January 2010

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY
January 2010 Newsletter | Volume 8 Number 1
IN THIS ISSUE
2 President’s Corner
New Year’s Reflections
3 Events
5 Announcements
6 Coralrealm Species Profile
Diadem Dottyback
7 Monthly MiniComp
Subjects for 2010
Opinion/Editorial
From The Membership Director’s
Laptop
8 Backscatter Article
Editing HDV: Preferences
10 Upcoming Trips
11 Club Sponsors/Classifieds/
Joining NCUPS
12 Meetings and Calendar
THIS MONTH
(See the back page for maps and directions.)
1/8 Membership Meeting (8PM)
Berkley White, Wonders of the Sea
MiniComp: My Very Favorite Fish
1/14 Business Meeting (7PM)
Backscatter Demo Days
A Free 2-Day Underwater Seminar with
Master Photographer Berkley White
Josh Honomichl
MILLBRAE, CA – This month, the Northern California Underwater Photographic
Society, in conjunction with Wallin’s Dive
Center (www.wallins.com) and Backscatter
Underwater Video & Photo (www.backscatter.com), proudly offers a free, 2-day weekend seminar with world-renowned underwater photographer Berkley White.
The event will be held January 8-9, beginning
with a premeeting seminar before the monthly NCUPS membership meeting. Snorkelers
to novice and advanced scuba divers who
participate will come away with a wealth of
knowledge that will have them shooting better photos/videos and help them make the
right equipment choices.
Berkley is an internationally-published professional photographer, instructor, and expert in underwater photography and videography. During the two-day event, he will share
the techniques that he has lectured about at
many international travel events, such as the
Digital Shootout. NCUPS members can attend one or both sessions for free.
Continued on page 3
PHOTO:
Berkley White
Remember to Pay Your Dues!
It’s time again to help support your favorite underwater photography group by paying your dues! Renewing your membership
is easy. You can pay online, by mail, or at the
regular membership meeting. See page 7 for
amounts and instructions.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
President’s Corner
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY
www.ncups.org
New Year’s Reflections
Susan Brown, NCUPS President
It is the beginning of a new year and, some
might argue, a new decade. As we adjust to saying “twenty-ten” and think about how fast the
past ten years seemed to pass, let’s take a quick
look at how digital photography has changed
over the past ten years. Let’s start by remembering that Nikon was the first out of the gate in
1999 with the first truly acceptable DSLR, the Nikon D1. No, I didn’t forget
that Sony was really first back in 1981 with a prototype of the first still video
camera that even featured a true SLR viewfinder, but who was willing to replace
their beloved film SLR in the 80’s! So, with the launch of Nikon D1 in 1999
the race was on and boy did we see advancement in the past ten years. Fujifilm
was out of the gate next with the FinePix S1 Pro, the first DSLR to hit the
market for the non-professional photographer. In 2001 Canon enters into the
race with a 4.1 megapixel EOS-1D. Then, sometime around 2004 the digital era
starts getting a lot of attention from the general film photography community
with Canon’s 20D offering 8.2 MP and a treasonable price of $1,499. Nikon
was quick to respond with the Nikon D200 in 2005 offering 10 MP at $1,699.
Canon and Nikon continued to race neck and neck for the next four years. They
brought us more features, controls and megapixels year after year for the same
or lower price and we responded by selling our obsolete one-year old cameras
on eBay and rushed into the next new and improve model; all the while wondering how our Nikonos Vs seemed to have lasted the test of time.
But then in 2008 something radical happened, not only did we gain a lot of additional megapixels, we also found high definition video had taken an amazing
leap as it now could be captured with a DSLR camera like Canon’s 5D Mark
II or Nikon’s D300s. These cameras are so radically different that the industry
labels them a second generation DSLRs. The video produced by these high
definition VDSLR cameras is making cinematographers salivate. So our movie
makers are becoming still photographers and still photographers are beginning
MiniComp Coordinator Randy Herz
randy.herz@sbcglobal.net
Continued on page 6
President Susan Brown
president@ncups.org
Vice President Robbie Turner
info@ncups.org
Secretary Jim Kaller
secretary@ncups.org
Treasurer Helga Mahlmann
treasurer@ncups.org
Membership Ruth Chofré
membership@ncups.org
Marketing Director Lanette Otvos
marketing@ncups.org
Merchandise Coord. Lanette Otvos
salty_scuba@hotmail.com
Equipment Manager Randy Herz
randy.herz@sbcglobal.net
Newsletter Editor Josh Honomichl
newsletter@ncups.org
CBDPC Coordinator Position Open
cbdpc@ncups.org
DEMA Coordinator Robbie Turner
marketing@ncups.org
SEA Coordinator Kathy Mendes
sea@ncups.org
E-groups Moderator Charlie Eng
charlieeng@hawaii.rr.com
Boat Dive Coordinator Chuck Tribolet
boatdive@ncups.org
Ocean Conservation Gordon Firestein
gfirestein@seapact.com
Refreshments Helga Mahlmann
treasurer@ncups.org
Webmaster Robert Knourek
© 2010 NCUPS. All Rights Reserved.
All content in this newsletter is copyrighted by the Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS)
or the author or photographer indicated by an entry. No
part of this newsletter may be copied, reproduced, redistributed or stored by any means without the express written consent of the NCUPS and/or the individual who owns
the copyrighted material.
COVER:
Patti Baugh, 2nd Place, August NCUPS MiniComp
The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
(NCUPS) is a “501(c)(3) nonprofit” organization formed to
promote interest in underwater photography. The club has
been active since 1957. NCUPS sponsors educational
events on both underwater photography and video while
promoting awareness of the underwater environment and
pertinent ecological issues. NCUPS serves the greater San
Francisco Bay area, including Silicon Valley.
Events
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
EVENTS
CSTR Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Tour and Banquet
Deadline: January 13
JANUARY
Backscatter Demo Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CSTR Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet Tour and Banquet. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Our World Underwater/ DEEP Indonesia 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Elephant Seal Field Workshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
FEBRUARY
San Francisco Ocean Film Festival 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Backscatter Demo Days
January 8 – 9
Join NCUPS at Wallin’s Dive
Center for the 3rd Backscatter Demo Days. During this
free 2-day event participants can test-drive the latest in imaging
equipment, underwater housings, and lighting.
Friday, January 8 – Imaging Presentation
NCUPS Monthly Meeting
New Vision United Methodist Church
450 Chadbourne Avenue, Millbrae, CA 94030
7pm  Backscatter
Underwater Video and Photo will have
the latest imaging equipment on display and will have staff
available for Q&A and Saturday demo sign-ups.
8pm  Underwater
imaging presentation by Berkley White.
Berkley 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.
Saturday, January 9 – Demo Gear Pool Session
Wallin’s Dive Center
1119 Industrial Road #7, San Carlos CA 94070
9:30am - 12pm
Bring your existing underwater camera
equipment or sign-up to use Backscatter demo gear Friday
night at the NCUPS meeting. Recommend fins, mask, snorkel, BCD, regulator, towels, bathing suit, lots of questions,
and optionally a warm-water wet suit. Weights and tanks
supplied by Wallin’s Dive Center.
For more info, directions or NCUPS, please visit: www.ncups.org
California Ships to Reefs (CSTR) has teamed with the Suisun Bay
Reserve Fleet (SBRF) fleet oiler crews to host a tour of SBRF,
an all-day get acquainted hospitality suite and banquet with full
CSTR presentation. This event is a wonderful opportunity for
those who have served on the SBRF vessels to meet with CSTR
members/volunteers who are working to take one or more of
these vessels to create artificial reefs off California’s coastline.
The one thing we share is helping these vessels to continue to
serve in a new capacity for up to 100 years, and in some cases
more. Please join us for this event, get acquainted and visit the
fleet. This event will take place on April 10, 2010 at the Walnut
Creek Marriott at 2355 North Main Street.
Itinerary
10am – 4pm  Hospitality
Suite in the Concierge Lounge
1pm – 3pm  SBRF Tour at Bay View Charters at Martinez
Marine, 7 North Court St.
6pm – 9pm  Banquet
in the Contra Costa Ballroom
Pricing
Hotel
only activities - $89/person
SBRF
Tour only - $30/person
Complete
Event - $119/person
Accommodations  A block of rooms has been reserved at the
Walnut Creek Marriott. Two doubles or single king rooms are
$89/night + tax. These rooms will be on the same floor and near
the Concierge Lounge for easy access to the all-day hospitality
suite. To make your reservations, please contact the hotel directly
at 1-800-828-5613 and identify yourself as being with California
Ships to Reefs. We will also have an online reservation link on
our website soon.
Deadline  To obtain these excellent prices we have a January 13th
deadline. So contact the hotel immediately to secure your rooms,
and go to our website to register and pay for the event. Space is
limited so get your reservations EARLY. The link to register for
the activities is http://californiashipstoreefs.org/Calendar?even
tId=99968&EventViewMode=2&CalendarViewType=1&Selec
tedDate=4/1/2010
Website http://californiashipstoreefs.org
Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance
Commodore Chuck Tribolet’s Weather Webpage
Websites Backscatter Video and Photo – www.backscatter.com
Wallin’s Dive Center – www.wallins.com
w w w. g a r l i c . c o m / ~ t r i b l e t / s w e l l / w a m g l a n c e . h t m l
January 2010
Events | 3
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
Our World Underwater/ DEEP Indonesia 2010
Elephant Seal Field Workshop
Deadline: January 15
January 23-24
Underwater photographers and videographers have become the unsung
heroes of the most important ecosystem on earth. During a time when the
oceans are in crisis, a growing global
community of scuba divers and photographers have become the eyes and
ears of the ocean, helping to educate
and inspire the rest of the world.
Join us in Piedras Blancas, CA for a weekend workshop shooting
elephant seals during the day and developing images in Lightroom
and Photoshop in the afternoon and evening. This workshop will
be lead by nature and underwater photographer Jason Bradley with
guest speaker Bill Stotzner from Adobe’s Lightroom development
team. Nature photographer Paul Zaretsky will also be on hand to
help assist photographers in the field with shooting techniques.
One of the largest and most prestigious international underwater photography and video competition series celebrates its five year anniversary
this year. The competitions showcase the beauty, mystery and
delicacy of the marine environment, as well as the art of underwater photography. Underwater photographers of all levels,
from novice to professionals, will compete in what has become
the “Superbowl” of international underwater imagery events,
with over $80,000 of world-class prizes, major industry involvement, and the opportunity to have their images showcased to
the world as some of the best. Esteemed judges include leading
professional underwater photographers, cinematographers and
magazine editors from around the world.
Participants will compete in technical, themed and video categories, to win more than $80,000 in prizes including premium dive
travel, underwater photo and video equipment, scuba diving gear
and more. Dive packages include trips to some of the top photo
destinations in the world.
Winners for each respective competition will be announced live on
stage at either the Our World Underwater film festival in Chicago
(February 19 - 21, 2010), or at DEEP Indonesia in Jakarta (March
27 – 29, 2010), and will be published by supporting media partners
worldwide. Winning videos will be broadcast via The Underwater
Channel, and podcast as episodes of the iTunes-featured DiveFilm Podcast Video and DiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video
Workshop orientation begins in San Simeon on Friday evening
followed by two full days in the field and lectures at the San
Simeon Pines Resort. The workshop ends Sunday afternoon by
3:30pm.
Topics Covered
Raw conversion and development using Adobe Camera
Raw (ACR) and Lightroom
Black & white conversion methods
Localized corrections in ACR
Layer editing in Photoshop
Layer masking and advanced localized corrections with
Photoshop
We have set aside a block of rooms at the San Simeon Pines
Resort (805-927-4648), under Bradley Photographic Workshops,
but stay wherever you like. There are other hotels and camping
in San Simeon, and hotels in nearby Cambria.
Price
Contact
Phone
Email
Website
$349
Jason Bradley
818-415-2767
contact@bradleyphotographic.com
www.BradleyPhotographic.com
As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15% of entry
proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.
Websites www.underwatercompetition.com
www.ourworldunderwater.com
www.deepindonesia.com
4 | Events
Monthly Newsletter
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NCUPS Merchandise Available Through Cafe Press . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Easy Disposal for Leftover Meds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Seeking Photographs of the Pacific Halibut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
California Ships to Reefs Calls for Yukon Photographs . . . . . . . . . . 6
Monthly MiniComp Subjects for 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
San Francisco Ocean Film Festival 2010
February 3-7
With its expanded dates and
new location, the 7th annual
San Francisco Ocean Film
Festival will be held adjacent
to Aquarium of the Bay,
where breakout sessions and a benefit celebration will take place.
The full Festival schedule and additional details will be available
shortly. Sign up for our email list to be the first to receive Festival
updates, opportunities to purchase tickets and more.
Purchase your VIP Pass, Festival Pass or Film Program Pass now
to catch all the beauty, intrigue and action of the 7th annual Festival. All passes include access to the Festival’s 11 programs. VIP
passes and Festival passes also include admission to the Meet the
Filmmakers Reception at Aquarium of the Bay on Friday, February 5, 2010. For even more underwater exploration, purchase a
VIP Festival Pass which includes membership to Aquarium of
the Bay and a Behind the Scenes tour.
There are plenty of ways to get involved with the San Francisco
Ocean Film Festival. Corporate and media sponsorship opportunities are still available. You can also make a donation to support
the Festival and its ongoing education and outreach efforts.
Location Theatre 39, Embarcadero and Beach Street, San Francisco
Email info@oceanfilmfest.org
Website www.oceanfilmfest.org
Announcements
NCUPS Merchandise Available Through Cafe Press
Josh Honomichl
The NCUPS Board is proud to announce an expanded offering
of club merchandise through the Cafe Press online store (www.
cafepress.com/ncups/). The new vendor offers a broad selection of garments in a variety of colors, each adorned with the
NCUPS logo. As always, NCUPS merchandise is available to
members in good standing. Upon request, customized labels can
be added to any garment or item for an additional fee.
Visit the Cafe Press website for a limited selection of NCUPS
merchandise, or contact Lanette Otvos to view the complete
catalog of clothing and merchandise available from Cafe Press.
If you intend to place an order at a membership meeting, please
pay by cash or make a check payable to “NCUPS.”
Contact Lanette Otvos
Email salty_scuba@hotmail.com
Website www.cafepress.com/ncups/
Easy Disposal for Leftover Meds
Excerpt from the East Bay Municipal Utility District Customer Pipeline Newsletter
EBMUD and others are kicking off new permanent programs at
pharmacies, hospitals and other public locations for proper disposal of medications. Why? Because some pharmaceutical compounds don’t completely break down in wastewater treatment
plants. Dumping drugs down the drain may mean they will end
up in San Francisco Bay, posing a danger to aquatic life. Finding your nearest disposal option is easy: go to www.Earth911.
com and type in your zip code. You’ll find that Earth911.com
provides recycling resources as well, for materials such as paint,
fluorescent bulbs, batteries, mercury thermometers, thermostats,
and other items.
Contact EBMUD’s Environmental Services Hotline
Phone 510-287-1651
Email cleanbay@ebmud.com
Website www.ebmud.com
www.earth911.com
Seeking Photographs of the Pacific Halibut
Andy Lamb and his coauthor are in the final stages of a revamping of their book Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest. They
are looking a picture of a complete Pacific Halibut (Paralichthys
californicus).
Contact Andy Lamb
January 2010
Email andylamb@telus.net
Announcements | 5
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
California Ships to Reefs Calls for Yukon Photographs
New Year’s Reflections
Continued from page 2
California Ships to Reefs announced a call for photographs
of the HMCS Yukon artificial reef in Mission Bay, San Diego.
CSTR is encouraging all photographers with quality images of
the Yukon to submit them for review and potential use in promotional materials and displays at events which the organization
will attend throughout 2010, and in the effort to further artificial
reefing in California. CSTR will select a maximum of 24 images
for use by the organization, and will pay $25 per image to the
submitting photographer. Full credit will be given to the photographer, and participants are encouraged to provide any information they wish included in captions of the photographs to be
used in public displays. Participants will retain all rights to use
their images elsewhere and CSTR will not release the images to
other entities for use without permission of the photographer.
CSTR will return and/or delete any images which are not chosen
for use and for which the photographer is not compensated.
“What we ultimately like to depict is the lasting, positive impact
over time that an artificial reef such as the Yukon can have on
the California coastal environment,” noted CSTR Public Relations chairman Kevin Sullivan. He continued, “We hope to
receive images showing the large diversity of fish life that the
Yukon has attracted in the last 10 years since her reefing, as well
as SCUBA divers enjoying her great recreational value.”
Photographers wishing to submit images for consideration in
this program may submit high resolution digital images on CD
or DVD to California Ships to Reefs at the organization’s P.O.
Box 958, Wheatland, California, 95692. The deadline for image
submission is February 15, 2010. All images should be submitted
in the highest resolution possible for the best quality reproduction possible. Images must be the sole work of the participant.
CSTR is also encouraging photographers to include information
about when the image was captured, the equipment used, and
any special information the participant would like to include.
If participants would like to submit images via e-mail, they are
encouraged to send them to admin@californiashiptoreefs.org.
If images submitted via e-mail are in reduced resolution, CSTR
may request full resolution for use later for high-quality prints.
Contact California Ships to Reefs
Address P.O. Box 958, Wheatland, California, 95692
Email admin@californiashipstoreefs.org
Website www.californiashipstoreefs.org
to dabble in video.
Over the last decade technology convergence has benefited us all
with increased performance, lower prices and increased options.
Who wants to hazard a guess where we will be in 2020?
Susan Brown, NCUPS President
CORALREALM SPECIES PROFILE
Diadem Dottyback
Pseudochromis diadema
Family
Pseudochromidae
Size This species attains a maximum length of 6 cm (2.4 inches).
Distribution Philippines to Malaysia.
Scott Michael
Habitat The diadem dottyback is PHOTO:
usually encountered on reef slopes
and at the base of drop-offs. It occurs in coral crevices or hiding
among rocks on the sandy ocean floor, at depths of 5 to 25 m (17
to 83 feet).
Feeding It feeds on planktonic and small bottom dwelling crustaceans.
Behavior The diadem dottyback is found singly, in pairs, or in
small groups.
Distinguishing Characteristics The coloration varies somewhat
from one individual to the next. In some specimens the magenta
stripe on the back has a white border or extends onto the lower jaw.
It has been suggested, but never proven, that some of these color
differences may be related to the individuals sex. Some individuals (which may represent a distinct species) have been observed
around the island of Sipadan, in the South China Sea, that have
a magenta area that covers the entire anterior part of the body.
In these individuals, the line of demarcation between the magenta
and yellow runs diagonally from behind the eyes to the middle of
the dorsal fin.
Interaction with Divers This species is shy and will usually flee
if you make a hasty approach. But if you move toward it slowly,
position yourself near its hiding place and then remain still, it will
probably make brief appearances.
References
Kuiter & Debelius (1994), Lubbock (1978)
This monthly species profile is provided by CoralRealm.com, a
website dedicated to providing scuba divers, aquarists, biologists, reef naturalists, dive resort operators and even armchair
explorers with a premium, Internet resource for continuing marine life education and reference. Memberships begin at $30.
Join now by visiting: www.coralrealm.com/memintro.asp
6 | Announcements
Monthly Newsletter
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
Opinion/Editorial
Monthly MiniComp Subjects for 2010
From The Membership Director’s Laptop
Josh Honomichl
Ruth Chofré, NCUPS Membership Coordinator
Calling all members! The MiniComp subjects for 2010 have been
selected! Print the list, put it on your refrigerator, and plan your
dive subjects accordingly!
Happy 2010 to one and all NCUPS members, and a very special welcome to Robin
Countryman-Valk and Henk Valk who hail
all the way from Napa, CA! Robin wrote me
that she discovered us through our friends at
Backscatter! How appropriate that Berkley is
giving our 2010 presentation and Robin and
her husband have booked a room to take full
advantage of this opportunity to get in some hands-on learning
the next day at Berkley’s in-pool session at Wallin’s Dive Center.
According to Robin: “although we’ve been PADI certified since
1986, I’m a newbie to UW photography – just TWO months! -and a wannabe to UW video. I got a gently used UW video camera
for Christmas and am dying to try it out!”
Jan. 8
My Very Favorite Fish
Feb. 12
Look into My Eyes
March 12 Cephalopods and Other Suckers
April 9
Humor
May 14
Patterns and Texture
June 11
Creative Abstract (Anything Goes)
July 9
Centerfold (Watch Out for the Staple!)
Aug. 13
Sharks and Rays
Sept. 10
Mellow Yellow
Oct. 8
Silhouettes
Nov. 12
Man-made Objects (Anything from a Wreck
to a Soda Bottle)
MiniComp Rules
Eligibility Photographs/Images entered may not have won any-
thing whatsoever anywhere. All images must have been taken by
a NCUPS member underwater.
Manipulation  Any image may be manipulated electronically or
in the darkroom to improve its photographic qualities. Images
containing merging of multiple images, moving image elements
into unnatural situations or drawing or adding unnatural animation to the image, except when the MiniComp category specifically specifies creative images, will not be allowed.
Entry  Digital images should be brought to the meeting on a CD
Robin and Henk have dived mostly cold California water and the
waters of Canada and love diving the reefs and wrecks of Hawaii
and Fiji. She is a scrapbooker and a graphic artist, so all photos
have various uses, she maintains. (With Robin’s background in art
and design, I’ll bet she might contribute in many ways to NCUPS?)
Anyway, we look forward to meeting you at our January meeting!
START YOUR NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT!  Bring a friend to the
January meeting and introduce him/her around. If you’re not
planning on coming to every monthly membership meeting,
(because you’ve too many dive trips scheduled) sign up as a “remote” member. Be sure not to miss the fun presentations and
programs planned for 2010!
To date, the ranks of NCUPS have swelled to around 125 duespaying members. This figure includes those few who are remote
as well as the life members.
or flash drive, for download to the club laptop. Only one image
file for each entrant will be downloaded. Please do not bring an
entire directory full of images. Entries should be scaled to 1024
x 768 pixels and saved in JPEG format. You must be present at
the meeting to enter.
REMINDER  As a reminder to our membership, please get your
Levels  Skill levels of competition are: novice and open. Novice underwater photographers have not won more than three
first place awards in an underwater photography competition
(individual club contests excluded), nor may they have received
money (other than contest awards) for their underwater photography. Once a photographer has won three MiniComps, he/she
must move up to Open.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION SUGGESTION  Pay your dues
Website www.ncups.org/minicomps.html
dues in for 2010… one of the best investments you’ll make all
year! We have a sparkling new venue for you in 2010, which I’m
sure you won’t want to miss. Participating in NCUPS is one of
life’s happy indulgences which has not gone up in price.
early… but only once, please…and new and renewing members
attend at least one board meeting to learn more about your special Society…and become involved.
TO ALL NCUPS MEMBERS  If you have never received a membership kit, with your official membership card, and would like
one, please come and see or email me. Note also that NCUPS
requires a completed membership application from all new members and a General Release From Liability form.
Ruth Chofré, NCUPS Membership Coordinator
January 2010
Opinion/Editorial | 7
Backscatter Article
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
Editing HDV:
Preferences
Sy Harris (www.backscatter.com)
The following article helps you optimize Final Cut Pro 5 to work
perfectly with HDV footage as well as Standard Definition footage. Many problems and frustrations come from improper preference settings. Make sure your preferences are dialed in correctly
and Final Cut Pro will become a much friendlier program.
I. Easy Setup
Before modifying Final Cut Pro preferences yourself, try using
Easy Setup. Easy Setup is a shortcut in Final Cut Pro that automatically sets your preferences according to the video format
you are shooting. For instance, as selected in the example below,
if you are shooting NTSC HDV footage, simply select that format through the drop down menu and all of your settings will
default to work with HDV footage.
1. Choose Final Cut Pro4Easy Setup.
2. Select your file format. If your footage is HDV, select HDV
- 1080i/60 for NTSC format video. Select HDV - 1080i/50
for PAL format video. If working in 720p…you get the idea.
Below are the default settings picked when you select the HDV
1080i/60 easy setup option. HDV - 1080i/60 default settings as
picked through the Easy Setup:
Sequence
Capture
Service
preset - (HDV, 1080i/60)
Preset - (HDV)
Control Preset - (Sony HDV Firewire)
Video
Playback (None)
Audio
Playback (Built-in Audio)
II. Manually Modifying Preferences
As you edit more video it will become apparent that some automatic presets do not work perfectly for you or your computer
system. Sometimes it will be necessary to manually modify your
preferences to better fit your needs. There are three groups of
preferences that you’ll need to modify in Final Cut Pro. When
configuring a system you should work in this order: Audio/Video Settings, Systems Settings, and User Preferences.
Audio/Video Settings
If you want to streamline how your computer communicates
with your camera or tape deck, how your footage is captured, or
how you view your video, use the Audio/Video settings window.
Below are our suggestions on how to get the best results from
Final Cut Pro. Once you have your Audio/Video preferences
dialed in, you can then save them as an auto preset accessible
through the Easy Setup window and never have to manually set
them again for the same video format.
Choose: Final Cut Pro4Audio/Video settings4Summary tab.
The default preferences will not work with Standard definition
video. You will have to pick the correct preset for that format. In
most cases you won’t need to change the sequence preset, capture preset, and device control preset. If you do change them,
you may lose control of your camera and you will not be able
to capture your footage. The only time you should change these
settings is when you change video format.
The two settings at the bottom, Video playback and Audio Playback, may need to be modified according to your computer’s
setup. If monitoring your video on a computer screen and listening to your audio through the computer’s speakers, or speakers
hooked up to your computer, select Built-in Audio in the Audio
Playback field. If you are watching your video via FireWire on
an external monitor, select HDV in the Audio Playback field.
The main rule to follow for setting Video Playback and Audio
Playback is to be sure you are monitoring your audio and video
from the same place. If you don’t do this your audio will be out
of sync to your video. This is due to delays caused by converting
audio and video data to two different outputs.
System Settings
The System Settings window streamlines how your computer’s
hardware and software performs while using Final Cut Pro. If
these preferences are not configured properly, you’ll never get the
performance or reliability you need. Always work with two hard
drives. The main hard drive runs the operating system and Final
Cut Pro, and the second drive stores all of your media. This is
because the drive running Final Cut Pro will be too busy running
Continued on page 9
8 | Backscatter Article
Monthly Newsletter
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
Editing HDV: Preferences
Continued from page 8
software to play your media files smoothly. Also, make sure your
storage drive is fast. If you do not have a fast drive dropped frames
will be a common if not constant issue. I’ve found that an internal
7200-rpm or faster SATA drive works best. If using a laptop, a
7200-rpm Firewire drive will work as well, but may drop frames.
Choose: Final Cut Pro4System Settings4Scratch Disk tab.
Cut Pro plays your movie while editing through the time line.
This includes real time previewing of elements that normally
require rendering such as transitions and filters. Through these
preferences Final Cut Pro will modify it’s playback quality according to the processing power of your computer. If you don’t
have a lot of RAM or processing power some effects will still be
too large to preview without rendering.
1. RT: Unlimited
2. Video Quality: Dynamic – Allows Final Cut to vary play-
back quality during editing based on the complexity of your
effect and the speed of your system.
3. Frame Rate: Dynamic – Similar to Video Quality, this al-
lows Final Cut Pro to vary the frame rate of your sequence
based on the complexity of your effect and the speed of
your system.
4. The rest of the settings in this dialog are system defaults,
we suggest you leave these alone.
User Preferences
Here’s what I suggest to get the best performance:
1. Create a folder on the storage drive. Name the folder Final
Cut Pro Documents. Then, “point” the scratch disk to this
folder using the Set button at the top of this screen.
User preferences are directly related to how you want Final Cut
Pro to work for you while you are editing with it. These suggestions may be modified according to your own computer’s power
and personal preferences.
Choose: Final Cut Pro4User Preferences4General tab.
2. Set the scratch disk for Video Capture, Audio Capture,
Video Render, and Audio Render all to this drive.
3. Set the Minimum Allowable Free Space On Scratch Disks
to 10,000 MB. This makes sure your hard disks don’t get so
full that they slow down recording and playback.
Choose: System Settings4Playback Control tab
1. Set Undo to 25. This take a lot of RAM, so if you have
1 GB of RAM or less, don’t increase this.
2. Check Limit Real-time video to # MB/Second. The key
benefit of this preference is to limit the “dropped frames”
error message in playback when using a scratch disk with a
limited data rate. For instance, if you create an effect with
multiple clips playing at the same time Final Cut Pro will attempt to play your effect. If your hard disk isn’t fast enough
it will drop frames and stop playback. If you limit real-time
The preferences in the Playback Control tab affect how Final
January 2010
Continued on page 11
Backscatter Article | 9
Upcoming Trips
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
MEMBER TRIPS
The following trips are organized and run
by NCUPS members. If you have a trip that you want to list here,
please let the newsletter editor know. It is always best to have a
webpage to describe your trip, as space is limited.
Exotic Indonesia
12-day Voyage to Komodo aboard the Cheng Ho of Kararu
Dive Voyages
Date
Cost
Contact
March 10 – 22, 2010
$3740 to $4240
(airfare not included)
Lisa Malachowsky
(925) 759-4360
treasurer@rainbowdivers.org
In March of 2010, NCRD and friends will be chartering the Kararu Dive Voyages
vessel named Cheng Ho for a great trip to Komodo. Our very own Lisa Malachowsky, a veteran of many trips to Indonesia, will be leading this live-aboard
vacation that has been designed especially for the club!
We’ve arranged a special itinerary with Lisa’s friends at Kararu which far exceeds
their standard offerings. We’ll be diving in some of the most exciting dive sites
that Indonesia has to offer including doing some exploration of the waters around
Selayar and Komodo. Komodo is a well known destination with an abundance
of marine life that spans the entire gamut (from Nudibranchs to large sharks and
Manta Rays). Selayar is less explored and more adventurous. It promises to provide pristine waters with wall diving and reefs more unspoiled than most likely
any other place you’ve been before. Few dive operators go to this area and so
we’re hoping for some completely untouched and healthy sites. Lisa visited here
in 1997 and found it outrageously rich in marine life.
The dates for this trip are March 10–22, 2010. The trip will begin in Bali. We suggest that you arrive at least the day beforehand and Lisa can help you with any
additional site seeing that is desired if you want to go earlier than that or stay after
the trip ends. On the 10th, we will fly as a group to meet the boat in Sumbawa
and start diving later on that day. We’ll first dive the area en route to and around
Komodo We’ll also spend time at the Komodo National Park visiting with the infamous Komodo Dragons. After diving on the 14th we’ll cruise over to Selayar and
start exploring. Our plans currently also include diving in Taka Bonerate National
Park which was rated by Jacques Cousteau as one of the most desirable reef
systems in the world to visit. When you’ve sucked all the nitrogen you can possibly stand we’ll depart from Maumere (on the island of Flores).
The cost of this trip is dependent upon the class of cabin you choose. Lisa will
provide details for all this upon request. The costs for NCRD club members range
from $3740 to $4240 (airfare from the US to and from Bali is NOT included). Nitrox
is available on board for an extra fee of $200 for the entire trip per person. And
it should be noted that this trip is considered an experienced diver vacation so
please review your diving resume with Lisa as soon as possible if you want to go.
So come with us for a “Diving Expedition of a Lifetime”!!! Deposits taken now.
SPONSOR TRIPS
The following trips are offered by NCUPS
sponsors. For a complete list of vacation opportunities visit the
sponsor websites (see “Club Sponsors” on page 11).
Red Hot Special Deals from Kararu Dive Voyages
Kararu Dive Voyages, is willing to give some great deals
to NCUPS members on the following trips if they book direct with Kararu. Limited space available. Contact Kararu
directly for great deals on the trips.
Contact Kararu Dive Voyages
Website www.kararu.com
Email info@kararu.com
01-10 SORONG-AMBON
Raja Ampat
Date January 4-15, 2010
Cost $2950 to $3650
The Raja Ampat island group of Irian Jaya is currently one of the hottest diving destinations on the planet. Diving the exotic and remote Raja Ampat area
should be on every divers “wish list”. Join us for a great trip to this much talked
about destination.
02-10 MAUMERE - BALI
Sumbawa, Satonda, Moyo, and Bali
Date January 18-28, 2010
Cost $2950 to $3650
Join the Cheng Ho on her last trip back to her home port in Bali! Departing
from Maumere, you can enjoy all the great diving the Komodo National Park is
famous for as well as the 3 day journey through the incredible islands of Sumbawa, Satonda, Moyo, and finally Bali!
Philippines Trip Available
11 Days Aboard the Philippine Siren
Date
Leader
Contact
May 31 – June 10
Andy Sallmon
Jenny, Reef & Rainforest
(415) 289-1760 or (800) 794-9767
jenny@reefrainforest.com
Three of our NCUPS sponsors have teamed together to create a fabulous trip
to the Philippines. Reef & Rainforest is organizing a May 31 – June 10 trip that
will be led by Andy Sallmon aboard Worldwide Dive & Sail’s Philippine Siren.
Details can be found at:
www.reefrainforest.com/tp_philippines_with_andy_sallmon_243.html
The Philippine Siren is beautiful and designed specifically for divers. It holds only
16 divers. Andy is an awesome photographer and teacher, so anyone traveling
with him will learn a lot and have a great time.
Fiji Nai’a Trip
11 Days with the Jay Ireland and the
Imaging Foundation
Date February 27 – March 9
Leader Andy Sallmon
Website http://imagingfoundation.org/NSFiji.html
Here’s an opportunity to go diving with Jay Ireland and the Imaging Foundation
aboard the Nai’a in Fiji. There are three spots available on Jay’s February 27
– March 9 trip. He will be videoing baseline healthy coral ecosystems... and
enjoying the company. This is a great opportunity to get to know Jay, learn from
him and others from the Imaging Foundation and enjoy a great trip on one of
NCUPS great sponsors, the Nai’a.
10 | Upcoming Trips
NCUPS Newsletter
sifieds
Club Sponsors/Clas
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
CLUB SPONSORS
These individuals and companies generously donated goods
or services as prizes for our annual contests: SEA200X and
the California Beach Dive Photo Competition. Please show
your appreciation by considering them when you are shopping and mention that you are a member of NCUPS in an
effort to reinforce their association with us.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo . . . . . . . . www.backscatter.com
Bilikiki Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bilikiki.com
Coral Caverns Dive Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.coralcavernsresort.com
Eco-Divers/Kungkungan Bay Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.divekbr.com
Island and Cruise Adventure, Inc. . . . . . . . www.islandcruiseadventure.com
Kararu Dive Voyages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kararu.com
Kasawari Lembeh Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kasawari.com
M/V Febrina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.febrina.com
Manthiri Liveaboard Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.manthiriliveaboard.com
NAI’A Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.naia.com.fj
Odyssea Divers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.odysseadivers.com
One Ocean Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.oneocean.com
Pindito Dive Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pindito.com
Reef and Rainforest Adventure Travel . . . . . . . . . . www.reefrainforest.com
Tawali Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tawali.com
Wakatobi Dive Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wakatobi.com
Wallin’s Dive Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wallins.com
Worldwide Dive & Sail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.worldwidediveandsail.com
GOLD SPONSORS
Bahura Resort & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.islandcruiseadventure.com
Exotic Caye Beach Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.belizeisfun.com
Expedition Fleet Liveaboards . . . . . . . . . . www.islandcruiseadventure.com
Kodak Professional Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.kodak.com
Kosrae Village Ecolodge and Dive Resort . . . . . . . . www.kosraevillage.com
Lembeh Dive Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lembehresort.com
LowePro Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lowepro.com
Sam’s Tours Palau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.samstours.com
SILVER SPONSORS
Blackbeard Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.blackbeard-cruises.com
Ikelite Underwater Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ikelite.com
Nautilus Explorer/Alaska/Socorro . . . . . . . . . . . www.nautilusexplorer.com
SanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sandisk.com
Sea&Sea The Underwater Imaging Company . . . . . . . www.seaandsea.com
Stormcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.stormcase.com
The Underwater Photograher.com . . . . www.theunderwaterphotographer.com
BRONZE SPONSORS
Aquarius Dive Shop, Monterey, CA . . . . . . . . . . . www.aquariusdivers.com
Cypress Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.cypresscharters.com
Diversitea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.diversitea.com
Gates Housings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.gateshousings.com
Hotwave Wetsuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hotwavephuket.com
ReefNet, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reefnet.ca
Sea Challengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.seachallengers.com
Ultralight Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ulcs.com
Wetpixel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wetpixel.com
XIT 404 Underwater & Scuba Diving Products . . . . . . . . . www.xit404.com
Helga Mahlmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ncups.org
Scott “Gutsy” Tuason . . . . . . . www.clubocellaris.com/images/gutsytuason
Steve Rosenberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Joining NCUPS
The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS) is
a nonprofit educational organization formed to promote interest in underwater photography. Schmoozing begins at 7PM and the membership
meeting at 8PM on the second Friday of each month (with the exception
of December). Each month, a guest speaker presents a subject concerning diving and/or photography.
Other NCUPS activities include local boat dives, occasional trips to
southern California dives and tropical vacations, sessions on photography, and a host of additional activities planned by the members.
The following memberships are available:
Active $35
Family $45
At-Large $25
Associate $15
Those who participate in NCUPS activities
Two or more members in the same household
Those unable to participate in local activities
because of geographic location
Non-divers who wish to support the aims of NCUPS
New members joining after September 1 are half price, provided they are paying with the dues for the upcoming year.
Make checks payable to “NCUPS” and mail to: Ruth Chofré
P.O. Box 1168, Alameda, CA 94501-0121.
To change your address, phone number, or email address, email:
membership@ncups.org
Editing HDV: Preferences
Continued from page 9
video to the transfer rate of your hard disk, Final Cut Pro will
know if your effect exceeds the ability of your hard disk. It
will then put a red render bar over the effect and require you to
render it to view it. Use a setting of 22 for an external FireWire
drive on a G-4 laptop, and 36 for an external SATA drive on a
G-5. If you have a RAID, you can leave this alone.
3. Leave Open Last Project… checked. It’s just convenient. If
you don’t want your last project to open up automatically uncheck it. It’s no big deal.
4. Change the defaults in the Autosave Vault so that it saves
sooner and keeps fewer backups.
5. Browser Text Size Increase the size of text in the Browser and
Timeline to Medium. So you can see it.
6. Leave all the default checkbox settings alone. This will get you
started. There may be certain tweaks you’ll need to make from
system to system, but this will act as a certain baseline from
which you can begin.
Happy editing!
You can view this entire article at www.backscatter.com/learn/article/article.
php?ID=18. If you enjoyed this article, you can find it and many more like it on the
Backscatter website at www.backscatter.com.
INFORMATION SPONSORS
CoralRealm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.coralrealm.com
Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo . . . . . . . . www.backscatter.com
January 2010
Club Sponsors/Classifieds | 11
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Meetings and Calendar
Membership Meeting – January 8, 2010
New Vision United Methodist Church
450 Chadbourne Avenue, Millbrae, CA 94030
7PM Doors open
8PM Meeting begins
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY
Jan 8 Membership Meeting (8PM)
Berkley White and Backscatter
MiniComp My Very Favorite Fish
9 Backscatter Demo Day (9AM)
14 Business Meeting (7PM)
Feb 12 Membership Meeting (8PM)
(Speaker to be determined)
MiniComp Look into My Eyes
18 Business Meeting (7PM)
Mar 12 Membership Meeting (8PM)
(Speaker to be determined)
MiniComp Cephalopods and Other Suckers
18 Business Meeting (7PM)
Apr 9 Membership Meeting (8PM)
(Speaker to be determined)
MiniComp Humor
15 Business Meeting (7PM)
Business Meeting – January 14, 2010
Apr 7 Membership Meeting (8PM)
(Speaker to be determined)
MiniComp Humor
13 Business Meeting (7PM)
Round Table Pizza
61 W. 43rd Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403
7PM Meeting begins
All NCUPS members are welcome to attend the business meeting. Arrive early if you would like to eat.
Monthly minicomps are open to all NCUPS members and are held after
the featured presentation at each membership meeting. Entries must
be digital images or scanned slides submitted on a CD or USB drive.
Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
PO Box 1168
Alameda, CA 94501
© Copyright 2001-2009, The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society
General Delivery Email: ncupscontact@yahoogroups.com
Deadline for the next issue is the 21st
First Class Mail
Address Correction Requested