Davide DB

We are in Italy and more precisely in Tuscany, in Porto Ercole. L'Isolotto is a small island (perhaps we should say a large rock) immediately next to the harbour and therefore very popular for bathing, boat trips and diving. At a depth of 18 metres there was this beautiful wall of red coral (Corallium rubrum). This animal thriving in shade but can (used to) live at these depths because of the turbidity of the water for much of the year. We avoided advertising this hidden corner to protect it from souvenir hunters and other poachers, but instead the constant heat waves of recent years took care of that. These three photos taken by Simone Nicolini over the years give a good idea of the scale of the issue.

Thanks Kraken, I'll check all the links. maybe there's something simple. I was hoping on something ready on the shelf...

The photo attached to the introduction of @Rune Edvin Haldorsen breaks my heart and simultaneously reminds me how important the work of image-makers is. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is an adage in several languages that means that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image, which conveys their meaning or essence more effectively than a simple verbal description." [Wikipedia] How many words, how many newspaper articles we have read and how many debates we have witnessed. We have realised how difficult it is to communicate what is happening underwater. The oceans are threatened by pollution, unsustainable fishing, and the destruction and alteration of coastlines and seabeds. These are anthropogenic activities that, reinforced by the rapid warming of its waters, put as much pressure on underwater ecosystems as on land threatening its survival. Compared to land, underwater the problem is amplified: the lack of past data prevents a correct perception of how environments are changing and there is an objective difficulty in having direct experience of the underwater world. Hence the need to effectively communicate the urgency of preserving underwater ecosystems. And in my opinion, images are the best way to do this.

Biber dolmasi Yummmm

I know they are very common to film/photograph wildlife on land. What's about them underwater?

Hi Marcell, Glad you rejoined us! We miss video-makers and the video section is still empty! Currently I'm working on a freshwater spring with some rare badass trouts. It's nearly impossible to film them in person.

Nice to see you here! We have another Turkish fellow member here. he didn't post yet 😇

Hi Eric, When I joined WP you were still in charge of operations. It's been a long time! It's good to have you back.

Welcome aboard!

Wow, an open-heart surgery

Ciao Pietro welcome aboard!

thanks for the feedback. We tried to find a compromise between file size and quality. We were waiting for feedback from users that have the original photos on their desktop. As you wrote, knowing that the final size is 1500 pixels, surely the algorithm in Lightroom or Photoshop is better than the automatic one in the forum.

Stunning photos. Which lens did you use? Give us a feedback on uploaded photo quality

If we get the service manuals we could save them in the How-to DIY Tutorial section

Wow! It would be nice if you shared something of your work in the Showcase section, if you can.

Hola Atus! I'm glad you join us.

Hi Davide, Welcome aboard! Finally, a large crew from the Mediterranean Sea!

Wow useful tutorial, Dave! I did not understand how the Samsund ssd fits into the adapter. Where did you put the thermal paste? Thanks

Then we withdraw the CSI: Waterpixels team that is working on the case

If you want to take home shots of those little animals crawling on the bottom or hiding among the gorgonians, you need a tripod. Although some housings are designed to mount 1" balls to which you can attach legs, the majority of housings do not have them. All the housings have one or two camera screw holes 1/4" 20 UNIC where you can attach a tripod head. You have to make do on your own, then. Let's see how. Basically you have two options: a tripod for underwater use; from the cheapest ones made of plastic or aluminium to the most sophisticated and expensive ones. A DIY solution that is not necessarily worse than the ready-made ones on the market. On the contrary, it can be customised for one's own requirements. My Nauticam NA-GH5 housing has the mounting I mentioned above and here is how it looks with legs made from 20 cm (8") arms. The previous Nauticam housing (GH3 and GH4) had a Flexitray so I was forced to find a DIY solution. Mind you, tripods were not available on Aliexpress at the time 😉 I think the solution shown in this video is the best: Here a step by step explanation: https://www.ti-leidland.no/en/blog/46-scubadiving/136-diy-quatropod-for-underwater-housing Basically you attach 15/20 cm arms transversally to the handles and that's it. An even more stable quadripod. Here are some photos of my realisation. Some tips on use I find it very convenient to always have the tripod even when I am not diving for macro. You never know what you're going to find and having a WWL-1 that focuses almost in contact with the glass you can do close-ups of organisms by placing the camera on the bottom. However, a compromise must be found between the stability (and therefore weight) required to keep the camera stationary on the bottom and the lightness needed to shoot freehand and carry it during the dive without strain. My solution is to have the complete equipment slightly negative (weight in water not exceeding 200 grams) and only add weight when it is necessary to use the tripod on the seabed. How do you add weight? To stabilise the tripod you only need to add one kg (with a well-balanced kit even 500 grams). A diver with decent skills and proper weighing should have no problem carrying an extra kg on him. There are various solutions. A classic belt lead with a small leash/bungee and a bolt snap A detachable freediving lead A freediving lead with a screw to screw into the base of the housing or tripod This is a start. I know @bghazzal also made the tripod following the directions in the video in this post, and I await more DIY solutions from others.

CiaoLorenzo, How nice that among so many photographers there is someone who does video and in the Mediterranean sea! Welcome aboard!

Hi Massimo, glad you joined us. My warmest congratulations on winning the HIPA Grand Prize. We also posted the news here.

Welcome on board Puccio! We missed a hard core gopro user as you!

Yes my bad it was inside a Dpreview article at launch and then removed.