Shooting 3D

This shot was taken by my colleague and fellow underwater photography Susanna Pershern. We recently hired her on at the Submerged Resources Center and judging from both her shooting ability and the locations she put us on while filming she looks like a great investment in our future. In this image, I am shooting an isolated, but very healthy patch of elk horn coral. 

A Family Adventure

Last year I wrote a blog about my family being able to travel with me to the Bahamas for a catalog shoot I did for Ocean Technologies Systems. I said something like "would it be possible to run every assignment like this???". Well, lighting does strike twice (an hopefully many more times in my career) because Elizabeth, Cameron and Chase are able to join me and the NPS team here in the Virgin Islands for two weeks as I run the 3D shoot with Woods Hole. Although I haven't get to spend much time with them these past two weeks, it has been an awesome thing to come home to their waterlogged tales of high sea adventure and exploration at the pool or beach. Seeing the world through there eyes makes my life seem quite mundane.

Hawksnest Bay, USVI

3D Cinematographer Evan Kovacs from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution checks the setup on the underwater 3D camera system. One of the primary objectives on the shoot was to document the endangered species of elkhorn coral found at Virgin Islands National Park.

Underwater Wonders of the National Parks - 3D

Although most of my post here deal with underwater photography, for the past couple years I have been working with the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to develop 3D HD films for the National Park Service. Together we have shot 3D in Yellowstone NP, Lake Mead NRA and the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Currently we are shooting underwater 3D in Virgin Island NP as part of a production titled “Underwater Wonders of the National Parks” that I am producing for the NPS. The concept is to bring the underwater world of the of the NPS to the public in an informative, engaging and most of all immersive experience though the use of 3D. Together with WHOI we have developed portable 3D viewing systems to bring into classrooms and conferences to reach a wide and diverse audience. Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming shoots in Dry Tortugas NP in July, Isle Royale NP in September and Channel Islands NP in November. 

Fun on St. John, US Virgin Islands

While working on the 3D shoot in the Virgin Islands National Park, Cameron, Chase and Elizabeth had some fun at the world famous Trunk Bay, St John.