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Articles
Sea Shepherd intercepts Japanese whaling fleet
Sea Shepherd’s vessels in the Southern Oceans intercepted the Japanese whaling fleet on Christmas day, one thousand miles north of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Steve Irwin deployed a drone which located and photographed the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru on 24 December. Sea Shepherd are attempting to blockade the factory ship, which means that the harpoon vessels are unable to hunt. Subsequently, three Japanese harpoon/security ships moved to shield the Nisshin Maru to allow it to escape but the presence of the drones (one is also on the Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker) means that the position of the factory ship can be updated for future interdiction.
The early interception of the whaling fleet means that the Sea Shepherd will have a good chance to disrupt and possibly stop the fleet from whaling this season.
Fishermen hand feed whale sharks story in Daily Mail
On Christmas Eve, Wetpixel Moderator Shawn Heinrich had an article and images published in the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper. The article shows a group of local fishermen hand feeding and interacting with a group of whale sharks near Oslob in the Philippines. He cataloged the behavior as:
“It was a lifetime moment, just me, the fishermen, and these gentle whale sharks. What was most touching was the relationship between them all. The fishermen clearly cared for these animals, and the whale sharks demonstrated such trust in them.
Having witnessed the slaughter of whale sharks at the hands of fishermen elsewhere in the region, this interaction was a beacon of hope for me, a message that both man and whale shark could coexist, could develop trust, and even appreciate one another.”
(Image by Shawn Heinrich/Barcroft Media)
FIX releases housing for Canon S100
FIX has announced the release of an aluminum housing for the Canon S100 compact camera. It features access to individual command dials for control of f-stop and shutter speed, as well as a half-press to focus shutter release. It has a fixed lens port, but is compatible with both 67 and 52mm wet lenses. Lastly, it has a flash blocker and optical cable mounting port to allow strobe connection with fiber optic cables.
The housing will be available in early January at a retail price of $879.95.
Underwater HDSLR: Getting better
In his review, Andrej Belic provides some personal thoughts into the continued development of HD video on SLR cameras. He previews Subal’s 30° prism viewfinder and does a comparison of a number of Hartenberger, Keldan and Subtronic video light options. He concludes that:
‘With the merging of photo and video in a single camera/housing new possibilities and challenges arise for the demanding underwater afficionado.”
Misool Baseftin in running for $20,000 grant
Misool Baseftin, the eco-charity arm of Misool Eco Resort, are one of the top 10 finalists in Rare and National Geographic‘s Solution Search: Turning the Tide for Coastal Fisheries. This is a global contest to recognize community-based innovations for near-shore fisheries based on proven success stories.
The finalists are up for a public vote that ends on 24 December, 2011. The winning entry will receive a $20,000 grant and will be featured in National Geographic. If you have time, please make your way to the contest’s site and vote.
Issue 5 of Anima Mundi magazine available
Issue 5 of Andrea and Antonella Ferrari’s free online magazine Anima Mundi - Adventures in Wildlife Photography is now available to download. Contents include an extensive trip report on the Biebrza marshes National Park in Poland, a feature on Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest, an African wildlife and culture portfolio by photographer Piper Mackay and an essay on the ecology of soft corals.
Anima Mundi is a free download in a pdf format.
Review: CrumplePop ToneGrade color correction plug-in
Steve Douglas reviews CrumplePop’s ToneGrade plug-in for Final Cut Pro X. This color correction app uses a processing technique similar to that used in high dynamic range photography, allowing the user to add tone mapping to the image, increasing or maintaining details in both shadows and highlights.
The plug-in is specifically designed to work with Apple’s Final Cut Pro X.
Nauticam releases details of NEX-7 housing
Nauticam has announced details of their housing for the Sony NEX-7 EVIL camera including renderings of the design. The company state that the NA-NEX7 will support all the new controls on the NEX-7, including the triple command wheels. The housing controls are designed to be operated by the users right thumb, without moving hands on the housing. The camera’s focus lock is accessible and a lever has been added to allow the user to switch between the electronic viewfinder and the LCD screen. The housing allows the LCD to be angled for easier viewing.
The NA-NEX-7 housing will be available from 15 January, 2012 at a retail price of $1,850.