News - August 2004

UWP No 20 - free download
Nikonos V for sale
XARIFA Unterwasser Foto & Video Festival
Next BSoUP Meeting
Manta Contest
SEA2004

BSoUP website redesigned
Fantasea's latest housing for Nikon Coolpix
Underwater Photography in the Heart of Mountainous Snowdonia
BSoUP Clothing

Underwater Photography is a web magazine edited by Peter Rowlands with articles by BSoUP members and others.

The August/September 2004 issue of Underwater Photography (UwP no. 20) is now available for download free at Underwater Photography.

NIKONOS V FOR SALE

Stuart McLachlan has a Nikonos V for sale with the following accessories:

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

Original cost was approximately £8,500 new. He is looking for offers around £4,000

Stuart McLachlan
Office: 01932 224600
Mobile: 07885 419135
email: smclachlan@smeeurofinance.com

XARIFA Unterwasser Foto & Video Festival

Closing date September 1, 2004.

The competition includes awards in the range of 18.000 Euro in 15 separate image and video categories!

Due to the extensive support of their sponsors the first ten in all categories will receive awards. This is absolutely unique as far as a German Unterwasser Foto & Video Festival is concerned.

Beginners and Youngsters are especially urged to enter. The firm of solicitors FRENZEL STOCK & COLL. have sponsored special valuable awards: Independent of the jury results the most impressive entries covering environmental and biological matters will be honored.

Further details: Karl-Heinz Wolf (k-h.wolf@t-online.de) XARIFA Unterwasser Foto&Video Festival 2004 (www.uwfv.de/festival/)

NEXT BSoUP Meeting - Wednesday 18 August

A couple of popular and experienced hands this month with the diverse subjects of wide-angle shots and audio-visual presentations.

WIDE-ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY by PAT MORRISSEY

Pat will talk through some examples of his favourite type of photography - wide-angle, including references to lenses, composition etc. and will also compare digital with film.

Pat quickly became hooked on underwater photography when he started diving in 1990. After taking a Martin Edge course in 1995, he started winning prizes - e.g. the BSoUP Splash-In 'On the day' and Sport Diver 'Underwater Photographer of the year' (twice). He has also been published in several photographic magazines, is a sometime contributor to DIVE and currently regularly entertains the BSoUP committee and membership with his inimitable, 'gift of the gab!' style as Hon. Secretary and 'in focus' magazine Editor.

'FOCUS ON' COMPETITION - THEME: THE JOY OF DIVING - 35mm SLIDES

This is a new theme intending to portray what it says on the label, the joy of diving. Please interpret this as you will! Please be aware this is for slides but we are working hard to provide a monthly digital competition and will be doing so as soon as possible, keep your eye on this website.

CREATING YOUR OWN AUDIO-VISUAL SHOW by LEN DEELEY

Len will present the various approaches to using one of the most popular digital audio-visual software packages 'Pictures to EXE'. He will show some sequences, then build a sequence on the night to demonstrate the construction process including image preparation in Photoshop, audio production and mix-down and consolidation into 'Pictures to EXE'.

Len's diving career began in 1970 with the TA and has continued through various BSAC and SAC branches. He joined BSoUP in 1981 quoting "a great organisation for anyone who is seriously into underwater photography, there I got to know many underwater photographers, some of international status. This was an invaluable part of a learning process". When he saw an A/V presentation in the early 1980's he was 'knocked out' and before long had his own equipment which allows him to bring together 3 of his greatest pleasures - diving, photography and music.

Len earned an ARPS distinction with The Royal Society of Photography in the Applied Category using underwater images and has also had many BSoUP successes including Splash-In 1st overseas print 2003 and 2004, 1st humour/creative 2002 and 2003, 1st wide-angle 2002 and 2nds in the BSoUP Open Portfolio and Theme Portfolios.

Recognising the 'right type' of diving is not always available for underwater photography, in 1988 Len formed 'Photosub' Underwater Photography Club which has around 50 members, he also runs IMAGinE Photography involving lectures and workshops, photographic trips to exotic locations, processing and image sales.

Check out Len's sites at www.photosub.co.uk and www.imagine-photography.co.uk

Manta Network, First Annual International Manta Ray Photo and Video Contest

The new non-profit worldwide organization, The Manta Network, is holding their First Annual International Manta Ray Photo and Video
Contest. Entries will be accepted until September 15, 2004. The contest culminates at the DEMA Show (Diving Equipment Manufacturers’ Association) October 13-16, 2004 in Houston, Texas with an exhibition and awards ceremony.

Here is a great way for both amateurs and professionals to share photography and videography that captures those special moments
spent underwater with the majestic manta rays. Winners will receive publicity, be prominently exhibited at this well-attended trade show,
have their work displayed online, and be awarded a variety of wonderful prizes.The top two contestants will win a trip to go diving with the Kona Mantas and stay at the beautiful Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa. Diving is provided by Bottom Time Hawaii.

Further details: www.Save-the-Mantas.org

SEA2004

Northern California Underwater Photographic Society is announcing its 40th annual international underwater photographic competition; "SEA2004" and the "Bob Commer Award: Image of Excellence in Underwater Photography." We are accepting film and digital entries in macro, wide angle, underwater California macro, underwater California wide angle as well as prints, creative prints and video. The deadline for entries is October 9th, 2004.

SEA 2004 is one of the longest held competitions for underwater photographers. The unique Single Entrant Single Prize Point System allows winning entrants to choose their own prize. Last year's competition received entries from 14 states within the US as well as 15 countries internationally.

This year it is our goal to expand the contest throughout even more countries …. Pass the word along to your friends, clubs and dive partners.

Entry forms, rules, further information and the sponsor list are available on our website at http://www.ncups.org or please contact Roeland Papen, Director of SEA2004 at sea2004@ncups.org.

BSoUP website redesigned

As you can see the layout of the website has changed! The 'frames' (containing the BSoUP header and vertical navigation bar) have been removed from the old version (image right) to make it possible for you to bookmark any page and to facilitate printing. The knock on effect of this is that a new horizontal navigation bar has had to be created

In the process of creating the new navigation bar (beneath the header, see top of this page and image right) the opportunity was taken to add more direct links to additional features. As every one of the 516 pages on the website had to be edited to incorporate the new horizontal navigation bar and BSoUP header, the layout of all pages has been standardised. The size of the images on the Home page is now larger than previously.

Please let me know what you think of the new design. E-mail Brian Pitkin.

Fantasea Line International is pleased to announce the launch of the CP-5 underwater housing, now ready for delivery worldwide. The CP-5 was purpose designed for the Nikon Coolpix 4200 and 5200 digital cameras. It is a compact injection molded plastic housing, that will fit
conveniently in photographers hands and make outdoor digital photography easy for everyone, amateur or professional, who is concerned about water damage to expensive cameras in activities that include scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, sailing, white water paddle sports, winter sports, or for family fun at the beach or around the swimming pool.

Further details

The National Trust in Snowdonia is offering Underwater Photographers the chance to hone their skills at its newly renovated property Craflwyn Hall. The hall was a Victorian gentlemen's residence which has been sympathetically restored thanks to European Objective One money. From September it will be the base for a variety of special interest and activity holidays.

One of the first of these, is a weekend-long Underwater Photography holiday, to be held from 3rd-5th December. It will take the form of a series of intensive workshops covering: dealing with different types of file, experimenting with colour, making the most of your images for print or projection, using Adobe Photoshop and a variety of other skills specific to underwater photography requirements.

It's not all work and no play though. While they are here, the visitors will be able to make the most of the spectacular surroundings. Craflwyn is situated at the foot of Snowdon and enjoys breathtaking views. The estate has over 200 acres of woodland, parkland and magical, abandoned gardens. Full catering will be provided, including 3 course dinners every evening using the best of local, Welsh produce.

The workshops will be lead by local photographer Paul Kay FRPS. He has spent over 20 years photographing underwater, and his current project involves shooting through the surface of a range of lakes and rivers across Britain. A selection of his work can be seen at www.marinewildlife.co.uk

The cost of the weekend is £260 which includes all accommodation, food, instruction and VAT. Please phone Jane Richardson on 01766 510120 for more details or log onto our website: www.craflwyn.org

BSoUP T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts and jackets.

Martha Tressler, our Hon. Treasurer, has a selection of BSoUP branded items of clothing for members to purchase. T-shirts will be available in navy blue or white with a white or blue BSoUP logo and the full name of the Society. Other items, sweatshirts and polo shirts, in navy blue with white BSoUP logo and name. Caps by special order!

Prices from £10 for T-shirts to £24.00 for jackets. You can buy yours at any of the monthly meetings of the Society or contact Martha Tressler

To order please contact

Martha Tressler

109 Lisbon Ave, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 5HL

Tel : 0776 460 3657 (days)

Tel : 0208 255 4765 (eve, wknd)

E-mail :

martha@mtressler.com