In the afternoon yesterdayI drove down to PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) to see a presentation on very deep sea photography by Emory Kristof, Photographer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. He showed the most amazing photos and told the most amazing stories about filming (stills, IMAX, HDTV) the Titanic, thermal vents, and other deep see phenomena all over the world. There are lots of crazy critters down there. Specifically, I was awed by photos of 28-foot six-gill sharks, and by the technology used to get down to 14,000 feet of water.
Here's the mail that went out about the talk (it was forwarded to me last -minute):
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This PARC Forum is OPEN to the public. For directions see the bottom of this message.
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PARC FORUM
"20,000 Bytes Under the Sea"
Emory Kristof, Photographer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
Thursday, January 23, 2003
4:00-5:00PM
George Pake Auditorium, PARC
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ABSTRACT
The National Geographic Magazine has been doing stories on the deep sea since William Beebe went "One Half-Mile Down" in 1934. The discovery of new life forms around volcanic vents, huge deep-dwelling sharks a mile down, shipwrecks such as the Titanic, Bismarck, and Edmund Fitzgerald have been covered in the pages and videos of the National Geographic. Emerging imaging technologies such as CCDs, HDTV, 3DTV, ROVS, and HMIs have been applied to these projects, in some cases for the first time underwater. Digital images have been steadily replacing film. In a talk illustrated with spectacular underwater imagery, Emory Kristof will recount the challenges and solutions encountered in bringing back striking images from miles down in the world's oceans.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Emory Kristof is recognized as a leader in the use of cutting-edge EI equipment and techniques for underwater imaging. He has pioneered deep sea camera and lighting technology since the 1960's. He picks up where scuba divers leave off-at depths in excess of 200 feet-working with robots, computer-controlled digital cameras, and submersibles. His many exciting achievements during 39 years as a National Geographic Photographer include the first HDTV footage of deep sea vents, the preliminary designs for the electronic camera system on the ARGO submersible sled that found the Titanic, and the extensive 3D video of the Titanic using two manned submersibles with HMI lights. Naming him a Digital Innovator in February 2000, Kodak describes Kristof as "one of four great visionaries who have taken photography to the digital frontier and beyond."
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NEXT PARC FORUM
Thursday Jan. 30: Kavita N. Ramdas, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Global Fund for Women "Supporting Women's Human Rights Worldwide" - Special update about women in the Middle East
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ABOUT THE PARC FORUM
PARC (Palo Alto Research Center, previously named Xerox PARC) is located at 3333 Coyote Hill Road in Palo Alto, California. A road map and driving directions are available at www.parc.com/company/directions.html. Forum attendees may park anywhere in the lot. The George Pake Auditorium is to the left of the main entrance, near the upper parking lot. More information about the PARC Forum, including tapes and web broadcasts of past forums, see www.parc.com/forum.
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Peggy Szymanski, Host
szymansk@parc.com
650-812-4659
