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ianmarsh

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Posts posted by ianmarsh

    Underwater Photography Abbreviations

    in Photography Gear and Technique

    Posted

    On 12/29/2023 at 11:53 AM, TimG said:

    I know this is off-topic, but I had to share this with you in light of the Post-Truth purchase comments:

     

    I fitted a ridiculously expensive sound system into my Smart FourTwo car many years ago. The manager laughed when I said he had to swear if asked by my ex that it cost £475.

     

    He said some weeks previous, he had fitted a 5-figure system to a client’s Jaguar and had agreed he would tell the client’s wife it cost £1200.

     

    … and of course, she came into the shop some days later and said her husband’s new car sound system was so wonderful she wanted the exact same system in her Volvo. The manager charged her £1200.

     

    The manager told me he had then to call her husband and explain that he would have to pay an extra £9000 to cover the cost!

     

    How we laughed. True story.

    Ooops….

    The Oceans Are Changing - Let's Document It

    in Conservation and the Environment

    Posted

    15 hours ago, PeterN said:

    Unfortunately I have to agree 100%  Since I started diving in 1982 I have seen the decline.  Cozumel in Mexico is a great example.  My first time diving there was in the mid 80's before the cruise ship pier(s).  I have been back several times and the amount of bigger marine life declines every trip.  

     

    Local diving for me is here in San Diego, California and the decline in marine life is noticable from 30 years ago.   Sunflower stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) now critically endangered, white plumed anemones (Metridium farcimen) seen on our deeper wrecks were common - not so much anymore and abalone are just some examples.  Fish larger than 3 feet or 1 meter are rare in the local kelp beds.

     

    I remember reading all the diving related periodicals warning us of these changes but apparently to no avail.  Because as you say "the sea looks like it always has from above ...."  Sad but true.  Older divers have a point of reference newer divers only know what the see now.  

     

    Peter

    One of my fondest underwater memories is also from mid-80's Cozumel, long before the cruise ship pier was put in.

     

    Drift diving along Tormentos reef, we were always accompanied by large Black Groupers. There were always 4-5 individuals that would come up from the reef, each 3-4 feet long with a girth of 3 feet. Each had its own personality. They would follow along like a pack of friendly dogs, looking for hand outs. We would carry fish treats for them and they were happy to accommodate. 

     

    Fast forward to my last trip to Cozumel in 1996... The pier was in, San Miguel was swamped with cruise ship tourists, all looking for bargains in the shops, or going to "free" breakfasts to find out about time-share condos. The peso had been replaced by the greenback. Diving again on Tormentos reef, the largest animal present was the odd filefish. The only large fish left were at Punta Sur, which was very remote.

     

    Meanwhile, back in town, you could get a nice grouper dinner for $25usd  a plate and watch the sun set over a beautiful azure sea...

     

    Ian

    • Like 1

    Travel to Baja

    in Travel Gear and Packing Tips

    Posted

    On 12/30/2023 at 10:28 PM, Buddha said:

    My wife’s a flight attendant and she said one of the pilots took his banjo with him to practice during a layover in Cancun and they made him pay tax on it because they said he could make money with it. So it’s happening in other ports now too. 

    Not sure, but Pelican Cases may be the biggest red flag. That, and banjo cases....

    • Haha 2

    Is It Just Me?

    in General Chat

    Posted

    As the first month of WaterPixels winds down and the New Year approaches, it strikes me how happier and lighter this website feels, especially compared to the way Wetpixel ended for me. I think a lot of this has to do with how Rich, Tim, Chris and Davide have handled the transition, and how the new recruits and refugees from WP have taken this up.

    I would raise a year end toast to the Mod's and the community.

    Well done all!

     

    Ian

    • Like 14
    • Thanks 3

    Travel to Baja

    in Travel Gear and Packing Tips

    Posted

    No expert on this, but I believe it's only crossing through customs at Cabo. I don't think you will get dinged in Mexico City, but don't quote me. I would keep the smug grin handy though....

    Any input from Interceptor121? Anyone else with real world experience?

     

    Ian

    WaterPixels shirt and mug

    in General Chat

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Buddha said:

    I just received my WaterPixels t-shirt and mug yesterday and I've got to say they look great. I'm looking forward to wearing the new shirt on a couple of trips coming up and a photo workshop. Support the community and get the word and pick one up.

    Yes , mine arrived a few days ago and appeared under the tree… the label said “To Ian, From Tim G”

    The shirts are really nice quality, highly recommended. I’m officially now part of the Tribe:)

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1

    Nikonos 15mm Service Manuals and Schematics [was: Do 15's Need Servicing?]

    in Tutorials, How-Tos, DIY

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, ianmarsh said:

    Nauticam is your only option.... it is not possible to adapt an existing platform. The optical tolerances are much too fine, in the micron range.

    It's also worth looking up Pawel Achtel's work with this lens. His application of the 15mm was used for filming some of the UW in Avatar: The Way of Water. Pawel is an amazing guy!

    https://24x7.com.au/3deep/

    Also, check out Mike Veitch....http://mikeveitchblog.com/testing-mirrorless-cameras-in-lembeh-strait-part-1/

    • Like 2

    Nikonos 15mm Service Manuals and Schematics [was: Do 15's Need Servicing?]

    in Tutorials, How-Tos, DIY

    Posted

    6 hours ago, atus said:

    I have been making a search in Ebay and I couldn't guess how cheap they really are. Before making a compulsory buying I have been looking for the possibilities to put it in an Aquatica Housing and the only adapter that I have found is for Nauticam housings... Does anybody knows how to adapt it to an Aquatica or Subal housing ?

    Nauticam is your only option.... it is not possible to adapt an existing platform. The optical tolerances are much too fine, in the micron range.

    It's also worth looking up Pawel Achtel's work with this lens. His application of the 15mm was used for filming some of the UW in Avatar: The Way of Water. Pawel is an amazing guy!

    https://24x7.com.au/3deep/

    • Like 1

    The Oceans Are Changing - Let's Document It

    in Conservation and the Environment

    Posted

    5 hours ago, johnvila said:

    Well said, and sadly so true.

    Sandy and I have dived the same patch of reef pretty well every week for 8 years and the changes are horrendous, all documented though photography (albeit quite bad photography when we started)

    We have had one destructive event after the other - started with mass destruction by Cyclone Pam in 2015, then a crown of thorns invasion (COTS) , run off from cleared land, water temp rising and then a double cyclone in March 2023. Not to mention overzealous clamming using crow bars by some locals destroying so much coral in the process of extracting their prize.

    We have cried in our masks watching our reef disappear - once vast patches of staghorn corals are long gone, cabbage corals and acopora species totally eaten by COTS which moved in so quickly we could not cull them fast enough. What is left has been buried under inches of silt after cyclones, even the anemones are starting to disappear as algae takes over. The species loss is devastating and so noticeable to us. There was recovery for a while but sadly that was wiped out in the March 23 cyclones and the rebuilding journey starts again.

    For many diving on "our reef" for the first time we get told how wonderful it is - and yes it is - but if only they knew what is like just a few short years ago!

    We actually have someone coming into see us tomorrow that is working on a coral restoration project and has asked for some of the photographic story we have.

    We became grandparents last week for the first time and we just despair that she will not get to see the wonders we have experienced on or doorstep.

    BUT we hold out hope and try every day to create awareness through our photography. It becomes an obsession and our mission - despite the damage there is a lot of life to be discovered and documented, even amongst the rubble.

    Cheers

    John

     

    John

    Ya... I hear you....

    On the up side, I was contacted by a young guy called Will Greene, who is a keen scientist working on coral reef preservation and restoration at the Perry Institute in the Bahamas.

    https://www.perryinstitute.org/staff/will-greene-bsc/

    He needed some help getting the Nikonos 15mm working on his digital set up, so he could use it for underwater photogrammetry, GIS and 3D modelling of reefs.

    With perseverance we (he) was able to get this sorted out, and is out there busy trying to make a difference.

    He is the kind of guy we need on our team. I don't know if he is amongst our ranks, but it would be great if he could post an article on what he is doing out there in the blue.

    Ian

    • Like 1
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