California based Light & Motion has been at the forefront of underwater imaging for several years and their Kickstarter announcement has captured the attention of a lot of underwater photographers and videographers! The Sidekick Kickstarter campaign aims to raise $50,000 so Light & Motion can begin full production of their excellent new GoPro light called Sidekick. …

Text and Photograph by Eiko Jones Every fall Coho are among four species of salmon returning to spawn in Vancouver Island’s Campbell River. The next spring Coho ‘fry’ emerge from the gravel spawning bed upstream to spend a year or so along the banks and side channels of the …

Covered the world of diving for decades Text by Phil Nuytten Holy Cow! These old Skin Diver Mag covers bring back a lot of memories. Hard to believe that the person who shot so many of these is still a freelance professional underwater photographer and diving journalist today! Based in …

Text and Photograph by Andy Murch While hunting for skates on a featureless sea floor around Madrona Point on southern Vancouver Island, B.C., I came across this sunken tree trunk with its cover of  gigantic orange plumose anemones. These anemones are usually white, but under certain environmental conditions (like …

Lowepro DryZone 200 US$283.86 ‘A drysuit for your gear’ claims the world’s first waterproof soft-sided camera backpack. TIZIP zipper system, rubber covered sealed seams, adjustable dividers, mesh pockets and a lifetime warranty. www.lowepro.com Ikelite RX100 III housing $550 Sony’s RX100 III is a first rate compact camera that produces …

Canadian manufacturer Aquatica has taken the plunge (no pun intended) into the MFT market and introduced the AE-M1, an enclosure tailored for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (the more potent version of the legendary M5). This is a big step considering the resources needed to develop an entirely new housing …

Mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses promise a bright future By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary With modern featherweight carry-on allowances and large, tendinitis-inducing camera housings, many people opt not to shoot large DSLRs. If you don’t care about the status symbol associated with the bigger/heavier ‘pro’-look cameras, there are …

Text and Photograph by Brandon Cole It sounds like a marine Frankenstein project: Graft coral onto a rebar skeleton, shock it and, “It’s alive!” With reefs besieged on all fronts, the Global Coral Reef Alliance is taking charge. Literally. Their Biorock™ ‘reefs’ – metal constructs of various shapes, even …

By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary Tired of making all those adjustments to restore underwater photo contrasts and colours? If so, you’ll be interested in some new software that we tested recently. No one needs to spend more time in front of a computer screen these days and for …

Pelican iM2050GP1 Pelican Storm Case $TBC Tough as a house, watertight, and guaranteed for life. Keep your GoPro and a range of accessories safe and dry with this padded, lightweight hardcase. Optional shoulder strap. www.pelican.com Nauticam Super Macro Converter 1 $480 The first underwater macro conversion lens that is …

September 12th ‐ 14th, 2014 Over $14,000 worth of prizes Bluewater Photo is excited to announce the 4th annual SoCal Shootout, happening September  12th‐14th, 2014. This weekend long competition brings together underwater photographers of all levels throughout Southern California. Starting Friday morning and spanning through Sunday night, photographers have the opportunity to shoot photos in the Pacific …

Wedding magic in the Florida Keys Text and Photography by Adam Opris I grew up in the ocean and to this day there is always sand in my car, an agreeable reality of life in coastal Florida. I became a professional photographer specializing in weddings and family portraits and love …

Text and Photograph by David Fleetham As a rule, waves can be tricky to shoot underwater. In the shallow surf zone it’s not unusual that you’ll take a bit of a beating in the quest for a worthy wave shot, but this image at the Molokini Marine Preserve near …

By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary New photographers often struggle with some concepts, and depth of field is one of them. Learn how to use it creatively. We may be taking digital images today but the laws of physics and optics still apply. One of them relates to depth …

Nauticam FIX Neo Prices vary A new line of lights that have an LCD display, removable battery, 100 degree beam angle, interchangeable heads, remote control and sealed recharging. Wowsers. What more could you want? www.fixneo.com Backscatter Macromate Mini $88.95 This well-priced, flip on and off, lens for your GoPro 3 …

The Nauticam Super Macro Converter (SMC) is the first underwater macro conversion lens that is fully optimized for in water use.  This unique and innovative lens claims to change the way that underwater macro photography is done. There are three key advantages to this internationally patent pending new optical design: …

Nikon has refined its flagship DSLR, and Nauticam continues it’s tradition of continual innovation in the underwater photography world. Nauticam have announced the NA-D4S underwater camera housing for the Nikon D4S professional SLR camera and Flash Trigger for Nikon, the second in it’s line of flash trigger units, allowing use of robust and reliable …

Ikelite have been hitting a lot of home runs lately. With some fantastic packages and a great new website to name just two.  Their new Vega has been looming for a while now, but it’s finally available in stores and is well deserving of your attention. The Vega packs a …

The Caribbean reef squid is a shooter’s delight and challenge Text and Photograph by David Fleetham In many areas of the world squid can be very difficult to locate during the day; not around the island of Bonaire. The Caribbean reef squid population at this diver-friendly island can be …

Is the consideration objective or subjective? The decision is yours…. By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary Manufacturers offer the latest and the greatest, but which camera is the best one? From beginners to old salts, underwater photographers are always talking gear and one perennial question concerns the ‘best’ camera …

Nauticam USA have announced their new FIX Neo line of underwater photo and video lights. Neo combines an ultra-modern LCD status display, removable battery, 100 degree beam angle, interchangeable light heads, optional remote controller, and sealed recharging. Whatever a shooter’s ambition, wide-angle, macro, focus light, video or photography, Neo …

Backscatter have announced a new macro lens for their GoPro Flip system. Priced at a thoroughly reasonable $89 the lens can achieve some stunning results, as you see by watching the above video. Why do you need a macro lens? Without corrective optics, GoPro 3+ and 3 cameras can …

This new Ikelite housing has been to be one of the best performance-to-dollar purchases in the world. The Ikelite DSLR housing is a seamless blend of functionality, durability and waterproof integrity. TTL Advantage TTL or “Through-The-Lens” flash metering means the camera controls flash duration to properly expose an image. …

SeaLife has released the above video displaying the ease of assembly and universal compatibility of their Sea Dragon Lighting and Flex-Connect mounting system – the fastest way to connect underwater lights and accessories to cameras. The new video is available on the SeaLife YouTube channel along with a host of other videos displaying …

A great way to get started in underwater photography with this compact, easy-to-use system. The Camera Switch effortlessly underwater between colorful 20.1 megapixel stills and high-resolution HD 720p video with a single package. Be ready for anything you come across with the possibility of shooting wide angle, portrait, and …

Gates Z100 Housing $7100 ‘Bullet proof’ housing for your Sony 4K professional camcorder. Adjustable weight system, surface monitor feed, magnified viewfinder, fingertip controls and a 2-year warranty. www.gateshousings.com   Ikelite Canon SL1, Waterproof TTL Housing, Camera, and Lens Kit $1850 Everything you need in one amazingly priced package. HD …

Canon calls the EOS Rebel SL1 100D camera “The World’s Smallest and Lightest Digital SLR Camera.” We can believe it, it’s tiny. Pared with a small, fully functioning Ikelite housing with an 8 inch dome, what you get, may just be on the most versatile and practical underwater DSLRs you can …

By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary When we first began taking pictures underwater there was nothing even close to automatic underwater flash photography. To this day, we swear by pool tests, exposure tables…and histograms! Is this about to change? With our ‘manual only’ attitude, we put the Ikelite TTL …

The rough and tumble of diving increases risk of bone fractures By Dr. David Sawatzky Osteoporosis is a very common bone disease that increases the risk of fractures and diving is an activity where trauma is relatively common. The condition is more prevalent as we age and divers are …

As electronic devices become smaller, cheaper and more powerful, their applications can be seen infiltrating all walks of life. We dive into a new, emerging wave of SCUBA technology The first iPhone commercials proudly stated “There’s an App for that.” Indeed, it seems so. More and more diving related …

A truly great photograph evokes an emotional response Text and Photos By Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary Memorable images transcend technical perfection. They are pictures that move us, that directly connect with our emotions. Photographer Ansel Adams wrote:  “A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, …

Create your own underwater movies so high in image quality that even your 80-inch high-definition TV can’t do them justice. Still, you can invite family and friends over to share your amazing discovery dive of that Captain Morgan pirate ship off the Panama coast. They’ll be impressed! The RED …

The longest running event of its kind, the UnderwaterPhotography.com annual photo competition is a rousing celebration of sub-sea shooting   The UnderwaterPhotography.com annual photo contest needs little introduction. It’s the longest running online event of its kind and if you’re looking to build a ‘rep’ in the cadre of …

  If you’re on a mission to get into underwater photography and video, then the versatile SeaLife Pro Duo is a great way for you to get started. The ProDuo is compromised of one compact camera in an underwater housing, one variable power flash unit and one video light, …