ISSUE
N°27
M A J 2017
PORTFOLIO
Domenico Tripodi
UW TOUR IN THE PHILIPPINES by D. S alvatori
MONTHLY CONTEST All the new topics
CAPO NOLI: SLOW UW SHOOTING by L. T erraneo
NIMAR & GOPRO 5 Housing review
LET’S START DEVELOPING A PIC by C. Umili
DEEP VISIONS All the winning pics
and all the rankings
Dear friends, This month I want to share some thoughts about partnership and sharing. Nowadays we’re all involved, more or less into sharing; think for a moment of how many social networks we have available today, we all learned to share our lives, our emotions, our work and of course our photos. In other words we are all teaming up with the greatest social networks available at the moment and we have all helped them to grow consistently. However, we cannot tell we are “partners” of this or that social network, we all use that social network using the rules they choose and the conditions they set up which we can only accept, the only other option is to leave if we disagree. Scubashooters.net was born and meant to be a network but we are different from all other concepts; why? Simply because we are open to partnerships. Every single photographer out there, every single resort or manufacturer out there can take the decision to become a scubashooters partner. Take Deepblu of Taiwan for example; together with them we teamed up and organized a photo contest which was an extreme success. Around 1500 photos and more than 600 contestants from all over the world join the first Nudi Festival jointly organized by Scubashooters.net and Deepblu. This is a perfect example of winwin partnership where the sum of two partners is able to offer a result which is far more abundant than the simple sum of the initial values. Is this alchemy? Probably yes, it’s also a perfect match between us and them, this is the power of partnership. And of course you can stay tuned as more will come.. Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network
Cover image “Zeus Faber” By: Domy Tripodi
C O N T E N T S 3
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EDITORIAL by Marino Palla
CAPO NOLI : Slow UW Shooting by Lorenzo Terraneo
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Physiological responses to high pressure during immersion DAN Europe
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NIMAR UW “Deep” Housing for GoPro HERO5 Black
PORTFOLIO by Domenico Tripodi
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DEEP VISION 2016: The Winners
UNDERWATER TOUR IN THE PHILIPPINES by David Salvatori
LET’S START DEVELOPING A PICTURE By Cristian Umili
Editor: FABIO STRAZZI Verein Scubashooters, 8952 Schlieren - Switzerland
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In Lembeh with David and Cristina Do you like traveling and diving? Do you have a passion for marine biology and under water photography? Then join David Salvatori and Maria Cristina Di Palma on their trip to the Lembeh Strait, in Indonesia, the undisputed realm of biodiversit y in the Indo-Pacific area! Save the date for next Februar y 2018, in the beautiful location of the Dabirahe resor t, with special conditions and benefits reser ved exclusively to the members of this group! Sea, diving, professionalism, passion, fun: a "must do" experience!
info: david@ilmaresonoio.com
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CAPO NOLI : SLOW UW SHOOTING Words and Pictures
Lorenzo Terraneo
The city of Noli is located on the Ligurian coast of the Riviera di Ponente (Western Riviera), in a cove bordered to the east from the Island of Bergeggi and southwest by the namesake cape, and is easy to reach from the highway exit of Spotorno, a few kilometers from Savona. Ancient Roman town, it was a Maritime Republic retaining the charm of a medieval village, full of palaces and historical monuments, dominated by the sixteenth-century Monte Ursino Castle and with an historic center still surrounded by ancient walls. For diving at Capo Noli, you can take advantage of the dive center located
directly on the beach. Riccardo and Giampiero by Divenjoy (www.divenjoy. it) propose, in addition to shore diving, to reach the nearby island and protected marine park of Bergeggi by dinghy, and other dive sites such as the “Stars’ Shoal” and the “Black Coral”, among the most beautiful and rich in life dive spots of the Riviera di Ponente. What made me fall in love with this site, together
TRAVELS
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with a large group of underwater photographers who, regardless of the weather conditions dive almost every week throughout the year, is the chance to walk a few meters from the diving center, where we find all the comforts of a well-equipped structure, and start diving. Without constraints of time, of group (except a buddy), of predetermined dive time, we retrieve what is essential to an underwater photographer, namely the proper time. Time to search; time to experiment; time to feel at one with the sea and its inhabitants. The classic dive called “Three Rocks�, right in front of the dive center, offers a sandy bottom where the few scattered rocks concentrate benthic life and provide shelter to a large variety of organisms. The dive starts from a first platform dropping gently to 5-6 meters (ideal for decompression) followed, after a landslide ridge, by a second floor starting at 15 meters to arrive, in a slightly degrading way, up to 30 and over. The other entry point from the beach, about 50 meters south, is called “Third
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steeper than the first, leads up to the plain directly at 35 meters. At a first glance, the sandy bottom seems less populated than a rocky one but, at Capo Noli, this is just an impression. The saying coined by Milanese photographer Walter Bassi, “Sabbione delle Meraviglie” (the great sand of wonders) to indicate the seabed of Capo Noli, now famous in the Italian underwater photographers’ community, expresses in an excellent way what can be seen in this small stretch of sea. Homebred paradise of biodiversity, thanks to the sheltered position and the game of currents, it hosts during various times of the year many species of fish and marine organisms. From sunfishes to anglerfishes, from dense sardines’ shoals to hunting amberjacks, nothing is missing for wide-angle shooting. But the real treasure opens to macro photography with Mediterranean skeleton shrimps, countless varieties of nudibranchs, shrimps, feather duster worms, red tube worms, to name a few. During periods of mating and eggs laying, it is possible to encounter males of wide-eyed flounders competing for territory, blennies taking care of their eggs, Apogon dads keeping eggs in their mouth or seahorses with the full pouch. What I like most about this piece of paradise for underwater photography is, as mentioned, the possibility to bind to a stretch of sea managing own time autonomously. Knowing thoroughly the seabed and the life that inhabits it, allows deeply relaxing diving in an environment that, dive after dive, becomes a kind of second home. You are no longer a stranger for the short time of your cylinder and for the tour imposed by your guide, trying to “steal” pictures as a fleeting tourist, but you become part of a space: you know it; respect it; you belong to it. At that point, every small difference in the behavior of organisms will leap to your eye. And when you deepen, you can find yourself in front of a starfish throwing its eggs in the infinite blue at that time, see a hidden octopus caring for its eggs, or follow the hunting of lizardfishes chasing young damselfishes. With dives that last longer than two hours, you can also afford to study the best positions and lighting, thereby making photographically interesting also those
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subjects seemingly common and “trivial”. At Capo Noli, everything can happen. You can dive there hundred times, discovering each time some new form of life. Therefore, hurray for the “Sabbione delle Meraviglie”, our second home.
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Physiological responses to high pressure during immersion The body’s physiological response to high pressure during immersion. Have you ever been bothered by any of this during your scuba dive? Gettin’ narced, equalization problems, the urge to relieve yourself, or headaches after diving? Gettin’ narced Some love the feeling but not everybody experiences it – the narcotic effect of nitrogen, famous for depths at or beyond 30 meters. Its more poetic name, rapture of the deep, describes it very well. Signs and symptoms are pretty silly behavior. People mostly have a crazy smile on their faces and show movements similar to drunkenness. Divers often report a sense of joy, wellbeing or euphoria. People are not equally susceptible and, besides this individual difference, the effects it can also differ in the same individual from one day to the other. Generally you can say: the rapture of the deep is triggered by an increased nitrogen partial pressure which interferes with the communication between nerve cells. When nitrogen partial pressure decreases, the symptoms of the rapture of the deep disappear. But how does it happen physiologically? First of all – according to P.B. Bennett – the narcotic effect is believed to be of physical and not of biochemical nature. Its main target is our central nervous system (CNS). It’s probably best explained by the Meyer-Overton-Hypothesis. Narcosis happens when the inert gas – Nitrogen – penetrates the lipids of the brain’s nerve cells and interferes with the transmission of signals from one nerve cell to the other. For the nerds among the divers: Nitrogen is making up 78% of our air. On land there is one atmosphere of pressure (i.e. the partial pressure of Nitrogen is 0.78), while at 10m in the water we are breathing under two atmospheres of pressure, meaning twice the pressure (i.e. the partial pressure of Nitrogen is 1.56). With increasing pressure while descending beyond 10m, the partial pressure of nitrogen increases (at 20m it’s 2.34, at 30m it’s 3.12 and so forth). While some people compare it to the effect of LSD, other smart people compared the mental impairment by nitrogen narcosis to having a martini on an empty stomach.
As any rightminded person wouldn’t drive drunk, you shouldn’t continue diving narced. To avoid narcosis, it doesn’t help to drink alcohol the evening before the dive or if you feel stressed, overworked or anxious. These factors will all multiply the narcotic effect or trigger it more easily. Further influencing factors can be hard work, cold water, fear, descent rate, fatigue, illness, medication, obesity, and probably more. Your best life insurance, if you are prone to Nitrogen narcosis, is your dive buddy who just needs to pull you in shallower depths as soon as you start acting weird. Besides Nitrogen also gases like Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton and Xenon are inert gases and can cause gas narcosis by solving in the nerves’ lipoids and interfering with their electric signals. The narcotic effect of inert gases depends on the degree of their fat solubility and differs between the different inert gases. Helium has less lipoid solubility and therefore a less narcotic effect. So, deep divers use it. Xenon has the highest lipoid solubility and therefore a high narcotic effect. It is actually used for anesthesia in medicine. Nitrogen ranges somewhere between these two. It is narcotic under pressure. Equalization problems Equalizing your ears is what most of us have learned even before they started diving, namely when they had their medical checkup whether they were fit to start scuba diving at all. The ENT usually asks you to clear your ears. In scuba diving equalizing is a necessity in order to protect your eardrum, a very subtle membrane in your ear, from bursting due to increased pressure underwater while you are descending. With a hole in your eardrum you not only hear less but also water can come in and irritate your balance system (which sits in the vestibular organ in your inner ear). Besides, a ruptured eardrum also hurts and will keep you from diving for several months. If not healed properly, you can suffer from permanent hearing loss, vertigo and inflammation. So, better make use of the Eustachian tube inside your skull that connects your ear with your throat and enables you to push air against the inside of your eardrum. This will compensate – or equalize – the pressure from the outside.
DAN EUROPE
This is why the same smart people called it the Martini Effect. If narcosis hits you and no one pulls you back up and you keep descending, then for every subsequent 10-15m the effect on mental impairment is the equivalent of having had one more martini. Narcosis itself is not life-threatening, but your responses to your environment or any equipment problems underwater could be.
28 The deeper you descend, the more pressure will again push on the outer side of your eardrum. This is why you have to repeat the procedure many times when going down. The best is to equalize your ears early enough and often enough! Since we are all different and some people have difficulties equalizing their ears it is nice to hear there are at least 5 different techniques for equalization. Pick the best for you! 1. Valsalva technique: simplest, well-known technique. Pinch your nose and blow air in it. 2. Toynbee manoeuvre: close your nostrils and swallow. This opens the Eustachian tubes and the tongue movement will push air into them. 3. Frenzel manoeuvre: close your nostrils and the back of your throat and try to make a “k sound”. This needs a bit of practicing. 4. Edmunds technique: tense your soft palate and throat muscles. Push your jaw down and outwards and try the Valsalva. (It’s difficult) 5. Voluntary tubal opening: many freedivers know and use this technique. It needs practicing. Contract the muscles in your throat and move your jaw downward and forward. It’s a bit like trying not to yawn. By this movement, the Eustachian tubes open up, enabling you to equalize. If you keep having problems equalizing your ears, you should go to a specialist and have your ears checked. Don’t force anything. You can ‘blow up’ your eardrum. After all, it’s a very fine membrane.
The urge to relieve yourself With submersing into water a lot of physiological changes take place due to changes in temperature, gravity, oxygen absorption and, simply, the dive reflex. Our cardiovascular system deals with the most important changes while adapting to the “new” environment by a so-called blood shift. Through the increased ambient pressure and its compression on our veins, especially in deeper immersed body parts, the blood of the legs is squeezed towards the body’s core, i.e. the abdomen and chest (if the diver is positioned vertically with head up). Approximately 400 to 800 ml of the venous blood are being shifted this way. The little capillaries – arterioles that surround the alveoli of the lung – hold this blood like a sponge and act against the pressure. This blood shift irritates the blood volume regulatory circuit. It activates the sensors but instead of real blood volume increase this is
caused only by a volume shift. It triggers a whole physiological chain which was described first by Gauer and Henry and therefore called the Gauer-Henry-Reflex: the expansion of the thorax by the volume shift of blood and plasma activates receptors on the heart and the lungs which in turn signal the kidneys – via nerves and hormones – to increase urine secretion. The overall goal is to relieve the heart. Because of the surge of blood the heart has to work more which it compensates by a larger stroke volume. The heart rate stays almost the same. In short: immersion triggers increased kidney activity and higher urination which leads to dehydration and electrolyte deficiency in the long run. To compensate for it it is advisable to start hydrating – drinking water – two hours before a dive and also in between dives. Furthermore, if you have ever encountered headaches after diving, the reason for it might have been one of these: -dehydration -a squeezing mask -too much alcohol the evening before -bad breathing technique while scuba diving (e.g. skip-breathing can accumulate carbon dioxide) -no sleep -sunstroke -overheating -ear/equalization problems caused, for example, by congestion of your sinuses -signs and symptoms of DCS If headaches don’t resolve quickly, you may need to see a doctor.
Enjoy your passion. We make it possible.
Via Milano 177/B - 37014 Castelnuovo d/G (VR) ITALY Tel. 0039 45 6450480 - info@isotecnic.it
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NIMAR
UW “Deep” Housing for GoPro HERO5 Black
NiMAR was established in the ‘80s by leading-edge company in the field of plastics. The passion for photography and underwater video shooting helped NiMAR to become one of the leading Italian manufacturers in this field. Thanks to the use of high quality materials and a permanent customer service, NiMAR’s items have always been reliable working tools for photographers and camera operators. NiMAR’s mission is to continue to invest in innovation and research, to develop pioneering solutions because customers’ satisfaction is NiMAR’s best reward. Underwater Deep Dive Housing is a compact waterproof enclosure enabling you to shoot beneath the surface with your GoPro Hero5 Black. It has a depth rating of 656ft, greatly improving upon the GoPro official housing’s own 197ft rating. Mechanical push-button controls allow access to the camera’s main functions. Built for durability, the housing is made from black Delrin acetal resin with a transparent acrylic back for viewing controls and the monitor while keeping an eye on the waterproof o-ring seal. Inserting the GoPro in the housing is simple and quick and GoPro mounts placed on the bottom of the housing allowing use of all existing GoPro accessories. Integrated flat port accommodates and protects the camera’s lens. You can attach optional color-correction filters for restoring hues that get absorbed in blue water.
• Depth Rating: 656ft (200m) • Material of Construction: Delrin Acetal Resin Body • Push-Button Mechanical Controls • Controls: On/Off (Mode), Rec/Stop • Hard-Coat Acrylic Lens Port, Back Plate • Mounting: GoPro mount • Buoyancy: Slightly negative • Built-In Flat Lens Port • Limited 2-Year Warranty DIMENSIONS Overall dimensions: 4,33”x3.32”x2,40” (110x 84.5x61mm) Weight: 1.19lb (540g) IN THE BOX WITH THE HOUSING • NIHERO5 deep housing • Spare main seal • User manual
ACCESSORIES • Correction Filter for NIHERO5 housing • Tray w/GoPro Support and double side handles
Visit NIMAR website to discover accessories and more info www.nimar.it/en
PREVIEW
SPECS
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PORTFOLIO
Domenico Tripodi
PORTFOLIO
40 Domenico Tripodi, conosciuto ai più come Domy, nasce a Melito Porto Salvo in provincia di Reggio Calabria nel 1973. Alla tenera età di 5 anni inizia l’esplorazione del mondo sottomarino con braccioli, maschera e snorkel rimanendo per ore in acqua ad osservare i piccoli pesciolini. Da allora non si ferma più e dopo anni di apnea passa all’ara conseguendo il primo brevetto nell’anno 1995 fino a diventare istruttore tecnico ed aprire un suo centro di formazione subacquea, il Ficarella Diving Club. Nel 2005, dopo migliaia di immersioni, decide di provare un nuovo modo di intendere l’immersione subacquea e, quasi per gioco acquisita la sua prima fotocamera subacquea, una canon a95 con scafandro dedicato. Da autodidatta comincia così a documentare il mondo sottomarino senza mai fermarsi. Nel 2009 inizia ad interessarsi a macchine e scafandri più professionali lasciandosi conquistare dal marchio tutto italiano Isotta. Nel 2015, spinto da fotografi di fama internazionale e “costretto” dalla moglie inizia a partecipare ai primi concorsi fotosub nazionali ed internazionali facendosi apprezzare per la sua sensibilità nel raccontare con le immagini le sue emozioni nel Suo Mediterraneo, con discreti successi sin dalla prima partecipazione.
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44 La possibilitĂ di potersi immergere quasi giornalmente gli da la possibilitĂ di incontri fantastici e di sperimentare cosĂŹ nuovi scatti, facendo conoscere le bellezze del mare sotto casa che difficilmente si possono rappresentare solo a parole. La passione per la fotografia subacquea e per le immersioni lo portano a prestare una particolare attenzione alla salute del mondo sottomarino e dei suoi abitanti. Attualmente scatta con nikon d7200 sempre scafandro Isotta.
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behaviour
Geo Cloete
Sponsored by:
Paolo Bausani
Yatwai So
behaviour
Paolo Bausani
Yury Ivanov
Compact Cameras
Rafael Cosme
Sponsored by:
PT Hirschfield
Compact Cameras
Abimael MÃ rquez
Ajiex Dharma
PT Hirschfield
Fresh Waters
Claudio Zori
Sponsored by:
Heinz Erich Zappel
Fresh Waters
Heinz Erich Zappel
Gino Symus
Heinz Erich Zappel
Macro
Yatwai So
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Macro
Suzan Meldonian
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Yatwai So
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Konstantin Killer
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Pool & Conceptual
Ken Kiefer
Ken Kiefer
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Portfolio
Marco Chang
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TRAVELS
UNDERWATER TOUR IN THE PHILIPPINES Words and Pictures
David Salvatori
96 February 2015. I receive a private message on Facebook by Jerome Kim, underwater photographer of international renown and well known for its beautiful super-macro shooting, or that type of photography where the magnification of the subject and ‘above 1 : 1. Jerome has organized and invites me to join the ‘1 or underwater Dream Tour ‘ in the Philippines, a events patronized by the government ‘Dive Philippines’ to promote a few of the most ‘beautiful places’ of the country underwater. I heard of this wonderful event, and I knew Jerome was putting together an
appropriate ‘Dream Team’ of photographers specializing in macro photography from around the world to enhance the underwater beauty of the Philippines. Since the macro my forte, I think of a mistake. I learn later that the already ‘group formed there’ was a defection, and his friend Nicholas Samaras, already ‘part of the group, had mentioned my name to Jerome. Happy sponsorship of my bearded and tattooed greek friend and not at all sorry to take over from the bench I accept with enthusiasm and I prepare for this fantastic adventure! They are above all very curious to finally know the legendary Jerome Kim, of which in recent years I have admired the beautiful macro and super-macro shots that have made him known throughout the world. Born and raised in
Korea, and an architect by profession, Jerome now lives in Manila and has spent the last 15 years of his diving career in the seas of the Philippines. The ‘1 or Underwater Dream Tour’ consists of 4 stages, in each of which the group of photographers led by Jerome will be ‘housed in a resort that is sponsoring the event. The four stages are: 1 2- 7 July: Romblon (resort guests The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort Romblon ) 2 July 7 to 11: Anilao (resort guests Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort ) 3 11- 16 July: Puerto Gallera (resort guests Marco Vincent Resort ) 4 July 16 to 21: Dauin (resort guests Atmosphere Resorts ) Participants in the ‘1 or Underwater Dream Tour’ are (besides myself): • Jerome Kim (from the Philippines) • Enzo Chen (Taiwan) • Nu Parnupong Norasethkamol (Thailand) • Pipat Cat Kosumlaksamee (Thailand) • Kelvin Tan HY (from Singapore) • Nicholas Samaras (Greece) • Yorko Summer (Taiwan) • Iyad Suleyman (UAE) • Ken Tongpila (Australia) For business reasons, unfortunately I can not participate in all 4 stages. I decided to join the rest of the group for the central ones, Anilao and Puerto Galera. On the evening of July 6th I land in Manila, the transfer to Aiyanar and ‘immediate. The next morning, after a refreshing night’s sleep, meet and’m dating Enzo, Nu, Pipat, Iyad and Jerome. There ‘s obviously the “brother” Nicholas who already’ know.
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100 Anilao and ‘a town of Mabini in Batangas province. It only takes two hours and a half drive to go along a highway for easy access to Manila this paradise. Decades ago, a secret paradise Anilao was only known by local divers. Today in the Philippines interest in the diving industry is experiencing an international boom thanks to the improvement of infrastructure, the resort, and diving as well as’ a policy for the protection of marine environments. The result is ‘a steady and continuous growth of the tourism industry, and Anilao is the location’ for macro photography fastest growing, now become a Mecca just as Lembeh in Indonesia. The emergence of various resorts along the coast of Mabini testifies to the enormous success that this destination has generated on an international level among underwater photographers. And Anilao ‘a city built on love and passion for diving and then the development here adheres strictly to the rules of conservation and sustainability. Locals remember with pride that Anilao is a marina area managed and secured by local communities since the 70s, and are determined to maintain it
as such. Anilao and ‘a paradise that caters to divers of all skill level and type of interest. For lovers of macro photography, sites like “Secret Bay” newly discovered or classic dive to the “Basura” guarantee meetings with particular creatures such as frogfish (the giant, the clown and the hairy), the Wonderpus octopus, cuttlefish flambouyant, and, lately, also rinofie, sighted and photographed regularly off the coast of Mabini. For those who prefer to dive easy, pleasant and full of color, Anilao, located right in the center of the Coral Triangle format with Puerto Galera and Verde Island, boasts one of the widest diversity of coral life that can be found in a single dive. Finally, even the big fish enthusiasts will not be disappointed as to Anilao sightings of sharks, rays and other large fish groups such as barracuda and occasionally even the whale shark. These meetings can be made in places with current sustained and deep reefs, such as the dive sites Mainit Point, Bahura Kanto, Mapating, Larry’s Garden and Twin Rocks.
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104 As already ‘mentioned in the first leg of my trip here to Anilao are host dell’Aiyanar and Diver Beach Resort where I am greeted warmly by the Sales & Marketing Manager of the hotel, Marco Ignacio Lacson Santos , and his entire staff. The Aiyanar and ‘an extraordinary resort, built in the green and in complete harmony with nature. The property is nestled on top ‘of a green hill with a breathtaking view of the ocean!
The resort, with its amphitheater structure, gives every room an amazing sea view. Inside the rooms are luxurious, with lots of available space, very comfortable and tastefully decorated. From each room it leads to a balcony where you can enjoy the view of the garden, the pool and the sea on the horizon. The first of the four days spent in Anilao is not easy, we are hit by the tail of a typhoon passing over Taiwan, but despite the sea conditions and the strong current we dive straight in this Paradise of the macro. Here I have the opportunity to finally see it in action my distinguished colleagues struggling with the wonderful people of Anilao. Conversations about the various species that make me understand how we could meet the specialty of the super-macro is a world unto itself ‘in underwater photography, made primarily of specific knowledge of biology and ethology of the subjects of these seas. In order to portray the best way of the creatures that are some
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times lower, of the order of centimeters or even millimeters, you must have enormous patience and perseverance, and use some tools, such as external diopters, which are added and positioned in front of the brings the marine pack to enable you to get a magnification that goes beyond the typical 1: 1 lens 60mm or 100mm.
Jerome uses the super-super macro lens NoodiLab Moby , an incredible diopter with magnification 3.5x (and in the new version you just emerged even get to 3.8x), allowing you to get shot and unpublished details, but that requires the best diving skills and photography to be able to focus and shoot. Even just watching in action samples of the caliber of Jerome and Iyad, I understand as the perfect super-macro shooting is made of a long wait, patience, proper posture and underwater structure, and photographic equipment settings specifically dedicated to this type of photography. I admire the expert way in which Jerome takes his subjects, I admire the extreme calm and the amazing Iyad trim, but I also appreciate my other colleagues, each with their own style and their own techniques. When I look at them they seem to be motionless them to observe and photograph the void, then in the evening I see their shots and try endless admiration for how each of them falls himself and his art in the world of extreme macro, rappresentandoci in an original way this world of fascinating subjects, myste
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rious and unknown to most. Of course, with subjects so small and sometimes so hidden, you have to know where to look and then know the animal’s behavior. For this here professional dive guides, socalled “spotters”, are so sought after and so appreciated. The best spotters working as a freelance, and their agenda ‘so full of demands and’ very easy for them to gain at the end of the month several thousand dollars. Here in Anilao I have the opportunity to meet two of the best guides in the Philippines, Mark Castillo and Dennis Corpuz . Mark and ‘an underwater guide and spot
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ter professional, lives in Manila and takes us on some of the dives here in Anilao. While in the water beside him he was totally impressed by his knowledge of marine biology, ability ‘that allows him to hunt with amazing speed and regularity subjects hardly trivial in every corner of the seabed. Dennis lives and works as a guide to Anilao, then these are its diving, and this knowledge of the seats plus an uncommon ability ‘camera have made it one of the photographers macro and super-macro best known and most capable in the world. It ‘just that the mix of skills that makes a spotter a super professional sought for this type of sport: not only good diver, not only skilled and experienced biologist and ethologist, but also and perhaps especially someone with aesthetic taste and ability’ superior photographic , therefore able to always indicate the photographer accompanying the best way and with the greatest impact to resume a specific subject. Surely Mark and Dennis are the perfect representatives of this category. In the four days at Anilao, after a start fearful and uncertain in the face of so and so many of the macro samples, I quickly treasure what I see and what is explained to me, being able to shoot a good number of subjects, some quite rare and I did not never seen before in my life. Indeed my personal challenge and ‘to collect on this trip as many never seen before subjects; I put in my best list with confidence and optimism pretty rare creatures to meet like rinofia and
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mimic octupus. Trust and ‘immediately repaid and Anilao me immediately the great privilege of photographing these two species. The mimic octopus, usually shy and intanato in the sandy bottom, majestic calm and cooperative pose in front of my camera! We meet nudibranchs of all kinds and all sizes, including one incredibly small, Xenia Phyllodesmium: little more ‘bigger than a grain of rice, can bring home a decent shot only thanks to the support and the incredible Mark lens Mobi NoodiLab, lent by Jerome.
... to be continued
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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 to make small
TECNIQUE
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
120 (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.
left or right? You decide.
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