The 15th Issue of the Underwater Journal Magazine is now available for free download.

The following articles are featured on this issue:

• Farnsworth Bank: A snap shot of a truely great California dive, when Mother Nature lets you
• DSMB’s: A look into the types of Diver Surface Marker Buoys and why you should have one
• Red Demons: Sleek, fast, powerful & voracious. What you should know about Dosidicus gigas, the Humboldt Squid
• Dolphin Dream: Taking in the exciting reaches of the Little Bahama Banks on board the M/V Dolphin Dream
• Fiji’s Shark Reef Reserve: How Fiji maybe setting the new bench for both the protection of sharks and the continuation of shark dives
• Frozen Fins: Put down that glass of iced tea and jump into a form of diving under the ice that can really exhilarate the senses
• Superior Producer: Looking back on one of Curacao’s great wreck dives, the Superior Producer
• Parting Shot: Sometimes keeping it simple can land truely stunning underwater imagery

Among the goodies you will find on the 53rd Issue of the UWP Magazine:

• ‘The Red Sea in Focus’ - Cameras Underwater and blue o two
• Worldwide Dive and Sail Photo Courses
• Amazing Seas Book Event
• Komodo and Rinca with Alex Mustard
• Bunaken and Lembeh with Eco Divers
• Underwater Images 2010 Entries now being accepted!
• DivePhotoGuide Tutorials

• Diveross DSLR housings
• Ikelite Kodak Zi8 Camcorder housing
• Fisheye filter holder
• INON 28AD DC35
• Zen Underwater DP-100 100mm Fisheye Dome Port
• Sea & Sea YS-01 strobe
• Leak Insure’s Ultra Absorbent Sachets
• INON Panasonic M67 Adapter
• Nauticam arrives in the UK
• INON MRS100 Port UIII
• Ikelite Photo School, Wakatobi
• FinePix F80EXR and WPFX-F80 housing
• INON X-2 for Panasonic GF1
• Ultima Digital Hasselblad H2D II housing
• Sea & Sea MDX-D300s housing

• Canon 7D Housing Review By Berkley White
• Canon 7D, Aquatica A7D and Fibre Optics by Glenn Lawyer
• Olympus E-620 SLR, PT-E06 and UFL-2 strobe by Rob Spray
• Memory Kick review By Alex Mustard
• Lightzone Software By Peter Rowlands

• The Aquarium Diver by Marcelo Mariozi
• The Sunken Goose By Joseph C. Dovala

• How can you be so happy when your photos ####? by Craig Reynolds
• Marine life Summer and Autumn by Mark Webster
• Photographing the Great White Shark By Don Silcock

• The End of the Line by Peter Rowlands

• by Pete Atkinson and Alex Mustard

Download the 53rd issue of the UWP Magazine by Clicking Here.
All you are required to do in order to download the latest issue is to subscribe for free.

Aquatica announces that Canon's new flagship camera, the Canon 1Ds MK IV, is a perfect fit for Aquatica's current housing for the Canon 1DS MKIII.
No modifications are required and no function or access buttons are sacrificed when using the newer Canon body. In addition, access to the video mode of the MK IV model is fully enabled.

It turns out that right from the beginning, Aquatica’s design team aimed to provide photographers with complete access to as many controls as possible. Thanks to this foresight, easy access to the FEL button, used to activate video capture, was already enabled, as well as access to other essential buttons, such as exposure compensation, ISO and the illuminator control. Therefore, reassignment of these functions through the DSLR's custom menu setting is not necessary in order to make use of all functions.

• Totally new 45-point autofocus system that's claimed to fix all the issues reported with its predecessor
• 10 fps continuous shooting
• New 1.3x crop (APS-H) 16.1 megapixel CMOS sensor
• EOS HD movie with manual exposure control and multiple frame rates
• ISO 100 - 12800 (expandable to L: 50, H1: 25600, H2: 51200, H3: 102400) for shooting from bright to dim light with low noise levels
• 3.0-inch ClearView II LCD monitor, 160° viewing angle, 920,000-dot VGA
• Magnesium alloy body with shutter durability up to 300,000 cycles and exclusive dust- and weather-resistance

• Depth rating: 300 feet/90 meters
• Precision machined from a single aluminum block
• Fully anodized to military specifications and coated with polyurethane powder paint and clear coat
• All function labels are pad printing so they do not peel off or fade
• Accurately balanced ergonomic design - all controls are within easy reach
• Replaceable sacrificial anodes protect the housing from electrolysis
• Bayonet Port: Positive bayonet mounting ensure that your ports are secure in place and watertight
• Fingertip access to all camera menu controls including On-Off, Mode, bracket, Meter positioning, focus control and AE/AF lock as well as AF preferences
• Lens release lever for easy lens changing through the front port with camera installed
• Built-in remote control compatibility, no modifications or special connectors to install
• Viewfinder: built-in viewfinder that derives a large and bright image in full frame viewing. An accessory Aqua View Finder is also available

DivePhotoGuide and Wetpixel have announced the winners of the 5th annual Our World Underwater international underwater photography and video competition. The competition was held in association with Our World Underwater and is part of a joint series often referred to as the "Super Bowl" of international underwater imagery events, with world-class prizes, esteemed celebrity judges, and significant global media support.

Thousands of entries were received from dozens of countries and the winners represented fourteen countries. The quality level of the images submitted was very high, and the bar is continually being set higher each year. A formal statement from the judges can be found Here.

The winners were presented during the film festival at a special 40th anniversary Our World Underwater show in Chicago.

Photographers and videographers competed in seven still-image categories and two video categories, to win nearly $50,000 in prizes including premium dive trips, underwater photography and video and diving equipment and more. Dive packages to some of the top photo destinations in the world included the Sea of Cortez, Wakatobi-Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Red Sea, Grand Cayman, the Solomon Islands, Vietnam, and Norway. Other prizes included underwater strobes, focus lights, and Cressi dive equipment.

Esteemed judges included leading professional underwater photographers, cinematographers and magazine editors. Eric Cheng, David Doubilet, Ric Frazier, Alex Mustard, and Berkley White comprised the judging panel for still categories and Steve Douglas, Eric Hanauer, and Mary Lynn Price for video categories.

Winning images are published by supporting media partners worldwide, and Divefilm.com will be podcasting the winning videos as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm Podcast Video and DiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video.

As with all Wetpixel and DivePhotoGuide competitions, 15% of proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

Congratulations to all winners! I would have added "lucky", but the truth is that luck has nothing to do with what you're about to see below...

• Gold - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Stargazer"
• Silver - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Mantis"
• Bronze - Acevedo Eduardo from Spain with "Multitude"
• Honorable Mention - Todd Mintz from Canada with "Room with a View"
• Honorable Mention - Acevedo Eduardo from Spain with "Eggs"
• Honorable Mention - Magnus Lundgren from Sweden with "Pelagic Merlin"

• Gold - Luc Eeckhaut from Belgium with "Froggy and Shrimpfish"
• Silver - Jeffrey de Guzman from Philippines with "Glass House"
• Bronze - Yigal Aharoni from Israel with "Reflection"
• Honorable Mention - Michele Davino from Italy with "Thanks to Keri"
• Honorable Mention - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Stargazer"
• Honorable Mention - Ross Gudgeon from Australia with "Olive Sea Snakes Mating"

• Gold - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Squid"
• Silver - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Octopus Eye"
• Bronze - Maxim Tomashevich from Russian Federation with "Starting a new life"
• Honorable Mention - Jody Elliott with "Woaaah!"
• Honorable Mention - Esteban Toré from Spain with "Diver down flag"
• Honorable Mention - Indra Swari Wonowidjojo from Indonesia with "Zebra Crossing"

• Gold - David Barrio from Spain with"Mistery Wreck"
• Silver - Fredrik Ehrenström with "Waterlily and Perch"
• Bronze - Carlos Villoch from Spain with "Natural Net"
• Honorable Mention - Stuart Westmorland from United States with "Lucky Triple"
• Honorable Mention - Alexander Safonov from Hong Kong with "hitting sailfish"
• Honorable Mention - Jose Alejandro Alvarez

• Gold - Keri Wilk from Canada with "Lily Pads"
• Silver - Gianni Pecchiar from Italy with "Ray of light"
• Bronze - Bartosz Strozynski from Poland with "Next Way"
• Honorable Mention - Fredrik Ehrenström with "Pink Waterlily"
• Honorable Mention - Ross Gudgeon from Australia with "Inner Glow"
• Honorable Mention - Jonas Thormar from Denmark with "Leopard on ice"

• Gold - Matt Curnock from Australia with "Inquisitive"
• Silver - Stephen Holinski from Canada with "Mantis Shrimp with Eggs"
• Bronze - Stephen Holinski from Canada with "Giant Frogfish"
• Honorable Mention - Tamás Szabó from Hungary with "The boss and the gang"
• Honorable Mention - Anders Korsvall from Sweden with "Pygmy Seahorse"
• Honorable Mention - Guy Carter from Australia with "Tangler on Tippy Toes"

• Gold - Jeremy Kozman from United States with "Curves"
• Silver - Francesco De Marchi from Italy with "Harlequin shrimps - Hymenocera elegans"
• Bronze - Jeremy Kozman from United States with "Sand Tiger"
• Honorable Mention - Isgro Paolo from Italy with "Diabolic "
• Honorable Mention - Steven Jacobs from United States with "Shark Patrol""

• Gold - Bruno Vanherck with "Belgica"
• Silver - Kris Wilk with "Alien Rhythm"
• Bronze - Mike Elliot with "Rasta Pasta"

• Gold - Zsolt Sasdi with "Survivors"
• Silver - Shawn Heinrichs with "Reef's End"
• Bronze - David Vik with "The Way It Used To Be"

For high res winning images, Click Here.

The following are the winners of the BTS International 2010 listed by competition categories:

Grand Prize is a week at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel and diving with Yap Divers.

• First Place - Salt Water Crocodile, H Chng, West New York, New Jersey

• First Place - Lilly, Keri Wilk, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Second Place - Lightflower, Pedro Carrillo-Montero, Madrid, Spain
• Third Place - The Bridge , Tobias Friedrich, Wiesbaden, Germany
• Honorable Mention - Wale and Friend, Peter Allinson, Kingsville, MD
• Honorable Mention - Diver dream, Tomashevich Maxim, Moscow, Russia

• First Place - Humpback Calf, Isabelle M Thiebaud, Port Stephens, NSW, Australia
• Second Place - Dolphin in the Sun, Noam Kortler, Eilat, Israel
• Honorable Mention - Inner Glow, Ross Gudgeon, Exmouth, WA

• First Place - Shrimp Resting , Gery Beeckmans, Sint Niklaas, OH, Belgium
• Second Place - Stargazer, Keri Wilk, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Honorable Mention - Algae Sprout, Keri Wilk, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Honorable Mention - Skeleton Girls, Bettina Balnis, Velbert, Germany
• Honorable Mention - Shrimp on Cranoid, Noam Kortler, Eilat, Israel

• First Place - First Born Seahorse, Lazaro M. Ruda, Lake Park, FL
• Second Place - The Next Generation, Kat Ramage, Grand Cayman
• Third Place - Blue Snack, Bettina Balnis, Velbert, Germany
• Honorable Mention - Loving Sepia's, Luc Rooman, Kieldrecht, Belgium

• First Place - Trapped, Leong Yow Chee, Singapore
• Second Place - Struggle for Freedom, Karel Bernard, Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
• Third Place - The Weight of the World, Karen W. Doody, Morehead City, NC
• Honorable Mention - Invasive Lionfish Extraction, Karen W. Doody, Morehead City, NC
• Honorable Mention - Hooked for Life, Phil Sokol, San Diego, CA

• First Place - The Gang, Karel Bernard, Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
• Second Place - Prince Charming, Karel Bernard, Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
• Third Place - Ascent of Humpback, Christine Kornylak, Venice, CA
• Honorable Mention - Coming in for a Closer Look, Shannon C. Price, Seattle, WA
• Honorable Mention - Red, White & Blue, Glenn M. Zavalko, Milford, CT

Grand Prize is a live-aboard trip on the Manthiri in the Maldives.

• First Place - Cosmos, Bartosz Strozynski, Poznan, Poland
• Second Place - Parliament, Alexey Stoyda, Moscow, Russia
• Third Place - On Eternal Patrol, Jeremy Kozman, Orient, OH
• Honorable Mention - Raggiezoom, Dennis Vandermeersch, Heule-Kortrijk, Belgium

Grand Prize is a live-aboard trip on the Nai’a in Fiji.

• First Place - Beauty in the Beast, Sharon Wada, Snohomish, WA
• Second Place - The Romance of Lembeh Straight, Roger Roth, Cincinnati, OH
• Honorable Mention - Alien Rhythm, Kris Wilk, Mississauga, Ontario

• First Place - Carcharhinus Longimanus, Rudolf Gonda, Budapest, Hungry
• Second Place - Cuttlefish Hunting, Roger Uzun, San Diego, CA
• Third Place - Batray Feeding, Walter Marti, Mission Viejo, CA
• Honorable Mention - Magic, Istvan Nemeth, Szombathely, Hungry

Click Here for all categories winning images.

Beneath The Sea is a federally tax-exempt (501(c)(3)) organization incorporated as not-for-profit in the State of New York.
All proceeds from the Imaging Competition go to further BTS’s goals, which are to:

• Provide continuing education to the recreational diver community
• Educate the public in the benefits of protecting the ocean environment
• Support ocean and environment related projects and charities.

The 34th Annual Beneath The Sea Dive Exposition will take place on March 26-28, 2010 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, New Jersey - 10 minutes from Manhattan. Further information can be found on Beneath The Sea's website.

In response to the global demand from photographers, scuba divers, surfers and snorkelers around the world, DivePhotoGuide.com has launched a highly anticipated free series of comprehensive underwater photography tutorials and guides to help the world learn underwater photography. Never before has there been such a growing interest in underwater photography, as affordable digital cameras have made underwater photography more accessible, and social media has made it easier than ever to share photos with your friends, family and the world.

These underwater photography guides offer easy-to-read tutorials for photographers of all levels to learn how to take great underwater photos.

The tutorials are written by the professional underwater photographer- Jason Heller, and DivePhotoGuide.com editor- Matt Weiss, along with contributions from several world renowned professional and award winning underwater photographers, such as National Geographic photographer David Doubilet, Martin Edge and Alex Mustard. Each tutorial includes beautiful underwater photos and equipment setup shots that illustrate each technique.

Underwater photography can be incredibly rewarding, but it does pose unique challenges and requires an understanding of basic principles and techniques. Beginners will find the Getting Started Guide very intuitive, including the top ten basic principles of underwater photography and how to select your first underwater camera system. Other tutorials include macro, wide angle, super-macro, composition, lighting, surf photography and a number of creative techniques. New and advanced techniques and tutorials will be added on a regular basis.

DivePhotoGuide.com has been a valuable resource to a community of over 50,000 underwater photographers around the world since 2005. In addition to the new free techniques guides, the website features underwater photo galleries from top pros and amateurs all over the world, daily underwater photography and ocean related news, in-depth articles, a comprehensive underwater photography equipment guide, travel guide, event calendars and a monthly photo contest with prizes.

Click Here for Dive Photo Guide Online Underwater Photography Tutorials, and if you're not yet convinced that you're dealing with pros here, click on the video below to watch Dive Photo Guide photographers in action.