Announce: Time to enter your images for the Colorado Dive Show!

This is the Special Edition Update for the Colorado Dive Show. The voting gallery to show off member images is now being prepared to accept your images on the CUPS website. We had great participation last year. Here’s how it works:

Please read this completely before you start.

1.  The first step is to prepare the digital entry and email it as an attachment to us. These will be uploaded for you into a new Photo Gallery on the CUPS website. Members will then be able to vote their favorites online.
2. If you receive sufficient votes, the second stage is to print and frame the images for viewing at the show.

PREPARATION for sending the digital submission:

• Remember, the digital submission should not be high resolution because these are not for printing. Ideally, you would use some kind of photo editing program to optimize the .jpg or .jpeg for Web display. If you don’t know how to do this, just send it anyway and we’ll assist.
•  Filenames: It is difficult for us to keep track of meaningless names like “DSC10003.jpg” So, please re-name each image with your first initial and last name then underscore and subject’s common name. (e.g., jsmith_stingray.jpeg) if you have more than one entry of the same subject add a number after the common name.
•  In your email text you must give the following information for each individual image, your first and last name, subject (common name) category Artistic or Behavior and geographical location.
• Optional information: Title (e.g., Clowning around), common name and scientific name of the subject (Antennarius commersoni.) Also include the location detail including country, island and reef name and any unusual circumstances, observations, conditions or notations. Equipment used to capture image. All information will be printed on printed ID placard that will be attached to photo at show.
• Send the finished files to both John Daigle daigle_john@hotmail.com and John Gordon jgdiver51@hotmail.com . It is necessary to send it to both of us as we are doing separate components to the exhibit.
• When the gallery is finished you will be notified in a Special Edition Update with a link to the gallery for voting, this will include the rules for voting.

RULES:

1. DEADLINE for us to receive your email submission is SUNDAY AUGUST 28th at midnight.
2. The entries will be limited to 4 per CUPS member 2 per Category (Artistic & Behavior)
3. Voting will be tracked on the website each member has ONE vote per Category.
4. The honor to display your entries will be determined by the number of votes received by the image on the website. The spots will be given out 2 per member unless we receive a low number, then members may receive up to 4 spots in the show.
5. DEADLINE for voting is SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4^th at midnight. You will be notified within 48 hrs of the results.
6. All entrants will be entered into a raffle for a very nice prize. EVERYBODY HAS AN EQUAL CHANCE TO WIN!

SHOW:

• If the votes are sufficient, your image(s) can be displayed at the show. You will be given a 2ft x 2ft area to display each image on our lighted grid-wall at the show.
• You must supply a method to attach the photo-frame to the grid-wall and protective packaging for your photo (include name on photo back and packaging).
• Additional details will be forthcoming in our next CDS Special Edition Update.
• For Additional information or to volunteer to work the show contact John Gordon jgdiver51@hotmail.com or call 303-477-5951 or Cel 720-690-5463 Thank you to those who have already volunteered we still need more. Also contact me if you would like to give a presentation at the show.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: for those who dropped by our booth at the Colorado Dive Show and wanted to register as new members:

Unfortunately, new Registrations are not working as we have disabled part of the website for long-needed maintenance. Please return in a few days hopefully you can register then.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Meanwhile, enjoy surfing the site!
Thanks
John Daigle
Web Host

John Gordon
jgdiver51@hotmail.com



The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place.

Tues. Sep. 20, 2011 CUPS Meeting

Swimming with The Gentle Giants by John Pierce

    Snorkeling with whale sharks in Isla Mujeres.  John will describe this fantastic experience along with details on how any CUPS member can do this trip on a long weekend.  Swimming with these giant animals is an experience not to be missed!       
    Every June through September, whale sharks migrate past the tip of the Yucatan peninsula to feed on the plankton bloom just north of Isla Mujeres.  This gathering of sharks is reputed to be the largest in the world and is highly accessible from either Isla Mujeres or Isla Holbox.  In 2009, a video was taken of over 400 whale sharks not far from the waters around Cabo Catoche.
    John will also give some background on the island of Isla Mujeres and a day trip into the center of the Yucatan to visit the famous Mayan archaeological site Chichen Itza. 
    About John Pierce:  He has been diving since 1983 and has been taking photos underwater since the late 1980's.  His outdoor and diving photos have been published numerous times in travel articles by Austin American Statesman fitness columnist Pamela LeBlanc.  John's wife Angie is a molecular biologist and they actually met over a discussion of the dive tables at a happy hour. Please join us for a snorkel you will never forget!!!

**.July Meeting - Thank you to CUPS Members who presented us with their best shots in preparation for THE COLORADO DIVE SHOW (CDS). coming September 23-24 of 2011. To prepare you entries, please see the guidelines sent to you last month or go to the following link on the Forum: http://www.cupsonline.net/CUPSForums/CUPSOnlineForumsEntryPage/tabid/125/forumid/8/postid/717/view/topic/Default.aspx 
**Aug Meeting - THANK YOU Paddy Ryan for Central America Part I What an exciting trip!!! Glad to have you back!!!
**Nov 13 - Dr. Sylvia Earle will be in Boulder for a special event. More details to follow.

• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
  
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level. Doors open 6:30 PM Talk at 7:00 PM.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

Tues., May 17, 2011 CUPS Meeting
Stop and Smell the Roses by Paddy Ryan

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm
About Paddy Ryan: he is an Underwater Photographer who takes fantastic photos above and below water. You will learn a lot from his philosophy.

Many new (and not so new) divers head off at high speed and try and cover as much territory as possible. They are the ones who ask you breathlessly back in the dive boat "Did you see the turtle" or tell you "We saw a shark".
No - I didn't see the turtle and I missed the shark. But did you see the cryptically colored pygmy scorpionfish, the coral hermit crab, the shrimp cleaning a sweetlips? Did you see that amazing clump of brilliantly colored sea squirts and the fang blenny sticking its head out of an abandoned worm hole? Ah, I thought not. And when you had to surface, 35 minutes into your high speed tour, I was still approaching half a tank.

Many divers reflect the frenetic pace of the modern world in their approach. Diving shouldn't be about crossing species off an imaginary list or collecting famous dive sites so you can boast about having "done the Blue Hole". Diving should be about the love of the ocean. And to love the ocean you have to accumulate knowledge. Not the knowledge that comes from checklists and distant sightings but the knowledge that comes from an intimate association with your surroundings.

This talk is about underwater patterns, textures and colors. It's a plea to slow down. To spend five minutes on a coral head before moving on, to lie on a sandy bottom for five minutes to see what is actually there rather than dismissing it as a lifeless plain. It's a plea to look at the apparently dull and boring stuff because there are often hidden treasures of texture, form or behavior which may not yet have made it into the dive books. It's a plea to do the same dive site over and over so that the fish become accustomed to you and go about their natural behaviors.

This talk shares some of the images I have obtained with this approach.
I am not holding myself out to be some sort of underwater guru - that would  be extreme arrogance. But I can share my philosophy and try and convince you to slow down and smell the roses - and to sweat the small stuff.  Come see for yourself!!!

April  Meeting - Thank you to James McLin of www.EliteWSIeConsulting.com for an enlightening presentation about how to use Social Media and for explaining how it works to some of us older folks. Since it looks like it is here to stay, we can at least join in with some education. Thanks again Jim!!!

July19  Meeting - Help - please volunteer to present. CUPSRSVP@hotmail.com
Coming for Summer 2011 – "The Cove," a documentary, by Louie Psihoyo. showing the horrific slaughter of dolphins in Japan.

The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2011 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)

• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
• Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

Tues., April 19, 2011 CUPS Meeting

Social Media Through a Fish-Eye or
Taking The Plunge Into Social Media by James McLin

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm
The presentation encompasses the trends in Social Media and how like-minded people have used Social Media. Jim will give us the information we need to know to market our photos, videos and books.
  About Jim:
Jim is an Internet Consultant for Elite WSI Consulting. See www.EliteWSIeConsulting.com for more.

James has Lived in Beautiful Colorado with his wife JoLynn and daughter Sloan since 1997. They  enjoy the outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer including hiking and skiing.  Sloan stays active with managing their. Varsity Lacrosse team and is on the honor role.

James has been in the Internet industry for over 25 years. But it all started with the US Navy where he served on SDVT-1 (Seal Delivery Vehicle Team 1) where he became an active diver. After the Navy he moved to Hawaii to work for DOT where he was able to travel the islands and to Kwajalein Atoll, Lots of diving in those locations. Then he meet Jolynn, got married and we took our show on the road to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where Sloan was born. While in Hawaii and K.S.A., James worked for Intergraph, a scientific and engineering software company. While in K.S.A. James was able to dive numerous times with many stories in the Red Sea on the Saudi-Jordan side. Unfortunately that was last time he dove but he may have to dive again soon

When he returned to the US he Moved to San Jose and worked with fortune 100 with Internet needs. He has been a systems engineer, Network Security consultant and Principle Engineer for major companies. Today James owns and operates an Internet Marketing Franchise called WSI.

**March  Meeting - Thank you to Michael Stallings for a walk (dive) on the wild side. Thanks for sharing some terrific shots of rare and interesting creatures of the Philippines. The video showed a lot of interesting colors and creature behavior. Keep up the good work!!!
**May 17  Meeting - Paddy Ryan will work another underwater miracle.
**Coming for Summer 2011 – "The Cove," a documentary, by Louie Psihoyo. showing the horrific slaughter of dolfins in Japan.,

• The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2011 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2011 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)

Tues., March 15, 2011 CUPS Meeting
The Diverse Species of the Philippines by Michael Stallings

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm
The presentation encompasses two videos of Mike's trip to the Philippines in November 2009. The videos are were taken in two separate areas - Dumaguete in the south Negros Island region and Puerto Galera, south of Manila, on the Mindoro Island. Accommodations and diving were provided by Atlantis Resorts and the trip was organized by Gobe Divers. Both locations provided the opportunity for both muck and stunning reef diving. As result, you will see a diverse variety of species including flamboyant cuttlefish, bumphead parrots, ghost pipefish, frogfish, shrimp, seahorses, numerous varieties of anemone fish and colorful anthias.
  About Mike:
Since 2001, Mike Stallings has produced underwater videos under the name MASDIVE. A series of short extracts from videos that he has produced over the years are posted in the CUPS Members gallery. Mike still shoots with his original underwater equipment: a Sony TRV900 miniDv camcorder, housed in a T-9 Undersea's Video Housing with dual florescent lights. Additional production lenses include a 0.6 wide angle, an internal 4x achromatic and an external 2x "Woody" CU lenses. He edits video using a dedicated standalone PC running Avid/Pinnacle Liquid 7.2.

**Feb  Meeting - Thank you to Douglas J Hoffman for sharing for a Skype adventure to Tonga via Maui. Everyone really enjoyed the Humpback whales (esp. the babies) and also the sharks in Fiji. If you missed the talk check out www.douglasjhoffman.com. A special thanks to John Gordon who somehow managed to set up the electronics to work flawlessly. He even has some hair left!
 **Coming for Apr 19, 2011 – James McLin, a Social Media Marketing Expert, will give us the information we need to know to market our photos, videos and books. 

• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

CUPS Meeting Tues., Feb 15
Whales of Tonga and Fiji aboard the Nai’a
                   by Douglas J and Mieko Hoffman of Maui

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm,
Our first talk via SKYPE. Douglas and Mieko Hoffman will be talking from Maui, Hawaii on their Naia Cruises with some wonderful footage of humpback whales.

from Douglas
   My goal is to create compelling images of nature that reflect beauty and drama in order to evoke an emotional response.
    I feel very fortunate to live my dream of being a professional photographer and want to give something back.  Thats how Art for Conservation and Education was created. This programs uses the sale of fine art to support worthwhile NPO's  like Whale Trust and Whale Dolphin Conservation Society, fund programs which study and preserve cetaceans, increase scientists knowledge base, help train future educators, and increase public awareness. In 2009, I added education to Art for Conservation. It helps raise funds for local schools.
about Douglas
    In 1985, Douglas Hoffman moved to Maui, Hawaii to work in the hotel industry. After participating in an introductory dive, the course of his life changed and he become a scuba instructor. As time passed he learned the art of underwater photography, and started to receive international awards.
In 1995, he met his wife Mieko, a fellow dive instructor from Japan. The couple spent the next few years dividing their time between Maui, and traveling throughout the South Pacific. In 1997, the Hoffman's decided to settle down and opened Maui Photography Inc., specializing in family portraiture.
Currently Douglas and Mieko have two girls named Hana and Aya and two dogs, Yap & Finn. LIfe is busy and full of excitement. He has won many awards. Please visit his website www.douglas jhoffman.com. While enjoying time with his girls, each year Douglas leads adventures to Tonga, Fiji, and Indonesia.In Tonga he swims with Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whales.
**Jan  Meeting - Thank you to Nick Ferris for sharing his Whale Shark adventures on Ningaloo Reef, Australia.
 **Coming for Mar 15, 2011 – Mike Stallings will present an outstanding video of the weird and beautiful creatures of the Philippines.

• The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2011 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

Tues., Jan 18, 2011 CUPS Meeting "CUPS Ten Year Anniversary"-
Whale Sharks of Ningaloo Reef by Nick Ferris

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm

Nick's Power Point presentation concerns whale sharking at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. All from the mid-'90s.  We start the day in a plane which flies over the reef to find whale sharks. The only ones seen are at the surface, so the divers only use snorkeling gear. At lunch break out on Ningaloo Reef we snorkel with mantas and scuba to see what else is there. Then more whale sharks. Next day we dive the Navy Pier, literally a world of its own. And we have a look inside Exmouth Gulf, and take a boat out to the Muiron Islands to socialize with Speck. Speck? Well, you'll have to come to the meeting to find out about Speck. There may even be a short tour of Northwest Cape.

NEW!!! Well not exactly, CUPS is bringing back by popular demand “Share your Photos” now at meeting following the scheduled presentations; members are encouraged to bring a few images to share with the group. This can be used to tune-up a future presentation or show off your last trip also to get feedback on techniques. Join In!!

ALSO this January is CUPS 10^th Anniversary. Originally CUPS was formed by members Alan Klein, Nick Ferris, Wes Underwood and John Gordon. This was accomplished with the support of the CSRA (Colorado Scuba Retailers Association) and Ocean Journey followed by support from The Downtown Aquarium and Reed Photo. The group developed with additional member participation and support over the years. Thank you all for all the continuing support. With special thanks to Richard Perry, John Daigle, Sonia Atwood, Jack Kirk, Loren Laureti, Brant Davis, John Warn, Sandra Schroth, Ed Sauer, Carol Harper, Chuck Catlett, Mark Wolff, John Bulik, Mel Cundiff, Paddy Ryan, Todd Hall, Alyce Todd, Bob Reed and Scott Taylor for their service and hard work on promoting CUPS.

*DEC Meeting - Thank you to Dr. Alex Antoniou for his many years of studying sharks and his continuing work with the new organization FINS ATTACHED. Thanks to members offering him support.
 **Coming for Feb15, 2011 - Our first talk via SKYPE. Douglas and Mieko Hoffman will be talking from Maui, Hawaii on their Naia Cruises with some wonderful footage of humpback whales.

• The Downtown Aquarium is the CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2011 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

CUPS Meeting Wed Dec 15 (Wed not Tues)
                            Joint with the SHARK BAIT DIVE CLUB
Dr. Alex Antoniou.of shark research and protection FINS ATTACHED.

Announcements: A special thanks to Chuck Catlett for Oct in Bonaire with the little guys and Carol Harper for Nov all over the world with her Best Shots!!
Jan 18, 2011 Nick Ferris takes us to Australia for some Whale Sharking at Ningaloo Reef..

Field Research: White Sharks, Whale Sharks & Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks

Dr. Alex Antoniou has been working with and studying sharks for over 15 years.  He began his work by establishing a field station for SRI in the Honduran Bay Island of Utila and subsequently convinced the Honduran Government to enact protection laws for the whale shark in their territorial waters. 

He was the first to tag whale sharks in the Caribbean with satellite tags.  From Honduras, Alex moved on to study sharks in Mexico and the Galapagos Islands. Recently, he initiated a radio-telemetry program to study scalloped hammerhead sharks. This research is ongoing with PRETOMA with plans to tag more sharks in 2011.

Dr. Antoniou also works in Mexico.  In 2008 he helped to tag white sharks with acoustic transmitters and also helped deploy radio receivers for data collection.  The work in Mexico also includes the first tagging of sharks at the Revillagigedo Islands south of Cabo San Lucas.  During an expedition in 2008 and one in 2009, a total of 17 sharks were tagged, including scalloped hammerheads and Galapagos sharks.  The data from this research project is already beginning to collect valuable information that will hopefully lead to increased protection at these remote islands.  The research is continuing this year with more plans to tag white sharks at Guadalupe Island and hammerhead sharks at Revillagigedo.

Alex has a passion for shark research and shark conservation around the world.  For a decade, he served as the Director of Field Operations for the Shark Research Institute and now continues his efforts by partnering with researchers around the world to help with shark research projects.  He feels that more people need to become engaged in protecting these magnificent and valuable creatures. Becoming educated about sharks is the first step.

The Shark Bait Dive Club will also be announcing the prize winners for this year’s club calendar contest. The prizes are: 3rd place – 2 one hour massage gift certificates from Green Mountain Massage, 2nd place – gift certificate from Underwater Phantaseas, Lakewood and GRAND PRIZE – 1 week Bahamas live-a-board trip with Blackbeard’s. (several CUPS members have entries – come see who wins!)

WHEN: Wednesday December 15th , 2010 (Please note Wed not Tue)

Dinner/Drinks 6:00pm 

Menu: $20.95 Chicken $22.45 Broiled White Fish GF$22.75 Shrimp

            Includes dinner, sides and drinks (Vegetarian Available)

           Alcohol and dessert extra, Individual checks

SPEAKER:   Alex Antoniou speaks at  7:00pm

WHERE:White Fence Farm, 6263 West Jewell Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80232
              North Garden Room

RSVP:  julie@sharkbaitdiveclub.com  by Friday December 10th!

And indicate: dinner and program or program only

“Diving is life; everything else is just a surface interval.”

 

 

October19, 2010 CUPS Meeting -
The Best of Bonaire by Chuck Catlett

The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm

“I have been to Bonaire 11 times, 9 times with a camera. Going to one location and getting to know local divers have been very advantageous in finding some of the lesser known critters on the reef. Most of my work in Bonaire has been macro but there are many wide angle opportunities as well. My favorite subjects are Frog fish, Pike blennies and Jaw fish. I’ll have lots of pics of all 3. Please feel free to bring one or two photos to share with the group.”

Breaking News:  The Denver Photographic Society "Swap Meet" this Sunday; buy and sell photographic equipment. http://denverphotosociety.org/SwapMeet.html

*Sep Meeting - Thank you Paddy Ryan for sharing your Adventure trip to the Sea of Cortez. Everyone wants to do the exact same trip next year. Forget the stinking Airlines!!!
 **Coming for Nov 16, 2010  - Carol Harper will give us some more underwater delights from her trip to the Philippines

***Colorado Dive Show - Thanks to CUPS talented photographers for submitted outstanding photos. A special thanks for John Gordon fpr organizing the booth and to all of the other volunteers. Start collecting photos for another future event.

• The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening. ·
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

Hit Me with Your Best Shots

CUPS member, Carol Harper, will reflect on her 23 years of diving experiences in Caribbean and Pacific destinations.  With several thousand underwater photo images to choose from, she will entertain us with some of the best from her collection.

Carol has been inspired by the underwater beauty and diversity of life.  Her emphasis has been coral reefs because of their vibrant colors and interesting textures and patterns, but she includes the Galapagos and wreck diving as favorites too!  Being an underwater photographer has enabled her to “capture” the very beautiful, the somewhat bizarre, various life behaviors, and some amazing tiny babies!   

• The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
•  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

September CUPS Meeting September 21:
The Blog from the Sea of Cortez -
presentation by Paddy Ryan
Ever since I read John Steinbeck's Log from the Sea of Cortez I have wanted to travel to and dive in this region. I fulfilled this dream last summer. It started with an epic drive from Thornton, Colorado and finished in Loreto in Baja California Sur. Along the way I encountered boojum trees, cardron cacti and desert scorpions. The Sea of Cortez was extraordinarily fecund and the contrast with the desert profound. We encountered huge schools of mobula rays, a pod of pilot whales and many schools of dolphins. Sharks however, grossly over-fished, were conspicuously absent. During my stay in Loreto a small group of conservationists prevented spearfishermen from encroaching into the Marine Protected Areas. But this was just one skirmish in an ongoing war. I'm hopeful that my underwater photos will help provide conservationists with additional material to make their case. The whole of Baja is special and the impacts of climate change are currently unpredictable. Paddy Ryan CUPS Meeting Presenter for September.

• The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place. Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month! (See link below for map.)
• Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening. ·
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
• Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211
• Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

CUPS A-1 SCUBA Photo Contest 2010 -Winning Photos Announced

Breaking News - We have winners for Contest #1 AND Contest #2 - Congratulations!

In our first online photo contest, CUPS members entered 44 images in the Artistic and Behavior categories. There was great participation with over 50 CUPS members casting their votes. This is a two-part contest. Contest #1 was conducted online and Contest #2 was conducted in person by public attendees at the A-1 SCUBA Sale May 22-23. Click here to see entries.

WINNERS A-1 PEOPLES CHOICE (Voted by the public at the A-1 SCUBA Sale)

ARTISTIC

First Place - Turtle and Michael by Brant Davis

Second Place - Reef and Jungle by Richard Glouch

Third Place - Chromodoris Williani by Richard Glouch

Honorable Mention - Komodo Clownfish by Al Knoblock

BEHAVIOR

First Place - Mating Mandarins by Ed Yoblonski

Second Place - Jumping and Smiling Dolphins Brant Davis

Third Place - Anemonefish, Commensal Shrimp by Richard Glouch

Honorable Mention - Puppy Love by John Gordon

Online Contest Winners

Total entries: 44 Photos

CUPS Members voting in each Category: 54

ARTISTIC Category

Award	Title
First Prize - Artistic - Online	Blue Starfish of Fiji by Brant Davis
Second Prize - Artistic - Online	Turtle and Michael by Brant Davis
Third Prize - Artistic - Online	Manta Rising by Mark Wolff
People's Choice Entry Winner	Chromodoris Williani by Richard Glouch
People's Choice Entry Winner	Hawkfish on Sponge by Ed Yoblonski
People's Choice Entry Winner	Golden Damselfish & Red Whip Coral by Jane Schneider
People's Choice Entry Winner	Lighted Urchins by Debbie Wolff
People's Choice Entry Winner	Komodo Clownfish by Al Knoblock
People's Choice Entry Winner	Reef and Jungle 1 by Richard Glouch
BEHAVIOR Category
First Prize - Behavior - Online	Puppy Love by John Gordon
Second Prize - Behavior - Online	Jumping & Smiling Dolphin by Brant Davis
Third Prize - Behavior - Online	Gone Fishin by Mark Wolff
People's Choice Entry Winner	Anemonefish, Commensal Shrimp by Richard Glouch
People's Choice Entry Winner	Mating Mandarins by Ed Yoblonski
People's Choice Entry Winner	Zebra on Fire Urchin by Mark Wolff
People's Choice Entry Winner	Magnificent Sea Anemone by Jane Schneider
People's Choice Entry Winner	Fiji Nudi by Al Knoblock
People's Choice Entry Winner	Spinecheek Anemonefish & Friend by Ed Yoblonski

CUPS OCTOBER 16th Meeting

Dr.Paddy Ryan renowned author and photographer will Present:

His recent trips to Belize and Fiji. This should be very interesting in that Paddy has be studying the South Pacific for quite some time. Dr Ryan has taught at Metro State and now teaches at The Colorado School of Mines. See his photography at http://www.ryanphotographic.com/

Time permitting - John Daigle will present a short demonstration of using Adobe software to create animated tutorials. For example, a tutorial on retouching an underwater photograph using Photoshop or some other software. This tutorial becomes a Flash animation which can be viewed and shared on a website for anyone to see.

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

Our own Paddy Ryan has a beautiful image on the cover of the latest issue of National Geographic Explorer! This Bulabula iguana is a new species found on Fiji. It's named for the Fijian word for, "hello." To see it as part of a quiz for kids, Click Here.

This was a terrific presentation! (Thanks to Sandra and Ed)
July 20, 2010 CUPS Meeting -
The Humpback Whales of Niue
by Ed Sauer and Sandra Schroth

Coming for July 20, 2010 - The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm
Well, Ed Sauer and Sandra Schroth have done it again! This time they have some amazing new footage of the southern hemisphere humpback whales of Niue. They have caught many behaviors like bubble blowing use for evasive tactics, sleeping and the most fun newly born babies learning to be whales.

They will also show the story of the amazing Niuean caves, rainforests, diving with sea snakes and driving on this small South Pacific Island. Niue is East of Tonga and Fiji and South of Somoa. It is a nation with free association with New Zealand. Ed Sauer and Sandra Schroth, long time underwater and wildlife videographers have spent the last year shooting with their new camera, a RED ONE, a 4k digital cinema camera. They also have other video and digital cameras.

They produced a short film, “Sharks Why do we Care” to educate the public on shark awareness. Ed has designed and built several underwater housings for production cameras and the lighting to go with them. So come join us July 20 for an exciting adventure to another part of the world.

At Noon *this* Saturday!
Nick Ferris to make special Denver Aquarium presentation on Anemonefish

In addition to the CUPS regular 3rd Tuesday meeting, don't miss this special Saturday (April 10) event! It will be held in the Library. Todd Hall, Corporate Dive Safety Officer and Alyce Todd, Co-Manager of Education for the Downtown Aquarium Denver tell us there will be an excellent presentation on Anemonefish and their Anemone's from 12 - 1:00 pm in the library. Nick Ferris, a local "Anemonefish guru" will be sharing his anemonefish pictures and knowledge from his travels around the world. Feel free to bring a friend. This free presentation is open to all volunteers and friends/family.

As an added incentive, everyone who attends will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE Dive with the Fish or Dive with the Sharks program ($175 value) you can use for who ever you want. The drawing will occur at the end of the presentation at 1pm, you must be present to win.

CUPS A-1 SCUBA Contest!

NOTE: Go to this page to see the Gallery of CUPS Photo Entries (all 44 of them!)
Once again, we're happy to announce that A-1 SCUBA has invited CUPS to have a photo contest in conjunction with their May 22-23 Sale.

The Categories
For simplicity we will have only two categories (from digital submissions which will be posted on the CUPS Website)

1. Artistic: anything relating to aquatic environment you feel is appealing to the eye.
2. Behavior: anything showing aquatic interaction or behavior.

Two Contests (both free):
One for digital images on CUPS Website. One with photo prints in-person at A-1 SCUBA.

1. Contest #1
   CUPS Member Online Photo Contest (votes will be cast online)
   CUPS members will be able to cast 1 vote each in the Artistic and Behavior categories. Votes will be cast online and there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons for each category. This contest is strictly in digital form (may also be digitized from film or prints) and votes will be tabulated on the CUPS Website. Though Contest #1 is strictly digital, you are also agreeing to provide a photo print which fits a 16 x 20 frame, should you be among the top 17 vote-getters as these will be invited to enter Contest #2.
   More information will be posted on the website as to how to vote online.
   
2. Contest #2
   People's Choice Contest will be voted on by the general public who attend the A-1 Sale in person. (1st, 2nd, 3rd and two honorable mentions)
   It happens that we have 17 frames that are 16 x 20 suitable for hanging at the A-1 SCUBA space. You may use these frames or use your own (matting at your discretion.) The highest 17 vote-getters from the CUPS Member Digital Online contest will be invited to submit 16 x 20 prints for the existing frames. The images displayed during the People's Choice Contest will be drawn from the seventeen (17) photos which received the most votes in the CUPS Member contest. These will be displayed and voted on by attendees submitting paper ballots at the A-1 May 22-23 sale. There will be three place winners and two honorable mentions in the “People’s Choice” awards for this part of the contest.
   

How to enter:
For Contest #1, we will have a special Photo Contest Gallery set up for viewing on the CUPS website so that registered members can view the entries and vote for their favorites.

• Submit your digitized images (.jpg format preferred) either by an email attachment to daigle_john@hotmail.com or present them in person at the CUPS Tuesday meeting, April 20. To maintain impartiality, John Daigle will not be entering the contest. Instead he will make sure the images are posted on the website with the descriptions and report the votes.
• If email attachments are a problem, you can also submit them on Disk, a USB Flash (Thumb) Drive or in person at the CUPS meeting this coming Tuesday night (or via regular mail if you like.) Also, if you have posted to your CUPS Member Gallery, let me know the name and where it is and I'll get it from there.
  
• You may submit as many as two (2) photos per category (Artistic and Behavior). Important: Be sure to let John know:
  
• Your name and email address and phone number
  
• Name of your entry (e.g., "Clark's Anemonefish in purple anemone")
• Short description. (e.g., House Reef, Wakatobi, Sulawesi, Indonesia.)

• Website submissions deadline has passed.
• Website voting deadline is May 11. An announcement of the winners will be posted May 12.

Frames will be available at a special meeting Friday May 14th 7pm at El Senõr Sol Right across the street from the Downtown Aquarium. Even if you’re not picking up a frame come socialize and dine. Detail on delivery and pick-up will be discussed at this time.

The exhibit will need to have 2 CUPS Members hosting from 8 am to 5 pm on Sat, May 22 and from 10 am to 5 pm on Sun, May 23. We have some volunteers but need a few more. John Gordon will be on hand all day both days to provide the volunteers with assistance. Please email Sonia at degirlie@hotmail.com by Apr 23 to be scheduled.

Thanks,
John Gordon
jgdiver51@hotmail.com http://www.eyefathom.com

CUPS Monthly Meeting for May 18 features Jim Durkee - Marine Mammals
Most scuba divers that travel the world diving in it's different oceans don't often see more than 1 or 2 types of marine mammals unless they are very lucky. I have been lucky in that I have been able to travel the world photographing wildlife. My travels have taken my from 80 deg N were the walrus and polar bears live to 65 deg S where leopard seals and elephant seal live and many place in between. I will show some of the more impressive marine mammals that I have had the good fortune to photograph. All of the subjects of this presentation where photographed in their natural habitat, all animals were wild and free.

April Meeting Shout-out
to John Warn for a terrific and colorful talk on Fiji. And, WOW, ask him to show you his impressive publication on Fiji.

...

March 2010 CUPS Meeting -

Coral Reef Critters – The Echinoderms by Mel Cundiff

 

 

Coming for March 16, 2010 - The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm

      Mel’s talk will guide us through the general characteristics, distribution, and natural history of The Echinoderms. He will have us look at the symmetry, skeletal and vascular systems. Modeling for him will be the famous Sea Stars. A look into regeneration and reproduction will forever change the image we once had of these underwater wonders. Brittle Stars, Serpent Stars and Basket Stars – more of our famous diving buddies. Sea Urchins, Cake Urchins and Sand Dollars will make you shiver and say “Ahhh” on the very same dive. Sea Cucumbers - will Mel  reveal the secret of the pearl fish? Join the famous dancers of the sea, the Crinoids and Feather Stars.  By the end of this talk you will be an Echino fan – forget those cute dolphins!!! 

Who is MEL CUNDIFF?  He is a guy who has managed to combine Scuba Diving with his Employment. As Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU in Boulder, he also doubles as a Scuba  Instructor. And wait until you read this: where he has been diving??? Bahamas. Canada (BC). Caribbean( Belize, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Curacao,   Puerto Rico, Roatan, St. John, St. Maarten,  St. Thomas.Venezuela, Costa Rica), Fiji Islands, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Indonesia-north, south, east, Malaysia, Mexico: Pacific Coast, Caribbean/Gulf Coast, Micronesia: Palau (Belau), Truk (Chuuk), PNG-north, south, east, Philippines, Red Sea, Egypt, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Turks and Caicos, United States: CA, CO, FL, HI, MA, NE, NC, NM, WA

     His experiences include warm waters surrounding coral reefs; kelp beds in the Pacific Northwest and on a large number of wrecks. He has dived in cenotes, with manatees and dugongs, and in one of the world’s largest public aquaria. He will breathe off anything: surface-supplied air on hookah, Semi-Closed-Circuit Rebreathers not to mention air and nitrox. He has logged almost 2000 dives and administered 1100 SCUBA certifications including many specialties. His third double is a photographer with award winning photos. He also has to his credit contributions or publication including some of his photos in Dive Training, Alert Diver, Colorado-Wyoming Scientist, Colorado-Views from CU-Boulder, Diving Into Darkness: The Elements of Safe Night Diving, Between the Reefs, Underwater Universe and Who’s Who in Scuba Diving.

     Mel teaches advanced college-credit courses in Tropical Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology—the latter course being taught in Cozumel, Mexico, to SCUBA-certified, seňor-level biology students. Each year he presents about four all-day, well-illustrated “Coral Reef Ecology” seminars to SCUBA-certified divers in the Colorado area.  These seminars have been well received and, along with the coral reef ecology course, have been the focal point of some of his articles published. Now I ask you – where will he go next? Come to the meeting and he will invite you along.

*Feb Meeting - Thank you Nick Ferris for some wonderful slides and underwater history on Kona, Hawaii.

**Coming for April 20, 2010 AMAZING FIJI, Beauty Above and Below Water by John Warn exploring the different regions of Fiji  

**Coming for May 18, 2010 Marine Mammals by Jim Durkee

 

The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place.

    Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month!

(See link below for map.)

·  Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
·  Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.

·  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

February 2010 CUPS Meeting - The Best of Kona by Nick Ferris

 

Coming for February 16, 2010 - The meeting time is 6:30 for socializing and presentation at 7pm

Nick Ferris reports on Kona, Hawaii:

Nick Ferris will provide us with new info on Kona, Hawaii, with a viewer friendly explanation of why Hawaii exists. And a lot of fish of course. More than just the Ring of Fire. 

"The Best of Kona" will feature a great many kinds of reef fish and a few other residents of Hawaii's west coast. Some 28% of reef fish in Hawaii are endemic, meaning that they occur nowhere else.
Hawaii doesn't occur anywhere else either, so that makes good sense. Hawaii is a volcano, but not part of the volcanic "ring of fire". So we will examine WHY Hawaii is. Oh, and because Nick is a geologist, all geologists will be admitted free! Just kidding. Everyone is welcome. This should be a real treat.

Coming for March 16, 2010 - Mel Cundiff presenting "Reef Critters-the Echinoderms"

Coming for Apri 20 and May 18, 2010 Talks on Fiji and Marine Mammals.

The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place.

    Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month!

(See link below for map.)

·  Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
·  Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.

·  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

January 2010 CUPS Meeting -

 

The Downtown Aquarium – Video Editing and More

Ed Sauer assisted by Sandra Schroth
Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Classroom Doors Open 6:30 pm Presentation at 7:00 pm

     Color Correction for video is back by popular demand.  Ed Sauer will show the basics of color correction in  Final Cut Pro 7 and color grading in Color 1.5. Techniques used will apply to most editing and color correcting software. If time allows, Ed will also cover cleaning up those annoying audio tracks and setting them at the correct levels.

    Ed Sauer and Sandra Schroth, long time underwater and wildlife videographers have spent the last year shooting with their new camera, a RED ONE, a 4k digital cinema camera. They also have other video and digital cameras. They produced a short film, “Sharks Why do we Care” to educate the public on shark awareness.

    Ed has designed and built several underwater housings for production cameras and the lighting to go with them. He will show his latest creation -- underwater LED video lights. With a whopping 6,020 lumens, he has still not run the small battery pack down in over 2 hours of operation. What will he do next? Bring your questions. Ed will keep this sometimes confusing subject simple...we hope!

From the December Meeting:

    Thank you to the Aquarium Dive Safety Officer Todd Hall and Co-Manager of Education Alyce Todd for their tours of the Aquarium from Behind the Scenes and from the otherside. Thanks again!

Coming for February 16, 2010 - Nick Ferris reports on Kona, Hawaii:

Nick Ferris will provide us with new info on Kona, Hawaii, with a viewer friendly explanation of why Hawaii exists. And a lot of fish of course. More than just the Ring of Fire.  

Coming for March 16, 2010 - Mel Cundiff presenting "Reef Critters-the Echinoderms"

Coming for Apri 20 and May 18, 2010 Talks on Fiji and Marine Mammals.

 

The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place.

    Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month!

(See link below for map.)

·  Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. We have received reports of car break-ins at this lot as it is unattended. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.
·  Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.

·  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious classroom.

December CUPS Meeting -

The Downtown Aquarium – behind the Scenes and More

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 from 6:30 pm (sharp!) to 9 pm
   Please meet at the Downtown Aquarium in the classroom at 6:30 pm (sharp!) Please note that this is a half hour earlier than our usual official meeting start time. The tours will be led by Dive Safety Officer Todd Hall and Co-Manager of Education Alyce Todd. This should be an enlightening experience for all. If you have never been through the aquarium, it is well worth it. Our guides will be Todd and Alyce showing us "behind the scenes" happenings. Even if you have been there before, there are always new critters to admire. After the tour we will retire to the lounge for thoughtful discussion and some Christmas cheer. Hope to see you there! (see directions below)

From the November Meeting:

    Thank you to Paddy Ryan for his wonderful talk on the Kri Eco Resort and the magnificent diving of the Raja Ampat Islands of Indonesia. Paddy you set the bar really high for this organization. Thanks again!

Coming for January 19, 2010 - Video editing and more, by Ed Sauer:

    Color Correction for video is back by popular demand.  Ed Sauer will show the basics of color correction in  Final Cut Pro 7 and color grading in Color 1.5. Techniques used will apply to most editing and color correcting software. If time allows, Ed will also cover cleaning up those annoying audio tracks and setting them at the correct levels.

     Ed has designed and built several underwater housings for production cameras and the lighting to go with them. He will show his latest creation -- underwater LED video lights. With a whopping 6,020 lumens, he has still not run the small battery pack down in over 2 hours of operation. What will he do next? Bring your questions. Ed will keep this sometimes confusing subject simple...we hope. 

Coming for February 16, 2010 - Nick Ferris reports on Kona, Hawaii:

Nick Ferris will provide us with new info on Kona, Hawaii, with a viewer friendly explanation of why Hawaii exists. And a lot of fish of course. More than just the Ring of Fire. Please mark your calendar for 2010 - the Third Tuesday of each month!

 

The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place.

    Tuesday, December 15, 2009 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Mark your calendar:  (See link below for map.)

·  Note: There is usually free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children's Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building. Otherwise there is parking directly across the street from the Aquarium at a flat $7 in the evening.

·  Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.

·  Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious Classroom/Conference rooms.

Raja Ampat Islands from Kri Eco by Paddy Ryan

  

     Coming up for our Nov 17th meeting is a wonderful dive through the Four Kings, the Raja Ampat Islands of Indonesia. Paddy Ryan was born In England and has lived in Jersey in the Channel Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Sarawak, Australia and the US. He has a doctorate in zoology and is currently employed at Johnson & Wales University in Denver where he is a full professor and interim Chair of the School of Arts and Sciences. He also teaches as an Adjunct Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. He is a keen, widely published, nature photographer who has written a number of books including the Snorkeller’s Guide to the Coral Reef, Fiordland Underwater - New Zealand’s Hidden Wilderness, Fiji’s Natural Heritage and most recently Kri Eco - Raja Ampat.  He has been diving for 30 years and taking underwater photographs for nearly all of that time. He’s a PADI dive master  with well over 1000 dives to his credit. He has dived in Cozumel, The Sea of Cortez, Samoa, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, the Bahamas, Belize, New Zealand and Indonesia. Next year he is leading a dive trip to Fiji.

     Diving Accommodations in Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia are at the Kri Eco Resort which sits on a breathtakingly beautiful small island a 2-hour dive boat ride from Sorong's airport. Sitting on the edge of mountainous Kri Island the dive resort is shaded by palm trees that run along a long fine white sand beach. Kri Eco Resort is a simple, informal, but very comfortable dive resort in very pristine nature. Many guests like it for its peaceful location, natural surroundings and tropical island beauty.

      The reefs around the Raja Ampat Islands off the Bird's Head Peninsular region of western New Guinea are considered to contain the world's highest biodiversity. During a three week stay Paddy did 43 dives and took over 5,000 photos. During one dive, renowned fish biologist Gerry Allen recorded 284 fish species. Paddy photographed 213 species. The total fish species count is now 1066 and growing. To put this into perspective, the most speciose place in the Caribbean is Bonaire with 371 species.

     During this talk Dr. Ryan will discuss getting there, highlight some of the more spectacular species, and recount his experience of self-publishing a print on demand book. 

Good News! The Downtown Aquarium is the new CUPS meeting place.

Mark your calendar:
Tuesday, October 20
6:30 pm to 9 pm
Downtown Aquarium
(See below for details)

Thanks to the hospitality of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., CUPS will be able to return to our regular third-Tuesday meeting schedule at the beautiful Downtown Aquarium in their spacious Classroom/Conference rooms.
 
This first meeting will be especially important as we "rejuvenate" the organization now that we have a reliable meeting place.  Here are some key items on the agenda for this important meeting:

• Organizational and Suggestions Meeting: this Oct. 20th, Tuesday 6:30pm in the Classroom at the Downtown Aquarium also at this meeting we will be given a tutorial on the digital projection system as well as the Aquarium itself.
• We need some members to volunteer to assist in the administration of the CUPS website
• We also need volunteers to make presentations for future meetings. Sonia Atwood has volunteered to coordinate this effort.
• Note: Parking directly across the street from the Aquarium is a flat $7 in the evening. However, there is free parking in the lot just south and in the adjacent Children’s Museum parking lot. You can enter this free parking area by taking the first driveway entrance on the right just south of the aquarium main building.
• Entrance: Go through the double doors on the Water Street side (across from Senor Sol Restaurant) and the classroom is directly to your right on the first level.
• We need a volunteer for a secretary/treasurer as Loren Laureti is resigning; she will be glad to explain the procedures to the new volunteer. We certainly appreciate Loren's service for the past couple of years in this role.
• Map: Denver Downtown Aquarium  If you want to make your own Mapquest Direction map, here is the official address: 700 Water St, Denver, CO 80211

These arrangements were made during a meeting between John Gordon and John Daigle representing CUPS and Todd Hall, Dive Safety Officer and Alice Todd, Education Director, representing the Downtown Aquarium. Nick Ferris was instrumental in coordinating the meeting with Todd Hall and his work is appreciated.
 
Presentation Opportunity:
As consideration for allowing us to use their Classroom, The Downtown Aquarium is asking CUPS members to volunteer to present approximately 4 educational presentations to their staff and volunteers. This is an exciting opportunity for members to show off their work and share their knowledge of photography/videography, SCUBA diving, dive sites, reef biology, etc. More details will be discussed at the meeting.
 
Note to CUPS MEMBERS:
Due to circumstances beyond my control I have been unable to participate in organizing CUPS meeting for the past few months. Due to the loss of Reed Photo as our meeting place I was in the process of making arrangements with the Downtown Aquarium. We appreciate Reed's contribution in the past and look forward to our new relationship with The Downtown Aquarium.
Sincerely,
John Gordon (303-477-5951) (cell 720-690-5463) or  Website: http://www.eyefathom.com

See you at the meeting!

Kona Trip Report
by Nick Ferris

Mid and I spent 4 days in Kona with Aloha Divers. We would meet owner Mike Nakachi and divemaster Earl Kam at Honokohau Harbor at 0645, be on the water by 0700, have two dives and a cookie-filled surface interval, and be on the road headed home at 1000. Other outfits are getting started.

At the beginning of our first dive a six foot long hammerhead shark looked us over. Yep, a hammer, and right near the rocks other boats would visit later. But the shark would be gone. The main reason to dive with Aloha, apart from the cookies, is that Mike and Earl know where to find the rare stuff. Like frogfish, octopus, dragon morays, leaf scorpions, and Tinker’s butterflyfish, a $700 item in the tropical fish trade. The most exhilarating dives were those featuring spotted eagle rays doing their courtship thing only a few feet away. We figure our 8 dives with Aloha were more satisfying than the 18 dives in May at Wakatobi.

Aloha has a relatively small (but comfortable) boat and takes only six divers maximum. The divers have to all want the same sorts of dives any given day, and must now be former clients. Rave reviews in Undercurrent’s Chapbook have brought more business than Mike wants, so like some doctors he has “closed” his practice to newcomers. Too bad, sort of – but he would rather be better than bigger. For now.

Dragon Moray

Tinker's Butterfly

 

Trip Report from Dr. Mel Cundiff

Halmahera, Indonesia – Off the Beaten Path - May 2009

I have experienced more than 25 weeks of reef diving in Indonesia over the last several decades with significant diving on other commonly frequented coral reefs around the world and am convinced that the former has the greatest critter diversity.  Over the last several years I have been curious about the island system of Halmahera.  The Dive Paradise/Grand Komodo Indonesia Fleet out of Bali (http://www.komodoalordive.com) had done a couple of dive trips in this area and was willing to meet our group in Ternate, the capital of the province, for an 11-night, 12–day sojourn.  I hadn’t seen any reports of diving in this area, even though it was located half way between two hot spots, Manado and Sorong.  In inquiring about the area at DEMA, I got mixed reviews – some indicating overfishing and dynamite damage, but others indicating typical diverse reefs.

We were to be on the 12-passenger KLM Temukira which we were on last year and, as it turned out, 6 of the 10 crew had been with us twice before in Raja Ampat and Kalimantan.  The trip, much like a reunion, turned out to be especially enjoyable.

One night-dive site in a cove area was totally trashed out, and we asked Weka, our dive master, not to take us there again.  The damage was surely due to eutrophication from the effluents from an adjacent village.  Dynamiting was significant on three dive sites but only minimal on the others – about the same as the reefs off the east coast of Kalimantan.  I saw no evidence of cyaniding, and storm-damaged reefs were about average.  Only a couple of dive sites showed a significant lack of fish due to overfishing. While dynamiting and storms disrupt the integrity of the reefs and contribute to the interspersed rubble fields, they ironically provide the reef disturbances that lead to ecological succession and increased reef diversity.

The KLM Temukira is a deep-hull (11-foot draft), 89-foot Indonesian phinisi boat with a 22-foot beam.  The dive deck has two camera rinse tanks, a two-tiered camera table with air hose, three hot-water showers and a head.  Almost all dives were from two zodiak tenders at 7 and 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m.  There is no nitrox.  There is a sunroof with a retractable cover, six air-conditioned cabins with en-suite showers and facilities and ample, very tasty Asian, cafeteria-style food.  This was the third time that Agi, our cook, had been with us, and he was a star with the meals and mid-afternoon snacks he provided.  We ate lots of fish and shrimp.  There was an extra charge for soft drinks and beer.  All 12 of us have dived multiple times in Indonesia, and we have all been on live aboards that offered more amenities; but most of us preferred the attentiveness and expertise of our all-native crew.

Weka, the head dive master, spoke very good English and was in charge of operations.  This was his third dive trip with us and he has a lot of dive savvy and knowledge of the reefs.  The ship captain, Abubaka, handled the ship well and was often seen helping crew members with their duties.  While not speaking English he usually understood what we were saying and was a kidder with an excellent sense of humor.  Most of the rest of the crew spoke little English but enough that we could understand each other.  Their friendliness and eagerness to help us was very much appreciated.

Our diving was along a several hundred-mile section of the west coast of the province, both north and south of the equator.  Currents were absent to lower-than-usual for Indonesia – seldom above one knot and maxing out at around two knots.  We encountered a significant updraft on one dive, but everyone handled it well.  For me, dive times ranged from 59-75 minutes with a mean of 65 minutes; dive depths ranged from 43-100 feet (13-30 m) with a mean of 67 feet (20 m); visibility ranged between 20 feet (6 m) on muck dives to 120 feet (37 m) on the reefs with a mean of 62 feet (19 m); and water temperature was a warm 85-87°F (29-31°C) with a mean of 86°F (30°C).  Weka and Anton, our two dive masters, alternated back and forth between our two dive groups of six divers each.

We witnessed a high level of critter diversity and a moderate number of large pelagics.   There were more fish than I expected to see considering the many small fishing villages we encountered and unrestricted fishing regulations in the area.  Among the sharks we saw:  black tips (10); white tip (1); grey reef (1); leopard (1); nurse (1); and epaulettes (3).

Without trying to be too exhaustive, I will list some of the critters that were either rare or fun to see:  sponges large enough to hold a fully equipped scuba diver; areas covered with multicolored broccoli coral that rival the Yellow Wall in Fiji; Venus’ girdles; very large triton, helmet and tun snails; a very large diversity of aeolid nudibranchs; a rubble field covered with juvenile, as-yet-unattached, oysters; flamboyant and large pettable cuttlefish and hatching cuttlefish eggs; both reef squids and bobtail squids; an unusually large number of octopuses (13), including three long-legged octopuses; sea spiders; a large Maine-type lobster with large chelipeds and squat lobsters; lots of symbiotic shrimps and crabs, including orangutans, decorators, hermits and a large gravid female; one reef dominated by crown-of-thorns starfish; a starfish with a functioning, bifurcated arm; a couple of night-time reefs dominated by three-foot-diameter basket stars; a couple of reefs dominated by a large diversity of colored feather stars (crinoids); and a larger-than-normal diversity of salps.

There were lots of the commonly seen bony fishes, both in large schools and singles such as Napoleon wrasses.  Among the more interesting were:  various juvenile angelfish, sweetlips and batfish; mouth-brooding jawfish; flasher gobies, lings (look like a cross between a catfish and an eel); reindeer wrasses; parrotfish in cocoons at night; trumpetfish exhibiting their cryptic vertical orientation in gorgonions; mandarin fish; leaf scorpionfish and 12 cockatoo waspfish on a single dive; Inimicus, the devil scorpion fish; crocodilefish; dozens of seahorses and lots of pygmy seahorses; both robust and Harlequin ghost pipefish; and pipehorses.  We saw several green and hawksbill turtles and two banded sea snakes.  Bottleneck dolphins were swimming around the boat on three occasions and pilot whales were seen in the distance once.

Species that were conspicuously absent included:  Spanish dancers (we saw three large red pleurobranchs, though); marble rays, eagle rays and manta rays; yellow ribbon eels (we saw a number of black juveniles and blue males); frogfish (we saw only one); very few pipefish; and no loggerhead turtles;

In logging my dives, I typically make note of species that I do not remember having seen before.  Halmahera yielded: 18 new nudibranchs, three of which were spectacular; a benthic octopus with two brilliantly pulsating blue rings, a member of the Octopus aegina species complex related to the blue ringed octopus; a 14-inch slender pipefish (I saw one on each of two different dives); and two miscellaneous fish species.  This was quite a large number of new species for me.  Maybe I am getting senile and not remembering what I have seen before.

For a somewhat unknown and exploratory-type trip, Halmahera had a much greater critter diversity than I had planned on seeing.  As a bonus, we encountered a number of swim-through tunnels, both with and without air pockets above and had a dive site near a 50-foot waterfall terminating in the sea.  As usual for Indonesia, we had spectacular sunsets generated by the many smoking volcanoes in the area.  Nancy Gimblin of Great Destinations in Sacramento set up the trip for us (http://www.skindiver.com/).

Mel Cundiff; Broomfield, Colorado
Cundiff@Colorado.EDU   7/21/09

Maldives Meeting for April 2009

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Graham Casden of Oceans First Divers was recently diving in the Maldives. He was on the Live Aboard Manthiri from Jan 9-20, 2009 and saw 9 whale shark sightings, dozens and dozens of mantas and tons of pelagics.

Here is some background on Graham, “Traveling and the outdoors have been my companions since birth. I was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and grew up along the Southern Californian coast. I traveled far and often throughout my teens and had already seen much of the world by the time I finished college. For me, the importance of traveling is in its rewards: knowledge, insight, experience. I learn about myself, about life and about the world. I best express my love of nature, passion for the outdoors and thirst for travel through photography.”

CUPS Meeting at Reed Photo (Thanks to Reed Photo for the hospitality!)
Doors open at 6 pm with a presentation at 7 pm
Mapquest of Reed Photo 888 Federal Rd.

Thanks to Nancy Myer for submitting this:

Colorado Council of Camera Clubs
Presents
 An Introduction to Photoshop and Elements
October 17 and October 24, 2009

This will consist of two sessions, each covering different material. Both sessions will be from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the basement of the Epiphany Lutheran Church, 790 S. Corona St., (NE corner of Corona St. and Ohio Ave.–a block west of the west edge of Washington Park), Denver, CO (Enter at west end of building at street level, go straight down the ramp and through the double doors.)

The charge for members of Council’s member clubs is $10 per person (includes BOTH sessions) to help cover materials. Nonmembers will be welcome–if there is room–at a charge of $20 per person (includes BOTH sessions).

With the use of digital images becoming more popular, the Council is offering this two-day seminar to help members become familiar with their digital images once they are loaded onto their computers. This class is designed mainly for those who are just starting out with Photoshop/Elements and are not yet comfortable with the basics. This will be for both PC and Mac users. Instruction will be by digital projection and handouts will be available so computers are not necessary. 

There will be room for about 30 participants. Pre-registration is required.

 To reserve your space, contact the representative of your club, if it’s a member of Council. Others should contact any one of the following representatives.

Aurora Society of Photographers: Marty Golden, 303-693-0226, martygolden@mac.com

Englewood Camera Club: Randy Moore, 720-488-3228, randy@theredkitchen.com

Focus Camera Club, Joe Bonita, 303-730-1346, jbnbqz@comcast.net

High Country Camera Club, John Yurchak, 303-364-1653, photobug@ecentral.com

         North Jeffco Camera Club, Frank Weinzapfel, 303-425-9316, weinzapf3@yahoo.com

 *****For those wishing to stay for it, an additional optional session on Lightroom will be offered (at no additional charge) by Craig Lewis at the end of each day’s session of the seminar.*****

Monthly Meeting November

Ed & Sandra presented their new video "Sharks, Why Should We Care?" submitted to the Jackson Hole Wild Life Film Festival and shown at the San Diego Underwater Film Exhibition. 

Sharkwater Movie: Esquire Theater 6th & Downing Wed & Thur only 4:30, 7:15 & 9:30pm

I just saw the movie tonight and it motivated me to write this, I felt that my knowledge on the subject was redefined. The movie is a Documentary with some script but it definitely puts some teeth in the mouth of the argument that the shark population is in serious trouble and how it will effect the ecosystem. As a diver and member of the human race, I feel it is our responcibility to act and help these valliant warriors who's effort to protect the aquatic environment is in need of support.  (IMHO) I would suggest you see the movie and boycott any enterprise that sells sharkfin soup or sharkmeat.

John G.

LINKS:
http://www.sharkwater.com/
http://seashepherd.org/crew-watson.html
http://www.savingsharks.com/

Additional NEWS!

For those who haven't been over on Digital Diver recently, Kristin (Alcina) from Exmouth/Ningaloo, Australia is coming to visit this month and we've decided it's time for an evening get-together over Mexican Food.  Offically, this is the Digital CUPS group, but all are welcome (even non-digitals  ).

Details:  7:00PM, Friday, November 16, Senor Rics Mexican, 13200 E Mississippi Ave, Aurora.  Just west of I-225 on Mississippi

Thanks
Cups 

August Meeting at El Senor Sol

This month's meeting will be at El Senor Sol right across the street from The Downtown Aquarium (formerly Ocean Journey) take I-25 to the 23st exit and it is right there we had no body to do a presentation so this will be just a social event 6:30 for dinner and 7:30 for the social and planning session.  Click here for Map and address El Senor Sol Hope to see you there. Reservations have been made just say you are with CUPS.

Amber Blecker presents "South America and Antarctica - From the Top."  I'll be covering my trip to S. America and Antarctica, focusing on the sealife (did someone say "Penguins?") and travel options.  In addition, I'll be showing how I created and published my book of the experience, "Meet the 'Guins," using Blurb software.

CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html 

Tuesday May 17, CUPS Meeting

Howard Witkin will be presenting. “I've come to realize there are 4 distinct disciplines all of which play a very important part in being a really good underwater photographer; photography, computer work (Photoshop or other software), printing, and diving.  During the presentation I will try and tie all 4 together and how I increased my knowledge in each and eagerly continue my education in all 4”.

Also New members Chas Isenhart and George Panagos have offered to present 10-15 mins of edited HD video that we could show and then talk about our experience.
Whale sharks, bottlenose dolphins, Galapagos, silky, white tip, hammer-head, silver tip sharks and a lot of giant mantas all there on tape.

CUPS UW PHOTO CONTEST
A-1 SCUBA & TRAVEL MAY SALE, MAY 17-18

The Annual A-1 Scuba and Travel May Sale is May 17-18. Thanks to A-1 SCUBA and Travel, CUPS is once again having a photo contest and video exhibit. There are Rules and Registration docs for you to download - click here

Due to changing circumstances: (It has been determined that one additional photo will be allowed for the competition and show, That means a total of two entries per member).

Here's a link to a Gallery for the CUPS / A-1 SCUBA May Sale Photo Contest. Below is a small excerpt from the announcement:

Open only to CUPS members (to become a CUPS member one need only register on the CUPS website “cupsonline.net” before May 14, 2008)

ENTRY DEADLINE:  Wednesday May 14, 2008 at A-1 Scuba or Flatiron Scuba with filled out entry form.

 Photo must be framed, be no more than 24 inches wide (edge to edge of frame), must have a mechanism on the rear to hang to grid wall with zip ties.  Photo, matte or frame cannot have the photographer’s name or signature displayed on the front. See full details click here.

Reed Photo Imaging is now offering discounts for images uploaded through LabPrints

 

Video Gallery showings welcome -

While we are not equipped to have a contest for videos this year, we encourage our members to submit videos of 3 minutes in length so that we can create a continuous showing during the A-1 Scuba May Sale event. Please email John Daigle  for details on uploading the video. Mike Stallings has kindly volunteered to compile the videos into a continuous DVD for the show!

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM  (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. We highly recommend using them for your imaging needs. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

CUPS April Meeting: Bring 5-10 images to be critiqued for the A-1 May sale show .

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM  (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. We highly recomend using them for your imaging needs. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

March Meeting features Nick Ferris on Anemonefish

For the March 18th meeting CUPS member Nick Ferris our very own Anemonefish aficionado will present a specially focused discussion on Anemonefish their habitat and behavior.

The talk examines the relationship between the fish and their host anemone; why the Anemonefish are immune to anemone stings; true and false clowns; the "skunk" Anemonefish confusion; the white bonnet hybrid; and the color/pattern variation in the Clark's.

For the second half of the meeting members are encouraged to bring with them 5-10 images of Anemonefish to discuss.

Here are some links to some Google’s most popular Anemonefish websites.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/clown-anemonefish.html

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=29

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/apercula.htm

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM  (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. We highly recomend using them for your imaging needs. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

CUPS February Meeting

This February 19th Meeting will be a free for all of the most interesting, exciting and unique images in your collection. The theme is “Any Thing Goes” this will offer you an opportunity to be creative and share your more unusual photos with CUPS members. Time limits will based on participation so bring aprox. 25 images and 15 minute maximum presentation; be prepared to limit it to less. We will provide a digital projection setup, if you need to project with slides please bring your own or email jgdiver51@hotmail.com ASAP and we will try to get one. Images should be on labeled thumb drive, CD or DVD with file titled “CUPS Any Thing Goes 08“. Time permitting we will incorporate discussion into each presentation. - See you there, CUPS Presentation Committee

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

New Links: http://imagingfoundation.org/     http://innovativeimagemakers.com/ Denver Based

 

January Meeting will be on 4th Tuesday the 22nd we will have a presentation on the Philippines from Lynn Taylor of A-1 Scuba and Travel. This should be a very EXCITING PRESENTATION because we have never had a presentation on the PHILIPPINES. I recently talked to a diver who had just come back and were raving about it. Members please bring 5-10 images on disk or thumb drive to share for the second half of presentation. New Members that haven't attended a meeting yet this would be a great way to start.

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

CUPS AUGUST 21st Meeting

Doug Sloss, a local resident and underwater photographer has developed Photoshop® techniques that are unique and available to members. Some of these techniques will be shared at our next CUPS meeting as the featured presenter. More details on this link click here.

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

Mark your calendar for July 17 Meeting
Amber Blecker will be presenting "Palau and Truk - It's More Than Sharks and Wrecks"
Presentation on Truk & Palau, the diving, logistics (how to get there, options on where to stay, liveaboard vs. land based, the diving), and the culture and history of the islands.

The second half will be 5-10 slides or digital images of  Sharks and Wrecks by our members.

Meanwhile, CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

JUNE 19 MEETING: Raja Ampat by Michael Stallings

Michael Stallings will present his most recent DVD production - A 30 minute video of his 12 day trip to Lembeh- Halmahera-Raja Ampat aboard the MV Odyssea 1 in December 2006.  This area is known for its diverse corals, colorful and abundant fish life, and exotic reef creatures.  Mike posted a rough cut of the start of the video in his Gallery - enititled "April 2007". Place: Reed Photo Imaging Doors open at 6:30 and meeting starts at 7. More Details Video Link

CUPS and A-1 Scuba & Travel Center Competition Winners announced!

Chuck Catlett	Salt Pier / The Grandeur	1ST PLACE
Mark Adams	Bob the Pygmy Seahorse	2ND PLACE
Amber Blecker	I (heart) Octopi	3RD PLACE
Allan Vandeford	Turtle Cleaning Station	PEOPLE'S CHOICE

Many thanks to A-1 for allowing us to use their space and Denver Digital Imaging Center  for donating prizes! Thanx, too, to CUPS member John Warn for his leadership and judges Holly Alentado, owner of Island Photo in Cozumel, Mexico, and Greg Gephardt, representative for Sea & Sea underwater photo products. (Read the full details here)

The Best Coral Reef Diving So Far 
Komodo in May 2007 on the MV Tarata
by Mel Cundiff

The MV Tarata is a 79-foot Indonesian Bugis-style wooden live aboard ship with a 17-foot beam and six cabins for 12 divers below deck.  The cabins are of moderate size and have AC and ensuite bathrooms/showers with ample hot water.  The two dive masters, Sebastian and Johnny, among the 11-person Indonesian crew could speak good English and were very helpful in locating fish and critters for us. Read the full story here

CUPS and A-1 Scuba & Travel Center Competition Winners announced!

Many thanks to A-1 for allowing us to use their space and Denver Digital Imaging Center  for donating prizes! Thanx, too, to CUPS member John Warn for his leadership and judges Holly Alentado, owner of Island Photo in Cozumel, Mexico, and Greg Gephardt, representative for Sea & Sea underwater photo products.

Denver Digital Imaging donated the prizes:  $100 gift certificate for People's Choice, $100 gift certificate for 1st, $75 gift certificate for 2nd, and $50 gift certificate for 3rd.  Many thanks to David, Suzy and Andrea at Denver Digital Imaging, a division of The Slideprinter -- located at 145 West Alameda (between Santa Fe and Federal) -- phone # 303-698-2962.

Photographer	Photo Title/Subject	WINNERS
Chuck Catlett	Salt Pier / The Grandeur	1ST PLACE
Mark Adams	Bob the Pygmy Seahorse	2ND PLACE
Amber Blecker	I (heart) Octopi	3RD PLACE
Allan Vandeford	Turtle Cleaning Station	PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Larissa Roorda	Palau Pipe	Honorable mention
Wes Underwood	Shy Seahorse	"
Lee Ann Holwager	Lazy Turtle	"
Michelle Catlett	Monkey Face	"
Ken Harbert	Nudibranch, Risbecia tryoni	"
Carl Brownd	Grey Reef Shark	"
Dave Louch	Joelle's 100th Dive	"
Melanie Moore	Don't Get Eaten By A Whaleshark	"
John Gordon	Tiny Dancers	"
Debra Wolff	Dolphins -- Follow the Leader	"

Can't find something? Try the Search box

• To search the main website, use the Search box (on the left hand side of this page).
• However, to search any content in the CUPS Forums, use the "Search" link at the top of each Forum

Newsletter Registration Changes: Link to newsletter registration info

Nick and Mid Ferris return to Cozumel after 24 years 
by Nick Ferris, 10 Feb. 2007

Mid and I returned to Cozumel last week, after a 24 year absence. We had some equipment to check out before we did any expensive diving on the other side of the world. Yes, we had to give up snow shoveling. There’s a drawback to everything. We went via Frontier Airlines, direct 3 hours, Apple Vacations. Mark Stephenson at Rocky Mountain Diving made the arrangements. We stayed at the 3 Star Casa del Mar. Not at all bad – good service, excellent meals. Lots of divers, wet suits draped over railings and bushes. And across the street past some hurricane wreckage is a dock where the dive boat picked us up. That avoided cab rides with heaps of wet stuff.

Diving was with Alison Dennis of Alison@scubawithalison.com. No cattleboat, her 25 (or so) foot open boat, the Enigma, with two outboard motors zips right along to wherever the six (or fewer) divers want to go. We mostly stayed away from the major wall dive locations. Our three dive days were all different because of changing weather, from crummy to excellent. Current is always there, sometimes a bit too much for housed camera photography. But the big, beautiful queen angelfish, (and gray, and French), and filefish, grunts, snappers, and barracuda are present regardless. A hawksbill turtle was close enough to touch,   we got next to a barracuda being cleaned, and saw our first big nurse shark.

Meanwhile, the patch reefs on a sloping sand base still have some sand on the coral and sponges, but are gradually “coming back”. Small gorgonians are sprouting up. Water temperature was 79 to 80 degrees.

Surfacing was a new experience. All the dives are drift dives – no anchorages or mooring buoys. Theoretically, the dive boat drifts along above the divers. But maybe not, for a variety of reasons. So Alison takes divers low on air (700 psi) up to 15 feet and inflates a yellow tube on a string. The tube shows the boat operator where the divers are preparing to surface. After 3 minutes the divers surface, Alison goes down after more divers, and the boat arrives. This seems overly protective, but it contrasts with the indifferent practices of 25 years ago which lost 50 to 80 divers a year. If seas are running the boat lays to and rolls, making climbing the ladder a strenuous adventure. Still, I’d like to go back. (Ed. This article has also been added to the Dive Trip Reports section)

Chuck Catlett posts pix from Bonaire
Check them out on the CUPS Forums

February 20 - Next CUPS Meeting
Tuesday February 20, 6:30pm at Reed Photo Imaging
(socializing until 7:00pm). 

Program details to be announced.

We meet on the third Tuesday of each month, at Reed Photo Imaging , 888 Federal (map).

CUPS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY AT BRANT'S

The December 2006 meeting was replaced by a Christmas social at Brant Davis's house

This years CUPS Christmas Party will again be held at my house on Saturday, Dec. 9th  @ 6:30.
Richard Perry will again be in from Florida, and in attendance!

November 21st CUPS Meeting and Report

NOVEMBER MEETING:  Tuesday November 21st, 6:30pm at Reed Photo Imaging
(socializing until 7:00pm). 

Feature Presentation:  "Alaska Diving"
Wes Underwood will give a presentation on liveaboard diving in the
inner passage area of Alaska and British Columbia.

Report: Wes's presentation was one of the best ever given at any CUPS meetings, showing off a new software program that proved to be extra special.

Second Presentation:  "DVD presentation of still images"
Wes will also be giving a short presentation on creating a multi-media
presentation of still images.  Adding motion and music using ProShow
Gold.

October 17th CUPS Meeting and Report

Feature Presentation: "Cayman Islands Madness"
John Warn will be presenting photographs taken in the Cayman Islands.

REPORT: John gave his usual excellent presentation that was well received by those who braved the snow!

Second Presentation: "Basic Photoshop Adjustments"
Chuck Catlett and John Gordon will give a short presentation on making
basic photoshop adjustments to underwater images.

REPORT: Chuck also produced an excellent and informative Photoshop© basics presentation.

Organizational Meeting Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006

The meeting will be at El Senor Sol (across the street from Downtown Aquarium)7pm. arrive early for socializing and beverages. Topics will be Bylaws, Officers duties and Membership fee.

Meeting coverage of Tuesday, Sept 15, 2006

Treasures Report: Loren Lauretti stated we now have $740 in the CUPS account. Almost enough for a new digital projector.

501-3C Non-Profit  Corporation designation, Brant Davis promised he would have the necessary paperwork submitted by the next meeting.

 Feature Presentation:  "Digital Dive In-donesia" With contributions by Chuck Catlett, Michelle Catlett, Amber Blecker and Nick Ferris.
Chuck Catlett has agreed to be the master coordinator for this
presentation, organizing 4 of the the 8-12? CUPS members who traveled to
Indonesia last May.

Second Presentation:  "Raw Adjustments"
John Gordon will give a short presentation on how to deal with your
Raw file format images in Photoshop CS.

Meeting coverage of Tuesday, August 15, 2006
posted by Carol Harper, CUPS member
 
CONVERTING FILM TO DIGITAL, presented by Nick Ferris, CUPS member

See more of Nick's examples here

Nick showed some of the images that he has already done from his personal library over years of diving.  Nick has a Nikon CoolScan V, which he uses only for scanning slides, but it can be used with prints as well.  It has a capability of a maximum of 64 megabytes of data per slide, which he feels provides an excellent copy of the transparency and allows for digital manipulation.  The Nikon equipment cost was approximately $500 about a year ago and was available locally and via mail order.
 
Nick recommended purchasing equipment that would provide the highest optical density that your budget would allow, in order to get the most detail out of dark areas of your images.  He also recommended keeping the original slide and the original copy from the slide in a separate datafile and not doing any alterations or manipulations to those images.  He strongly suggests creating a duplicate image for any manipulations, cropping, color changes, etc.

COMPOSITION, presented by Wes Underwood and John Gordon, CUPS members

Both Wes and John agree that there are numerous "rules" for good composition, and they showed examples from their own experiences to help everyone understand the concepts, for example:

• Rule of Thirds  (dividing the photo area into a grid of thirds, like tic-tac-toe, and placing or positioning the subject at one of the four gridline intersection points)
• Get a low perspective on the subject (at eye level or lower).  Best if shoot up rather than down on a subject.
• Creature interaction is generally better than just a single creature, e.g., eel with a cleaner shrimp, diver with marine life.
• Colorful subjects provide interest (Remember, adding strobe lighting enhances colors and shows true colors that the eye does not perceive at depth)
• Patterns and Textures can be great subjects, e.g., sea fan detail
• Lines in a photo add interest and focal point, e.g., anchor line, ascent line, S curves, diagonal lines, converging  lines like railroad tracks
• Size comparisons can help tell a story, e.g., diver with crinoid
• Divers can be used as models and they should be able to maintain buoyancy and know where to position themselves and where/what to look at.  Good communication between the model and the photographer is important.
• Unless shooting ambient light shots, positioning of the strobes is critical to be sure the subject is properly lighted.  When shooting horizontal and then changing position to a vertical shot, you need to be aware of where the strobes are aimed and make adjustments.
• Ambient light shots with silhouettes of divers, reef, boats, etc. are a trip saver if you find your flash is not working.  Good to try this occasionally to keep up with the technique.  John recommends testing your rechargeable batteries before you leave on your dive trip to be sure they are maintaining a charge.  Sometimes even new batteries don't maintain charges the same and this can cause problems once you get to your destination. 
• Sharp focus is critical and is really evident with macro photography.  Be aware of the Depth of Field limitations with the lens you are using.
• Make the subject of your photo with most obvious by getting close/closer, eliminating or minimizing the background, lighting the subject appropriately.
• A subject's eyes are important to include in the photo, even if you can only get part of the head in the frame, get the eye.  As humans, we generally like to look at eyes.
   

Both Wes and John agree that:

• Luck has a lot to do with successful shots
• Having a "mind's eye" picture in your own head about what you want from a shot is a good way to recognize it when you see it. 
• So do some research before you go on a trip and learn about the marine life in the area and expected conditions.
• rules are made to be broken, so shoot what is pleasing to you

Practice, Practice, Practice
 
John recommended a book by Martin Edge, The Underwater Photographer.

CUPS August 15 meeting featured:

• Feature Presentation: Converting Film to Digital - Nick Ferris
• Second presentation: Composition Tips & Tricks - John Gordon and Wes Underwood
• Update on August 1 Organizational meeting

AUGUST MEETING:  Tuesday August 15th, 6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html

Feature Presentation:  "Converting Film to Digital",  CUPS Member Nick  Ferris will give a presentation on canning slides and film for  converting to digital format.

Second Presentation:  "Composition Tips & Tricks",  John Gordon and  Wes Underwood will present different techniques and ideas for giving  your photos better composition and "Wow".

Business Meeting:  A status report from the Organizational meeting  held on August 1st.

Archive - CUPS Organizational Meeting - August 1
Posted July 26, 2006 - Wes Underwood

We will be meeting on Tuesday evening the 1st August for an  organizational type of meeting (Margaritas and Business).  We will  continue discussion on the details of forming the organization, board  members, dues, upcoming events, etc?  Meeting will be held at 7:00pm  at Senor Sol's (across the street from the Downtown Aquarium.)

For those of you who missed the meeting on July 18th, we received a  status report from Brandt on the organizational efforts taking place  to establish CUPS as a non-profit entity.  Initial paperwork has been 
filed, and more of the required documents are in process.

In order to proceed with organizational details such as officers and directors, it was suggested to get an idea of how many of our current  members might be interested in participating at this level.  It has  been suggested that we would operate with a group of possibly 5-7  board members who would participate in the organizational efforts of  operating and guiding the group.  This number would allow the work to  be shared so as not to overly burden anyone, and make participation in  the board a good experience instead of a burdensome task.
In order to get an idea of how many people would be willing to  participate as an officer or board member, a link will be situp on the  website which will take a poll of those interested (this is not a  final commitment), and also to gather ideas.

Please RSVP if you will be attending the meeting on August 1st so we can make the appropriate arrangements.
wes@scuba-stuff.com

Great lineup for the Fall
Posted June 22, 2006 - John Daigle

At the June meeting and social Tuesday June 20th, John Gordon led us in a discussion of "plannng ahead" for future CUPS meeting programs. The tentative line up will have lots of tips from "Digitizing Film/Slides" to Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Photoshop tips, Video tricks and of course, great photo-trip reports from our members.

A partial list of programs so far: John Warn (still techniques and Video Techniques from Betty!), Amber Blecker (Cozumel coverage) , Brant Davis (Basic Photoshop), Nick Ferris (Digitizing Film/Slides, John Daigle (Video technique) and Carol Harper.

CUPS to become a formal organization.  Since it's inception, CUPS has prided itself in not "fussing" over organizational formalities. Rather, the idea is to concentrate on sharing underwater photographic ideas and experiences among our members. However there are advantages to becoming a formal entity and CUPS members are taking steps to create one.A "provisional" set of officers is in the making.  Wes Underwood, president, John Gordon vice president, Loren Laureti as secretary-treasurer to get things going. More provisional officers will be announced pending their acceptance of nominations.

Jack Kirk will research possible structures used by other UPSs that we may want to emulate. Brant has also done a ton of research and may have a "pro bono" lawyer available to help. Loren has volunteered to assist with QuickBooks for the accounting so we are off and running!

The best way to be sure you are counted among the "charter" members is to register for the CUPS Online Website. It's free and easy to do. Just click the "Register" link at the top right of this page (if you haven't already!).

Everybody in the pool!
Brant Davis has suggested we commandeer Wes Underwood into leading a "pool meeting" next Fall so Wes can repeat a terrific class on camera/buoyancy issues. More soon, stay tuned.

B&H Photo and Popular Photography announce Denver Digital Days Workshop September 23-24. (Details soon). Thanx to Richard Barthorpe and Sonia Atwood for submitting this news.

JULY MEETING
The July Meeting for cups will be a presentation on Multi-location in Fiji By Member John Warn The second half of the meeting will be Proposal of Bylaws, Nomination of officers.

JUNE MEETING
Tuesday June 20th was held a El Senor Sol for organizing the next 6-12 presentations and socializing. Details on the Forum here.

APRIL MEETING
Feature Presentation:  "The ABC's of Bonaire" CUPS Members Chuck and Michelle Catlett with give a presentation covering getting there, places to stay, getting around, and the yes, the diving.

March Meeting News

Presentation : Sea of Cortez  Now and Then

CUPS Members Nick Ferris, Carol Harper, Brant Davis, John Gordon and Ed Sauer & Sandra Schroth have all traveled to the Sea of Cortez and captured photo images and Video.

Nick Ferris was there in the late 80's and early 90's and photographed on film the topography and underwater sites to share historical archives of the time. More recently Carol Harper covered the same area on film. Most recently Brant Davis and John Gordon covered the same area near La Paz with digital imagery.  Ed Sauer & Sandra Schroth captured video of this destination in the recent time period.

The presentation will cover historical events in this area but the majority of images are underwater. We will start off with some travel tips and Nick's historical stills followed by Carol's film captures, then Brant and John's Digital stills. After an intermission the crescendo will be Ed and Sandra's video.

Please come join us for this unique adventure featuring the playful sea-lions.

CUPS meets on the third Tuesday of each month, at Reed Photo Imaging , 888 Federal (map).

The January meeting will feature a presentation By Holly Alentado of Island Photo-Video Center, on Cozumel and their progress after the latest hurricane. The second half of the presentations will be "Solutions to U/W Photo Problems" and "How to Market Your Photography" also by Holly. Please send questions to Holly before the meeting at photocozumel@ecozumel.net

If you have registered with cupsonline.net you were automatically given a gallery to upload to, please do so at your earliest convenience.

The Reed Photoart show has been put on hold for the time being it may be resurrected for a fall show or may not happen at all. If any of you know of a gallery that might be interested in hosting a CUPS spring show please let us know.

For those who made it to the holiday party hosted by Brant and Mary, it was a wonderful event, and great thanks for hosting this event!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday and is making lots of plans for SCUBA travel adventures for next year.  See you in January...

•    WELCOME ALL!!! December Meeting is a Christmas Party Social  Friday December 9th at 6:30pm
•    Member Brant Davis has graciously offered to host !

Drop-in for Holiday Cheer and Diving and U/W photography conversations and image sharing

You won't believe the decorations Brant and his wife put up!!!!!!!!!!!

And there will be special mystery guest!

For Directions and RSVP contact Brant here Click to Send Email
Update from Brant Link

• John Warn on Lembeh and Bali topside
• Orientation on how to use the new CUPS Online Website!

Tuesday November 15, 6:30 pm at Reed Photo Imaging - (socializing until 7:00pm). A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30and 7:00. We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions (888 Federal Blvd), see: http://www.reedphoto.com/ 

The November meeting will feature a presentation by John Warn on Lembeh and some of Bali topside. Also Wes, Lee Ann and Chuck will give a tutorial on our new website for the second half of the evening.

Other News Items: Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Contest: The 2006 photo contest rules and entry details are posted online at http://www.scubadiving.com/photocontest/ Deadline is Dec 31, 2005.Exhibit Divers

Volunteers Divers Needed: The Downtown Aquarium is currently recruiting volunteer divers. Volunteers work through the Deep Blue Sea Foundation which is a non-profit organization.  Call the volunteer coordinator at
303-561-4429, or visit their website for more information.
http://www.downtownaquariumdenver.com
 

Kristin Anderson of Exmouth Diving Centre

Kristin aka "Alcina" is a regular participant on the www.digitaldiver.net and made a great presentation on Ningaloo Reef Australia, Monday October 10th

Kristin showed video a unique concentration of Whale Sharks.  This area near Exmouth is known for regular sightings of large species as well as the marine life of one of the world's largest fringing reefs.  For more information on this area, visit:
http://www.ningalooreefdive.com/  or http://www.exmouthdiving.com.au/

TRIP REPORT: NORTH SULAWESI - Digital Diver Network Trip, May 2006
(Report and photo by Nick Ferris)

In early May 2006 nine CUPS members joined past acquaintances (mostly Digital Divers) for diving in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. This was a two-part affair, with four full days of diving the Bunaken Marine Park south of Manado, and another four muck diving the Lembeh Strait.
Read here for the full report
Plus, more pix from Nick can be seen in this Gallery

We don't have an official policy here for "classified ads" but I thought this was a unique offering from member Nick Ferris. Enjoy.

Learn underwater photography the way real men did back in the last century. Feel the warm confidence of having done it your way, the hard way. But act now, while film is still available! Slides can be scanned and images Photo-shopped so your digital pals will never suspect. Earn PADI’s Hard Core Photo patch (only $525) and proudly wear it on your BC. Just contact Nick Ferris (303/421-8800; Nick.Ferris@juno.com) about all the stuff listed below. That’s ALL of it. What a deal!

NIKONOS-RELATED EQUIPMENT

1. Nikonos II camera with 35 mm lens.
2. Tray for the Nikonos II, with male dovetail for attaching strobe arm.
3. Oceanic strobe arms, 4 ½” and 12” connected with Oceanic clamp. Ball sizes are 1” diameter. The 4 ½” piece has the female dovetail and screw knob for fastening; the 12” arm has the angle end and screw knob for attachment to the strobe.
4. Oceanic 3001 strobe with recharger (still works).
5. Synch cord from strobe to E/O camera connector.
6. E/O connector (two connectors).
7. Extension tube framer (1:2) for camera.

ALL THIS STUFF FITS TOGETHER AND STILL WORKS

1. Oceanic 4 1/2 “ arm with female dovetail as above; ball and bracket at other end.
2. Oceanic 6” arm with ball and angled end for attaching to strobe. Com,es with screw knob for attachment.
3. Unidentified rod with 1” ball at one end, attachment screw and plate at other for strobe. Overall 11 ½”.
4. Heavy duty Tussey strobe arm clamp for 1” ball arms; 7” overall length.
5. N-II O-ring kits (2), unused.
6. NOVATEK 20 “Opal Eye” lens. Fits over N-II 35mm lens underwater to convert it to 20 mm. Put on or take off under water. Comes in leather pouch.
7. Sea and Sea 17mm “wide lens” for Nikokos cameras. In original box with lens cover.
8. 6” arm with female dovetail and screw at one end, 1” ball at other.
   

CUPS Member Nick Ferris has offered to present.

Rottnest Island is a short distance from Perth, Western Australia, in the
Indian Ocean. The south-flowing Leuwin Current brings warm water from
more tropical climates to the north down to temperate waters in the
south. The two meet at Rottnest Island, where they produce an odd
environment. As this presentation is rather brief, it will be followed by
a short geologic history of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Second half of meeting, members may bring 5-10 digital images with interpratations of unusual creatures from the South Pacific.

CUPS Meets on Third Tuesdays at Reed Photo Imaging
6:30PM at Reed Photo Imaging  - (socializing until 7:00pm).  A CUPS member will be at the door to let you in between 6:30 and 7:00.  We are very lucky to be invited to use the facilities at Reed, and to continue we must maintain the utmost respect of their facilities and employees. For directions, see:   http://www.reedphoto.com/find-us.html 

Coming up for Tuesday May 19 meeting:

Ed Turns Red!

Raja Ampat Islands from Kri Eco by Paddy Ryan

  

     Coming up for our Nov 17th meeting is a wonderful dive through the Four Kings, the Raja Ampat Islands of Indonesia. Paddy Ryan was born In England and has lived in Jersey in the Channel Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Sarawak, Australia and the US. He has a doctorate in zoology and is currently employed at Johnson & Wales University in Denver where he is a full professor and interim Chair of the School of Arts and Sciences. He also teaches as an Adjunct Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. He is a keen, widely published, nature photographer who has written a number of books including the Snorkeller’s Guide to the Coral Reef, Fiordland Underwater - New Zealand’s Hidden Wilderness, Fiji’s Natural Heritage and most recently Kri Eco - Raja Ampat.  He has been diving for 30 years and taking underwater photographs for nearly all of that time. He’s a PADI dive master  with well over 1000 dives to his credit. He has dived in Cozumel, The Sea of Cortez, Samoa, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, the Bahamas, Belize, New Zealand and Indonesia. Next year he is leading a dive trip to Fiji.

     Diving Accommodations in Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia are at the Kri Eco Resort which sits on a breathtakingly beautiful small island a 2-hour dive boat ride from Sorong's airport. Sitting on the edge of mountainous Kri Island the dive resort is shaded by palm trees that run along a long fine white sand beach. Kri Eco Resort is a simple, informal, but very comfortable dive resort in very pristine nature. Many guests like it for its peaceful location, natural surroundings and tropical island beauty.

      The reefs around the Raja Ampat Islands off the Bird's Head Peninsular region of western New Guinea are considered to contain the world's highest biodiversity. During a three week stay Paddy did 43 dives and took over 5,000 photos. During one dive, renowned fish biologist Gerry Allen recorded 284 fish species. Paddy photographed 213 species. The total fish species count is now 1066 and growing. To put this into perspective, the most speciose place in the Caribbean is Bonaire with 371 species.

     During this talk Dr. Ryan will discuss getting there, highlight some of the more spectacular species, and recount his experience of self-publishing a print on demand book. 

Mike Stallings Video Gallery

Visit Mike's latest video postings, from Bonaire and Cozumel to Raja Ampat!

Congratulations to CUPS member, Larissa Roorda who has won a gold medal for the Fantasy category in the Underwater Photography.com competion.

You can find her entry here.
You can also find her CUPS Member Gallery here.

Way to go, Larissa!

Great CUPS Exhibit shows off member photos!
Take a look at our exhibit!
This was the first year of the Colorado Dive Show and CUPS was invited to display some of the fine work of its members. The Show was well received by participants and attendees.

There are plans to continue this show next year and in following years. The CUPS booth was very popular and was a standout at the show. If you were unable to attend or participate start planning for next year; it will be about the same time frame in September.

Take a look at some of the images of the CUPS booth with the members who set-up and manned the booth. Some of our members also gave presentations for the attendees.
Thanks to all those who volunteered and participated!