Alex_Mustard

@Tom Kline - there is a correct text button on the bottom right side of the page, where you can report mistakes etc. Corrections are really important in making it valuable - so do report anything you see. I've not had a good read yet. I am hopeful that Eric will also expand it over time too. But I know it was a lot of work for him to get it this far.

As most know, the Wetpixel website is in stasis and may be turned off at any point. Eric Cheng, who ran Wetpixel through its glory years, recently downloaded the entire site and being a software whizz, set about creating an extensive Wetpixel Wiki to chart the history of Wetpixel and the first 20 years of digital underwater photography. You can dive into it here: https://wetpixel.echeng.com For me this was a unique and special period in underwater photography. As we can all easily appreciate, digital cameras transformed our activity in almost every way. And serendipitously, and just as importantly, this took place in the first decade of people truly being online (and before they were distracted by social media). This meant it was the first time underwater photographers from all around the world could chat and share information together in one place. However niche your interest, you could find the others who shared it. And it was exciting to finally be able to chat to so many other shooters (something we already all take for granted). Digital cameras also brought a load of new people into the hobby, and a load of new talent too. And with lots of problems to overcome in those early years (and finally an objective assessment of techniques, made possible with instantly reviewable images) the site attracted almost everyone who was interested from brand new hobbies to almost all the leading professionals. As one member commented at the time, it was like finding a golf forum where Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods would be amongst those answering your questions! It was tremendously exciting time of rapid progress in gear, technique and imagery. As I said, special days. Anyway, Eric got AI to read 8,000 articles, 400,000 forum posts, 5,700 comments, 1,500 news items posted between 2000–2023 and watch all 302 episodes of Wetpixel Live - and then to use all this information to construct the Wiki: the history of the film to digital transition and then the different waves of digital technology arriving, and to identify some of the movers and shakers of that period, and the story of Wetpixel itself (you'll see that Waterpixels.net is promoted in the history as a successor). It is interesting to see what an emotionless AI pulls out as the key events, as opoosed to what I would as an emotional human! The Wiki is extensive and a great resource. If it is well received, I am sure that there is more that could be done with such technology and the Wetpixel archive. It is also possible to comment and suggest improvements. Alex

I've published a page on my detailed underwater settings for the A7R VI. After my Red Sea trip, later this month, I might update some aspects and will record a video version of this advice - where it is easier to expand on and explain some choices. https://www.amustard.com/underwater-settings-for-sony-a7r-vi/

I am hoping to take mine to the Red Sea in a couple of weeks to put it through its paces. Excited and curious to see how it performs. Alex

I recorded an interview with Peter for the UWP Show.

We put this up yesterday. Neither of us have tried the camera - but we were online when the Sony announcement video came out - and were going to discuss it between ourselves - so recorded an episode about it.

No. But someone should.

Like most underwater photographers, I have greatly enjoyed UWP Mag down the years. And will miss it coming out every couple of months. We were very lucky to have such a diverse and quality publication about our little world. I haven't asked Peter, but I would think he'd be very supportive of the right person taking up the mantle. And knowing him well, very against the wrong person.... 🤣 Alex

I shot the Apollo III for both oceanics in the Red Sea and blackwater in Anilao (see below). I shot the Apollo S during the day in Anilao.

Matthew and I recorded this last week about the Maxi. Not much new here - we summarise a lot of what is in this thread. But we do show lots of photos taken with the Maxis and also video of us shooting with the strobes.

I found the same thing using the Apollo strobes vs the Backscatter HF1s shooting blackwater back in March. Working in the desirable range of 2-4 frames a second shooting blackwater (you really don't need to shoot faster than that), I found the HF1 always gave me more light than the Apollo. Marelux suggested there might be something wrong with both of their strobes I was using.

Matthew and I have both been shooting the Retra Maxis here in Grand Cayman. We will talk about them on our show after the trip. Here are a few photos taken with them that I have processed out (for other reasons) so I can share easily. h

We've done a follow up RAW episode - discussion about contests - which will be out in about a week (I am rather busy right now). Alex

Thank you! Very happy that you liked our Christmas episode. My experience of checking many RAW files for UW contests down the years is: About 80% of shots that win are shot very well - with only the minor tweaking, small or no crops, similar to what Matthew and I did with our good shots in the video. I think many photographers would be shocked how most of the winners have actually had very little done to them. About 15% have had bigger changes - bigger crops, large adjustments in colour, white balance, exposure, strong adjustments on masks etc - but all within the rules - but making quite noticeable changes. About 5% fail - either by people deliberately pushing the limit and hoping nobody will check. Or by people processing an image when they first took, not thinking about contests, and then entering the processed file without remembering what they had done. I'd also add that several times I have seen photos awarded in contests that I have seen in other contests, checked the RAW files and failed them. So I know that a couple of contests out there are not strict on enforcing their RAW file rules - despite saying they have them (better just to say they won't do them). Anyway, I am going to be checking 200 RAW files from UPY 2026 in the next few days - so hopefully there won't be any new lessons or surprises! Alex

There is an aussie guy called Admiral Achtel who has done lots of resolution tests as he'd a specialist in high resolution cinematography (UW and on land) https://achtel.com/underwater-cinematography/ He is someone who has spent lots of time measuring stuff and probably has the best information you are looking for (although he is also selling stuff - so be aware that the data he shares are likely to support what he sells). As he (occasionally!) mentions his systems were used for filming Avatar. Which is a perfect example of what lots of people here are saying - you may have the sharpest lens - but you need more than that to avoid creating something dull to look at.