Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Eric Keibler

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Travel Photography: Lighting Hints

I recently ran across a video from photographer Karl Taylor who has a series of YouTube videos and some on-line classes. In his video “Essential Skills that Will Transform You Photographs,” Karl introduces you to a few ways to look at lighting and how you can incorporate it into your photography.

He first defines light in to several categories. These primary light categories he uses are hard light, and soft light. You can think of hard light as direct light like that which comes from the sun. Hard light is a high contrast light producing defined shadows and well defined textures. Conversely, soft light is a low contrast light producing an even flat light and soft shadows.

Both types of light are found throughout the day when we are photographing and we just have to work with the light to produce the best image and one that conveys what you are trying to accomplish.

Karl uses a sunset photograph to both demonstrate the light and to show how to use it to create the image you are trying to create. He then moves indoors and again demonstrates how to use these two categories of light to create a portrait.

Watching the video will probably give you a few things to think about but the best way to understand how to utilize the different types of light is to go out and shoot some photographs around your own house or at a local park. See what using reflectors (remember you can make your own and even use a piece of paper as a reflector) can do to enhance your image.

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Club Aquarius Update

Guest Speaker Staci Willis, PhD

If you missed the January Club Aquarius Social Club meeting, you missed a fun and entertaining discussion of underwater archaeology using the Bajo de la Campana shipwreck as the backdrop. Dr. Staci Willis talked about her first experiences as an underwater research assistant and the adventures and mis-adventures she had while on the project. She laughed with everyone when she talked about her instruction on operating the air lift “…you open this valve to start the lift and you close it when you want to stop it; do you have any questions?” She had fun reliving her adventures while elucidating everyone on how a typical excavation works.

I am sure some of the forty or so divers would like to participate on a project for fun. Of course, she said that the volunteer spaces were small becasue of the need to utilize graduate students on the excavations but jokingly said “…if you donated a large sum to help fund the project, you can be assured of a position.”

Dive Mom also had fun giving out the $30.00 gift cards (in celebration of our 30th anniversary). Of course, the cards had a tight time limit — use them by January 31st!

We really want to thank Sean Beck and the staff at the Backstreet Cafe for making it a fun evening — and did I mention that the food was wonderful! And we also need to give a special thank you to Barbara and Steve Jurbala for helping us remember how much we love the Backstreet Cafe and for calling Sean to help arrange for the meetings. And no Club Meeting is complete without the help of Zaide, Coad, Meagan and the other staff members that help make these evenings a success.

Be sure to join us for future Club Aquarius Social Club Meetings. You can find a complete schedule of the meetings here.

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Sidemount Diving Course Starts in November 2019


If you missed David’s Club Aquarius Social Club presentation on Sidemount diving you missed a fun topic about one of the latest trends in Open water scuba diving!
There is a lot of interest in diving because of the benefits this style of diving offers.  As David explained, people have varied reasons for learning to sidemount dive.  Some of these reasons are:

  • Health – By moving the cylinders off of your back and putting them on the side, you can reduce back strain especially of you put the cylinders on in teh water.
  • Duration – You have double the gas available on a dive so your duration can be increased significantly.
  • Safety – By adding the second cylinder and the accompanying second air delivery system, you introduce an independent,  redundant system which results in more safety for the diver.
  • Buoyancy Control – Having two cylinders on the same plane as the diver, makes the entire platform more stable.  In other words, it is easier for you to master buoyancy,
  • Appearance – Ok, let’s face it, you look cool!  And you have always heard that looks are important.
  • Opens Up Extended Range and technical diving – By learning to sidemount as a recreational diver, you begin to get more comfortable with your diving and this platform is one that translates easily to extended range or technical diving.

Learning to dive sidemount is not difficult and our program is designed to get you started with your new equipment configuration and to help you begin to feel comfortable.  Of course you will need to go diving to truly internalize what you have learned.  You can look at the program applying the Diver’s Diamond:

  • Knowledge
    • Procedures and Configuration
    • Classroom Sessions
  • Skills
    • Learn how to deal with equipment
    • Swimming in a new configuration
  • Equipment
    • Need some new equipment to carry the bottles and to breath from them
  • Experience
    • Some diving needed

If you find this intriguing, come in and talk to Ann, David or me and we will be happy to fill in the blanks.  You can find the upcoming classes here or email Dive Mom to get the schedule for the next program.

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Our Palau Adventure – A Quick Update

What a trip! This was my first trip back to Palau for over 20 years and I can’t understand why I stayed away for so long.
Like on our previous trip we stayed at the beautiful Palau Pacific Resort.  This is one of the nicest hotels on the island and over the years since my last visit they have added a small, exclusive hotel within the property as well as some over the water bungalows complete with glass viewing ports.  But while the hotel has grown, the warm, friendly atmosphere created by the staff has not changed.    They excited to be there and made us all feel welcome.  The staff at the poolside bar was simply fantastic (yes we spent a lot of time her).  Maria even remembered every customer’s name and room number as well as what you were drinking the previous night — if only I had her memory.
While on our previous trips the Mantas alluded us in German Channel, on this trip they were in abundance also with sharks visiting the cleaning stations – wait until you see the photos.  The weather was even calm enough for us to visit Pelilu and dive Pelilu wall.
Navot and Tova from Fish -n-Fins have assembled a great team.  Our dive guide, Hiro, was wonderful to work with and he was patient having to work with normal recreational divers, CCR divers and even divers using sidemount.  He made it a nice trip for me taking much of the burden for the group underwater  He was assisted on the dive by his “trainee” IB and Captain Rodney.  They were all fun to work with and kept things light and fun during the day as we visited multiple dive sites each day (3 dives a day).
I am only sorry the trip had to end but I and 1/2 of the guests were headed to Truk Lagoon for another wreck diving adventure.
I hope it doesn’t take me so long to come back.
 

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Archaeologist Staci Willis, PhD to Speak At Social Club Meeting

Staci Willis, PhD Diving in Albania

Are you interested in unexplored shipwrecks lying hidden on the ocean’s bottom just waiting to be discovered?  This is Dr. Staci Willis’ passion and this past summer she and a team of investigators explored a portion of the coast of Albania looking for some potential excavation sites.  For more than six days she and her fellow researched dove on various sites from 15 meters to 24 meters (50 feet to 80 feet) in an area around Corfu Chanel.
Their investigatory dives were successful and they will be returning next summer to start an archaeological dig on one or two of the sites.
Dr. Staci Willis is currently a Professor of Anthropology at Houston Community College and the Co-Principal Investigator of the Albania Ancient Shipwreck Project. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Ph.D. in Anthropology, specializing in Nautical Archaeology, in 2016. In addition to her most recent work in Albania, Dr. Willis has also participated in a number of other underwater excavations, including a 7th-century BC Phoenician shipwreck off the coast of Spain, a 1st-century wreck in a river of northern Italy, and and 1st-century wreck in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Staci will be discussing her work and these dives at the January 17, 2019 Club Aquarius Social Club meeting.
 
 

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The Second Container is In

After a lot of trial and error, including getting the delivery truck stuck in the mud, the second container is in place!  We have been trying for a month to get both containers set so we can begin working on building them out for the repair facility and the air fill station.
The first container was delivered but it started raining so we did not feel comfortable bringing the second one in.  We waited 2 weeks and tried to set the second one but the soil was too soft and the truck stuck into the mud before reaching the place to put it.  After a few conversations with Jeremy and Zac, both of whom have experience with moving these types of units around, we resorted to 3/4″ plywood as a base (after we knocked down the ruts from last time).  It worked!
Dave and Coad have already started framing out the repair center and Dave hopes to have the rough framing completed by Tuesday.  Then we have to get the electrical put in, install a/c, the insulation, the drywall, flooring and finally the workbenches and shelving!  It will take a little more time but we are making progress!  Once the repair center is complete, we will build-out the fill station and move the compressor systems.
The goal is to have all of this completed by February-March in time for the March Open House.