership is free, and e-mail addresses are not shared with other groups or businesses. We need an accurate count of subscribers to assist with sponsorships and travel. We are all over-loaded with e-mail, tweets, etc, so communication from Pacific Northwest Diver and PNWUPS will be limited to one or two e-mails per month. If you are interested in trips with other underwater photographers and videographers, please check out the Travel Section on page 15. In 2012 we will be photographing dolphins, sharks, and caverns in the Bahamas; whale sharks, sea lions, and hammerheads in La Paz; plus the annual spring kelp forest shoot in Monterey/Pt Lobos. If you have any questions about subscribing, please contact publisher Dan Clements.
Aaron Gifford
Louis Boutan was the first underwater photographer, who took pictures at a depth of 164 feet in 1893. Above a self-portrait depicting Boutan in a full diving suit, airlines and metal helmet was his first successful photo, and it offers us what a cumbersome chore it would have been to dive (and of course take pictures underwater) in those days. He tried encasing his cameras in strongboxes (including barrels); he tried completely flooding the interior of cameras. Lastly, he built a watertight massive equipment that was able to withstand pressure (on land, three men were needed to lift it), and battery-powered underwater arc lights, he was able to take underwater photos. But still, there was no high speed film and his exposures lasted 30 minutes. Boutan had to remain underwater for as long as three hours and suffered nitrogen narcosis. Eventually, Boutan used a magnesium powder flash that greatly hastened phototaking. - Iconicphotos
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Janna Nichols Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Janna took up recreational diving and underwater photography in 1999. She became very involved doing marine life surveys for the REEF organization, (and has submitted over 630 surveys) and then became a PADI scuba instructor. She has taught Pacific Coast marine life ID classes from San Diego to British Columbia and everywhere in between. She shares her love of our Pacific NW critters on her website (www.pnwscuba. com) and in classes that use her photos and experiences from her 900+ dives, mostly all in cold Pacific NW waters. She is REEFs Outreach Coordinator and has helped write and provide photos for their Pacific Coast curriculum. She has served in the past on the board of the Washington Scuba Alliance, and has led volunteer diver observations for Hood Canals low oxygen problem. She is a past Diving Safety Officer for Washington State Universitys scientific diving program in Vancouver. Her marine life photo catalog numbers well over 5000 photos, which she shares with local marine life educators as well as being a collaborator with the worldwide online FishBase. She worked with the Sylvia Earle Alliance on the Google Earth (Oceans Layer) project and has several posts and videos there. Many of her photos have appeared in various publications, websites, newspapers (Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, Oregonian, Kitsap Sun, Island Sounder), reports and books, including Humann & DeLoachs, Coastal Fish Identification: California to Alaska, Lamb and Edgells Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest, and Milton Loves Certainly More Than You Want to Know about the Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Janna has a BS in Engineering Technology from BYU and has four children and six grandchildren. When not diving with her built-in dive buddy and husband Claude, she enjoys ham radio, motorcycling, geocaching and moving mischievous little gnomes around the Pacific NW. Janna started with a Sea&Sea MX-10 film camera with a fixed focus lens in 2000. In 2008 she went digital and switched over to a Canon G-9 in an Ikelite housing, and a little Ikelite DS-51 strobe. For a focus light she uses a little mini Q40 eLED light attached to a strobe arm. After a dive she uploads photos to a PC, and tag/edits them in Photoshop Elements 9. Page 4
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Andy has co-authored Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest and Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: must have books for identifying marine life in the Pacific Northwest. Andy has a BS in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, and has worked at both the Vancouver Aquarium and BC Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He has been SCUBA diving for over 40 years, and has over 3,000 dives in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for some outstanding diving and relaxation, Andy and his wife Virginia operate a bed and breakfast on British Columbias Thetis Island. So, if you are either looking for assistance identifying a marine critter in one of you photos, or thinking about great diving opportunities in BCs Gulf Islands, contact Andy either by phone (250.246.9770), or via e-mail at [email protected]. You may also choose to check out information about diving and the bed and breakfast at the Cedar Beach web site: http://www.cedar-beach.com/index.shtml.
1-14/1-21 Digital Madness, Grand Cayman 1-21/1/28 Creative Lighting, Grand Cayman Local members have taken Alexs Digital Madness class and found it excellent. Less emphasis on post processing and more on shooting. Berkley White & Others Backscatter 1-28/2-4 Photo Expedition, Bonaire 6-16/6-23 Digital Shootout, Little Cayman Backscatter runs dozens of training events all over the globe each year. Check their website for details on the program and instructors for each event. Dont let Mad Scientist Berkley frighten you! If you would like a review of any of these workshops, please contact Jim Boon or Dan Clements. These workshops are outstanding ways of improving your photo, video, and post-processing skills!
The next request comes from ReefID.org. Their first Most Wanted species hunt came to a close last month and yielded hundreds of new nudibranch images for their database used to help others identify what they see. If you didnt submit images, you can still help by trying to identify some of the species they have captured. Simply use the comments field underneath any respective image to submit what you think each image is. By providing unique events for ocean adventurers of all skill levels, it is ReefIDs goal to heighten awareness of our ocean environment as well as educate others about the delicate marine life that lives there. Log on and help them with their next most wanted event...SHARKS. To help identify images, or post new photos, visit the ReefID web site at: ReefID.org.
Laurynn Evans had a great interview on KUOW radio about her Watching Opal octopus videos. To quote KUOW: Laurynn Evans diving buddies call her The Octopus Whisperer because shes had several memorable encounters with the giant Pacific octopus in the waters of Puget Sound. But back in November of 2009, she encountered an octopus that intrigued her so much, she started making regular visits. When she discovered the octopus was laying eggs and preparing for a hatch, she decided to call the octopus Opal.
Gary has photos and descriptions of 421 Eastern Pacific nudibranchs. For those who travel outside the Pacific Northwest, Gary also has a similar app for the Indo-Pacific region. While I find this a useful app, it would be even more useful if sorts were available for location, and common names were also included in the description. This is available from the iTunes store, and is priced at $7.99. The Indo-Pacific app is priced at $12.99. Not available in Android or Windows versions. Page 8
The Sea Dragon in Nanaimo can accommodate up to 10 divers. Amenities include standing and seated tank racks, swim grid, walk-through transom, great dive ladder, head, galley, and nice upper decks for sunny days. Artificial reefs available to dive in Nanaimo include the Saskatchewan, the Cape Breton, and the Rivtow Lion. To obtain more information about these artificial reefs, you can go to the Artificial Reef Society of BCs website, at www.artificialreef.bc.ca.
Juvenile quillback and Cloud Sponge, 1/125th, f 13, ISO 250, 60 mm, Dan Clements
Web: http://seadragoncharters.com/ e-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 604.329.3486 Water Jelly, 1/125th, f 12, ISO 200, 60 mm, Dan Clements
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Vermilion Sea Star, and Feather Star 1/125th, f 13, ISO 250, 60 mm, Dan Clements
Speckled Sanddab, 1/125th, f 12, ISO 200, 60 mm, Dan Clements Page 10
John Melendez
Born and Raised in Brooklyn NY, John jumped at every opportunity to live abroad and explore the world. Even as a kid, he was drawn to marine biology and photography. About five years ago he started combining these two loves. In 2005 he moved to Vancouver BC, surrounded by natures bounty of photographic opportunity and the inviting seas of the great Pacific Northwest. He began diving regularly and started shooting underwater photos, gradually building on skills acquired through trial and error, diligent practice and via books and articles by pros like Martin Edge, Jim Church and Alex Mustard. John was certified in 1984, and has a deep love and respect for our oceans. He hopes to spend some time in Browning Pass, BC at The Hideaway this Spring and is organizing another chartered liveaboard for 7 days to the Similan Islands and South Andaman Sea (Thailand) for Feb 2013. John shoots with a Canon 7D (previously with a Canon 40D), housed in an Ikelite housing with DS125 strobes. Macro shooting is with a Canon 60mm macro and wide angle with a Canon 1022mm or a Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye. On land, John is an attorney, negotiating technology purchases for a large multi-national firm. This Fall he moved to St Croix. Web: www.livingcolourimages.com e-Mail: [email protected] Red Flambellina Cannon 40D, 60 mm lens, 1/60th, f8, ISO 100 Page 11 Opalescent Nudibranch Cannon 40D, 60 mm lens, 1/60th, f8, ISO 200
Hooded Nudibranch Convention Cannon 40D, 10-17 mm lens (17 mm focal length), 1/60th, f14, ISO 400
Nakwakto Goose-Neck Barnacles Cannon 40D, 22 mm focal length, 1/60th, f6.3, ISO 400
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adjust exposure manually as its important to get the video as close to perfect as you can while underwater. The goal is to avoid as many post production corrections which can only do so much. Since videos add the element of motion and time to the image its important to try to steady the camera. Therefore I often make use a custom designed tripod which myself or my buddy carries along underwater. I dive with a good buddy, Mr. Jim Copher, who is patient, a good spotter, and he assists with tripod and lighting setups on the bottom. A routine dive for us is locating a subject in the first 10 minutes of the dive, then setting up the tripod, often Jim holds supplemental lighting on a boom. Well routinely will spend the entire dive at one spot. Jim Copher came to Bellingham 19 years ago and began diving here in 2005. This was my second start after a very long surface interval. I actually began diving in rock quarries in Ohio in 1963. When I got married in 1968, I gave up my fins. In the 1970s my wife, Karen, and I owned and operated a commercial photography studio in Dayton, Ohio. Although my experience is retro terrestrial, Mikes approach to underwater videography has some resemblance to the way I made photographs in the studio. His use of a tripod to lock down shots, and setting multiple lights to balance the composition and create interest are familiar techniques. Both of us enjoy the challenge of trying to set up a mini-studio at depth and often in the current. Mike is a good friend, as well as a conscientious, dependable diver. I am pleased if I can help with his videos. e-Mail: [email protected]
Mike Meagher Hood Canal Video This video provides a beautiful look at some of Hood Canals most interesting species. This was shot at the Pinnacle with Pacific Adventure. Check out the tiny baby wolf-eel swimming in front of Dad at the two minute mark. Amazing shooting!
Mike Meagher Dolphin Encounter This past September Mike was in the Browning Pass, Vancouver Island area where he encountered a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins. What does a photographer do? Put on a snorkel and jump into the choppy water and start filming!
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Mike and Jim worked together to produce this stunning video of underwater life at Eagle Rock, just north of Browning Pass, Vancouver Island. From barnacles feeding, to anenomies, nudibranchs, cross jellies, rockfish, sea star, and giant Pacific octopus, the videography and lighting really show off this area.
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Aaron Gifford
Certified in 1999, Aaron enjoys diving all around the Northwest and abroad. He has made dive trips to Cancun, Cozumel, Bonaire, Galapagos, Channel Islands, Porpoise Bay, Nanaimo, and Hornby Island. He also enjoys diving locally on the Oregon Coast, in Puget Sound, and fresh water locations like Clear Lake. Aaron notes: One of the great things about the Northwest dive community is how friendly and welcoming everyone is. Where I live in Corvallis, OR there isnt a dive shop, so I tend to be a bit of a dive club nomad. I have had the chance to dive with great people from a variety of clubs around the area. He started with a ContourHD helmet camera in a H2OV Housing. Recently, he purchased a GoPro HD in a BlurFix Housing and extended battery pack. For lighting he uses a 21 Watt Light Monkey HID with Video Reflector. For software, Aaron uses Adobe Premiere for video editing and occasionally Adobe After Effects to add titles and effects.
Diving off the Oregon Coast. This past June Aaron took this video while diving off the Oregon coast out of Newport. The variety of marine life is outstanding, and taking video in the strong currents and nutrient rich water is also challenging!
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La Paz Whale Sharks Up-close & Personal La Pazs resident whale sharks are beautiful, and a few minutes from the hotel. Here is Scott Geitler up close and personal with a subject.
Grand Bahama Bottlenose Dolphins This is an outstanding opportunity to photograph and interact with dolphins in their own environment.
Sea Lion Playing with My Fin at Los Islotes Young sea lions approached divers to frolick and play.
Tropicals And, of course, the Bahamas have a full array of tropical fish and wrecks for your enjoyment.
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Marli took the two outstanding super macro photos to the right with the Subsee 5x diopter. The top shot is a brown cheek blenny taken in the Sea of Cortez (1/100th, f22, ISO 100), and the lower photo is a magnificent anemone shrimp photographed in the Lembeh Straits, Indonesia (1/125th, f29, ISO 100).
This past August the PNWUPS crew were on a photoshoot at Keystone. It was one of those lucky times when a very small long finned sculpin (below) saw his reflection in the 5x diopter and posed in front of my camera trying to frighten the intruder off. Right after this photo a Painted Greenling showed up, and the diopter was flipped out of the way (1/125th, f14, ISO 200).
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503.452.5197 | [email protected]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55273250@N00/
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