NEWSLETTER JUNE 2006
FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME
JUL 11th: Presentation by Rob Barker - D200, First Impressions
BSoUP Splash In results
COMPETITION PROGRAMME
JUL 11th: Open (click here for full year's programme)
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
JUL 11th Meeting
The Meeting (start time 2000hrs) will be at our normal venue (click here for how to find us).
Please try and be on time as we have to keep the main doors locked while we are using the building. However, there is an intercom entry system so you should be able to get in if you are running late.
The main event is a presentation by Rob Barker who will give us his first first impressions of the Nikon D200 underwater.
The recent BSoUP Splash In proved highly successful for members of our group and their winning entries will be presented.
The monthly competition theme is 'Open' so you have no excuses about not having anything to fit the theme! Send digital files to Bob Anthony ( anthonyrez30@tiscali.co.uk ) or bring your slides on the night (let Bob know if you will require a slide projector and screen).
RECENT EVENTS
June Meeting
Video Basics by Chris Lewis
This was a very informative and enjoyable presentation covering all the important aspects of underwater video:- Types of camcorders (formats available, single and three chip), housings, ports and lenses, lighting and filters, white balance, editing(software, hardware, underwater sound, music and narration). The merits of stills (peak of the action) or video(marine life behaviour) were discussed, all accompanied by some excellent footage from the UK(Farnes, Lyme Bay and Babbacombe), Maldives(mantas), and Nuweiba(anthias being cleaned by lysmata shrimps, plus a guitar ray). When editing, Chris recommends clips no longer than six seconds and a total length of ten to fifteen minutes. He reckons on shooting some 1-3 hours of footage per 1 minute of video - and you thought still photography was time consuming!
Many thanks Chris.
Underwater photography and Me - Martin Bailey
New member, Martin Bailey, gave a presentation covering his photographic efforts to date. From his first qualification dive in 1995, he has always dived with a camera; initially, with a disposable camera in an Ikelite housing, then with a Sea & Sea Motormarine 2. Then came a D100 and this has recently been upgraded to a D200. Amongst his lenses, he uses a Sigma 15 - 30mm zoom as well as a Nikon 105mm lens. Flash is usually a single YS90.
Initially, Martin simply wanted to have a record of the species seen as an aid to identification. More recently he has been attempting to produce pictures that 'say something'. His photographic interests are wide ranging, both above and below water. In his words 'I will attempt to take pictures of almost anything and some even work out the way intended'.
A small sample of Martin's work is shown here ( I suspect Martin is a closet marine biologist as he supplied all the Latin names):
A Masked Butterfly fish (Chaetodon Semilarvatus) - Hurghada
Nudibranch (Chromodoris Willani) - Mabul
White Tip Reef Shark (?) with Bannerfish (Heniochus Diphreutes) - Sipadan
Damselfish (Humbug Dascyllus) - Manado
Although Martin and his dive buddy/wife Jeannie have dived in the UK, they prefer warmer waters (we know the feeling ) and get in as many trips as they can. The D200 has only just been tried out and we look forward to seeing some of the results from it whenever Martin can entertain us again - many thanks Martin.
Monthly Competition
The theme was 'Wide Angle' and there were a good number of entries. The clear winner was a fantastic Red Sea shot from Ralph Mortimore with a dolphin and a wreck:
©Ralph Mortimore
Ralph provided the following details:
The image was taken in January; I was on m/v Typhoon and diving the wreck of the Giannis D off Abu Nuhas. The dolphin had been around earlier in the dive but left me alone and 'played' with another group of divers. Along with the dive leader, I was the last diver to start ascending when the dolphin returned. The DL was videoing and I was using the 10.5mm fisheye on my D100. I was torn between taking pictures and interacting with the dolphin; he was approaching me close enough to touch! In fact, he let me put my hand on his flank, whereby he then spun me around in the water by swimming around me in circles (this wasn't captured on video as the battery had just run out). He also took off towards the surface, broke it - to the surprise of the rest of the dive group, who were bobbing about waiting for the RIB and had not seen the dolphin return -m and descended back down behind me clicking away as if in merriment!
A lovely shot from Alan James took second place:
©Alan James
An atmospheric shot from Pam Murphy took third place:
©Pam Murphy
Splash In Judging
The BUPG Splash In competition was held over the weekend of 13/14 May at Babbacombe. Each entrant could submit three images in each category and the images captured on the day were judged at the June Meeting. Results were as follows:
Wide Angle (subject larger than A5)
1st Bob Davies:
©Bob Davies
2nd Pam Murphy:
©Pam Murphy
3rd equal Pam Murphy
©Pam Murphy
3rd equal Alan James
©Alan James
Macro (subject smaller than A5)
1st Alan James
©Alan James
2nd Jan Davies:
©Jan Davies
3rd Rob Barker:
©Rob Barker
With a 1st place and a 3rd place, there was no doubt as to who was the overall winner and Alan James was presented with the Splash In Trophy.
MISCELLANEOUS
New Website for Underwater Photographers
A new website, full of good stuff for underwater photographers, can be found at http://www.divephotoguide.com Check it out - it requires registration but is very useful.
BSoUP Competitions
There is no excuse now for not entering the BSoUP competitions as they are now accepting entries via email. Also, our monthly competition programme mirrors and precedes that of BSoUP, so you can try out your images the month before. We have a great deal of talent within the group so why not give it a go? Let's show the London lot what we can do in the provinces! Check out www.bsoup.org for further details.
Arthur