NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2007

FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME

Sep 11th: Bahamas Shark Trip presentation by Tamsin Eyles, plus Annual General Meeting

COMPETITION PROGRAMME

Sep 11th: Wrecks

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sep 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 presentation will be by Tamsin Eyles who has recently returned (in one piece) from a shark trip to the Bahamas. Expect to see plenty of big sharks, rather close to the camera.

The monthly competition theme is 'Wrecks' - interpret it as you like (as you do), even a bit of a wreck will do - even if you don't feel you have any winners, send some in to benefit from the audience feedback . Send your 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).

We will also be holding our AGM (postponed from last month) so come along and have your say. If you wish to volunteer for any of the jobs involved in running the Group, then let me know. Also, if you are unable to get to the AGM but have something you wish to say, then send me an email akdiver48@hotmail.com

St Abbs Splash In Aug 26th

Our boat is booked for the 25/26/27th Aug and there may be a place or two available; however, there is also good shore diving in the area.  Accommodation is booked but we may be able to squeeze in another person if required.  Check out the marine reserve details and Splash In Rules on www.marine-reserve.co.uk/activities/rulessplashin2007.htm

RECENT EVENTS

August Meeting

Monthly Competition - Reflections

There were quite a number of entries for this competition which was encouraging to see. As would be expected from our Group, there were several lionfish images from night dives in Nuweiba. However, despite the high quality of these, they seem to have run their course and become rather old hat. This was apparent in the voting, with hardly a vote being picked up by any of them. Instead, new images prevailed and Martin Bailey was the clear winner with his shot of a needle fish (I can never get near them - Ed):

In second place was Cathy Lewis with a juvenile batfish:

In joint third place were Alan James and Arthur Kingdon. Alan's entry was a Nuweiba night shot, but one with a difference - an over/under which captured not only the lionfish and reflection but spectators on the jetty as well:

Arthur's entry was a compass jellyfish off Lundy:

Main Presentation - Gavin Newman

The main presentation was by Gavin Newman, a photographer and videographer of international acclaim. His website says  'Adventure Sports & Environmental Photography Film & Video Production'  and that is a very accurate description of what he does - visit  http://www.underworld-productions.com/ for details of his amazing adventures.

What can I say - other than 'Wow'. If you weren't there, you missed a real treat. Gavin's presentation covered a wide range of techniques and locations, often capturing stunning images under the most difficult and arduous conditions.

There were many cave diving images, all of exceptional quality. This one, from a site in the Yucatan known as 'Car Wash', brings home the beauty that exists in these remote locations. Technically difficult to create, these shots require a great deal of planning and first class teamwork. This image, shot on film, was achieved using multiple bursts of a single, off camera flash and took about twenty minutes to complete.

Bearing in mind that the cave was in complete darkness, you can imagine how difficult this was to achieve. Although Gavin now has a D100, images like the above will be even more difficult to achieve digitally - a twenty minute exposure will create a lot of noise, and will the battery last? Gavin normally brackets his film shots, so the image actually took an hour to complete.

An ethereal image, again from the Yucatan, showing a submerged tree in a hydrogen sulphide layer in the water. Gavin feels that much of the attraction of cave diving for him is seeing things that no-one may ever have seen before; certainly never photographed before. Factor in that you may be several kilometers from a clear air surface and the images are even more impressive.

Gavin is passionate about environmental issues and has worked with Greenpeace for some seventeen years. He feels that there is a great need to record what generally goes unseen and then bring it to the attention of the public. Whether it is way out to sea, such as the 'bycatch' of thousands of dolphins in the English Channel.....

...or sampling the outfall from nuclear power stations, Gavin has the talent to obtain dramatic images. One set of memorable images showed the harvesting of blue fin tuna in the Mediterranean - aerial views showed the purse seiners in action with their massive nets, whilst underwater images showed the tuna within the nets. Needless to say, the blue fin tuna has virtually disappeared from the Med.

Many of Gavin's images are obtained using equipment that he has designed to suit the needs of the job. Flashguns for cave diving are custom made and incorporate very sensitive sensors for remote triggering. Some aerial photography is achieved using a remotely controlled camera suspended on a kite - just the ticket when there is a 'no fly' zone around a particular installation!

Gavin is keen on black & white images and showed quite a range: from cave diving (a shot here to advertise his award winning film of Wookey Hole) to the more conventional such as these batfish. Captured in colour and then converted in Photoshop, Gavin often adds a hint of colour to give a duotone effect.

This report does little justice to what was an excellent, thought provoking presentation with images that were visually stunning, although many of which were outside of our capabilities - there were no questions on how to take up cave diving! We are very grateful to Gavin for fitting us into his very busy schedule and we wish him well on his travels.

Annual General Meeting

It didn't happen - we were enjoying Gavin's presentation so much we agreed to have more of Gavin and postpone the AGM till next month.

MISCELLANEOUS

Maldives Manta & Whaleshark Safari

Ocean Optics and Maveriks Diving are organising a rather special trip to the Maldives in late October 2007. Read all about it on their website (tell them you saw it here if contacting them) http://www.mavericksdiving.co.uk/events/20071027maldives.html

Arthur