Upcoming 2010 Presentations

APRIL 9

FEATURED PRESENTER: ERIC CHENG
UNDERWATER ENDOSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHY - WIDE ANGLE MACRO

Eric Cheng is a prolific photographer and shoots a wide range of subjects and locations. His underwater photography is magnificent and is featured in a variety of online and print publications.

He is currently the publisher and editor of several publications including Wetpixel.com and the Wetpixel Quarterly magazine. His website is quite interesting and educational. Through his website, you can follow his tweets and blogs on a wide variety of topics.

Eric will be speaking on the subject of wide angle macro endoscopic photography.

Here are some websites to check out:

http://www.echeng.com
http://www.wetpixel.com
http://www.wetpixelquarterly.com

Premeeting Seminar: Wrapping Your Photos in Metadata by Brad Brown. Learn new strategies for adding keywords and other metadata to your images in order to make them more accessible to you and to those who may be searching for your images online. Use of the product Marine Keywords will be demonstrated. See http://www.marinekeywords.com/

Minicomp: Humor.

MAY 14

FEATURED PRESENTER: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Premeeting Seminar: To Be Announced

Minicomp: Patterns and texture.

PAST 2010 PRESENTATIONS

JANUARY
8-9, 2010

FEATURED PRESENTER: BERKLEY WHITE

Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS), Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo, and Wallin's Dive Center present a free two-day underwater photo and video weekend seminar with world-renowned underwater photography expert Berkley White.

Snorkelers to novice and advanced scuba divers who participate will come away with a wealth of knowledge that will have them shooting better pictures to helping them make the right equipment choice for their specific shooting needs.

Berkley White is a leading internationally published professional photographer, instructor and expert in the field of underwater photography and videography and the founder of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo in Monterey, California. Berkley shares his in-field photographic techniques and digital methods through a series of select international travel events each year, such as the Digital Shootout.

Agenda:
Friday January 8, 2010
7:15 p.m.: Pre-presentation open discussion on the latest imaging equipment.
8:00 p.m.: NCUPS meeting featuring an underwater imaging presentation by Berkley

Saturday January 9, 2010
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Hands on, in-pool seminar with product training, tips and pointers. Bring your mask and snorkel, dive gear, towels, bathing suit, and lots of questions. Bring your existing underwater camera equipment or sign up Friday night to try out Backscatter demo gear. This portion of the seminar will be held at Wallin's Dive Center.

Wallin's Dive Center
1119 Industrial Road #7
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-591-5641

Here is your opportunity to check out all the new underwater photography gear!

Premeeting Seminar: See above.

Minicomp: My very favorite fish.

FEBRUARY 12

FEATURED PRESENTER: LYNN FUNKHOUSER
The Philippines - Everything and More!

Lynn Funkhouser was inducted into the inaugural Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF). She is an internationally published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, adventuress, and leader in dive travel. She specializes in underwater, nature, travel, and environmental images.

In 2008, Lynn was inducted into the Society of Women Geographers. SWG members are women who love adventure and have added to the world's knowledge. Members include Amelia Earhart, Eugenie Clark, Sylvia Earle, Jane Goodall, Margaret Mead, and Pearl Buck.

She has been diving & photographing in the Philippines for two-months each year since 1976, and has visited and dived over 250 islands. Lynn was a consultant to the John G. Shedd Aquarium of Chicago's spectacular Wild Reef exhibit, a $49 million, 15,000 new sq. ft., eight-years in the planning, permanent exhibit on Apo Island in the Philippines. Visit Lynn's website www.lynnfunkhouser.com for more information on Lynn and her travels to the Philippines.

As an environmentalist, Lynn is committed to making a difference on this planet through her images and lectures.

THE PHILIPPINES - EVERYTHING AND MORE will take you to six different areas of the Philippines. The first is Tubbataha - the 1st UNESCO World Heritage Marine Park Site with huge schools of fish, turtles, sharks, mantas, etc.; second is Dumaguete - where you can dive Apo Island which is the model marine sanctuary to the world as well as the inspiration for the $49 million Wild Reef exhibit at Shedd Aquarium; third is Anilao - a hotbed of evolution & the model for the Philippine exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences; fourth is Donsol - the whale shark capital of the world; fifth is Subic Bay - where you can swim with false killer whales; and sixth is Puerto Galera which was a port to the Spanish Galleons in the 1400's and is now a diving mecca. The presentation will include topside images from these areas.

Premeeting Seminar: Sensor Cleaning Techniques by Brad Brown and Kathy Mendes

Minicomp: Look into my eyes.

FEATURED PRESENTER: MARY LYNN PRICE
VIDEO ON LOCATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA!!

Mary Lynn Price is an innovator in the world of underwater videography, video editing, production and distribution.

Her work is everywhere on the web and here are a few sites that may be of interest:

http://www.mlptravelvideo.com
http://twitter.com/MaryLynnPrice
http://www.divefilm.com

FEATURED PRESENTER: STEVE ROSENBERG AND ROB WALSH

Biography:
Steve and Rob will be presenting a show on Beqa Lagoon Resort in Fiji and will answer general questions on photo techniques they use. Steve and Rob are working on several projects, including a coffee table book for Wakatobi. They will also be updating us on their upcoming Wakatobi trip.

Steve has been a professional underwater photographer and photojournalist since 1980. He has produced nine travel guides for dive destinations, co-authored books on shooting underwater video and photography, and has written hundreds of articles for various U.S. and international publications. Thousands of his images have appeared in books, magazines and posters, as well as on stamps, advertising and artwork worldwide. He has also won more than 250 awards for his photography in international competitions. Steve has led dive trips throughout the world. He is a long-time member and past-president of NCUPS. More information about Steve and a sampling of his work is available on the featured photographer page of the NCUPS website.

Rob Walsh is an award winning underwater photographer. Shooting since 1995, his scuba diving experience covers 20 years and began while performing an independent study in hyperbaric physiology at CanDive in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Most recently he has begun writing for European publications including Sport Diver UK. In 2009 Rob will be busy as a contibuting photographer for promotional projects for resorts and dive operations including Wakatobi in Indonesia.

Steve and Rob are great photographers, so you won't
want to miss their presentation.

Premeeting Seminar: No premeeting seminar.

Minicomp: Rays of light in the water (God rays, light beams, etc…).

FEATURED PRESENTER: BERKLEY WHITE

Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS), Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo, and Wallin's Dive Center present a free two-day underwater photo and video weekend seminar with world-renowned underwater photography expert Berkley White.

Snorkelers to novice and advanced scuba divers who participate will come away with a wealth of knowledge that will have them shooting better pictures to helping them make the right equipment choice for their specific shooting needs.

Berkley White is a leading internationally published professional photographer, instructor and expert in the field of underwater photography and videography and the founder of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo in Monterey, California. Berkley shares his in-field photographic techniques and digital methods through a series of select international travel events each year, such as the Digital Shootout.

Agenda:
Friday February 13, 2009
7:15 p.m.: Pre-presentation open discussion on the latest imaging equipment.
8:00 p.m.: NCUPS meeting featuring an underwater imaging presentation by Berkley

Saturday February 14, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Hands on, in-pool seminar with product training, tips and pointers. Bring your mask and snorkel, dive gear, towels, bathing suit, and lots of questions. Bring your existing underwater camera equipment or sign up Friday night to try out Backscatter demo gear. This portion of the seminar will be held at Wallin's Dive Center.

Wallin's Dive Center
1119 Industrial Road #7
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-591-5641

Here is your opportunity to check out all the new underwater photography gear!

Premeeting Seminar: See above.

Minicomp: Your best buddy

FEATURED PRESENTERS: JACK AND SUE DRAFAHL

The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS) is hosting the "Digital Duo," Jack and Sue Drafahl, in an underwater digital photography workshop on Friday March 13 and Saturday March 14, 2009.

Agenda:
Friday March 13, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Jack and Sue will do a short lecture on backscatter as well as an entertaining presentation using some of their own images.

Date: Saturday March 14, 2009 - 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Place: New Vision United Methodist Church - Fellowship Hall, 450 Chadbourne Avenue, Millbrae.

Price: $100 for both a.m. and p.m. sessions (lunch included); or $75 for one session only (a.m. or p.m. lunch not included); NCUPS members (paid 2009) deduct $15!

TOPICS:
9:00AM - 12:00PM
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1 and 2
If you are thinking of purchasing Adobe Lightroom, or if you already own it but are having trouble understanding how it works, then this is the seminar for you. Adobe Lightroom is one of the most popular software programs today that allows underwater photographers to input, edit, and output images in a quick and efficient manner.

This course will cover setting up Adobe Lightroom 1 and 2, using it as a catalog and editing program for both RAW and JPEG files, importing images from camera cards and portable hard drives, sorting, renaming and additional tips and tricks. A 30-day trial program will be available for you to take home.

1:00PM - 4:00PM
Adobe Photoshop for the Underwater Photographer
For almost 20 years, Adobe Photoshop has continued to evolve into the most powerful image editing program. The dilemma everyone faces today is which version is the right choice and whether they should be using Lightroom or Elements instead. We will attempt to minimize your frustration with an outline of image workflow and how it applies to the various Adobe programs.

In this workshop we will concentrate on the main Photoshop tools necessary for editing underwater images. To show the versatility of this software, a wide range of problem images will be presented as well as their solutions. Our concentration will be on the advanced selection, layers and masking tools that are only found in Photoshop. We will also cover topics like backscatter removal, blooming effects, artifact removal, selective color and exposure correction, RAW vs. JPEG files and much more.

Biography:
Jack and Sue Drafahl are a husband and wife team of professional photojournalists, lecturers and multimedia producers. For over thirty years their articles have appeared in Sport Diver, Skin Diver, Dive Training, Diver, Petersen's Photographic, Rangefinder, and National Wildlife Federation Magazines. They are the founders of the Oregon Coast Digital Center, an enhanced learning facility designed to help others learn Photoshop skills. They are software and hardware Beta testers for companies like Adobe, Applied Science Fiction, Kodak, Corel and Ulead Systems. They have created several DVD tutorials on Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements. www.jackandsue.com.

Lunch is included in the cost which we are keeping the same as in 2007. Get your RSVP in soon as this workshop sold out in 2007. Send your checks to:

NCUPS
PO Box 1168
Alameda, CA 94501

Pay with Paypal.

Or give your check or cash to Helga at the next membership meeting. For more information send an email to info@ncups.org.

Cost:
Both sessions, member: $85
Both sessions, non-member: $100
One session, member: $60
One session, non-member: $75

Premeeting Seminar: No premeeting seminar but Jack and Sue will be on hand to answer questions, and will be taking orders for their educational books and tutorial DVDs.

Minicomp: Shrimp

FEATURED PRESENTERS: ART HASELTINE & RUTH CHOFRE

Art and Ruth will give us a presentation on the Sea of Cortez and the Socorro's.

Premeeting Seminar: TBA

Minicomp: Unexpected Behaviour

FEATURED PRESENTER: JASON BRADLEY

Jason will be presenting a seminar on Winning Underwater Photo and Video Competitions in Monterey! This is a very timely seminar as the California Beach Dive Photo Competition is coming up in May.

Biography:
Jason initially wanted to be a marine scientist, so he started his quest as a student of marine science at Santa Barbara. Photography was an afterthought. While attending school in Santa Barbara, he was particularly taken with marine mammals, and to fuel his interest he worked with marine mammal biologists and at Santa Barbara's Marine Mammal Center. As an aspiring field researcher, the camera was as much of an essential tool as the notepad when observing subjects and collecting data. Over time, his interests shifted from the library and the lab to the lens and the darkroom. Although he still really likes marine science, he loves nature and marine related photography most. Jason’s home office and studio are in Monterey Bay. His work has been published and exhibited both locally and abroad, including being featured on National Geographic Television and the Fine Living Network. You also might have viewed his photos in Nature’s Best, National Wildlife, and Scuba Diving magazines just to name a few.

Visit Jason's website www.bradleyphotographic.com for samples of his work.

Premeeting Seminar: No premeeting seminar this month.

Minicomp: Kelp

Join NCUPS on June 12, 2009 for a night dedicated to members! The doors will open at 7:00 p.m. for the annual dive and photo gear swap meet. At 8:00 p.m. we will begin our meeting with a presentation on the 2009 California Beach Dive Photo Competition. Our night then continues with member presentations! We'll hold the mini-comp directly after the member presentations and after which time we will break and do more gear swapping and socializing.

The swap meet is an annual event usually held in January but changed to June last year to compliment the members night. So go through your closets and bring that dive and photo gear that you are no longer using to the meeting. Check out values of your stuff and get ready to make a deal. You'll be set up with space at a table where you can show off your gear and wheel and deal away! Remember your unused gear may be something another member or guest can use!

Our CBDPC show will feature a presentation of the "Day in the Life" show and a presentation of the competition winners. Couldn't make it to the competition? Come to the meeting to see this presentation of your friends having fun, braving the Monterey ocean waters, and winning fabulous prizes. Or, come to the meeting to bask in the glory of your winning image(s) being displayed to an awestruck audience! Bring your friends, family, coworkers to see what a beach dive photo competition really is.

The member presentations will give you the opportunity to show us what you've been up to photographically! Bring a short slide show (five minutes max.) featuring your favorite underwater images. It doesn't have to be fancy...whatever you would like to do to show off your work. Video or still images (digital only)! We'll have the club laptop and projectors set up, so please count on bringing your images or video on a flash drive or DVD/CD. There will not be time for swapping out of laptops. Please sign up by sending an email to minicomp@ncups.org, we'll try to fit in as many as possible but first come first served.

Premeeting Seminar: Swap meet.

Minicomp: Cover Shot

The mini-comp is intended to be a fun competition that encourages all NCUPS members to participate. All images entered must have been taken by an NCUPS member underwater. There are two skill levels, novice and open, but if there are not enough entries in either skill level they will be combined. Entries cannot have won anything anywhere. The audience judges the images and the winner gets a check for $30 for open and $20 for novice! The winning images are featured in the monthly NCUPS newsletter. See the NCUPS website www.ncups.org for more information on entering the mini-comp.

We really hope to see you all there showing off your underwater photography and videography, enjoying the CBDPC winning images and Day in the Life of show, and swapping gear and stories with all the other members.

FEATURED PRESENTER: Michael Topolovac

Michael Topolovac, Light & Motion co-founder and past CEO will do a presentation on “Core Techniques”. Giving real world examples shot in HD, he will cover important topics such as shooting in natural light, mixed light, and how to leverage the sun’s location. The following core techniques will also be discussed: zoom, shutter speed, exposure, multiple shot types, how to incorporate movement, using a tripod, and other general tips and tricks.

Biography: Michael is a serial entrepreneur who hacks away at underwater imaging whenever he gets the chance. He was first exposed to the diving world in high-school when he got certified to drive the submarine he was building for his science fair project. While his career as a submariner was short lived, it paved the way for him being awarded the Rolex Our World - Underwater Scholarship which introduced him to UW photography and gave him a chance to learn from some of the greats such as David Doublet and Stan Waterman. From that experience the idea for Light & Motion emerged which was subsequently started from his dorm room at Stanford. Michael has gone on to start two companies since Light & Motion but stays involved there as its Chairman of the Board and helps drive product strategy. Visit Michael's website www.topolovac.com for more information.

Premeeting Seminar: Geotagging Your Images by Brad Brown.

Want to learn how to add location information to your photo's metadata? It's easy and does NOT require a GPS device or advanced planning. Once your photos are geotagged you will be able to feature them on location
aware websites such as panoramio.com and flickr.com. You will also be able to integrate your photos into your Google Earth. You will never find yourself looking at an old photo and asking "Where did I take that shot?" After this short seminar you will be able go home, download recommended software and quickly and efficiently geotag your entire photo archive.

Minicomp: The color blue (blue water doesn't count).

FEATURED PRESENTERS: Mike and Jody Elliott

What started as a sport, soon became an obsession.

Since beginning in November 2004, Mike and Jody have logged over 1000 dives each, both in warm and temperate waters. In addition, from the start, Jody took on underwater photography and after a year Mike started taking underwater videos. After thousands of pictures and many hours of video, both have started receiving awards for their work. They continue to dive and use their gear, traveling at least four times a year and putting in over 250 dives yearly.

During their time underwater they encountered a number of missing or difficult to use products. Wishing to improve their underwater experiences they resorted to making their own parts for personal use. Their needs for specialized products pushed the barriers of what was available. Combining their backgrounds in engineering, manufacturing, diving, and underwater photo/video, MIke and Jody were able to develop a number of products that solved their problems. Others saw them using their "inventions" and asked about them. Based on this interest they started the company Xit 404 which creates and delivers products for SCUBA diving, underwater photography, and underwater videoography.

Jody and Mike will be sharing some of their amazing images from their favorite dive destinations. You can check out some of Jody's images on their business website, www.Xit404.com and on Jody's personal website www.jodyelliott.com.

PRESENTATION TEASER - Mike's video teaser is called Video Teaser and Jody's preview is called Dumaguete 2009.

Premeeting Seminar: How to make trip maps, by Susan Brown.

Minicomp: Small blennies and fringeheads.

FEATURED PRESENTER: Ethan Daniels
Presenting 'Cape Cod to Cape Town'.

Ethan Daniels is a photojournalist currently based in Berkeley, California. Annual travels take him all over the planet; from the cold, rich waters of the northern Atlantic and the eastern Pacific, to the diverse Coral Triangle, Andaman Sea, and Caribbean. Having spent his youth on the shores of New England, Ethan became fascinated with the bizarre marine life that thrives in the sea. He studied biology at Bucknell University and completed his graduate work at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory in 1999, focusing on the behavioral ecology of reef fishes. Ethan spent most of a decade living in Micronesia, studying and photographing the region's unique marine habitats, flora, and fauna. Favoring parts of the world that are off-the-beaten-track, he currently combines his passions for natural history and photography to guide, teach, and create unique award-winning images. Field Editor at Scuba Diver Australasia, Ethan's latest work can be found at oceanstockimages.com.

Ethan's presentation will feature images from his upcoming book, Underwater Cape Cod, as well as from recent trips to view the 2009 total solar eclipse in French Polynesia (where it will be again next year), Raja Ampat (where he works for two months every year), and the waters off Cape Town, South Africa.

Premeeting Seminar: So you have 10 terabytes of digital images...what are you going to do with them now? Learn how to create beautiful professional quality calendars and note cards. By Kathy Mendes

Minicomp: Sand creatures.

FEATURED PRESENTER: Mark Strickland presenting Exotic Eastern Indonesia:

Island-Hopping from Bali to Banda

Perched between towering volcanic mountains and the abyssal depths of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the islands and reefs of Eastern Indonesia offer some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, both above and below the waterline. By virtue of widely varied habitats and location within the celebrated "Coral Triangle", this region also supports a huge range of marine life ranging from tiny snails to massive whales. As a bonus, there is also a wealth of history and culture waiting to be discovered here. Please join Mark Strickland as he shares his images and impressions of this compelling part of our water planet.

Mark's life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as an ocean lifeguard, boat captain, and diving instructor. His passion for underwater photography began as a teenager in Florida, and subsequently led him to many of the world's best diving areas, including Thailand, where he spent 17 seasons as Cruise Director / Photo-Pro on the live-aboard vessels "M/V Fantasea" and "Ocean Rover". Strickland now resides in California, where he is trying to adjust to cold water diving. An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species, including his namesake, Halgerda stricklandi.

Mark's photos and articles have appeared in magazines and books around the world, including Action Asia, Asian Diver, BBC Wildlife, Blue Planet, Calypso Log, Conde Nast Traveler, Diver, Dive, Geo, National Geographic World, Natural History, Ocean Realm, Outside, Scuba Diving, Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Sportdiving, Sub, Tauchen, Undersea Journal, Unterwasser and many others. He's also primary photographer and co-author of Lonely Planet's award-winning book, "Diving and Snorkeling Thailand". Currently, he leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations. Mark is represented by several stock photo agencies including his own, Oceanic Impressions.

Premeeting Seminar: Chuck Tribolet explains how to interpret wave models.

Minicomp: Creative. Use your favorite editing tools to create something striking and unusual.

SEA 2009 DEADLINE! Bring your entries to the meeting or upload from the SEA webpage.

NOVEMBER 13, 2009

FEATURED PRESENTER: Marc Shargel
The Making of a Book - Wonders of the Sea Volume Two.

Marc Shargel has been diving along the California coast since 1978. He learned to dive at Stanford University, and spent a summer studying marine biology at Hopkins Marine Station. After a few years as an underwater tourist, diving instructor and spear-fisherman, he began capturing images underwater. He has been working as a professional marine life photographer for over 20 years now. His images have won several awards, and are widely published in books, magazines, calendars and more. Marc has been an advocate for the adoption of marine reserves for many years, giving speeches for civic groups and testifying before regulatory panels. He participated in the founding of two marine conservation organizations in the Monterey Bay region. In 2005-2006 he served on the state's official advisory body, selecting sites for marine protected areas along the southern central coast. Wonders of the Sea Volume Two: Marine Jewels of Southern California's Coast and Islands is his second book. His first, Wonders of the Sea: North Central California's Living Marine Riches, presents the marine life and special underwater places found between San Mateo and Mendocino Counties. Marc Shargel was a participant in the Monterey Peninsula Underwater Photographers, and has been a distant member of NCUPS for many years. Marc lives near the north shore of Monterey Bay with his wife and son. His photographic work can be seen on his website: LivingSeaimages.com.

About the presentation:
Marc Shargel's second book, Wonders of the Sea Volume Two: Marine Jewels of Southern California's Coast and Islands, has just been released. Like his first book, this one covers areas of environmental importance which have been considered for marine protected area status under the California Marine Life Protection Act. The new book presents photographs taken by over a dozen of Southern California's best underwater and landscape shooters, along with Shargel's own. First-hand stories of people with strong personal connections to the region's ocean appear throughout. Also new in this book is a series of historical sections with eye-opening archival photos and accounts from past centuries.

His presentation will discuss the making of the book, from 28 years worth of trips to the Channel Islands to his research into the historic abundance and exploitation of SoCal marine life.

Marc's first book, Wonders of the Sea: North Central California's Living Marine Riches, came out last year and he'll briefly discuss his adventures gathering photographs for that volume.

Marc will answer questions on topics from phototgraphic technique to conservation politics to rebreather diving. He'll be on hand to sign copies of both books after the presentation.

Premeeting Seminar: Patti Baugh presents a seminar on optimizing images using Photoshop.

Minicomp: Christmas Tree Worms.

If there is time we will also do a presentation of the winners of the SEA 2009 competition.

HOLIDAY PARTY - SAVE THE DATE!

LOCATION: New Vision United Methodist Church

This year's holiday party will be held on our normal meeting night - the second Friday of December and will be a fun-filled family event!

The party will feature a sit-down dinner with the club supplying the main course and potluck of side dishes, salads and dessert. There will also be a slideshow retrospective/photo contest of the 2009 MiniComp winners. And maybe even a surprise visit by Santa Claus!

Signup at the November Membership Meeting. Or, contact Helga for more information or to signup. Treasurer@ncups.org