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2020VISION at Fringe By The Sea

Next week, on Weds 6 August, members of the 2020VISION photographer team will be heading to North Berwick to deliver THE VISION theatre show as part of the Fringe By The Sea festival.

North Berwick featured prominently in the 2020VISION photographer assignments, as an example of an economy largely influenced by seabird tourism. See photo story here. 

See Stars During National Marine Week (26th July - 10th August)

Hollywood may have its ˜Walk of Fame' but the real stars of the show this summer are to be spotted around the UK coast during The Wildlife Trusts' National Marine Week (26 Jul 10 Aug).

A shoal of events is on offer to day-trippers and holidaymakers who want to savour our shores and discover what lies beneath the waves, ranging from rockpool rambles to seaside strolls along the strandline (the high water mark where shells, sea creatures and flotsam are left by the tide).

The Wildlife Trusts' focus is on five of the 13 starfish species which can be seen around the UK coast; the common, spiny, brittle, bloody Henry starfish and the cushion star.

Website of the Week - Jackie Campbell

"I was born and raised in Ireland and childhood holidays were spent with my family in the West of Ireland or with my Grandparents enjoying the outdoors. My parents instilled in me an enormous appreciation for the beauty of the countryside and for the wildlife that we encountered.

I learnt to swim when I was very young and don't remember a time when I wasn't enchanted with the ocean and the creatures that live there.

In 1996, I went To Australia on a working holiday and booked myself on a PADI open water scuba diving course the day after I landed - I had simply always wanted to learn to scuba dive! Unsurprisingly, I was instantly hooked and spent most weekends diving around Sydney.

MCSreport takes stock of jellyfish in UK seas

2013 proved a record year for jellyfish sightings, andlarge number of sightings have already been reported in 2014

A new report by MCS and the University of Exeter takes stock of where and whenjellyfish occur in UK seas for the first time in over 40 years.

The report, published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association, details over 5000 reports of jellyfish sightings of eight different species sent to MCS by the British beach going public between 2003 and 2011 for their MCS National Jellyfish Survey.

The survey is the largest of its kind in the UK and has been attracting a growing number of jellyfish sightings, with 2013 proving a record year when 1,133 reports were received. This year is also turning out to be good for jellyfish, with over 500 reports already received by mid-July, only halfway through summer months when most records are received.

Mark Drayton MBE

Congratulations to BSoUP and BUPG Member, Dr Mark Drayton, former Consultant Neonatologist Cardiff and Vale University Health Board who received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to the All Wales Neonatal Network (Cardiff).

Mark, who lives in Cardiff, said he 'wishes it was for services to underwater photography'. He often attends BSoUP monthly meetings with his daughter Rebecca, also a BSoUP member and based in London.

Website of the Week - Dan Bolt

Dan's award winning work (Winner BUPC 2013 & 2011, BWPA, Ocean Art) with wildlife, freedivers, spearfishermen and scuba divers has been used in publications from local information and advertising to glossy national publications. Recent clients include SCUBA magazine, Underwater Photography magazine, the Crown Estate, BSAC, Sea & Sea and Andy Torbet. Travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles fills the underwater explorer with awe and it's Dan's hope to reflect this wonder in his work. If you'd like to see Dan's work in action, check out the portfolio or follow the latest news link

The best way to follow what Dan is up to is via Facebook

Focus On - Green Waters - Results

Congratulations to Charles Hood who was the winner of this month's Focus On Competition - Green Waters - with an image of a Blue Shark at the surface taken with a housed Nikon D3 with a 20mm lens at 1/200 th sec @ f8 in Cornwall.

Congratulations also to Trevor Rees and Warren Williams who came second and third respectively. Trevor's image of a nudibranch was taken with a housed Nikon D90 with a 60 mm lens at 1/200th sec @ f16 in Wemyss Bay, The Clyde, Scotland. Warren's image was taken with a polecam.

How the top six scored:-

The top six may be viewed in the Gallery.

BSoUP Members only may view all the entries in the Competition Slideshow Archive. You will be prompted to login if you have not already done so this session.

If you entered and were not in the top six but would like to know how your image fared please contact me.

Next month's Focus On competition is Wrecks - with a bonus if you dive in the UK; you may enter two images if at least one is taken in UK waters. Deadline: Sunday 10th August. Please read the Rules before entering.

Website of the Week - Nick Blake

"A childhood fascination with diving and the ocean, inspired by the 70's TV series, "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" led to me joining North West of England based Ramsbottom Sub Aqua Club as a teenager in 1980.

Diving primarily around the UK since my early teens, it is only in more recent years that my long standing interest in photography has extended into the water. I started my underwater photography with an Olympus underwater compact camera in 2004 and subsequently moved on to Nikon DSLRs. One to one tuition and encouragement from world renowned underwater photographer Martin Edge has proved instrumental in my development and success.

Cover shot - Trevor Rees

The August issue of SCUBA magazine features a cover image of a Fireworks anemone taken in Loch Duichand an article on British muck diving by BSoUP Member Trevor Rees. The article features the Scottish sea lochs and Porth Wen, Anglesey, Babbacombe, Devon and the Helford River, Cornwall.

To view cover shots by other BSoUP Members please visit Covers.

NUPG Splash-In

Anglesey Outdoor Centre

Saturday 6th August

In conjunction with the Anglesey Scubafest take pictures in the sea around North Wales and submit them for judging by the audience at the Anglesey Outdoor Centre.

Registration is required email - info at Info at NUPG.org.uk for more information.

July BSoUP Meeting

The next BSoUP meeting takes place on Tuesday 15 July at 7.30 for 8.00 p.m. in Meeting Room 3, Union Building, Beit Quadrangle, Imperial College, South Kensington, London SW7 [Entrance via Prince Consort Road] (Directions). New and prospective new members will be welcomed from 7.30 p.m. See Welcome.

Annual Event: Splash-in Review.  Brian Pitkin will recap the events of the weekend in Plymouth and show the winning images.

Focus On Green Water (Definition: anything taken in cold water which is normally green so the UK, Ireland, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and South Australia qualify but the Canaries and Mediterranean don't, no matter how cold it feels!).

The British Underwater Photography
Championship (Splash-In)

Focus On - July - Green Waters

The Competition is now closed. There were a total of 25 entries.  BSoUP Members only may view the entries in the Competition Slide Show. You will be asked to login if you have not already done so this session.
 
Paul Colley: Winning Images with ANY Underwater Camera.  Paul will present the key concepts for underwater composition that he researched in depth for his very recently-launched book, Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera.  The book is already receiving critical acclaim from respected members of the Society and dive industry, including one view that this book will become the underwater shooters' bible for composition.  Paul will bring some copies of the book with him and offer BSoUP members a 20% discount on the night (and signed copies for those that would like them).

Paul Colley CB OBE is the owner/director of pcuw photography ltd, a life Vice-President of the RAF Sub Aqua Association, a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society, an active member of the Bristol Underwater Photography Group and a BSoUP committee member.  He is an INON UK entry-level underwater photography instructor working with the Scuba Place, concentrating on shark photography in Cuba.  He has designed bespoke courses for high-profile clients and runs a coaching/mentoring scheme for them, mastering in underwater photography composition.  Paul is also working with the charity Blue Marine Foundation on the biggest solvable problem on our planet; the crisis in our oceans.

Paul Colley and his book

Website of the Week - Howard & Catherine Bayliss

Each week we highlight a BSoUP Member's website. This week's choice is Howard & Catherine Bayliss.

You may view all BSoUP Member's websites.

If you are BSoUP Member and your site is not included, please notify our Membership Secretary Pash Baker in the first instance.

Splash-In Results

Congratulations to Cathy Lewis who was the overall winner of this year's Splash-In held at Portland, Dorset on Saturday 5th July.

This year's event was sponsored by Scuba Tours Worldwide, O'Three, Under Water Visions, AP Valves, Scimitar Diving, Paul Colley Underwater Photography and South West Nudibranchs to whom BSoUP is extremely grateful.

A gallery of Penny Piddock's images of the event may be viewed at People.

More..

Cathy Lewis, Overall winner, receiving the BSoUP Trophy for the best image taken 'on the day' from one of the three Judges, Gavin Parsons.

Pacific Northwest Diver - Latest issue

The latest issue of the FREE Pacific Northwest Diver is now available for download.

The July issue includes Photographers/Videographers, Technical Corner, News Corner, Dive Operator.

To get you copy go to pnwups.com/

Wildscreen Photography Festival (WildPhotos)

Friday-Sunday, 24-26 October, Royal Geographical Society, London

If you're finding the UK's current spate of gloriously warm weather too much to bear, cool off by immersing yourself in the watery photography of Alex Mustard and Angel Fitor, both of whom will be making an appearance at Wildscreen Photography Festival (formerly WildPhotos) this October.

After 10 years in the business, Britain's best-known underwater photographer, Alexander Mustard, was last year named GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year the first time ever that the award has been presented to an underwater photographer. The secret to his success? Find out on Saturday 25 October.

For a complete line-up of speakers and presenters please visit www.wildphotos.org.uk/speakers/

A Photographic Guide to Nudibranchs of South West England by Bolt, Griffiths and Picton

A Photographic Guide to Nudibranchs of South West England is now available in two eBook formats; Apple's iBook and the more widely used ePub digital format.

The iBook can only be viewed on iPad and Apple computers running OS-X Mavericks, has a properly designed book layout for both landscape and portrait iewing and has up to 8 images per species shown in an interactive 'gallery', over 500 in total. All images can be viewed full screen and interactive images and weblinks are heavily utilised The ePub can be read* on any PC, Andriod device (laptop, tablet, phone), all Apple products and Linux based computer and uses a simple 'flow' layout regardless of screen orientation. It has up to 4 images per species, over 270 in total but does not have interactive images or web-links and images might not be viewable full screen.

More at www.southwestnudis.co.uk/

UwP - Latest issue

The latest issue of the FREE UwP Magazine is now available for download.

Issue 79 inxludes Editorial, Fashion is the new fashion, News, Travel & Events, New Products, Product Reviews, Competitions, Presbyopic correction, Love. Wrecks, Locations, Marine Life, South West Ramblings 8, Book Review and Parting Shots.

To get your copy please visit www.uwpmag.com

Splash-In Boats

The BSoUP Splash in is getting very close now. There are still ten places available on one of the two hardboats made available to us by Scimitar Diving, tel. 07765 326728, website www.scimitardiving.co.uk or you can contact them by email at info@scimitardiving.co.uk.

Make the most of the local knowledge available! Look forward to seeing you there.

See full details of the event at www.bsoup.org/Splash/

Splash-In 2014

This year's Splash-In (British Underwater Photography Championship) is being held on Saturday 5th July, 2014 at Portland, Dorset.

This year's event is being sponsored by Scuba Tours Worldwide, O'Three, Under Water Visions, AP Valves, Scimitar Diving, Paul Colley Underwater Photography and South West Nudibranchs.

There are some great prizes to be won in this one day in-water competition. All photographers are invited to compete, although BSoUP member's qualify for a reduced entry fee. This year there is a separate category for compact camera users.

Please register and book your accommodation and boat now. Further details.

World Shootout 2014

Deadline: Thursday July 31st, 2014.

The World Shootout is on and will continue during January-July, 2014!

Cash and prestigious prizes, 9 creative categories, 3 winners on each category and complete freedom to choose your own diving destination!

Submit your best and most impressive underwater images, taken anytime and anywhere in the world, and win some of the most valuable prizes ever awarded to underwater photographers, including a $5,000 check for the 1st prize!

Further details at www.worldshootout.org/