New Photo Courses at Scuba Seraya December 26, 2007 – Fantastic new on site digital underwater photography courses are now available at Scuba Seraya Resort near Tulamben, Bali. The courses are conducted by Jeff Mullins, an Australian photojournalist with 30 years of underwater photography experience. Jeff was awarded the PADI Hallmark of Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photo Journalism in 1995.
Courses are run on a one-to-one basis, utilising a student’s own camera and housing. This ensures you learn the capabilities of your own equipment. Jeff can take you from a raw beginner to intermediate levels of photography in one day.
Courses start at a simple half day, and include all the theory and in pool instruction necessary to start taking intermediate level photographs. Full day courses include ocean instruction to put into practice the skills learned in the half day course, with review of images after diving to assess the results.
A discount applies for two or three students with the same camera equipment (e.g. all students with Canon or all students with Olympus cameras).
Prices:
Half day Underwater Photo Course (4 hours) – US $75
Full day Underwater Photo Course (8 hours – 1 Dive) – US $150
Half day Adobe Photoshop Course for Underwater Photography
(4 hours) – US $75
Full day Underwater Photo Course combined with Half DayAdobe Photoshop Course (12 hours – 2 Dives) – US $245
Advanced Two-Day Course includes 1/2 day Adobe Photoshop Course & notes (16 hours – 4 Dives) – US $300
All courses include:
* Course notes & personal camera settings Reminder Sheet
* Handy Web site listing for equipment and underwater photo help
* Adobe Photoshop Course includes notes and CD with step-by-step processes learnt during the course
* Dive rental equipment is not included
For more information on these awesome courses, email booking@scubaseraya.com or visit scubaseraya.com
Judges Announced for Through the Lens Photo Competition December 21, 2007 -- Judges for the second annual Scuba Diver Australia/MIDE Through the Lens photo competition have been announced. The five esteemed judges from around the world are tasked with the difficult job of sifting through thousands of high-quality photos shot by photographers vying for awesome prizes, to be announced at the Malaysia International Dive Exhibition in July 2008.
The judges are Malaysian photographer Richard Ng Wai Chiew, Bali-based Field Editor and photographer Mike Veitch, US-based Field Editor and Senior VP at PADI Worldwide Al Hornsby, US-based Field Editor and photographer Doug Sloss, and Scuba Diver AustralAsia editor David Espinosa.
For the judges' biographies, click here. For more information on how to take part in the 2008 Scuba Diver Australia/MIDE Through the Lens photo competition, click here.
Special Offer on Scuba Diver e-Magazine December 14, 2007 --In time for the holiday season, prices have been slashed on Scuba Diver AustralAsia’s e-Magazine. Readers can enjoy the magazine online and choose from two amazing offers: US$2 per issue, or US$10 for an entire year (six issues).
The Scuba Diver AustralAsia e-Magazine has all the same great contents that have made the print magazine one of the most widely read, greatly enjoyed magazines in the world – with features like Best of Asia Pacific, Insider’s Guide, Extra Extra, Xtra-ordinary Dives and even all the advertisements from equipment manufacturers and destinations.
To sign up for the e-Magazine, simply log on and follow the directions. Happy holidays!
Southern Thailand Live-aboard New Year Deal December 13, 2007 -- Due to a last minute cancellation, Lanta Diving Safaris has some places open on its New Year four-day live-aboard journey to the spectacular dive sites of southern Thailand. The special offer is a saving of 20 percent off the usual price.
The trip on the MV Flying Seahorse departs from Koh Lanta on 30 December 2007 and returns 2 January 2008, and includes 14 dives over four days and four nights.
The itinerary is simply spectacular:
Day 1: Ko Bida Yai, Ko Bida Noi, Phi Phi Palong – 2 day dives and 1 night dive
Day 2: King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point, Anemone Reef, Hin Bida – 3 day dives and 1 sunset dive
Day 3: Ko Ha Islands – 3 day dives and 1 night dive
Day 4: Hin Daeng/Hin Muang, Ko Ha – 3 day dives
Discount Trip Prices: 16,120 Thai Baht (approximately US$525) per person for bunk bed accommodation in two-bed cabin
16,920 Thai Baht (approximately US$550) per person for double bed accomodation in double bed cabin
Prices are all-inclusive of scuba gear hire and marine park taxes. There are no hidden extras.The price includes:
* Accommodation on the live-aboard
* Rental of new Mares scuba diving equipment
* Marine park fees
* Light for night dives
* Professional PADI dive guides
* All meals, snacks, fruits, water, electrolyte drinks, tea, coffee
* Access to recompression chamber and boat accident insurance
Mares Bags Top Award December 13, 2007 -- The Mares X-Vision LiquidSkin mask has been awarded the prize for 2008 “Best of Adventure Gear” by National Geographic Adventure magazine.
On 15 November, National Geographic celebrated all the winners in the equipment sector in its main offices in Washington, DC. The magazine testers and editors decided to bestow the award on the X-Vision LiquidSkin due to its incredible fit, the result of a stroke of genius from the Mares research and design department.
With the bi-silicone technology used in LiquidSkin, two types of liquid silicone are molded into one skirt. A firmer portion for the support structure is 30 percent harder than the traditional material. The section that rests on the face is 45 percent softer and 270 percent more elastic. The soft section resting on the face delivers a new level of comfort and improved fit without leaving any marks typically associated with long dives and poor fitting masks. The superior elasticity and softness of LiquidSkin allows the mask to fit perfectly on a wide range of faces. mares.com
Scuba Seraya Low Season Specials December 11, 2007 --Between 15 December 2007 and 31 March 2008, Bali’s Scuba Seraya Resort is offering a special low season dive package: US$275/person for four days.
The package includes maisonette accommodation (based on two diver occupancy), daily American breakfast, three guided boat dives, unlimited Seraya Secrets unguided shore dives, return airport transfers, all taxes and service charges.
What’s more, you can upgrade to a villa unit for only US$85 per person, and can add an extra day (including one boat dive) for just US$85/person per day as well.
Don’t wait. Treat yourself to a holiday gift by heading over to Scuba Seraya, and have a look at why so many divers consider it one of the premier destinations for macro critters. Email booking@scubaseraya.com or visit scubaseraya.com
Deadlines for International Competitions Draw Near December 7, 2007 -- For the second year, two international competitions associated with dive expos on opposite sides of the world are collaborating to produce a complementary series of categories and prizing opportunities. With a combined prize pool of over US$80,000, there are plenty of opportunities for photographers and videographers of all levels, both amateur and professional, to walk away with fantastic prizes and the glory of placing in a prestigious international competition.
Photographers will compete in seven technical categories in Our World Underwater and seven themed categories in DEEP Indonesia (at left, Magnus Lundgren's Best of Show from the DEEP Indonesia 2007 competition), to win premium dive travel packages to some of the top photo destinations in the world, photo equipment, dive gear, and more! Dive packages for the Our World Underwater competition include trips to Socorro, Wakatobi, PNG, Ambon, the Red Sea, Grand Cayman, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam.
DEEP Indonesia packages include some of the top photo destinations in Indonesia and beyond such as Komodo, Raja Ampat, Lembeh Strait, Bali, Manado, Fak Fak, and Ambon. Additional dive packages include trips to the pristine reefs of Papua New Guinea and shark diving in the Bahamas. Other prizes include camera housings, strobes, lighting systems, and other valuable items. The competitions include a category for images that focus on conservation and the marine environment, one specifically for entries taken by compact digital cameras, one Indonesian resident category, and two video categories.
Esteemed judges Eric Cheng, David Espinosa, Ric Frazier, Steven Frink, Chuck Nicklin, Mary Lynn Price, Berkeley White and Tony Wu, will select winners. All compact camera category entrants will receive one free underwater photography lesson courtesy of Marty Snyderman and TheUnderwaterPhotographer.com
Winners will be announced online and displayed during the Our World Underwater and DEEP Indonesia Expos in Chicago and Jakarta, Indonesia respectively in February and March 2008, and will be published by supporting media publications worldwide. Winning videos will be broadcast via podcast as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm Podcast Video and DiveFilm High-Definition Podcast Video
As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15 percent of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts. For more information, please contact contest@divephotoguide.com
