in focus december 2004.pmd - British Society of Underwater

in focus
No.80
The British Society of
Underwater Photographers
Newsletter
Winter 2004
In Focus
Winter 2004
General Editor: Pat Morrissey, 35 Norbury Drive, North
Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 0QQ
Tel: 01903 751397
Email: [email protected]
Production Editor: Anthony Holley
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 8949 7568
Membership Secretary: Gill McDonald Tel: 020 8789 6005
Email: [email protected]
Contents:
5 - Len Deeley, ‘Introduction to Pictures To Exe’ (Pt. 2)
9 - Andy Clark, ‘BSoUP Police Diver’
13 - Mike Russell, ‘A Rough Guide to Snapping in the Dark’
18 - Beginner’s Portfolio 2004
20 - Alex Mustard, ‘Resizing images for BSoUP digital
competitions’
27 - Jeremy Cuff, ‘Dominica is the New Bonaire!’
34 - Best of British Portfolio 2004
36 - BSoUP Meetings recalled by Andy Clark and Gill
McDonald
42 - Classifieds
46 - Committee Members listing
COVER PHOTO: Jeremy Cuff’s shot of tubeworms, taken in
Dominica. His article lauds this site as another Bonaire... See
what you think! (Page 27)
www.bsoup.org
3
Editorial
Ah well, by the time you read this, Christmas will be looming
as large and with all the certainty of ‘The Great Escape’ on
the Yuletide telly. And, in case I should be thought unseasonal
(as if!) in any way, let me wish all and sundry A Merry
Christmas and A Happy New Year from the whole In Focus
team.
It’s been a funny old year, really; trying to work out how the
software for this magazine worked damned near drove me
crazy - and if you think that was bad enough, don’t even go
near poor Anthony Holley - a man who ought to be considered
for canonisation for his patience, forbearance and grace under pressure...
Anyways, here’s the latest cullings from the Society’s treasure trove, presented with an unwavering regard for truth
and justice, and with a desperate eye on the clock. We have
digital info in large portions, along with travel reports from
far-off places; we have the winners of two Portfolio
competitions, and a host of advertisers new and old (and all
equally welcome). We have gruesome tales of bodies underwater and an account of a man with a subaquatic Zimmer
frame.
We know how to celebrate Christmas!
Thanks to all as per usual for their mighty efforts, and please
don’t be afraid to send in anything you may have that might
conceivably be of interest. Or value, for that matter - times
are hard...
Yours in the bar,
Pat Morrissey
Editor
4
Introduction to Pictures To EXE (part 2)
by Len Deeley
The Main tab should be
showing. If you want to
control individually the
transition speed of the
image, you need to put a tick
in the ‘Use customised
settings for this slide’ box.
Also put a tick in ‘Use own
time preference’ box. If you
do not do this, each slide will
fade in and out at the same
speed and show for the
same period of time. These
changes can be adjusted
later as necessary.
Now click on the Effects
tab and click on the type of
fade you want.
You can also adjust the
effects duration at the
bottom of the tab. One
suggestion here is that it is
best to avoid overdoing the
use of different change
effects in one show.
Certainly the ‘Fade in/out’ is
the best one for A/V shows,
with selective use of one or
two of the others if it
improves the show!
5
Now let us set up the basic parameters of the show. Click on
‘Project Options’ at the bottom left of the screen. Bring the
Main tab in the front.
Here you decide whether you
want to produce a Slide Show
or a Screensaver. You have
various ‘Show settings’, which
are
self-explanatory.
Normally, you would select
‘Close show after last slide’.
If you are going to
synchronise show to music
duration, you put a tick in that
box. We will come back to
‘Customise Synchronisation’ a
little later. If it is not
selected, then you can select
a universal time for showing
each slide and also tick a box to show slides in random order.
In the Advanced tab select ‘Hide mouse cursor during show’.
You also have options for left and right mouse click actions,
for use if you are doing manual slide changes.
In the Music tab you select the sound that you want. Now
remember that P2E does not have any multi-tracking facility.
Therefore, if you are putting together a soundtrack made up
of music, dialogue, sound effects, etc, this needs to be done
before it is brought into P2E. There are various programmes
to do that, depending on how much you want to spend and
where P2E is taking you. I use Adobe Audition (Cool Edit/
Studio before it was bought out by Adobe). Anyway, you need
to turn the sound file into a format suitable for P2E. I find
mp3 most suitable as it creates a relatively small file, which
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should run smoothly. More complex sound files are too lengthy
a subject for this article but maybe I will address it later, if
there is sufficient interest. To select the sound file, click on
Add and browse for the file you have saved. I like to put all
files for a show into the same folder, which makes life easier.
In the Screen tab make the ‘% of the screen to show slide
images’ 100%. Also select a background. I prefer a solid black.
Now we come to the Effects tab. You only need to select
those transitions you propose to use in the show. Remember
you can change your mind later as you are making the show.
Undo all of the other transitions that you do not need.
Now go back to the Main tab and click on ‘Customise
Synchronisation’ (the ‘Synchronise slideshow to music
duration’ needs to be ticked first). This brings up a box that
allows you to either automate the synchronisation or customise
it to vary the transitions.
By selecting ‘Customise synchronisation’ and then clicking ‘Play’
the sound you have chosen will play and you enter a slide
transition in the order they are in your Slide List every time
you hit the ‘New transition’ button. You will see each slide
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represented by a sequential number and a grey line indicating
the period it is shown for. It is important not to overlap that
grey line with those of the other slides or you will get all
sorts of nasty things happen when you run the show.
Once you have inserted all of your images, hit ‘Play’ again and
you will see the show running. But it is unlikely to be to your
satisfaction first time. However, it is easy to drag the position
of the slides along the time-line and also, by clicking on any
slide number the ‘Customise Slide’ screen will appear, allowing
you to adjust the ‘Slide duration’ and/or the ‘Effect duration’.
You will see when you play the show in the ‘Customise
Synchronisation’ window a little thumbnail of the show appears
on the screen showing the transitions. This is a major
improvement on earlier versions, where transitions jumped in
and out and the effect period was not shown by the grey line.
Once you have got the show how you want it but before you
Create the show as an EXE file, you can run it by clicking on
‘Preview’ in the P2E main window to watch the show run. You
can then make further refinements and adjustments before
you hit ‘Create’, which enables you to save an Executable file,
which can be put on disc or CD and run on any PC (assuming it
has an adequate processor, sound card, etc). I understand
that further upgrades will enable files to be put onto DVD
and will also provide more options for transition effects.
That should get you on the road with P2E. Maybe at a later
date I will develop the sound sequence aspects and also
introduce some other alternatives to P2E, which I am
experimenting with.
Have Fun.
8
BSoUP Police Diver
by Andy Clark
Evolving from the very first police diving team in the British
Isles, the Thames Valley Police Specialist Search and
Recovery Team have grown and adapted to meet the demands
of other teams and investigations throughout the force. We
are primarily a search and recovery team with the added
expertise in diving, and it’s that element that brought the
team together, the sheer desire to dive. Sergeant Gill
Williams heads the team today and works hard to help adapt
us to, and define to all, our increasing roles within TVP.
There’s a lot of water in the Thames Valley. Aside from the
Thames, the number of other rivers, canals, tributaries, lakes
and ponds, provides the team with ample opportunity to
demonstrate our expertise underwater. Any number of the
twelve or so search patterns we practise can be combined or
adapted for the searches. Dive conditions and the object of
the search will usually dictate our final choice but there’s no
exact science. Whatever pattern or combination works best
and is considered safe in the risk assessment will be employed.
None of us relish the prospect of a body search. Whether
missing person, suicide, murder victim or just a terrible
accident, it remains a body search and as such requires a
certain amount of psychological preparation. There is nothing
easy about entering brackish, cold water, often in the thick
of night, in the knowledge that you may be searching alone
for an hour. There is some comfort in the fact that at the
end of your lifeline your attendant and standby diver are
monitoring your progress and are there for you should you
need them. But they can’t alleviate the anxiety you feel in
your anticipation of a meeting with death, and they can’t do
anything about the accidental disturbance of one of the
9
unseen underwater inhabitants that brushes your leg or knocks
your mask. All they can do is monitor.
Bodies aside, the team are widely employed in the recovery
of vehicles, weapons and property. It seems a growing trend
for the aimless youth of today, having nicked a vehicle and
taken great delight in pulling as many dough noughts as possible
on the local golf course, to rig it to fly off the highest point
about at break neck speed into the nearest bit of water.
That’s the usual scenario but to avoid complacency it is deemed
proper to dive, check (for bodies) and carry out a full vehicle
recovery. Those not occupied in car theft employ the team in
the recovery of stolen, unwanted property that cannot easily
be ‘shifted’ or is otherwise deemed ‘tutt’ - usually the proceeds
from some or other burglary, robbery or theft. It seems
that water is regarded as the best concealment for the
unwanted items and the team long ago recognised that and
exercised initiative by opting to dive every waterway over
which a road passes. It pays dividends too with regular
property finds, weapon finds and the recent discovery of a
live WWII hand grenade!
It’s an exciting experience finding something underwater.
Generally our reputation remains intact and we find what we
are tasked to find or are at least able to confirm that the
area is ‘clear’ and that the object of our search is not there.
On occasion we stumble across finds that provide enough
interest to fire up a yearning to find out more about the
history of an area. You’d not believe the joy the discovery of
a ginger beer bottle brings or a Thames Conservancy boat
licence plate from the early 1900’s. The interest often
extends to local historical societies who, for years, have been
building attested records of their area and have been
overwhelmed in our discovery of a piece of a three hundred
year old bridge or the amazing discovery of an intact flint
axe head reported to be around 5000 years old from the
10
Neolithic Period! The purpose of our diving thus extends find what we’re tasked to but just see what else is down
there. Fuelled by the prospect of such unexpected
discoveries the interest and the willingness to dive is such
that there is often objection on the decision of who gets to
dive, and it’s always from those who are going to remain on
the bank!
If ever there was a way of ensuring ourselves a ‘special’ corner
on a psychiatric ward it has to be engaging in the recovery of
decomposing bodies. Whether from houses (usually the case),
vehicles, boats or the open countryside, this particular
recovery is probably the most horrific any of us experience.
We are an obvious choice for the role if you consider our
equipment and the fact that we generally encounter death
more than most, and from a Health and Safety point of view,
the ideal facility. We cannot however, claim to be trained in
such recovery because how can you train for something so
extreme and so potentially disturbing to your psyche? I often
wonder if you could measure ones mindset for such a task,
what would the results predict? I try not to think about it,
but curiously cannot offer an explanation as to how we deal
with it. Maybe, if I do end up with a number of ‘imbalances’ in
the future, you’ll know that actually, I haven’t!
It is probably fair to suggest that approximately 25% of our
work load is security searches. With Windsor Castle featuring
high on the tourist attraction list, and by the very nature
that it is so frequently used to host visits of VIPs and other
dignitaries to the pleasure of HRH, you may not be surprised
to learn of our frequent ‘defensive’ searches (also performed
in ‘confined spaces’ – sewers etc) in and around Windsor for
the protection of such principals. If you consider the annual
events where such presence is guaranteed, where a large
military movement is programmed and all of which is public
11
knowledge (Royal Ascot or Windsor Horse Show for example),
you’ll begin to appreciate the level of importance in
preparation, planning and execution of searching required.
As police diving teams go, we are one of the most diverse and
successful there is. We demonstrate adaptation and
flexibility to the growing demand for support roles and have
proven ourselves to be invaluable in our professionalism in
the execution of our duties. Demand for our assistance grows
steadily in the capacities outlined. Of equal importance, is
our acclaimed competence in body recovery at major incident
sites (or assisting ‘on scene’ pathologists in the temporary
mortuaries there), boat patrols and flood rescue, rope access,
major crime scene searches and more recently, and perhaps
the most disconcerting with the current terrorist activity,
our response to threats of Chemical, Biological, Radiological
or Nuclear (CBRN) attack.
Our existence, although sometimes dark, does have a lighter
side. It’s an incredible feeling to realise that in whatever
capacity we have acted, somewhere in someway, we have made
a difference, and it’s a comfort in the knowledge that we all
believe in the service we provide and all strive to ensure its
every success.
Our roles are varied and our title best illustrates that, but
from a personal point of view many of them are incidental. I
joined the police to be a police diver, and that is what I enjoy
above all, and as long as I am able that is what I’ll be, a police
diver on a specialist search team!
12
A Rough Guide to Snapping in the Dark
by Mike Russell
I’m getting out of the pool and a colleague calls out from the
shallow end “Mike, does your Zimmer frame have wheels?”
Has the man no concept of what a tripod looks like? Maybe,
but what was I doing in the pool with a tripod? Well, Leigh
Bishop is to blame. At the BSoUP February 2004 meeting
his presentation on “Time Exposure with Shipwrecks” inspired
me to emulate his technique of using a tripod underwater.
The acid test is yet to come but as you’ll see I’m almost there.
Recently, along with several members of Enfield BSAC, I
bought a digital compact camera and housing. I would like to
have invested in a digital SLR camera but my plastic would
have melted at checkout. Now I’m just itching for October
and our club expedition to dive the wrecks of the northern
Red Sea.
Time now to get familiar with all those menu items and knobs
on the back of my housing. The PT-018 housing, for the
Olympus C750, has a combination of 16 knobs and levers
together with 4 menus to select how you want to take your
pictures. I’ve tried various settings in the pool, selecting
aperture priority, shutter priority, manual settings and
adjusting the white balance to counter the degradation of
colour for deeper dives. However, on reasonably close work
my attempts have been significantly inferior to just using
auto and letting the camera work it out. Rather off putting
to think a little microchip can out perform one’s brain.
At this time I’ve opted not to splash more cash and buy an
external strobe, which would at least double the distance
that the internal flash can be used to take quality pictures.
As a rough guide I’d expect an external flash on manual C750
13
15
compact to take pictures of wrecks at distances up to 30
mtrs. So if a strobe can only perform effectively at 3.0
mtrs how can I expect to take pictures, without flash, at up
to ten times that distance. The answer of course is the same
as to the question, “how do you eat an elephant?” Answer,
very slowly.
On a manual setting keeping the shutter open for a relatively
long time, allowing sufficient natural light into the camera
will obviate the need for flash. That requires keeping the
camera very steady, as Leigh explained, something that cannot
be achieved by just holding the camera in your hands. Hence
a Zimmer frame, sorry, tripod is essential. Plus setting the
camera to operate with its self-timer. That’s not the control
which sets the shutter speed, that is set manually by the
user, but the setting where you press the shutter button and
race round to the front of the camera to take pictures with
yourself included in the photograph. That way it eliminates
touching the camera whilst the shutter is open. Thus by using
a tripod underwater one can bring time elapsed photography
into the realms of the deep.
The results I’ve obtained to date, purely in the pool, show
the potential for combining manual settings and long shutter
speeds. I just want to try it for real. In all probability I’m
going to shoot in black and white as that tends to offer the
best contrast shooting a wreck. With colour you tend to get
too much green or blue and the contrast isn’t so dynamic.
Here the camera menu comes to the fore as mine has 4 “my
setting” options, so I can select what type of photography I
want to use even whilst underwater without worrying about
too many choices. I’ll have done that by prior experience in
the pool. If I’m wrong, well I can adjust the settings and try
again, that’s the major advantage of digital – instant feedback.
16
There are a couple of drawbacks to using a tripod. Firstly it
needs to be weighted down, well the one I’ve bought does.
Like most things in life one has to compromise, here between
buying one that is sufficiently heavy and one that doesn’t
take up too much of your baggage allowance. Then there’s
how to dive with it. That I think I’ve neatly solved. Before
pony cylinder clips became popular most divers used a bag to
attach to their main cylinder, so I’m using my old one and
propose to attach it rather like a front-slung deco cylinder.
Hence I can use both hands on descent and ascent without
compromising safety. How I’m going to carry the camera,
well ideas on a post card please or an e-mail will do nicely.
01707 655944
07771 561589
[email protected]
________________
Advertising in In Focus
Advertising in this magazine is a cost-effective way of
reaching over 250 dedicated underwater photographic
enthusiasts, their families and friends. By their presence on
these pages, our advertisers demonstrate both their belief
in BSoUP’s importance in the world of underwater photography
and their continuing support for the interests of our readers.
Back cover £75; full page inside colour £60; shared halfpage £33;
full page black & white £35, half-page black & white £21.
‘You know it makes sense, Rodney!’
17
Beginner’s Portfolio 2004,
In November, BSoUP held
its annual Beginner’s Portfolio Competition which
was won this year by Judy
Winterman.
Judy took all these shots
with her trusty Nikon
F90; lenses used ranged
from 16mm ‘fisheye’ to
60mm and 105mm macro.
Starting from top left of
the portfolio, the sites
were at Shark Reef (Ras
Mohammed) in 2003; then
the Great Barrier Reef in
2004; bottom left was
taken in Bonaire in 2000,
then the Great Barrier
Reef in 2004 and finally
Bonaire again in 2002.
Filmstock was Fuji Provia
for the wide angle shot
and Fuji Velvia for the
close-ups.
18
by Judy Winterman
19
Re-sizing images for BSoUP digital competitions
by Alex Mustard
There are many brands of digital image manipulation software
on the market, and within each program there are usually a
number of ways of achieving a particular effect. Here I will
describe how to use resize images in Photoshop using the
“IMAGE SIZE” tool within the IMAGE menu (this is a one
step process and is available in all versions of Photoshop).
The resolution of the BSoUP digital projector is 1024 by 768
pixels, and we must adjust our images to this size for optimal
projection. This is actually a low resolution for a digital image
(less than one Megapixel) so resizing for projection reduces
the resolution of our original image.
The projected area from the digital projector (like a computer
screen) is wider (1024 pixels) than it is high (768 pixels).
(See figure a, p.24).This means that horizontal images will be
projected larger than vertical images. You may wish to
consider this when selecting your images (Fig. b).
1. Focus On Competitions
You should start with an image larger than 1024 by 768 pixels
(all digital camera and scanned images should easily exceed
this size). Open the image in Photoshop and crop if required.
Then go to the IMAGE menu and open the IMAGE SIZE tool.
First ensure that the TWO options (Constrain Proportions
and Resample Image) at the bottom of this box are checked.
Then go to box labelled “Resolution” (at the bottom of the 5
boxes) and change the value to 72 pixels/inch. DO NOT click
OK and immediately go to the “Pixel Dimension” boxes (the
top two boxes). If your image is a vertical you must change
the value in the “Height” box to 768 pixels. If your image is
horizontal you must change the value in the “Width” box to
20
1024 pixels. (If you have cropped a horizontal image to a
square format make sure that both the width and height values
are equal to or less than 1024 and 768 pixels, respectively.)
(Figs. c, d)
IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE VALUE IN THE OTHER
PIXEL DIMENSION BOX IS LESS THAN THE PROJECTOR
RESOLUTION – it will be for most images.
NOW CLICK OK!
Save the image as a JPEG (.jpg) with an image title that
includes your name (e.g. j_smith01.jpg).
2. Portfolio Competitions
Creating a digital portfolio is more complicated, and there
are many ways to do it. Here I will suggest one approach. You
do not necessarily need to follow these instructions as long
as you end up with a portfolio of six same-sized images on a
black background, that measures 1024 by 768 pixels and is
at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch.
First select your six images and resize each to 320 pixels in
their longest direction at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch
following the procedure detailed above. (Fig. e, p.25)
We have already prepared a background with guidelines to
help you layout your portfolio. These guidelines are only visible
in Photoshop and will not be visible when you final portfolio is
presented. Download the BSoUP_Grid.jpg and open in
Photoshop. In the VIEW menu select the option Snap to >
Guides, which means that Photoshop will ensure that each
image is exactly over the crosses in the grid when you position
them.
Alternatively, you can create a new file (FILE menu, option
NEW) with a Width of 1024 pixels, a Height of 768 pixels
21
and a Resolution of 72 pixel/inch (you are asked for these
when creating a new file). Fill the background of this new file
with black (e.g. EDIT menu, option FILL…, then fill Contents
with black at an Opacity of 100%).
Now copy and paste all your images onto the black background
and arrange in two rows. (Fig. f)
Each image is in a separate layer and can be moved
independently. Once all the images are arranged correctly
flatten the image (LAYER menu, Flatten Image) and save the
image as a JPEG (.jpg) with an image title that includes your
name (e.g. j_smith_portfolio1.jpg).
Committee changes
Before I mention them in any detail, however, a big THANK YOU is long
overdue to both Jan Maloney and Colin Doeg, who have both bowed out in
their differing ways after putting in endless amounts of time for the
Society’s benefit. Jan has been a tower of strength to us on the
Committee during her many years’ devotion to BSoUP, personally
responsible for tying together much of the apparently seamless
organization of the annual Splash-In with her own matchless
panache, while Colin is just one of those legendary folk who always seems
to have been there forever, seen and done it all. (I’ve just checked the
records, and by God I was right - he HAS been around forever). Colin
now moves over to lend added lustre to our tautly-efficient Meetings’
team.
Now then – about a few of the other moves that have occurred. Brian
Pitkin has the added title of ‘Webmaster’ as an indication of the time
and effort he has spent getting the Society’s website up and running.
Martha Tressler now slides into the chair still warm from the erstwhile
C. Doeg, and we all wish her well for the tenure of her Chair(wo)manship;
she has proved an able Treasurer in the past, and will no doubt do just as
professional a job in the future. Jane Morgan takes over the Publicity
slot, and JP Trenque joins the Committee as well, fresh from his triumph
at Antibes. Anthony Holley doubles up as both Production Editor of the
house magazine and Treasurer from now on, while I have relinquished
the Hon. Sec.’s hat to Gill McDonald.
Which leaves me free to cut-and-paste your stories and photos…
22
23
Alex Mustard’s IDIOT-PROOF guide to picture re-sizing...
a
b
b
c
24
(See previous article)
d
e
f
25
26
Dominica is the New Bonaire!
by Jeremy Cuff
For a long time now, the Caribbean island of Bonaire has been
recognised, quite rightly, as an excellent destination for
underwater photography with its combination of excellent
dive sites and easy conditions. The island of Dominica is
another such place.
Dominica is a spectacular island, situated in the eastern
Caribbean between Guadeloupe and Martinique, and is not to
be confused with the Dominican Republic. Unlike its namesake,
Dominica is not really a sun and sand destination at all. Instead
of sun seekers, the island tends to attract nature enthusiasts,
hikers, mountain bikers and of course, divers. And increasingly
divers with cameras!
Dominica is less easily reached than some of the more
mainstream Caribbean islands. You can’t fly direct from Europe
and, unlike Bonaire, you most certainly can’t land a jumbo jet
at the modest Melville Hall Airport!
We came in via Antigua from London on British Airways, then
transferring to local carrier Liat for the short hop to
Dominica. The good news was that we experienced no problems
on either flight with the underwater photographer’s curse
of excessive hand luggage.
The drive from Melville Hall to Roseau, Dominica’s capital,
and the Castle Comfort Dive Lodge takes about an hour and a
half. This small and intimate dive lodge is a place that could
be recommended to any visiting diver. It’s only a 20 min. walk
from central Roseau.
The normal format of the diving is for two boat dives a day,
leaving at 08.45 am. After collecting any divers staying at
27
the Fort Young Hotel in Roseau, the boat then heads south
towards the dive sites. The boat doesn’t return to shore
between dives so it’s important to ensure that you’ve got
spare film, o-ring grease and any other equipment that you
may need. There’s camera rinses onboard and the crew are
well used to handling photographic equipment with care and
understanding.
Also, like some resorts in Bonaire, the Castle Comfort Dive
Lodge has its own version of “diving freedom” with good shore
diving available as little or often as you like. Just grab a tank
and go, day or night, if the boat diving is not enough.
Alternatively, extra boat dives can be organised if there are
enough participants.
The main diving area in the south west of the island, around
Soufriere is an ancient crater, which is now protected as the
Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve. As if to remind us
of Dominica’s recent geological past, volcanic bubbles still
rise from the seabed close to the shore at the aptly named
dive site Champagne.
The good visibility, lack of any real current and the relaxed
style of diving practised by the Castle Comfort crew means
that underwater photographers can dive with non
photographers and still concentrate on the work in hand,
rather than setting speed diving records and worrying about
keeping up with the rest. It really is laid back diving conducted
at the pace of the slowest diver.
Dominica may not be the best place for pelagics but as most
underwater photographers know and appreciate, there’s a lot
more than big fish. Wide-angle opportunities abound and the
critter infested reefs ensure that macro lenses are never
far from the photographer’s mind. For those needing an
injection of pelagic action, Atlantic dive sites such as
28
Village offer the best opportunities with Barracudas being
the most frequently sighted of the big predators.
Hugely impressive tube and barrel sponges, crinoids,
gorgonians and many other species of coral provide the wideangle photographer with a tremendous choice of subject
matter. The vibrant colours of the reef combined with the
clear blue water makes for wide-angle images at their most
vivid and striking. Even the dive boat itself can be used as a
useful compositional tool, providing an interesting background
and context to a group of divers or a tube sponge.
The small jetty at Castle Comfort also offers excellent wide
angle and fish eye possibilities. It’s worth spending at least a
dive or two hanging out around the legs of the jetty looking
for that unique angle, sunburst, passing snorkeller or well
positioned boat.
Dominica’s reefs are great for macro and fish photography.
Reef critters can be spotted anywhere on the Dominican reefs
and range in size from the tiny Pederson’s cleaner shrimp to
large spotted lobsters and reef crabs. Anemones, sea urchins,
octopus, feather dusters, hermit crabs, arrow crabs,
tunicates, fireworms, flamingo tongues and the delightfully
named donkey dung sea cucumber were but a few of the reef
inhabitants noted during our stay.
Sedentary fish such as scorpionfish and flounders are fairly
easy to find at most dive sites but seahorses can present
more of a problem. Luckily, the dive guides will usually know
the whereabouts of at least two or three. We were also told
that a pair of seahorses could be found living close to the
shore at Castle Comfort, although we couldn’t find them, try
as we might!
The frogfish are another matter. Where have they gone?
29
30
Editor’s Note:
Remember to keep a regular eye on our
website www.bsoup.org to see what
competitions are up-and-coming, and to get
any digital entries into shape well
beforehand.
(God hates last minute rushing...)
31
Barbara, one of the dive guides, said that she knew of one
specimen, at a dive site in the north of the island but other
than that, she hadn’t seen any for some time. Several theories
were doing the rounds amongst the local dive community. One
dive guide suggested that several winter storms in quick
succession had driven them into deeper water and that due
to their slow moving nature, they haven’t been very quick in
repopulating the shallows. Whatever the reason, the frogfish
seem to have all but vanished from Dominica.
The soldierfish seem unusually tolerant (and abundant!)
allowing photographers to get close and photograph them.
Dive sites like Swiss Cheese are one of the best sites for
soldierfish as they tend to congregate in large numbers in
the swim-throughs and therefore find it impossible to back
away from the photographer.
Lizardfish, too, can present good potential. So often difficult
to approach and usually found on a very light sandy background,
these wary fish can sometimes be spotted resting on ledges
at sites such as L’Abym, allowing the photographer to approach
from beneath to capture a unique view. Like the soldierfish,
I found the lizardfish quite approachable in Dominica. Or
was it just my imagination…!
The sandy areas are also worth a look and are far from the
“underwater deserts” that some divers may perceive them
to be. Flounders, jawfish, garden eels, flying gurnards and
even stingrays are fairly common here. Turtles are
encountered frequently inside the Soufriere Scotts Head
Marine Reserve and can often be spotted at the surface from
the dive boat. Of the types of fish not already mentioned,
pufferfish, filefish, cornetfish, moray eels, spotted snake
eel, parrotfish, angelfish, damselfish, coney, gobies, and jacks
round up some of the species commonly found on the reefs.
Champagne provides opportunities for natural light
32
images; if you’re lucky (I wasn’t!) perhaps a snorkeller may
pass overhead. The volcanic bubbles rise from a small area of
rocks close to the shore in about 3 metres of water. Divers
usually visit the bubbles at the end of the dive, so it’s worth
keeping a few images spare to record this unique diving
experience.
We enjoyed an excellent night dive on the reef around
Champagne encountering free-swimming morays, lobsters,
shrimps and the real highlights – a Caribbean reef squid and
an electric ray.
For those interested in the wider photographic potential of
Dominica, the topside has plenty to keep a photographer busy.
Still with a marine theme, there’s a population of sperm whales
and dolphins that can often be sighted. Whale watching trips
organised by the Castle Comfort team take visitors out to
the action at least once a week and are usually successful.
Other species of whales are also encountered regularly around
Dominica including False Killer, Pilot and even Humpback
Whales.
So, is there anything negative to say about Dominica? I’d have
to say an emphatic “no”. Perhaps a slight inconvenience is that
there’s no E6 processing available at the resort, so slide film
photographers aren’t able to check their work as they go.
There may be E6 processing available somewhere in Roseau
but we didn’t have time to search it out, if indeed it’s available
at all. Digital users will, of course, have no such concerns.
So, is Dominica really the new Bonaire? Well, Dominica isn’t
really like Bonaire, but it does have similarities that are
extremely attractive to the underwater photographer - good
visibility, easy conditions, photo friendly dive sites, abundant
marine life and slow swimming dive guides, need I say more…
33
Best of British Portfolio 2004,
The Annual General Meeting doesn’t normally inspire
great excitement, but this year, in November, it
coincided with the Best of British Portfolio
competition.
Imagine her surprise, then, when it was won this year
by our own newly-elected Chair Martha Tressler!
British diving is challenging enough as it is, and to
wrest such shots as these from cold waters with
(often) diabolical visibility is an achievement in
itself.
34
by Martha Tressler
All these pictures were taken between 1997 and 2004, at sites as
far afield as the Farne Islands,
Swanage Pier and St. Abbs.
Martha relied on her Nikon F90X
for all except the Anglerfish (for
which a Nikonos V was used).
The original slides were scanned,
optimized and turned back into
slides.
35
September Meeting 2004
by Andy Clark
Focus On – The World In Our Hands
Main Event – Nudibranch Passion – Anthony Holley
There has long been something missing from our devoted
efforts in depicting the underwater world. Painting a picture
of this much loved underwater realm as we do is not wrong, it
merely is not painting the whole picture. We are all eager to
show images of beautiful corals and awesome marine life, but
don’t we also have a duty to publicise the impact we have on
the world beneath the waves? None of us are ignorant to the
destruction caused to our rain forests, why should the oceans
be any different. Ignorance is not bliss. It is an acceptance
of a wrong doing for those who choose not to intervene. BSoUP
is a much respected organisation with a good deal of influence.
Let’s be the first to encourage other organisations to show
it how it really is. Let’s be the first to try and make the
difference the oceans need.
In 3rd place - with 28 points – Jane Morgan with her image of
discarded and submerged fishing nets snagged on rocks in
Gozo. Chris McTernan took 2nd place – also with 28 points –
with a nicely composed shot of a battery with poison sticker
laying among brittle stars. And bounding ahead - with a
massive 74 points – Chris McTernan takes first place with a
striking shot of a solitary fish trapped in netting.
Congratulations, and thank you!
Anthony has worked long and hard to further his knowledge
and understanding of the nudibranch, and his tenacity and
devotion has made him a respected authority. But you don’t
get that acclaim over night. Anthony explained how it all
started in 1984 when a dive buddy pointed out ‘a blob on the
wall’. What the hell was it? After composing his first
36
nudibranch (naked gills) shot, Anthony was swept into the
micro world of these fascinating creatures. Indeed not only
has he travelled to virtually every corner of the globe in
search, devoted his photographic prowess to recording specie
and behaviour, Anthony has actively taken part in the
discovery and identification of numerous species previously
undiscovered. But identification is not as easy as one might
expect. ‘To truly classify a specie, you have to collect, dissect
and analyse the teeth!’ Nudibranch have teeth? Yes, called
radula. In addition, consideration and comparison is made with
the creatures’ swirls and frills and colouring and rhinophores
and gills, and when you have catalogued that you’ll be nearer
a true identity or a new discovery. It’s true the variety of
nudibranch is incredible. Don’t be fooled into thinking that
all these animals are tiny, for at 55m Anthony needed both
hands to hold the mega nudibranch, a whopper not too
dissimilar to the Spanish dancer.
So now we’re all a little the wiser when it comes to
nudibranchs, how best do you photograph them? Anthony
started with a Nik V and 1:1 close up lens, a winning combination
until the unfortunate loss of the kit in a wreck in the South
China Sea. Since the untimely separation, Anthony has
invested in a Subal and favours the 105 macro and ring flash.
The results are testimony to the dedication on display here,
vibrant and punchy they offer an extended insight into the
world of the nudibranch. But equally amazing are the results
achieved with Anthony’s ‘fun, land camera’. A housed digital
compact, that offers some absolutely incredible images
without flash! Just adjust the white balance by taking your
settings at the subject site and ‘bingo’, amazing images!
If you weren’t able to attend Anthony’s presentation, have a
look at his website dedicated, like him, to the nudibranch.
It’s packed with information and images of these weird and
wonderful creatures that verges on scientific paper quality,
37
a credit to devotion.
Anthony has spent over 2600 hours in twenty different
countries in pursuit of his quarry. He has nearly 400 images
of 186 species, and in twenty years has earnt his authority.
See for yourself, you’ll not be disappointed!
www.holleyuwphoto.com
October Meeting 2004
by Gill McDonald
DIGITAL, FILE USAGE AND THE FUTURE – PAUL KAY
Paul is now very firmly involved in the ‘digital revolution’ but
it took some time to get there. When Nikon’s D1X camera
was launched, by various means he managed to find the money
and bought one. Although he used this camera for a couple
of years and sold many images taken on it, he was not overly
impressed either by the image quality or the versatility.
The turning point came when he realised he was relying on
TIFF images and using his shiny digital toy exactly like a film
camera. The D1X is a 5 mega pixel camera and he felt the
images were no better than 35mm film, even after shooting a
great many pictures. Then, he bought an even shinier new
toy – the S2 Pro – and everything started to come together.
This was because he started to use it underwater at about
the same time as Adobe produced the RAW plug-in for
Photoshop 7. Paul discovered that shooting on RAW then
using Photoshop’s RAW file converter really started to change
things. Now Paul’s firm view is that the key to digital
photography is the correct use of software and his advice is
to buy good software and learn to use it properly.
38
With digital, unlike film, you can shoot and shoot without
worrying about film costs. Sometimes this can lead to
photographers taking less care about the subject matter and
relying on software to make the images look good. For this
reason and others, some people consider digital photography
to be ‘cheating’ with the manipulation that can be applied to
the image file. However, Paul considers manipulation and what
he would class as optimisation to be very different things.
Optimisation is a global function whereas manipulation usually
takes place on only part of a file, and manipulation can be
applied to film just as much as digital images.
Paul also considers using JPG format on a digital SLR to be
equivalent to having a Ferrari and driving it at 30mph! For
Paul, RAW is definitely better. Another criticism heard about
digital is that the highlights can burn out, but Paul firmly
believes things are getting better all the time particularly
with more and more sophisticated software which is so vital.
Photoshop CS (Creative Suite), the latest version from Adobe,
can do just about everything you are likely to need. The file
browser is particularly useful and will now read RAW files.
Many, many things can be adjusted with this software including
lighting, exposure, etc. You can run at 16 bits/channel, edit
the image then move to 8 bits/channel. It makes the pictures
Paul shot as TIFF files with the D1X look very inadequate
indeed.
As to locations, Paul recently visited the Canary Islands and
was impressed by the amount of marine life including masses
of groupers and moray eels, also by how tame and photogenic
the creatures were. Paul also ventured to the Beagle Channel
at Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Interestingly, apart from
the giant kelp, it was very reminiscent of beautiful Loch Fyne
in Scotland. Everything was bigger and just slightly different
in an indefinable way, but fundamentally the same, which is
39
somewhat disconcerting when you have travelled so far!
But Paul’s favourite trip this year was to the Outer Hebrides.
He was ‘playing’ with a 12-24mm zoom on the S2 Pro varying
between TTL and manual with the additional fun of a large
Subtronic flashgun with which he was very impressed. The
12-24 without a diopter is also good above water. As far as
equipment capability goes, Fuji is the only digital SLR with
TTL so in that sense is equivalent to film.
Paul also tried some comparative macro work with the S2 Pro
off the coast of Ireland. He luckily came across an
inconvenienced anglerfish as an ideal subject, it could not
move due to the lunch protruding from its mouth and still in
the process of being slowly swallowed. A dark subject with a
light background, it came out very well on the S2 and Paul has
found the S2 to be good for straight portraits – looking at
the LCD display is good for composition but not exposure
which is where the histogram proves invaluable.
To the future, Paul believes digital success depends largely
on the RAW file and using software like Photoshop CS to
‘process’ your image. Adobe are now trying to introduce a
standard RAW file, which effectively converts RAW to a RAW
‘standard’. Paul avers “the near future is probably RAW”.
Paul concluded with the following statement:
“At the end of the day it is the image that matters, not the
technology. Although I now use an 11.1 mega pixel Canon for
above and below water, the technology will not be new in 5
years time and at the end of the day the ‘perfect’ image is
what we are all striving for, whatever equipment we use to
achieve it.”
40
(Yet another) Editor’s note!
BSoUP relies heavily on Andy Clark and Gill McDonald for
reports on monthly meetings, and they have always done a
sterling job of putting pen to paper. Without them
scribbling away in the half-darkness of the meeting, we’d
either have no permanent record of the Society’s doings at
all or else someone dedicated to this task alone would have to
religiously attend every single meeting, which isn’t always
practical.
SO - this doesn’t mean to say that In Focus can’t consider
views and reports submitted by other members as well.
Why not try your hand at it next month, and see what you can
come up with? All coverage gratefully received and eagerly
snatched at... and in the event there are multiple reports of
a particular meeting to be considered, then you can be sure
that your Editor will cut-and-paste in a manner something
wonderful to behold.
And while I’m up on this ricketty old soapbox, let’s have some
more stories, with or without photos to illustrate them! It’s
amazing to see the wide range of activities engaged in by our
members - some of it is even legal - so give us a chance to
share in it all (and try to change anything too incriminating in
case the Special Branch start storming Morrissey Towers
again...)
Please note that the deadline for advert and article
submissions for the Spring issue will be February 18th 2005.
41
Classifieds
For sale
Nikonos V, plus 15mm Nikkor Lens, 15mm Viewfinder, 20mm
Sea & Sea lens, 20mm Viewfinder, 35mm Nikkor lens,
80mm Nikkor lens, Ocean Optics close up lens, 2 macro
extension tubes, sports finder, Morris Aqua F111 Strobe,
Sea & Sea ball joint strobe arm and tray; all instruction
booklets and spare o rings, 2 Pelican waterproof cases.
Offers around £4,000.
Stuart McLachlan, SME
Eurofinance Shepperton. Office: 01932 224600 Mobile:
07885 419135
email: [email protected]
_____________________
Nikon 18-35mm zoom lens, f3.5 - 4.5 AF-ED. very good
condition, boxed, user leaflets etc.
£235 inc p & p
Nikon 16mm fisheye lens, f2.8D, good condition, boxed,
user leaflets etc; plus “Warren Williams” dome port for
Subal housing (for Nikon F90X camera); plus set of ‘behind
lens’ filters inc U/W diopter.
£395 inc p & p
Nikon-fit Sigma 24-50mm f4/5.6 AF zoom lens, good
condition, complete with Subal aperture and zoom gears.
£95 inc p & p
Malcolm Hey ([email protected]) tel: 01845 577864
_____________
Nikon/Aquatica underwater 35mm system
Nikon F90X body, 20mm F2.8, 28mm F2.8, Aquatica A90 professional u/w housing, Aquatica 8" Superdome port, Aquatica
8" dome shade, gears for focus & aperture control.
All in price £1,600 + VAT ono
Includes full instruction on use. All the above is in excellent
condition, never been flooded and is top notch professional
underwater photographic equipment.
Contact Zac on 020 8941 1238 [email protected]
42
Underwater Housing for RB67
Unique opportunity to buy 1 of 12 ever made underwater
housings for the Mamiya RB67, designed and built by Peter
Scoones, world-renowned underwater cameraman and
equipment designer.
RB67 underwater housing, Dome port for 37mm, Dome port
for 50 & 90mm, Shutter speed & aperture gears, Carry
handle, Lightweight metal flight case
(includes an internal mercury switch which turns on an
internal light to view aperture and shutter speed) RB67
with Beatie focussing screen (2 stops brighter), 37mm F4.5
lens (has pack of colour correction filters), Glass diopter,
220 film back
All in price £1,600 + VAT
Includes full instructions. Contact Zac on 020 8941 1238
[email protected]
____________
For sale: Nikon F90X body with Subal housing, 20mm
Nikkor AF lens with Subal port, 105mm Nikkor AF lens + 4T
diopter, focus and aperture gears, SB28 Nikon Speedlight
with sync cord, Cullimore housing and flash arm.
£950 for the lot. Other lenses/ ports possibly available.
Martha Tressler 0776 460 3657, [email protected]
____________
Wanted
Wanted: reasonably priced 20mm AF Nikon Lens in good condition - Paul Kay
01248 681361 or [email protected]
43
Peter Ladell
Phone/fax: 01582 419603 Email: [email protected]
Custom Underwater Housing Modifications and Accessories
Ports for lenses from Fisheye to 4:1 and most in between,
including zooms.
Ergonomic housing modifications and ports for manufacturer
unsupported lenses custom made to individual requirements.
Viewfinder optical accessory.
Housings for all sizes of Digital camera, and accessories (lens
adaptors, flash units, fibre optic triggers)
Designed and built by UK CMAS World Championship team
member and used by International Award winning Photographers.
Contact PETER LADELL 01582 419603 [email protected]
BSOUP CLOTHES from MARTHA TRESSLER
We have BSoUP branded clothes available
– in any colour as long as it is navy (T-shirts
also in white), with a smart BSoUP label
over the left breast.
They are for sale at most monthly meetings (if I am there!)
or you can order by post or email and I’ll bring them to the
next meeting or mail them to you for a small extra charge.
We have:
T-shirts
£10
Polo Shirts (run large)
£15
Sweatshirts (run small)
£17
Showerproof jackets
£24
(+ £1 for XXL and £2 for XXXL)
44
HOW TO FIND US
BSoUP meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 20.00hrs in the function
room at the Holland Club, Imperial College, London. From South Kensington tube
station take the tunnel to the Museums and Exhibition Road. Continue north and
turn left into Prince Consort Road. Turn into the entrance to the grounds of
Imperial College, walk down the hill and go through the white double doors facing
you into the Holland Club. If you are coming by road, turn into the College grounds
from Exhibition Road, take a parking ticket at the barrier and ask directions to
the Holland Club. When you leave you must pay at the barrier (currently £8.50)
for the evening (after 18.00hrs). Do not arrive before this time as the ‘evening’
parking could cost you £16. Alternatively, there are parking meters in the
surrounding roads which finish at 18.30. Take care as there are also lots of
Residents Only bays which operate all evening. There are bar facilities in the
Club and snacks are available.
45
BSoUP OFFICERS 2005
www.bsoup.org
President / Webmaster:
Brian Pitkin, 12 Coningsby Road, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 6QP
Tel/Fax: 020 8668 8168 (H), 020 7942 5707 (W)
E-mail: [email protected]
Chair:
Martha Tressler, 109 Lisbon Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex
TW2 5HL Tel: 020 8255 4765 E-mail: [email protected]
Hon Secretary / Membership Secretary:
Gill McDonald, 25 Bemish Road, Putney, London SW15 1DG
Tel: 020 8789 6005 Email: [email protected]
Hon Treasurer / ‘In Focus’ Production Editor:
Anthony Holley, 8 Scariff Court, 39 Sycamore Grove, New Malden,
Surrey KT3 3DH Tel: 020 8949 7568
E-mail: [email protected]
Meetings Secretary:
Colin Doeg, 27 Franconia Road, London SW4 9NB
Tel: 020 7622 8147 E-mail: [email protected]
Competitions Officer:
John Langford, 64 Northcroft Road, Ealing, London W13 9SX
Tel: 020 8567 4464, Fax: 020 8567 6971
E-mail: [email protected]
Publicity Officer:
Jane Morgan, 52 Field Lane, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9AS
Tel: 020 8255 6939 E-mail: [email protected]
‘In Focus’ Editor:
Pat Morrissey, 35 Norbury Drive, North Lancing, West Sussex,
BN15 0QQ Tel: 01903 751397 E-mail: [email protected]
Committee Members:
Lesley Maw, 27 Ness Road, Burwell, Cambridgeshire CB5 OAA
Tel: 07977 453475 E-mail: [email protected]
Peter Ladell, 22 Morton Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 OTL
Tel: 01582 419603 (H) E-mail: [email protected]
Alexander Mustard, 73 Briarswood, Southampton, SO16 6GD
Tel: 07876 523 110 E-mail: [email protected]
Jean Phillipe Trenque, 52 Field Lane, Teddington, Middlesex
TW11 9AS Tel: 020 8255 6939 E-mail: [email protected]
Honorary Life Members: Colin Doeg, Tim Glover, Geoff Harwood, Brian
Pitkin, Peter Rowlands, Peter Scoones, Stanton Waterman and
Warren Williams
46