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Now is the time to take your camera system out of mothballs and get it ready for the spring and summer dive seasons. I can’t stress enough how important it is to thoroughly check your system before you go diving.
If you are planning a vacation, do this check at least a month before your departure date. If you need servicing or new parts or accessories, you must allow enough time for the work to be performed or the parts and products delivered.
Checking your underwater photo system isn’t all you need to do. If you haven’t been diving for a while, it’s a smart idea to get your life support systems checked. Did you know? Many manufacturers require annual service to keep your warranty valid. All manufacturers recommend an annual checkup and/or overhaul of your regulator, alternate air, and BCD.
Joe Liburdi’s Dive & Photo provides dive equipment maintenance, repair, and assembly to manufacturers’ specifications.
Services available:
For a more detailed list of services, for turnaround time and charges, please go to:
http://jldiveandphoto.com/dive-gear-service
Our thoughts are on macro photography for two reasons: one, May 1st was the deadline for receipt of entries into the new Laguna Sea Dwellers Photo Contest. The subject was Anything Macro. Joe conducted a two-hour workshop at the dive shop on April 18th for members on how to take contest-winning images.
The second reason we’re focused on macro is that we are leaving for the Philippine Islands May 12th. We are headed to Puerto Galera, which is home to a myriad of small sea creatures. The area has one of the largest and most varied concentrations of nudibranchs in the world. We’ve been there before, in July 2005. The images shown here were taken by Joe with a Fuji Fine Pix 2S Pro and by Cara with a Sea & Sea DX-8000, her first digital system. Can you tell which images were taken by which camera? The point we’re making is that a point-and-shoot, quite inexpensive as compared to a housed SLR, can take high-quality images in the hands of an amateur who has some basic knowledge of underwater imaging and some professional training.
Reprinted here is Page 1 of the class handout.
What is macro photography?
Macro photography is the extreme magnification of a subject.
Overview:
Getting started with a compact point-and-shoot camera using “P” Program Mode:
Pre-set the camera to:
Getting started with a compact point-and-shoot camera using “M” Manual Mode
Pre-set the camera to:
Note: SLR cameras have additional settings to “A” Aperture Priority and “S” Shutter Priority. I don’t recommend using them for Macro photography.
Now that we have the above settled, let’s proceed.
Click here to read the rest.
Sealife's Mini II Digital Underwater Camera is a rubber-armored little camera for shooting photos or video under just about any conditions. The Mini II is amphibious, meaning self-contained, so there’s no need to protect your camera with an external housing. It's depth-tested to 130' (40m) and shock-proof tested for a drop of 6' (2m). It takes high-resolution 9MP photographs or VGA 640 x 480 video with sound. The large controls and easy set-up make the Mini II so simply to use—no complicated menus. A built-in SPY mode can take continuous pictures at time intervals that you set for capturing images of hard-to-approach subjects. The Mini II can also expand your creative possibilities with an optional flash or optional wide-angle lens.
Specs: The 9-megapixel Mini II features a 2.4-inch LCD screen and can shoot VGA video at 30 frames per second. It comes with a focal length of 7.9 mm (45mm equivalent) and 3x zoom. The camera supports external memory up to 8 GB.
Auto Modes: SeaLife’s latest underwater camera has a range of auto modes that make shooting underwater and on land easy. The underwater mode works to minimize the blue hues inherent in underwater photography, while the Snorkel Mode adjusts settings for shooting in shallow water. If you’re on land, Land Auto controls flash and exposure to match your environment. Other modes include Sea Mode and an External Flash Mode.
The new SeaLife Mini ll is an exceptional camera at an irresistible price. At JLDP, only $259.95!
You want to start diving again. Good for you! The PADI Scuba Tune-up Course is just what you need to once again be comfortable, safe, and self-confident in the water. The Scuba Tune-up, often called a Refresher Course, reviews the PADI Open Water Knowledge and Skills that you learned in your Open Water Course and puts you in the water with an instructor to practice your diving skills.
The PADI Scuba Tune-up Course at Joe Liburdi’s Dive & Photo includes:
All-inclusive Fee: $125 (Regular fee $195.) Save $70 if you sign up before June 30th.
PADI Rescue Diver Course
The PADI Rescue Diver Course teaches you how to handle an emergency. You learn to recognize and prevent potential diving accidents and what to do if an emergency occurs. Diver stress, panicked diver, and rescue diver techniques are just a few of the areas covered. Students usually rate the PADI Rescue Diver course as one of the most important and rewarding scuba courses they've taken. Course fee: $295
Before you start the Rescue Diver course, you must have a valid first and secondary care certification (renewed within the last 24 months). If you choose to take the Emergency First Responder (EFR) course with us, we will give you the PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course for free! Course fee: $95.
Please call Carl for more information or to enroll: 949-476-8500
The April speaker at the Laguna Sea Dwellers meeting was Kurt Lieber of the Ocean Defenders Alliance. The audience was rapt as he spoke about the work he and his volunteers do here in Southern California.
In their own words, ODA is a nonprofit grassroots marine conservation organization based in Southern California. ODA strives to make our coastal waters safer for marine wildlife by reducing dangerous man-made marine debris from vital habitat, focusing on the professional removal of abandoned & derelict commercial fishing gear that poses serious threats to numerous species. In the process, ODA carefully liberates live wildlife found trapped in nets and pots that needlessly continue to capture and kill long after being lost by the fishing industry.
Ocean Defenders Alliance is not just another environmental group. This is a band of brothers, soldiers fighting to save our local resources. You might want to be one of them.
Go to their site www.oceandefenders.org and click on Video and Images. These are a must see!
