Scubashooters net e mag issue n25 mar 2017 by Scubashooters Underwater Photography

ISSUE

NÂ°25 M A R 2017

PORTFOLIO

Violet Ting

JARDINES DE LA REINA by J. G utierrez

LOVING THE SEA: SHOOTING IN MPA by F. Turano, M. Solca

GOBIES AND BLENNIES by J. Fifer & Reef ID

NAUTICAM NA D500 Housing review

TECNIQUE: UP AND DOWN by F. Iardino

START DEVELOPING A PIC by C: Umili

Dear friends, This month I would like two talk to you about two very important topics. The first one is that the second esition of our contest Deep Visions has just ended and we are very satisfied here at Scubashooters.net as we had a better response compared to last year’s one: we had better response in terms of sponsors as we have been able to gather prizes for 10 categories , enabling us to give away amazing trips as first prizes and amazing pieces of UW photo technology and general diving gears; we had better response in terms of participants ( +15%) and in terms of submitted photos ( + 45% ).... This is a very important feed back for us as we always try to make our best to bring our fellow members always new and appealing initiatives. So stay tuned as next’s month edition of this magazine will be full of really amazing photos! I would like to remember that our platform which has been thought,created and programmed entirely by us feature the so called blind judging ... our judges are not able to see the names of the authors of any photo uploded to the contest, this is something we are very proud of and in our opinion ensure the fairest possible competition and winners choice, offering the chance to newcomers to win despite they are “unknown” to this world . I believe, and this is the second topic of this month’s editorial, that this amazing results have also been possible not only by you and by our sponsors but also by the power of networking which we strongly believe in; I then want to take this opportunity to thank also our friends at UWphotographyguide.com and Mission-blue.org for their friendship and partnership and the last connection we were able to realize, wetpixel.com .... very proud to deal with these amazing organizations. Don’t forget to download next month edition of our emagazine then! Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image “Golden power” By: Violet Ting

C O N T E N T S 3

EDITORIAL by Marino Palla

JARDINES DE LA REINA by Joaquin Gutierrez

CRITTERS CORNER: GOBIES AND BLENNIES Size doesnt’t matter by John Fifer - ReefID

LET’S START DEVELOPING A PICTURE by Cristian Umili

PORTFOLIO Violet Ting

UP & DOWN Fabio Iardino

LOVING THE SEA Shooting in marine protected areas by Michele Solca & Francesco Turano

INTRODUCING NA-D500

MORE THAN JUST BUBBLES DAN Europe

Editor: FABIO STRAZZI Verein Scubashooters, 8952 Schlieren - Switzerland

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JARDINES DE LA REINA

Words and Pictures

Joaquin Gutierrez

TRAVELS

10 I remember perfectly the promise I made when I first visited the Jardines de La Reina... the same that I had to do on this last visit: to come back someday. This marine park held up over the years without the hand of man altered its natural state. Perhaps its distance from the island of Cuba, since Jardines de la Reina is located about 60 miles south of the island of Cuba, led to this leaving the Park so natural and wild. This archipelago consists of a chain of 250 untouched islands made of coral

and mangroves that extend along 75 miles. Jardines de la Reina was declared a Marine Park in 1996; and with the support and management of Avalon, together with the Centre for Coastal Ecosystems Research of Ciego de Avila and the Department of Fisheries Control, this area has been preserved for future generations as a complex network of virgin marine ecosystems, considered by many scientists and well informed organizations as a benchmark of what constitutes the original state of coral reefs, as were found by Christopher Columbus at the time of discovery. During my first visit, back in 2011, I had as accommodation La Tortuga, a floating hotel with eight cabins, steadily anchored in a channel. Very stable and comfortable, with an outdoor terrace where while away the time between one dive and the other with mojitos and music, mixed with dreamy sunsets that make those moments magic.

However this time, since we booked two weeks of diving and because of our infrastructure, we had to stay on a live aboard called The Falcon, an unpretentious vessel that anyhow met what we needed for our work. Together with some friends and with the purposes set since the birth of this trip, we embarked in Puerto JĂşcaro, to the rhythm of Cuban music and with a mojito in hand, towards the Jardines de la Reina, a journey of about six hours that gave us the opportunity to arrange our stuff, mount our cameras, charge our batteries and assemble our diving gear.

In the first leg of the journey, we could count on Noel, while in the second we had Fausto, two real connoisseurs of the area and experienced divers. Dive sites like Pipin, Farallon, Black Coral I and II, Caballones and Mogotes, were matching the expectations we had on this trip. The possibility to dive with silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis), Caribbean sharks (Carcharhinus perezi), groupers, shoals of angelfish... and all this on reefs and canyons full of life and color, untouched by the passing of time and human hands, that make this a destination to take into account especially for photography and video enthusiasts. Another attraction of this destination is the chance to swim with the Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) who has found in this remote place a privi

leged place for its survival, away from civilization and surrounded by a lush mangrove forest that provides everything it could need. Despite being a reptile that can reach 3.5 m, with patience and with proper precautions you can enjoy approaching it surrounded by an incomparable natural environment. If we cram all this into a shaker, the only result will be a destination that is none other than the present one. I doubt anyone could find sites that meet the qualities the Jardines de la Reina can offer in such a short space of time.

GOBIES AND BLENNIES SIZE DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MATTER

Gobies and Blennies are generally small quirky elongate fish that lack swim bladders and live on the sea floor. Both can be found in marine, brackish and fresh waters around the world in shallow coastal areas, tropical reefs, estuaries and mangrove swamps. These fish also range in size from 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30cm but are fairly different and are often confused with one another. With Gobies, there are more than 2,000 species. They have small scales, two dorsal fins and pelvic fins fused into sucker-like cups that help them cling to rocks and the sea floor. They are poor swimmers and use darting movements to propel themselves across the bottom. Their primary food sources are crustaceans and worms that they consume with small teeth. Some gobies are known to live symbiotically in mud or san burrows sharing space with various shrimps. This living arrangement ensures double protection against predators. The shrimp uses its antennas to detect danger, while goby relies on its eyes. When either resident senses trouble, they both quickly retreat into their home. Others, known as mud skippers, have evolved to spend much of their time out of water walking through moist tidal zones. As for Blennies, there are more than 800 species. Unlike gobies, they have mucus covered scaleless skin, a continuous dorsal fin that is divided into anterior and posterior sections, and a jugular pelvic fin branched into two. Blennies can also be recognized by horn like appendages scattered across their head called cirri. These appendages can vary from simple stalks to feathery, multibranched tufts. Although a prominent feature on most blennies, the exact purpose of this

John Fifer

feature is not known. In addition to the cirri, another interesting Blenny feature that can be observed is their ability move each eye independently producing some rather interesting expressions to say the least. Like the goby, they too swim poorly however, Blennies use undulating movements similar to eels to propel themselves. Their primary food sources are barnacles and crabs that they scrape off surfaces with comb-like teeth used for crunching. Gobies and blennies both demonstrate sexual dimorphism, meaning the male of the species looks noticeably different than the female. Males of each species usually have brighter colors and more lavish fin structure that they display to attract a mate. This display often incites fierce battles between males to insure survival of the fittest. Once fertilization takes place, females of the species usually attach their eggs to rocks, shells or corals. The male then guards these eggs and keeps them well-oxygenated by mixing the water with its tail. He also performs rigorous housekeeping duties that include removing any detritus from the surface of eggs. Transparent larvae then emerge from these eggs couple of days later. If you see a small head peaking out of a hole at you or a small fish perched on a rock looking around, take a moment to observe the quirky behavior of the Goby or Blenny you are looking at and remember, big things come in small packages.

CRITTER CORNER

Words:

Enjoy your passion. We make it possible.

Via Milano 177/B - 37014 Castelnuovo d/G (VR) ITALY Tel. 0039 45 6450480 - info@isotecnic.it

Technical data: Dimensions: • Height 62mm. • Width 94mm. • Depth 60mm. Controls: • Mechanical.

CASE GO-PRO H3/H4 PRO

Weight and depth rating: • Weight: 310gr. • Weight in fresh water: 150gr. • Max depth rating - 250 meters. Optional: Red filters, tray with double handles, flex arms, carbon arms, lights, stobes, telescopic arms, cases.

Housing realized in Ergal aluminum, anodized with 50 microns military treatment to ensure the maximum durability and excellent resistance to wear and to sea salt. This case is shaped according to the GO-PRO hero3 and Hero4 outline. All controls are brought outside with high precision. The case is realized starting from a single block of Ergal aluminum that ensures a maximum depth rating of – 250m. Outside all commands are available through mechanical buttons. The lateral hinge allows to open and close the case very easily. In the upper part of the case there is an M6 threaded blind hole and a locking pin hole. They allow to add other accessories such as an M6 ball for an additional light support. In the lower part of the case there are n.4 threaded holes - n.2 M6 + n.2 Kodak metric pitch. These hoels allow to easily fix the housing on a tray.

LET’S START DEVELOPING A PICTURE Words and Pictures

Cristian Umili

If we shoot in RAW, which I recommend if your camera allows it, let us open our files using Photoshop. This program will automatically decode the file using the Camera Raw plug-in, where we will start doing the first part of our development. I’m talking about development, not processing or post-production, because the process that I will show you is similar to what we did in the darkroom and recalls the term used by some software in English (develop). First, let’s see if the white balance (WB) is correct or there is need to change the color temperature and/or the hue. After this first step, let’s fix the exposure more precisely: here we can save an image overexposed or underexposed by 3 stops, but I always suggest, to have a better result, to use a photograph with an exposure as much as possible correct, and to employ this tool only

TECNIQUE

to make small adjustments. The “Lights” adjustment only serves to darken the highlights, while the “Shadows” adjustment allows instead lightening only the shadows, in order to weaken them. Through the “Whites”, we act on the overall brightness, while using the “Blacks” we enlighten or darken only the darkest areas of the image, and selectively increase the image contrast. The “Clarity” is a setting that allows you to adjust the contrast of only intermediate tones, therefore, applying it, we do not risk having shadows that close and the light zone will not burn. The “Vibrance” is a saturation tool that also acts on the midtones, while the “Saturation” tool works even on the extremes, often giving an unnatural result. After adjusting our image as we please, let’s open it in Photoshop by clicking on “Open Image.” Once you’re in Photoshop, open a blank layer (Layer -> New -> level) where you’ll place all the “cleaning” work done with the clone stamp or the patch tool (in the left tools palette) instructing the instruments to sample all levels. In that way, we do not act the base image

36 (Background), but on a separate layer and, in case of any mistake, it would be easy to go back either deleting the level or using the eraser to clear the error. Now we have two possibilities: either we combine the two layers (background and level 1) and create a copy, or we create a copy of the sum of both levels using Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E (for Mac: CMD + Alt + Shift + E). On this new layer, we go to apply the “Burn” tool (left palette), using a brush of adequate size with feathered edge as “shadows interval”, then moving the brush over the dark areas that we want to make more intense, as the eyes and the chinstraps’ folds. If necessary, we can also enlighten certain areas through the “Dodge” tool and using as interval the halftones. I suggest keeping the exposure low for both of these instruments, between 5 and 10%, to better control the result. Second to last step: use the cutter by setting the proportions or the printing size. The important thing is that the “px / inch” are set to

300 if you want a high-resolution image. Finally, let’s use the “Unsharp Mask” filter (Filter -> Sharpness -> Unsharp Mask Edit): If your photo is pretty sharp, set the radius to 1px, the threshold to 0 and change the value until you see it even sharper on your monitor. In case we will keep our photo on file and then use it for different scopes, we better apply a low unsharp mask, rather than not applying it at all, and use one later according to the use we’ll make of it: print or web. That done, if we keep our image on file, I suggest you to save it in TIFF or PSD format to avoid losing data: JPG is a compressed format, and every time we open and / or re-save it, we lose data, which may affect the quality and sharpness of the picture.

PORTFOLIO

Violet Ting

PORTFOLIO

42 To me capturing mood and moment is beautiful thing. That is why I picked up a camera and frame all this moment and ready to share to everyone. Hello I am Violet. I was born in Malaysia and settling in Taiwan. I started my underwater photography journey in June 2014, my first experience in visual photography was with Canon compact camera G12 with single strobe setup, and during my first trip to Anilao, Philippines I was expose for the first time in macro photography that left me with an amazing memory. After a year shooting underwater photo, in May 2015 , I decided to joined â&#x20AC;&#x153;SNUPSâ&#x20AC;? competition organised by the Philippines. One of the criteria during this competition was a zero editting shootout, it was a great challange for me and I did it with positive energy and follow my heart.

I was awarded 1st place in Nudibranch portrait, 1st place in Macro and the Silver prize Photographer of the year. During these two and half years I have wonÂ several other awards in international competitions. Over my achievement and I decided to upgrade to DSLR NIKON D610 with Sea&Sea marine housing, with dual strobes setup as my interest growing I started to apply snoot photography for mood and moment as part of my visual art and till today it has been my favourite technique of shooting in any given subject. During these two and half years I have won several other international competitions which lead me with an encouragement to share my life experince during coming TDEX 2017 Bangkok, Thailand as an invited speaker. For me, underwater photogpraphy is about the feeling the mood of any given subject and transform that moment to a visual that connect with the viewers, this is my way in expressing visual photography .

For my style of photography, i prefer to capture â&#x20AC;&#x153; emotion and feelingâ&#x20AC;? as one of the great image is one that conveys a mood and pulls the viewer into the scene. And if a visual can tell a story, it is considering a succesful visual, it is my style to connect visual towards the viewer, evoking emotion and feeling that help to tell the story that i want to convey.

UP & DOWN Words and Pictures

Fabio Iardino

TECNIQUE

66 Photographs taken half under/half over water, where underwater and land subjects are gathered in the same frame, have always aroused a certain fascination since they depict simultaneously two worlds and two completely different situations. This kind of image can also be useful to give a more complete view of the landscape, or about what’s going on around the place where you are diving, giving in many cases a dramatic and unusual contrast to the pictures. The techniques to adopt for this type of images, commonly called “over / under” or “half / half” are not really simple, but with the right equipment, the choice of the ideal location and a bit of practice, we will be able to produce some interesting shots. The two most important technical problems to solve are the contemporary focus on both sides of the frame and a balanced exposure of the entire image. The easiest way to take photographs over-under is using a fisheye. The depth of field with these lenses is amazing and helps us to keep in focus both the aerial and the underwater part of the scene. In addition, with the fisheye lens, you can get vertical or horizontal compositions, giving wide creative edge to the underwater photographer. Using a fisheye lens is necessary to have a large domed porthole, 8 and 9 inches in diameter are the most suitable. In this way, it is easier to control our camera in mid-water, enabling us to decide where to place the line of the water bisecting the image when framing, and to solve the problem of focusing contemporary both air and water elements. By effect of refraction, the domed porthole, which in the water acts as a lens, creates a virtual image at a lesser

68 distance than the real one of the main subject. This image is located at a distance of about two times the diameter of the dome from the camera sensor: a 6-inches dome will have a virtual image at 12 inches from the sensor level; a 9 inches dome at about 18 inches. We can deduce that the larger the diameter of the dome, the more distant the virtual image will form, thus making easier the contemporary focus of the aerial and underwater part. Then, using apertures starting from F.16, you can get both sides of the frame on focus. As a rule, the part where to concentrate the focus is the submerged one. With a small porthole, you should use smaller apertures (f.22) to get a proper focus. You must then adjust the shutter speed and possibly the ISO accordingly. Continuing the theme of domed porthole, you have to solve or reduce the problem of drops of water that can be found on the emerged part of the porthole itself.

The best system would be to not wet it, but most of the time is impossible. Among the two materials with which portholes are normally constructed, it would be preferable choosing those built in optical crystal rather than those in acrylic, because the first ones have the property to let slide away any droplets of water that are located on the emerged part. To facilitate the sliding of the droplets, it is possible to use a rain repellent used in car windshield, or the neutral shampoo used for children rubbed on

the dome and let dry a few minutes in the sun. This allows the droplets to slide quickly, assuming you frequently reapply the shampoo. But we must make certain that certain chemicals found in shampoos or rain repellent do NOT go to ruin any antireflection coating on certain types of high-quality portholes. Another widely used method is to immerse the whole dome in water, resurface quickly and immediately take the picture. This solution takes advantage of the thin uniform layer of water that forms on the dome. Such effect, however, lasts only a few seconds after which a few drops will appear inevitably. This system does not allow us to have a good control on framing and image composition, so let’s say that luck should give us a hand. However, it will not always be possible to remove completely all droplets. In this case, we must rely on post-production using the Photoshop’s “Healing Brush Tool” and / or the clone stamp tool.

Beautiful sunny days, no wind, calm sea, shallow water, maybe in the middle of the day, will help us in our over-under photo session. The sun behind us, illuminating both the emerged part and the underwater, drastically diminish the problem of the exposure difference between the two sides of the frame.

72 Normally you should calculate exposure for the emerged part. You could even make a mathematical average of the two exposures, but you risk to obtaining neither side properly exposed. If the submerged subject is close enough, you might use the flash. In case you’re not using a fisheye lens, but a linear wide-angle, it is possible to install a special filter called “split” that is divided into two parts. These filters are for simultaneously solve the problem of the different focus and exposure of the two parts of the frame. The “split” filters are made half by a close-up lens with values comprised between +2 and +4 diopters (depending on the lens type and portholes used) and half by an ND filter (Neutral Density) that has the ability to ab-

sorb part of the light. The use of filters, which are installed directly onto the lens, impose us a choice on horizontal or vertical framing before taking the picture itself. Naturally, post-production will be very useful to reestablish the exposure differences, giving us the opportunity to resolve this problem almost completely, but within certain limits. An aspect not to be underestimated is the weight of the underwater photography equipment, since in this type of photography is partially emerged thus not subject to hydrostatic thrust. To facilitate the shooting operations, it might be useful to apply some floats at the base of the housing, especially if the photography sessions are rather long. That said, we just have to find captivating locations and situations which enable us to give vent to our creativity and, with a little of experience, we could obtain good shots using this technique of particular charm.

LOVING THE SEA SHOOTING IN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS Words and Pictures

Francesco Turano & Michele Solca

MARINE BIOLOGY

A well-managed Marine Protected Area offers to underwater photography enthusiasts thousands of unique situations. The large amount of fish - generally also â&#x20AC;&#x153;accustomedâ&#x20AC;? to the presence of divers - and the multiplicity of marine life organisms that you could encounter let nothing less that plenty of choice for those who want to capture the wonders that a sea, potentially rich in life such as the Mediterranean, can offer. As long as we know how to appreciate its essence and specificity. Generally, since the first contact, you have the idea of a healthy environment, not stressed by excessive and unsustainable exploitation: a sea that is home to variety of fish that show off, sometimes, atypical behaviors for the species to which they belong. A certain familiarity with divers also brings to a relaxed habitat, enabling to the divers the observation (and shooting) at close range even toward those animals timid by nature: we just have to concentrate on which lens to assemble and what result we want to obtain out of our photos! Restocking and biodiversity - with regard to benthos, nekton and plankton clearly show a perception (partly documented, partly detected by post dive comments) of continuous and constant explosion of life, and of gradual increase in the quantity and quality of living species in all MPAs in the area. This demonstrates a resilience and capacity of the Sea in all its aspects that we should be capable to support, even using our photos, in order to sensitize those who observe. Specifically, the Portofino MPA can be a good example in this regard: established in April 1999 and including the municipalities of Camogli, Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure, offers everything you can expect from an environment only minimally affected by human activities. Logistically, the best way to enjoy the underwater excursions in the Marine Protected Area provides the support

of a reference diving, preferably with experienced and dedicated guides. The routes of the various dive sites are not calibrated for photographers. Which is why it is imperative to have someone to rely on, taking into account the typical requirements of underwater photographers, especially when you do not have enough time to become familiar with the local peculiarities, both regarding the development and morphology of seabed, and regarding the environments - extremely heterogeneous - that you are going to visit. As for the subjects to photograph, you can really let that the placeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morphology and types of inhabitants carry you away. Countless cracks and crevices of the rock reflect the evolution of the emerged part of the cape, offering spectacular views thanks to the alternation between sciophilous and bright environments where the colors of red, yellow and white gorgonians are competing for the scene with the red coral. Moreover, while in good visibility conditions the gorgonians rise up as majestic protagonists and the coral reveals itself as an hidden treasure, in poor visibility conditions you can concentrate on the observation of nudibranchs, flatworms, crustaceans and echinoderms, which can offer you a lot of satisfaction. Beyond these premises, the undeniable stars of the show offered by Portofino are the fish: just think of the parades of croakers, not at all intimidated but only a bit narcissists in their denying themselves at first, for then surrender, sinuous and elegant, to the photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lens... A scene distant indeed from the image we have about them, holed up in caves, fearful and suspicious! Snappers are other undisputed protagonists. It happens to find them in the hunt when they throw frantic among clouds of damselfish, on patrol between the pinnacles (also in large groups), or just relaxed and seemingly harmless. The joy of being able

80 to photograph them from extremely close distance is immense! Groupers would deserve a separate article: each dive site hosts several specimen, each one of them with different behavioral characteristics, but united by the fact that, here, they are at the top of the food chain, leading to an uncontrolled increase, in numerical terms, especially with regard to the dusky grouper specimens. It happens in fact to meet many of them in the most visited spots, sociable and not at all intimidated by our presence, as well as to meet some more reserved (especially the younger animals), if one wishes to penetrate into the inshore crags at shallow depth. Nevertheless, their presence is constant to the point of leaving incredulous the underwater photographer who see them so friendly for the first time. It is enough having a little patience, combined with a swift observation of the various subjectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; behavior, to understand how and when to approach them... unless they are the first to pose! A particular mention goes finally to night dives, which donate crustaceans in large quantities: mantis shrimp, porters crabs, shrimp of all kinds; and many echinoderms (by now, the Astrosparthus mediterraneus sightings are constant), which are usually hidden to our sight when we dive during daytime. It would be difficult not to be unjust toward some of the various species inhabiting this magical wedge of the sea, because the list is long and we risk neglecting some, or bore readers. Then, the best thing to do is to admiring them in person, taking advantage of this small oasis that stands as a bulwark against the indiscriminate exploitation of the sea and its resources, always remembering how fragile certain ecosystems can be and, at the same time, how many joy their observation can give. Box for the underwater naturalist photographer

You never really know which lens is better to use to photograph the wildlife in MPA, where the fish have unusual behaviors, generally quite confident towards the divers. For sure, if you decide to truly devote yourselves to portray Mediterranean fish, so difficult to photograph in other contexts, it would be better not to use those extreme wide-angle we are used to, but some lens with an angle of view rather restrained, so to fill the frame with a medium or medium-large size fish, placed one meter away from the photographer, but even less. The chance to get close to the fish, whether solitary or in shoals, allows us to create peculiar shots, unique, definitely representative of the state of well-being enjoyed by animals in the MPA. A suspicious snapper here is approaching swimming quietly together with his fellows, but also in the midst of some sea bream, close relatives, hunting nonchalantly in front of the divers. Groupers, for example, are so quiet that you can take pictures in many ways. Lingering near their territory, you will be pleased of seeing them resting with the belly on the bottom, almost blissful. They remain watching you as you approach, then raise moving nearby when you shorten the distances and then, if you remain motionless to wait, they return to lean on the bottom exactly in the same point. Thus, you can capture them at your ease. For fishes accustomed to living in schools, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll obtain better pictures shooting with a wide-angle lens at close distances, like in the case of salema porgy, bream, croakers, barracuda, black sea bream and many other species.

A unique carousel of life that you will not know how to document properly. It requires many dives, each time under different conditions. However, the naturalistic photographer is in his own world and can study for long situations that now, in the rest of the Mediterranean, are very rare. MPA effect you could say...

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INTRODUCING NA-D500 Nauticam is pleased to unveil NA-D500, the latest release in the world’s finest line of underwater camera housings. Nauticam is the market leader in ergonomics, build quality, and reliability. Built on a foundation of innovative product design and modern manufacturing technology, NA-D500 is the ultimate accessory for the exciting new Nikon D500 camera. And it’s available now...

The Nauticam NA-D500 Underwater Housing Nauticam housings are evolutionary marvels, with advancements from previous sixteen Nauticam for Nikon systems providing the foundation that this new model was built from. Customer feedback is integrated at every possible opportunity. The cumulative experience of the Nauticam user base provides constant inspiration for innovation, and is a key strength of the brand. The new Nauticam NA-D500 housing further enhances the market leading Nauticam ergonomic experience with improved control placement, a new more sophisticated flash triggering system (with optional TTL upgrade), and reduced size / weight thanks to cutting edge manufacturing processes.

External Flash Triggering

The entire external flash triggering system has has been reworked from the ground up in NA-D500, increasing ease of use, setup convenience, and reliability. A new LED flash triggering system is standard in every housing! This optical flash trigger can fire at the full 10 fps of the camera, making it the ideal solution for the rapid fire fast action shooting that the D500 is so well suited for.

PREVIEW Optical systems, with fiber optic cables linking the external flashes to the housing, are far more reliable than any electrical sync cable system. There are no connections to flood, or fragile wires to break, and nearly every popular underwater strobe supports optical triggering. The LED trigger circuitboard is mounted directly to the front of the housing, and connected to the camera with a hotshoe cable. This new system is more powerful than the hotshoe mounted LED triggers used in the past, and is compatible with all currently available optically triggered flashes! Powered by two CR2032 batteries, battery life is measured in the tens of thousands of flashes, driven by incredibly efficient electronics. With good batteries, we expect 3-5 years of service, up to 50,000 exposures. Users of legacy flashes without optical triggering are able to add accessory Nikonos (26074) or Ikelite (26075) style bulkheads for electrical flash sync. These bulkheads plug into the LED trigger board for clean cable routing, and reliable connection. The redesigned LED Flash Triggering System has allowed for a much lower housing height. This the smallest, easiest to pack Nauticam DSLR housing for Nikon yet!

Accessory TTL Converter NA-D500 will also be compatible with the new Nauticam TTL Converter! This user installable upgrade provides accurate automatic TTL flash exposure with a

number of popular flashes, and offers both optical and electrical strobe triggering in a single unit! Optical triggering, using an led integrated into the board and fiber optic cable, works well with modern flashes like Inon Z-240, Sea & Sea YS-D2, and more. Electrical triggering supports Ikelite DS- and Sea & Sea YS-250 strobes connected via an electrical sync cord. Accurate automatic TTL flash exposure has been a favorite feature of Nauticam photographers using cameras with pop up flashes, and we are excited to bring this advanced flash control functionality to the NA-D500 housing! • TTL Converter for NA-D5 and D500, Sea & Sea YS-D and Inon Series Strobes (26307) • TTL Converter for Ikelite DS- Strobes, Sea & Sea YS-250 Available Soon

Unmatched Ergonomics The right grip is mission control for the D500 camera, accessing many of the frequently used camera functions.

Oversized levers are identifiable by feel, allowing tactile operation while framing with the optical viewfinder. The most frequently accessed fingertip controls (Shutter Release, Main Command Dial, and Sub Command Dial, Video Record, and AF-ON) are located here. ISO, the primary exposure control used by DSLR video shooters, is accessed by a convenient thumb lever under the right grip. INFO, useful for calling up the camera settings on the 3.2” rear color LCD, is placed at the right thumb. A “pinky lever”, placed just under the front sub-command dial, accesses the Fn1 button. This can be linked to a number of assignable functions.

Extensive Customization for a Tailored Ergonomic Experience The Nikon D500 camera in a Nauticam NA-D500 housing offers three assignable pushbuttons (AF-ON, Fn1, and Fn2) that can all be accessed from the housing handles. These custom functions can be overwhelming at first, but the creative options they unlock can be incredibly valuable in the field. In short, these assignable buttons mean less time digging through camera menus to change camera functions, and more time capturing the scene as it unfolds. There isn’t a right way configure these systems. Every photographer and shooting scenario has unique demands. Some ideas are listed below: • 1 Step Spd / Aperture, allows changing exposure settings in full f-stop incre-

• aperture and slow shutter speed to a close focus wide angle shot that requires a closed aperture to shrink a sun-ball. • My Menu, a customized panel with frequently accessed menus settings • Access Top Item in MY MENU, actually jumps into a frequently accessed sub menu structure for the top level My Menu selection, saving at least two button presses. (ie min shutter speed in auto iso mode, or quickly define a preset white balance) • Quickly access another metering mode, toggling between the selected metering pattern and an alternate that more appropriately evaluates the current scene. • Flash disable / enable, this is a big one! Toggles external flashes on and off, allowing a switch between artificial light shooting (continuous shooting speed limited by flash recycle, and shutter speed limited by the strobe max sync speed at 1/250) to silhouette mode using only ambient light (full 12 fps continuous shooting speed, unrestricted flash sync speed). • AF-area mode + AF-ON – very cool functionality, for a quick way of accessing a focus mode other than the mode currently assigned and activating it while held down. Placed at the right thumb via the re-positioned PV lever, the current focus mode be overridden with something like auto area focus for quick grab shots where there isn’t time to move the selected autofocus point, or change focus area patterns.

Nikon DX Underwater Advantages Smaller rig, lenses, smaller domes, and more money for dive trips. Full frame systems have been all the rage in recent years, but it is hard to ignore the benefits of the APS-C sized sensor in Nikon DX bodies for underwater photography. DX lenses tend to be less expensive than their full frame counterparts, as do the smaller domes that they work well with. This savings adds up, and the available lens selection is an extremely versatile one. • A fisheye that zooms! The Tokina 10-17 is the ultimate super wide field of view range, and full frame systems don’t have it. The 10mm end, with 180 degree diagonal field of view, is the perfect angle for close focus wide angle subjects or big animals that are approachable. The 17mm end covers more skittish subjects that won’t come close, or more portraits styles shots of medium and large subjects. • Super Wide Zooms. The full frame rigs require really big dome ports and expensive lenses, to cover this 110° range without fisheye distortion. DX cameras, paired with the Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Zoom provide amazingly good overall sharpness and corner performance even in smaller 180mm dome ports. This is a tremendous benefit for travel, as the smaller dome is much easier to pack, and significantly lower in weight. • Extra Macro Reach. Take the most macro magnification possible with a full frame system and a Nikon 60 or 105mm lens, then crop the center 2/3 of the frame. That is the image framing that a DX camera grabs in camera! Adding a Nauticam Super Macro Converter to the 105, or Compact Macro Converter to the AF-S 60 allows for incredible magnification. • Handy Mid-range Zooms. Several mid-range zoom lenses, most notably the Sigma

17-70 series, provide coverage for a wide variety of almost wide angle to closeup shooting scenarios. These lenses handle a range very similar to that covered by the built in zooms in the compact cameras that many underwater photographers cut their teeth on.

Integrated Vacuum Check and Leak Detection System The Nauticam vacuum check and leak detection system is shipped with NA-D500 as standard equipment. Combined with an accessory vacuum valve (PN 25625), this monitoring system provides constant updates on the water tight and safe-to-dive status of the housing. A simple color coded LED lighting system lets the user know that the vacuum is solid, or that the housing is losing vacuum. Leak detection is built into the same circuit, so if there is water intrusion, an audible and visual indication will occur. The Nauticam system is temperature compensated, eliminating false alarms caused by a change in outside temperature, or from a camera heating up on an action packed dive.

Official websites: www.nauticam.it www.nauticam.co.uk www.nauticam.com

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MORE THAN JUST BUBBLES Diving grants us a great freedom to explore. It offers the opportunity to expeDiving us a people great freedom explore. offers the creatures, opportunity toare experience grants what most see onlytoon film. AsIt terrestrial we all rience what most people see only on film. As terrestrial creatures, we are all adapted to the aquatic world but nonetheless eager to survey its wonders. For adapted to the aquatic but eager toeach survey itsiswonders. For divers new to the sportworld as well asnonetheless seasoned veterans, dive unique and divers new to thepreparation sport as well as seasoned veterans, each dive recognize is unique that and requires diligent prior to entering the water. Divers requires diligent preparation prior to entering Divers any excursion into or under the water carries the withwater. it some riskrecognize of injury. that The any excursion into or under the water carries with it some risk of injury. question is – do we actually pay most of our attention to the greatest risksThe to question is – do we actually pay most of our attention to the greatest risks to our health and safety? our health andarticles, safety? seminars and presentations, DAN is a vocal advocate In numerous In articles, and prior presentations, DAN is a physical vocal advocate fornumerous physical and mentalseminars preparation to diving, including fitness, for physical and mental preparation prior to diving, including physical fitness, equipment maintenance and skills training. In practice, however, decompresequipment maintenance and skills training. practice, however, sion sickness (DCS) frequently becomes the In ultimate focal point. decompresDCS is very sion sickness (DCS) frequently becomes the ultimate focal point. very well represented throughout DAN’s publications and research andDCS alsoisforms well represented DAN’sdive publications and research and also forms an integral part ofthroughout all introductory training programs. Ironically, however, an partrelative of all introductory diveto training programs. Ironically, however, DCSintegral is actually rare compared so many other common injuries and DCS is actually relative rare compared to so many other common injuries and ailments that may occur while diving or while on a diving trip. Moreover, DCS is ailments that may occur while diving or while on a diving trip. Moreover, DCS is neither the most severe injury nor it is the most likely to be fatal. So, what is the neither severe injury nor it is the most likely to be fatal. So, what is the greatestthe riskmost to divers? greatest risk to divers? What Harms Divers? What Harms DAN has beenDivers? gathering dive injury and fatality statistics for more than 30 years. DAN has been dive injury and more than 30ofyears. In 2008 a teamgathering of researchers led by Dr.fatality Petar statistics Denoble, for senior director DAN In 2008 a team of researchers led by Dr. Petar Denoble, senior director of Research, published a paper on the causes underlying dive fatalities. WhileDAN the Research, published a paper on the causes underlying dive fatalities. While the ultimate endpoint is often classified as drowning, the triggering events that lead ultimate is ofteninsight classified drowning, the triggering events that lead to these endpoint deaths provide intoashow such accidents may be avoided. For to these deaths provide insight into how such accidents may be avoided. For instance, health-related problems such as heart disease, account for approxiinstance, problems as triggering heart disease, account for approximately 26health-related percent of dive fatalities.such Other events like running out of mately 26 percent of dive fatalities. Other triggering events like running out of gas contribute 41%; entrapment – 20% - or trouble with equipment – 15%. This gas contribute 41%; entrapment – 20% - orfatalities trouble with – 15%. This illustrates the fact that the majority of dive stemequipment from human factors.1 illustrates the fact that thethroughout majority of the divepublished fatalities stem fromon human factors.1 This is a recurring theme literature accidents and This is a recurring theme throughout the published literature on accidents mishaps in other fields such as medicine and aviation. It also points to the and immishaps in other fields such as medicine and aviation. It also points to the importance of procedures, consistent practices and a disciplined focus on acciportance of procedures, consistent practices and a disciplined focus on accident avoidance. dent avoidance. Running out of gas, entrapment and equipment problems — three human-reRunning out of entrapment and equipment problems three human-related triggers —gas, account for about 75% of dive fatalities. The—common pathway lated triggers — account for about 75% of dive fatalities. The common pathway

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toward in-water incapacitation in most of these cases was asphyxia or rapid ascent associated with pulmonary barotrauma (lungoverexpansion injury) and subsequent arterial gas embolism (AGE). In the unforgiving aquatic environment, incapacitation or unconsciousness usually results in drowning. It is also important to emphasise the significance of AGE in the fatality statistics and differentiate it from DCS. AGE is far more likely to lead to drowning, as symptoms often occur while the diver is still in the water; onset is sudden, and often results in loss of consciousness. DCS, on the other hand, is almost never fatal in recreational diving. DCS in Perspective When considering all the effort that goes into DCS prevention – including extensive dive table training, dive planning, dive table calculations, completing logbooks, and the use of dive computers, divers tend to lose perspective of the fact that DCS is actually quite rare. DCS incidence rates are low in recreational diving (aggregated DCS incidence from all sources is 2 to 4 cases per 10,000 dives).2 In addition, DCS is rarely fatal and, at least among recreational divers, an uncommon cause of long-term disability. Please note that this is by no means an endorsement of unsafe decompression practices or an encouragement to slacken preventive efforts. Even though severe symptoms, long-term disability and death are indeed rarely associated with DCS, this is the result of conservative training standards, adherence to established protocols and diligent monitoring of nitrogen exposure. However, the point is that divers should not be so preoccupied with DCS prevention that they ignore all the other aspects of their diving activities, no matter how mundane they seem. We must, for example, ensure adequate air supplies and properly configured equipment. On a statistical basis, errors and omissions in these areas have much greater lethal potential than DCS. Shifting the Focus Decompression-related problems represent only a fraction of the injuries and medical problems that travelling divers experience. Dive trips often involve other forms of recreational activities and thus, additional sources of injury. Of the calls DAN receives from symptomatic individuals who receive evacuation or medical-care-coordination, about 70% have injuries that are unrelated to diving. This is a powerful statistic that points to other causative factors. Trauma tops the list as the single most common injury type: from broken legs to car accidents, our DAN’s evacuation services spend the most time on injuries acquired out of the water. So, whether cycling, driving, walking or riding a scooter, the risk of injury while out of the water certainly warrants attention. If you’re a diver who wears multiple computers to ensure adequate DCS prevention, don’t put all your safety eggs in that basket and forget to watch your footing on boat ladders. Increase your caution while travelling in areas that have different traffic patterns than those with which you are familiar. Crossing a street with cars travelling on the opposite side of the road is a common scenario for pedestrian injuries in tourists. Injury prevention is even more important in remote locations where the local quality of medical services may be deficient and transportation and evacuation to higher levels of medical care may cause delays to receiving optimal care and contribute to the additional compli-

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cations. toward in-water in most Our of these cases was asphyxia orisrapid Accidents are by incapacitation definition unplanned. best defense against them vigiascent associated with pulmonary barotrauma (lungoverexpansion injury) and lance and education. These enhance our knowledge of possible hazards, guide subsequent arterial gas embolism (AGE). and In the unforgiving aquatic environour behaviors that reduce their likelihood, make us anticipate problems bement, incapacitation or unconsciousness usually results in drowning. fore they occur. First aid and rescue diver courses donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just teach people what It is also important to emphasise the significance of AGE in the fatality statis-

to do when accidents happen; they also promote heightened awareness and a mindset of prevention. Live safely, dive safely, and may all your dives and travels be accident- and injury-free.

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