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Articles
Issue 21 of African Diver available
The February/March edition of African Diver magazine is now available to download. This issue is a tribute to the diving destination of Aliwal Shoal, situated off the eastern coast of South Africa and it offers detailed advice on dive sites, dive operators and when to visit the Shoal. It also features articles about saving the African Penguin, the Maldives and the featured photographer is Fiona Ayerst.
African Diver Issue 21 is available as a free pdf download.
Apple upgrades Final Cut Pro X
Apple has announced an upgrade for its Final Cut Pro X video editing app. Version 10.0.3 introduces multicam editing, broadcast monitoring (as a beta), advanced chroma keying, media relink, the ability to work with layered files and an improvement to the way the program uses XML, allowing extended use of third-party software like DaVinci Resolve. These improvements go some way towards answering the criticism about the software’s features when it was launched last year.
Apple has simultaneously announced updates to Compressor and Motion. All the updates are available from the Mac App store.
Lastly, as Wetpixel Moderator Drew Wong has posted in the forums, a third-party utility called 7toX has been launched which allows the transfer of projects from Final Cut Pro 7 to version X has been launched in the Mac App store.
Picture of the Year 2011 opens
Wetpixel has launched its 2011 Picture of the Year contest. This allows the public to vote for their favorites from all 51 winners of the Wetpixel (POTW) Picture of the Week contest for 2011. The POTW contest never ceases to amaze with the quality, diversity and talent that it produces. The public vote for the Picture of the Year will start today, and run through until 28 February 2012, after which the winners will be announced.
The contest has a fantastic selection of prizes available. Solmar V has offered a trip aboard their luxury liveaboard as first prize. Ikelite, who also kindly provide the prizes for each and every POTW competition, has donated a DS161 strobe for the entry voted into second place. Nauticam USA has provided a $1,000 gift voucher for the third placed image, and Reef Photo and Video of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has generously given gift vouchers for $500 and $250 for fourth and fifth placed images respectively.
The contest’s voting page is open now so please head on over and cast a vote for your favorite images of 2011.
Linda Pitkin on composition
UK-based underwater photographer and British Society of Underwater Photographers member Linda Pitkin was invited to present a lecture on composition as a part of the Underwater Pixel Zone at the BOOT Show 2012. Her talk covers some of the key areas: Rule of thirds, color, perspective, background, framing, movement and patterns, and the talk is illustrated throughout by Linda’s images.
Wetpixel was able to record the talk as a part of the coverage of the show.
Beneath the Sea extends deadline for Artist-in-Residence Grant
Beneath the Sea (BTS) has announced that they have extended the deadline for applications for the BTS/Howard and Michelle Hall “Artist-in-Residence” Grant. The grant is to be awarded to an Artist-in-Residence currently developing an underwater video project and which the $1,000 additional funding on offer would aid in the completion of a final product. The completed video to be shown at appropriate venues throughout the Beneath the Sea weekend.
The new deadline is 15 February 2012.
Diving and Resort Travel Expo announces dates and venues
The Diving and Resort Travel Expo has announced its venues and dates for 2012/13. The Singapore show will be held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition center from 1 to 3 June, 2012. The Hong Kong Show will be at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, between 15 and 17 December. Lastly, the Shanghai show will be held from 22 to 24 March 2013 at the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Centre.
Full details of each show are available from the organizer’s website.
Tokina announces updated 11-16mm lens
Tokina Japan has announced a new version of its 11-16mm wide-angle lens. The AT-X 11-16 f/2.8 PRO DX II has an aspherical element, a new coating for improved performance and a SD-M (Silent Drive-Module) autofocus motor (AF-S equivalent) so it is usable with Nikon SLR cameras that don’t have an integrated AF motor (D3100, D5100). The lens contains nine aperture blades, and is constructed of 13 elements in 11 groups with a filter size of 77mm. Minimum focus distance is 0.3m (11.8”) so it will need a diopter for use with a dome port. The Nikon version is expected to start shipping in March with the Canon version to follow in July. The Japanese price is listed at 90,000 yen.
Spaces available on Wetpixel Sharks and Dolphins 2012
Three spaces have become available for the Wetpixel Sharks and Dolphins Trip 2012. The trip is on board Jim Abernethy’s boat, the “Shearwater” and will be visiting Bahamian reefs in order to view and photograph tiger sharks, reef sharks, lemon sharks, and Atlantic spotted dolphins and runs from 21-27 June. This trip is an annual favorite, and there are numerous trip reports about it on the forums. It is usually heavily oversubscribed, but we have three spaces now available due to cancellations.
If you are interested, please contact trip leader, Jason Bradley as soon as possible.