01/30/2010

Antics of Ladybug Amphipods. Tiny. Incredible. New DiveFilm HD Podcast

The latest episode of DiveFilm HD Video Podcast offers a fascinating glimpse of the amazingly tiny world of Ladybug amphipods (Cyproidea sp.) by macro master Mike Elliott. "I use a custom tripod on nearly all shots. Some with a mono-pod, some with a bi-pod. Shooting against a wall is the most challenging and allows for only two legs, sometimes only one to steady the shot. Even then it's really tough," notes Elliott. "The one difficulty is that the ladybugs always seem to be looking away from the camera. A minimum +2 diopter is needed to get even close. Huge patience, the best buoyancy you can muster, a steady rig, lots of light, and and HD camcorder with diopter."

Mike and underwater photographer Jody Elliott design and manufacture a number of accessories for underwater imagers through their company Xit404.  They developed the custom tripod used for some of this video.  For more information on Mike Elliott, check out his profile here at UnderwaterVideography.com, his website MuckDiver.com, and Mike and Jody's company website Xit404.

DiveFilm HD Video Podcasts are a "Featured HD Podcast" and "Featured Sports Outdoor Podcast" at iTunes, and are produced by Mary Lynn Price of DiveFilm.com.