Photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves — as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make change.

This photo was snapped on the water near Tokerau Beach. Photo / Emma McGill

Emma McGill was careful not to drop her camera into the water when an orca decided to get up close and personal with kayakers at Tokerau Beach in Northland.

On holiday from Wellington, she snapped this photo with shaking hands while sitting in her kayak and sent it to the annual Herald Holiday Picture Competition.

The annual competition has drawn in hundreds of fun, quirky and scenic photos from all over the country. A selection of them is shown each day on the back page of the A section.

Those who send in a picture will have a chance to win one of three prizes – the first prize being a Canon camera worth almost $2000.

Read full article from The New Zealand Herald.

The Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) has just launched its inaugural Shipwreck Photography Competition. It will run for 1 Dec 2009 – 31 March 2010. There are some great prizes, and entry categories are Shipwreck & Nature; Shipwreck Underwater & Divers; and Shipwreck above water. Entries can be made under each section by professionals, amateurs and school students in Australia and New Zealand. The terms and conditions explain the rules of entry.

Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology (look in Stop Press)

By Jennifer Holland
Photograph by Doug Perrine

The ocean off Baja erupts like a torpedo range. A long, lean whale shoots up from the deep, chasing thousands of mackerel and sardines as they’re driven toward the surface by marlins and sea lions. Suddenly it lunges at the biggest mass of fish, mouth opening wide, throat pouch ballooning with seawater. Even against the tremendous drag created by its gaping maw, flicks of the whale’s muscular tail power it through the water. Its jaw snaps shut in an explosion of bubbles. Other hunters circle nearby, waiting for a turn at the feast.

Read full article and see photos on National Geographic.

Canon has announced a handful of compact cameras including models aimed squarely at keen photographers. Top of the line is the PowerShot G11, successor to its flagship PowerShot G10 compact released last year. The G11 replaces the G10’s 14.7MP sensor with what it describes as a high sensitivity 10 MP CCD though it still uses the same 28-140mm equivalent stabilized lens. The camera also gains a tilt and swivel LCD, though the size drops to 2.8 inches. Flash sync speed increases to 1/2000th of a second and HDMI output is also added. Other features include Dual Anti-Noise System (more sensitive sensor and Digic 4 offering a claimed 2-stop improvement over the G10), RAW shooting and P/A/S/M shooting modes.

Underwater photographers can team the PowerShot G11 with the specially designed Waterproof Case WP-DC34 – an underwater housing allowing full control of the camera at depths down to 40m.

Read full review on Digital Photography Review.

Download the latest issue of UwP here.

We researched over 100 models and selected the best point & shoot camera and housing options for serious underwater photography on any budget.

The Backscatter team went on a quest to find the holy grail in underwater point & shoot cameras. Sometimes you just want to travel light. If you’re like us, you want a camera that is perfect for a pocket, beach party, and a quick after work dive.

Over a thousand waterproof camera options are now available and many would work well for general water sport activities, however we demand a camera that will also excel in the unique demands of underwater photography. The majority of cameras we screened were either disappointing or just not suitable for an inspiring underwater photographer. We first defined the target user groups and then hashed out a list of our minimum features.

Read article from Backscatter.

HMS Britannic

A top diver has died while filming the wreck of the sister ship of the Titanic on an exploratory mission for National Geographic magazine.

The 37-year-old, named by the Greek merchant marine ministry as Carl Spencer, is believed to have suffered from decompression sickness, the bends.

The fatal condition can occur when divers surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in their blood.

Spencer was part of a National Geographic crew exploring the Britannic, which sank in the Aegean Sea in 1916. A military helicopter flew him to Greece’s naval hospital in Athens where he was pronounced dead.

The diver, who has led a number of high-profile wrecks explorations had been on board the Belgian-owned research vessel CDT Fourcault.

“A Super Puma rescue helicopter was dispatched to collect the diver who was unconscious with decompression sickness symptoms,” said a spokeswoman from the Greek ministry. “He did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.”

The National Geographic team had permission to film the wreck of the Britannic from 19-31 May, the spokeswoman added. No one from the magazine was available for immediate comment.

The diving mission comes amid efforts by the Britannic Foundation, headed by British businessman Simon Mills, to preserve the ship. Foundation member Mark Chirnside said: “I understand there is an expedition going on at the moment. I think it’s about 120 metres down and so it’s quite a tough dive and you need really qualified people to go down.”

Spencer’s team was to spend nine days doing an internal and external analysis of the wreckage. He led a similar expedition to the Britannic in 2003.

Following the sinking of the Titanic in April, 1912, the hull of its 53,000-tonne sister ship was redesigned and it was launched on 26 February 1914.

On its sixth trip, on its way to pick up wounded soldiers from the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, it was sunk on 21 November 1916 when it hit a mine. Of the 1,066 passengers aboard, 30 died.

The Diving Legends website lists Spencer as one of the world’s most accomplished divers. “Carl Spencer has been involved in and led expeditions to HMHS Britannic, still considered the benchmark expedition dive in the industry, and co-led joint military expeditions with the Royal Navy and British Army.

“His Britannic expedition in 2003 was successful in locating and documenting the open water-tight doors and proved why she sank so fast. His team also located the minefield which she sailed through that caused the fatal damage.”

SUBMERSIBLE: The Olympus Mju Tough 8000 (bottom) and Panasonic DMC-FT1.

Everyone would love to take more pictures at the beach. The sand and sea are typically the most fun places for friends and family and naturally great for capturing special memories.

However, cameras can be ruined by a grain of sand or splash of water.

Until recently, if you wanted a camera that was resistant to the elements you’d have to buy a poor-quality disposable model or underwater housing. The latter can offer good results but they’re invariably bulky, make the controls fiddly and can cost more than the camera itself.

You also have to rigorously maintain the waterproof seal. And they’re locked to your particular model of camera, so if you ever upgrade, you’ll need to buy new housing.

In recent years, some of the leading camera manufacturers have released models that are essentially regular compacts with rugged, waterproof housings. Suddenly capturing images on the beach, in swimming pools and when snorkelling or diving is convenient. We expect all contenders to operate well on dry land, too.

Read full article from Stuff.