Sunday, December 30th, 2012

RecSea announces housing for GoPro HERO3

RecSea has announced the release of an aluminium housing for the GoPro HERO3 POV cam. The WHG-HERO3 accommodates the HERO3 cam with its LCD or battery BacPac and features a 200 meter (660 feet) depth rating, has a RecSea Secure-Latch locking mechanism with a double-wide silicon o ring and contact surface and provides access to all camera functions. Accessories include color correction filters and a variety of mounting adaptors.

RecSea has also recently announced housings for the Canon PowerShot S110 and PowerShot G15 compact cameras. Prices and availability for all the above housings are still to be confirmed.

Friday, December 28th, 2012

BBC to clarify sources of shots

The BBC has announced that its new wildlife series Africa will make it clear when animals have been filmed under controlled conditions. The broadcaster was criticized for using some footage that had been shot in a Dutch zoo in the Frozen Planet series, but not making this clear to viewers. A spokesperson said that the “BBC has decided to flag up a number of controlled sequences within the commentary.” Viewers will be able to go to the website after the programme has been broadcast to see how scenes were filmed. Africa, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, was filmed over four years and goes to air in the UK on 2 January.

Friday, December 28th, 2012

Call for entries: The Blue Wild Photo Competition

The Blue Wild Expo is calling for entries to its Photo Competition. The contest is open to all, with no specific categories, and no submission charge. The Expo to be held over 34 and 24 February, 2013, at the Broward County Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The deadline for entries is 31 Jan, 2013, and the rules are listed on The Blue Wild website.

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

Issue 9 of Anima Mundi now available

The January 2013 issue of Anima Mundi magazine is now available to download. Contents in issue 9 include articles on a rare flasher leaf-mimic katydid from the Amazon; a travel report on Réunion and Rodrigues islands; a tribute to the lemurs of Madagascar by Bjorn Olesen; a portfolio on hummingbirds by Glenn Bartley and an article on the biology of shrimp gobies.

Anima Mundi is available as a free pdf download in both standard and high-resolution versions.

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

EunJae Im posts his Highlights of 2012 video

Wetpixel member EunJae Im (escape) has posted a show reel of his footage from 2012 onto the Wetpixel forum. The film has some stellar macro and super macro video and in the words of one of the members posting in the thread:

“Wow; what a beautiful clip of fantastic memories. I feel like it was a Christmas present. Thank you.”

The footage was shot with a Canon 7D and a Canon 5D Mk III.

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

Study published about cetacean gift giving

The Anthrozoos Journal has published a study into the “gift giving” behavior of a group of wild bottle nose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) at Tangalooma Island Resort in Australia. The “gifts” were freely given by the dolphins to center staff and have included eels, tuna, squid, an octopus and an assortment of many other types of different fin fish. Scientists are not entirely sure of what is motivating their behavior although theories include an urge to play, a desire to reciprocate food sharing or the belief that the recipient of the food is an incompetent hunter. Based on their detailed observations, the scientists think that gift giving among the wild dolphins at the Tangalooma Island Resort was likely a form of play behavior. Interspecies food sharing is very rare amongst wild animals.

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

Video from Wetpixel Indonesia 2012

Sharon Wada has created a film from footage shot during the Wetpixel Ultimate Indonesia 2012 Expedition aboard the Damai II. Entitled “14 dives in 15mm”, Sharon was on the second leg of the Wetpixel trip, which went from Triton Bay via Misool to Raja Ampat.

There is an active thread on the Wetpixel forum with lots of images from the trip too.

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012

Season’s Greetings

As much of the Wetpixel community prepares for the holidays, we hope that everyone’s holiday season will be relaxing and enjoyable, surrounded by those that you care about. May 2013 bring you great diving, amazing photography and much happiness.

2012 has been another fantastic year for underwater imaging, and there are already many amazing images being shared in the “Favorite Image of 2012” thread now active in the forum. If you haven’t done so yet, please go on over and share your chosen image (or images as most people cheat and add more than one) to it.

Happy Holidays!