September 8th Presentation
Diving Historic Panama with Brian Tulloch

By Dennis Deavenport

Our September 8th presentation is guaranteed to unveil new vistas for a seldom-dived area of the Caribbean.  Panama, the historic crossroads from north to south and east to west, is not known as a diving Mecca but according to Brian Tulloch, a veteran diver of these waters, it should probably be given much more attention by those looking for the unusual and the historic.  Perhaps the best approach is to let Brian tell his own story.

continued top of next column

Panama from previous column

Brian Tulloch got his dive certification in 1987, and since that time has dived various Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific locations including the Great Barrier Reef, the Sea of Cortez, Bermuda, Panama, Pacific and Atlantic.  But most of the time he gets wet off his 25-foot Grady White in the Gulf of Mexico out of his homeport of Matagorda, diving production rigs that the Oil and Gas industry so kindly put offshore for all our diving pleasure.

As usual the meeting will be at the Bayland Community Center starting at 7:00 PM.  A map and directions are at the end of this newsletter.

President's Message

As I am writing this month’s column I am in the process of packing for a trip to Indonesia.  We are going to Komodo with my friend and dive guide extrordinare Graham Abbott of http://www.diving4images.com.  Over the several years I have come to realize how important a good dive operation and especially a good dive guide is to getting quality photos.  It is very difficult to get high quality images when diving on a cattle boat filled with beginner divers off Santa Rosa wall in a 2-knot current.  We need operators that understand the needs of underwater photographers.

It takes more than a camera rinse tank to have a photographer friendly dive operator.  We need dive operators that will let us dive at our own slow pace.  It’s challenging to get decent images when being forced to keep up with a large group.  After such trips we are often disappointed to find images full of fins, bubbles and kicked-up sand.  Being forced to stay with a group also limits amount of time we can work a photo subject.  Waiting for that Nudibranch to get in just the right position?  If you have to keep up with the group forget it.

Divemasters at most dive ops are there to look after our safety.  They may point out a lobster here or an eel there but they often are not critter experts.  Their main job is to herd divers.  Finding good guides who know the sites and the marine life on the sites can be a key to photographic success.  Want to locate a special photo subject?  Ask the DM where it can be found.  A good guide should be able to help find even rare subjects.  Tell the guide if you’re rigged for macro or wide angle on a particular dive.  Nothing is worse than having a guide point out tiny macro subjects to you when you are set up for wide angle.

There is no doubt that some dive operators/dive guides are better at meeting needs of photographers than others.  So how do you find a good guide/operator?  One of the best ways is to ask other u/w photographers.  HUPS is a perfect resource for such information.  If you have a destination in mind make an announcement at a HUPS meeting that you want to speak with other members who have already been there.  Another method is to deal with experienced dive travel agents/dive shops.  I am talking about agents that dive the location in which you are interested.  A dive travel agent that is an underwater photographer is even better.  One obvious example is last month’s meeting presenter Ken Knezick of Island Dreams Travel.  Another resource I use often is Undercurrent.  This is a diving newsletter similar to Consumer Reports.  They accept no advertising and tell it like it is.

On your next trip don’t settle for just any old dive operator.  Do a little research.  Find a good guide and go create some of the best images of your life.

See Ya,
David

August 4th Presentation
Ken Knezick Referees the Digital vs Film Fracas

By Dennis Deavenport

We said up front that August’s presentation would be entertaining, polished, and informative and we were certainly not disappointed on any of these fronts.  Ken, as nearly every diver in this part of the world knows, is a consummate speaker and we are always privileged when he works his magic for HUPS.

The August 4th presentation went straight for the jugular in the war for supremacy between digital and film technologies.  It is becoming apparent that this is perhaps the most compelling topic of all for underwater photographers.  We don’t need any more proof of this statement than to note that over 60 new and veteran HUPS members showed up to see and hear Ken present the cases for both platforms.

Not surprisingly, Ken’s presentation gave us the "whole enchilada" from warm, savory flavors to heartburn.  The introductory part of the show gave a thorough look at some of the best digital equipment currently available along with well-considered caveats on what is good, bad, and ugly about the digital revolution.  The "Good" is that the technology is already pretty darn good and there are a number of companies actively building housings and equipment for fledgling digital underwater photographers.  The "Bad" is the reality that what we buy today will likely be obsolete inside 6 months.  The "Ugly" is that the situation is not likely to change anytime soon and you, me, and anyone else that wants to take a dip in the digital pool will have to pay a hefty price for all of this rampaging evolution.  Hey, someone has to pay to bills for retooling every few months!

So what about film?  Is it still viable or just a 20th century Do-Do that doesn’t realize that it’s already extinct?  Based on Ken’s side-by-side comparison, it’s probably best stated that it’s a long way from being dead.  As far as declaring a winner was concerned, let’s just say that there are still a lot of rounds to be boxed before the belt can be claimed.  In many respects, film is still king.  However, the gap is rapidly narrowing in the key areas of resolution and subtlety.  Strengths and weaknesses, strengths and weaknesses... both have plenty of each.  This was a point that Ken focused on throughout his presentation.  The message?  There are no losers.  We all win when we slip into the water and record what we see and experience with our own unique talents.  The only way to lose is to choose not to play.

One thing that was apparent from the beginning to the end was that it doesn’t matter which format Ken uses.  He’s a damn fine artist and technician proving once more that it’s not what equipment you have but how well you use it.  Thanks, Ken, for a fine, memorable, topical evening.

Monthly Contest Winners
August 2003 – Eels

Last month’s newsletter had incomplete results for the July digital contest.  Below are the complete July digital results:

Quiet Please

Members and guests who give presentations at HUPS meetings often spend hours putting their programs together.  Please be respectful and turn off your cell phone or pager during the meeting.  Also refrain from conversation during the presentation.  These things are distracting to both the speaker and audience.

While we are on this topic, we need to also address the photo contest.  Please hold comments on images, good or bad, until the judging is complete.  We want to avoid influencing the judges and embarrassing the participants.  Thanks!

UpComing Meetings and Events

September 8, 2003 – HUPS Meeting
Brian Tulloch – Panama: Pacific, Caribbean and In-Between

October 6, 2003 – HUPS Meeting
Ned Shimizu - Southern Japan

November 3, 2003 – HUPS Meeting
Komodo

November 22, 2003 – Lighting Workshop
Ken Knezick

December 8, 2003 – HUPS Meeting
HUPS Annual Christmas Party meeting

August 3rd Place Novice – John Van Atta ©2003

FOR SALE

2004 HUPS Shootout: Bonaire
By Leonard Cichowski

I am happy to announce that the 2004 edition of the HUPS Shootout will take place July 10-17, in the beautiful underwater paradise of Bonaire.  Our base of operations will be the Plaza Resort Bonaire.  For further information on this property, please visit their website at http://www.plazaresortbonaire.com.

The resort has 28 two-bedroom villas.  We plan to reserve 10 of these units.  Prices will be based on quad occupancy.  The land package will cost approximately $877.  It includes seven nights, six days of two-tank boat dives, daily breakfast, and unlimited shore diving. And each two bedroom villa will have a four door pickup for their use, whether for shore diving the wonderful close-in dive sites or just "tooling" around the island.  Tax and damage insurance is provided in the price of the package.  With airfare around $550 an estimated total will be $1427 per person.  A $200 deposit per person will be required to reserve your spot on this trip.  We plan to have a celebration dinner on the final night, which will cost an additional $26/person.  If you prefer the privacy of a one-bedroom villa, add $314/person.  I will check on details of a full American meal plan as to cost and if one is offered for those that have expressed an interest.

We will be diving with Toucan Divers.  Nitrox is available for $63.50 for unlimited fills for the week.  E-6 processing is available.  We plan to incorporate the resident photo pros into our shootout with an evening of slides and lecture as well as an evening of photo critiques.  Island Dreams Travel has also agreed to sponsor a one-day photo contest.  Prizes will be gift certificates in the amount of $300, $200, $100, for first, second, and third place respectfully.  Details on judging will follow.

As soon as HUPS has had a chance to fill this trip, we will offer additional spaces to DUPS (Dallas) so that we may have a real Texas Shootout.  They have expressed an interest in joining us.

I will be collecting deposits at the next meeting or they can be mailed to me.  Date on the check and or postmark will decide on priority.  And/or position on waiting list.  Contact Leonard Cichowski.

I would like to ask for volunteers to help plan evening festivities and help coordinate the trip, rules for the contest and judging.  I’ll submit my request for help at the September meeting.  My intent is to make this one of the most memorable shootouts to date.

News from the DEA

Of course I am referring to Joe Nicklo, the Director of Educational Activities.

Mark your calendars.  The next workshop planned for November 22 will be on lighting (film and digital) and will be conducted by Ken Knezick who has spent years studying and mastering this complicated subject.  You might have the best equipment money can buy; if you do not understand lighting, it is worthless!  We had 25 people attend the last workshop.  Plan early to attend this most important workshop.  More details will follow.

If you have any ideas for a future workshop topic or if you want to volunteer your knowledge to help teach a workshop send Joe an e-mail.  He can be reached at jnicklo@aol.com.

What do Sponges and Tunicates Have in Common?

They are both very primitive animals.  But, more importantly they are the topics for the September slide contest.

Sponges, Phylum Porifera, include barrel sponges, tube sponges, rope sponges, vase sponges, encrusting sponges and many others.  Just don’t submit shots of a kitchen sink sponge.

Tunicates , Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Urochordata include both sessile and pelagic varieties.  The sessile tunicates also referred to as Ascidians include: colonial, encrusting, stalked, bulb and mat tunicates.

Whatever type of favorite sponge or tunicate shots you have bring ‘em out to the next meeting for the great September Sponge/Tunicate Showdown.  Each member is allowed to enter three slides.  Complete rules can be found here.

August 1st Place Novice – Bob O'Steen ©2003

Certainly batteries are important for film photographers, but they become crucial photo equipment for digital photographers.  With a digital camera, No batteries = No photos.  For that reason, it’s very important to understand how your digital camera and strobes use batteries, what is available, and how best to outfit yourself.

Batteries
Batteries have come a long way since the advent of underwater photography.  They are smaller, more powerful, easier to recharge, and better for the environment.  The following is a summary of what’s available, and some recommendations:

NiCad - Nickel Cadmium.  This type of cell has been around for some time and many of us have used them and learned how fussy they are.  NiCad AA’s are the most common and are generally rated at 1600 milliamp-hours (MaH) or less.  They generally cannot be charged quickly with good results, and they also require conditioning and the occasional "discharge" to keep them up to their full rating.  They will slowly lose their charge when stored.  Of special note is that NiCad batteries are not "green" because they contain heavy metals and are not always disposed of properly.

NiMH – Nickel Metal Hydride.  These are the most common batteries in the sizes that UW photographers use and have really taken over where NiCad’s have "left off."  NiMH are available in ratings up to 2200 MaH.  They will rapidly lose their charge when stored, however, they have no memory, so it is possible to "top them up" in a charger with no damage.  They can even be stored in most battery chargers to provide a full charge whenever needed.

Lion – Lithium Ion.  These should not be confused with Lithium batteries, which are available in commercial sizes, but are not rechargeable.  Lion cells are not widely available in the commercial sizes like AA and C, D, etc.  They are more expensive, but because of their chemical make-up they can provide more punch for their size.  Because of this trait, they are widely used in the smaller consumer cameras as special battery packs.  Their power is usually less than 1000 MaH.

NiCad Packs.  Ikelite makes NiCad packs for almost all of their strobes using industrial grade batteries.  These usually have a high MaH rating and provide a good power source with quick recycle time.  Depending on which charger is used and which strobe you have, these may be a good alternative for you.  They are definitely more powerful than regular alkaline non-rechargeable batteries.

Chargers
What charger you choose will make a big impact on how long your batteries last and how quickly you can reuse them – as well as the expected impact on your pocketbook. . .  I will focus on chargers for NiCad and NiMH as the Lion chargers are usually proprietary and come with consumer digital cameras as part of the kit.

continued top of next column

Batteries from previous column

Smart Chargers: These are by far the best type of charger to buy – regardless of what type of battery you use.  What makes them "smart" is that they don’t overcharge the batteries.  The better chargers have independent circuits so that they charge each battery separately, instead of shutting down all of the charging when the first cell reaches its capacity.  Some chargers will also "condition" the batteries by running a special cycle before charging that redistributes the ions equally inside the cell for even charging.  I use smart chargers by Ikelite and Ansmann for my batteries.  These chargers are universal voltage, meaning they contain a transformer – all I need to use them in other countries is a wall-plug adapter.  The Ansmann Energy 16 – capable of charging all types of batteries with 16 independent circuits – is the "Cadillac" of battery chargers.

Inexpensive battery chargers simply charge a set of cells for a preset period of time, or else, they shut off when the first cell reaches a full charge.  The former is extremely bad for your batteries.  Overcharging of batteries causes excessive heat which will ruin the cells quickly.  Heat is the enemy of your batteries – so keep your charger well ventilated which charging and follow the manufacturer’s instructions – especially if the charger has airflow requirements or you must close the heat shield while charging.

Battery Management
Now that you know a bit about batteries and chargers, the next topic is how to best use them with your camera and strobes.  First off – get the highest power batteries you can afford.  They are almost all the same price so don’t skimp here and get the best.  Next, get the best charger you can afford and select the charger based on your battery demand.  If you only need to charge 4 NiMH at a time for your camera, that is one thing, but if your strobes take AA batteries as well you may want a higher capacity unit.  Chargers are cheap ($20 for a 4-cell smart charger) so buy two – in case you "fry" one in Fiji.  At a minimum, get 2 sets of batteries – one to dive with while you charge the others.  If you do a lot of day-boat or shore diving, then you may need 3 sets if you can’t recharge onboard the boat.  I keep two pouches to store my batteries – a "fresh" pouch and a "used" pouch.  That way I know which set of batteries to grab when I want to reload my camera.  Also remember, if your batteries have sat for more than a few days, you’ll need to recharge them.  Get used to your camera and learn how many photos you can take on a set of batteries.  If it looks like you will only get one and a half dives' worth of photos per set, then change after the first dive.  Experiment until you get it right, but it’s better to have fresh batteries than to push your luck and have your camera die when that whale-shark appears (this happened to me with a Blue Ribbon Eel in Fiji).

Reference: http://www.thomas-distributing.com has an excellent selection of batteries and chargers.  Their Powerex line of batteries rates highest in independent reviews and their chargers are also quite good.

The Houston Underwater Photographic Society (HUPS) meets the first Monday of every month at 7:00PM at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonet, near Hillcroft.

Social time begins at 7:00PM for members and visitors to get acquainted. Visitors are always welcome to join us. So, stop by and see what we are all about!