Amazing Seas Book Event in Malaysia in Oct/Nov 2010

by Eric Cheng Friday, January 22nd, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

Would you like to see your images published in a gorgeous coffee table book?

The Amazing Seas Book Event is a unique festival spanning the globe for underwater photographers. The idea is simple; we get together with good friends, travel to the best SCUBA diving destinations in the world, stay at exotic resorts, dive amazing reefs and photograph the definitive hard cover, coffee table book for that area.

Using your best images, we will be working with a professional publisher for layout, design and printing of the book and everybody gets a copy. We take care of the complete production and shipping,

The first book will be photographed at Sipadan & Mabul Borneo throughout October and November of 2010. We have reserved the best critter finding divemasters and private boats. All the details are taken care of. Just show up for the fun and adventure.

During the week, you are invited to shoot and learn with world renowned underwater photographers including Mauricio Handler whose work has been featured by National Geographic. We get together every night to have fun, share our shots and on Friday have a competition for the book cover! On publishing, we will be presenting the book, as a gift, to the Prime Minster of Malaysia.

- Oct 9-16, 2010
- Oct 16-23, 2010
- Oct 23-30, 2010
- Oct 30-Nov 6, 2010

For complete details, check out www.AmazingSeas.com. Don’t miss the fun—hope to see you in the book!

Eric - I have nothing against diving with others. And frequently enjoy diving with friends and sharing the experience. What I was commenting on is this - that putting a lot of photographers in the same place at the same time is not, in my opinion, the best way to produce or "photograph the definitive hard cover, coffee table book for that area". I believe that a definitive work, whether a book or simply a special picture takes a lot of time and thought. NOT just showing up enmasse for a week somewhere. It was, I think, either Time or Life Magazine that started this kind of thing with their "One Day in the Life Of" series. And Michael Aw did the very same thing in Queensland, and maybe elsewhere. The premise can produce interesting results, but not what I would call "definitive".
Posted by divegypsy on 2010-01-25 02:31:16 Heck I would enjoy it and I don't even take photos! Just to be there, have a beer, and see the nighty show would be awesome. This is a favorite time of the day ... 3~4 dives, hanging out with your dive buddies, breaking bread, then sharing images and stories. Why else do we dive? If I can help a local resort stay in business to boot what a deal!
Posted by muckdiver on 2010-01-24 17:08:34 I think this is a pretty cool idea. Yeah, it probably helps the resorts in the area out quite a bit, but so what? But the idea of learning and have great divemasters and a private boat to me, sounds like fun to me! :) The book as a gift to the PM is great good will gesture as well. Maybe it will open up some eyes on what is down there and get more conservation going on! My two cents.
Posted by jodyelliott on 2010-01-24 17:00:34 Fred - this is about community as well as encouraging dive tourism. Someone people actually like to dive with others and learn in a community setting.
Posted by Eric Cheng on 2010-01-24 13:07:16 The premise that you would get the best pictures of an underwater area by flooding it with a lot of talented photographers for a week ignores the fact that not all biological activities or events happen within a one week period of time. This sounds more like just another gimmick to drum up business for some dive resort. Like a lot of photo competitions. A much better way to get a definitive set of pictures of a place is for one or two good photographers to spend a lot of time, months or a year, in that location.
Posted by divegypsy on 2010-01-23 23:27:01