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Underwater Festival 2011 results on Vimeo
The organizers of the 2011 Underwater Festival have published a slide show of the winning still entries and a page devoted to the top 10 video entries onto Vimeo. The event was shootout held from 2 till 10 September, anywhere in Australasia. The top 100 entries were showcased at the ODEX show last weekend, with the winners being announced at the Jubilee Hotel in Brisbane on 8 October.
Many congratulations to all who made it into the top-levels of their respective categories and, of course, to the winners.
The Wetpixel Rinse Tank #5
Wetpixel Senior Moderator Drew Wong presents installment 5 of Wetpixel’s Rinse tank. In this edition he talks about Scubacam Singapore’s Sea Gadget Carbon Fiber arms, which are positive buoyancy arms made of carbon fiber.
The Rinse Tank will feature different Wetpixel staff in rotation, each writing about current projects and equipment related issues.
48 Camera GoPro array used for surf film
Creative Cow reports on the use of an array of 48 GoPro HERO HD cams that has been used to create an advert for surf equipment manufacturer Rip Curl. The footage is unique, as unlike most camera arrays that use still images shot sequentially, the GoPro array shoots video of 720p at 60 frames per second which is then all synched together. This opens up a whole range of new creative possibilities and is possible using the camera synchronization technology from the GoPro 3D HERO system.
The array is waterproof and can be operated by one person. The footage shot by it and posted on YouTube shows the rig capturing surfing footage on the enormous break at Cloudbreak, Fiji.
Beyond Blue issue 13 released
Issue 13 of Beyond Blue magazine is now available to view or download. It centers around the notion that the perceptions about sharks seem to be changing with reference to; new shark sanctuaries, shark finning being banned and portraying sharks in a more positive light. Features include a photo portfolio from shark photographer Andy Murch, underwater videographer David Ulloa on the recent paper “Scales of orientation, directed walks and movement path structure in sharks” and Amanda Barratt on the importance of shark sanctuaries, in an article entitled “The Currency of Sharks”.
In addition, Jerome Kok asks “Could Media Change Mindsets?” Beyond Blue is available to view online or can be downloaded as a pdf.
DivePhotoGuide announces new ownership
DivePhotoGuide (DPG) has announced that Matt Weiss (MattDPG), formerly the site’s Editor-in-Chief, has now assumed the mantle of Publisher and CEO of the company. Site founder, Jason Heller will remain as a strategic advisor and remarks:
“The dive industry is beginning to understand the pivotal role of digital media in the influence of consumers and the web has become the primary source of purchase influence for the entire travel industry. Marketing on the web is no longer optional and DivePhotoGuide is a leader in its field. With a unique understanding of both digital media and the underwater photography industry, Matt is the ideal person to resume duties as CEO, and will continue to lead DivePhotoGuide to further growth, providing the industry with a significant resource to reach the most valuable segment of divers globally - the underwater imaging market.”
Many congratulations to Matt and we wish him and DPG all the very best for the future.
Adobe previews advanced Image Deblurring
PetaPixel has published an article about an advanced Image Deblurring feature announced at the Adobe MAX 2011 event in Los Angeles last week. The company gave a preview of the new technology which may appear in an upcoming version of Photoshop. The feature uses advanced algorithms to calculate the camera movements that caused the blur in a picture with motion blur, which then allows the program to do a very accurate unblurring.
Paper published about catfish aggregations
Wetpixel member Rémi Masson (Plongeur74) has co-authored a paper about the aggregations of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) that occur in the Rhône River, France. The study shows that the aggregation of these large fish causes the highest biomass of any fresh water species. This in turn, has significant effects in terms of the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen that these animals excrete entering the water.
The study did not find any specific cause for the aggregations, but was able to eliminate it as being due to schooling, reproduction, foraging or anti-predator behaviors. The full paper has been published in the Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE) journal.
California shark fin bill signed into law
From the Governor of California, Jerry Brown:
“SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed legislation to protect the oceans and the environment. AB 376, by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), bans the possession and sale of shark fins in California. The practice of “finning” for culinary purposes has led to substantial declines in shark populations worldwide.
“The practice of cutting the fins off of living sharks and dumping them back in the ocean is not only cruel, but it harms the health of our oceans,” said Governor Brown. “Researchers estimate that some shark populations have declined by more than 90 percent, portending grave threats to our environment and commercial fishing. In the interest of future generations, I have signed this bill.”
While many countries have already banned the practice, it continues unabated in unregulated international waters. By banning the possession and sale of shark fins, California joins Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and Guam in an effort to reduce demand and protect shark populations.
In addition to AB 376, Governor Brown also signed a companion bill by Assemblyman Fong, AB 853, which allows existing stocks of on-hand shark fins to be sold until July 1, 2013.”
If that doesn’t make you smile on a Friday, nothing will!