November 2009

Red Gorgonian, Lophogorgia chilensis

The Red gorgonian (Lophogorgia chilensis) is my favorite species of sea fan. I got some nice shots of red gorgonians at San Clemente Island a few weeks ago. Like the golden gorgonion alongside which it is commonly found, the elegant red gorgonian is a colonial invertebrate that grows on rocky…

adminNovember 30, 2009

California Catalina Marine Life Underwater Photography

California Golden Gorgonian, Muricea californica

The California golden gorgonian (Muricea californica) is a common gorgonian species in southern California. It is typically found growing on rocky reefs from 40' to 200' deep. The California golden gorgonian is a colonial organism composed of thousands of individual polyps, each of which secretes calcium to form the structure…

adminNovember 28, 2009

California San Clemente Island

Back in the Saddle

After a hiatus of almost four years away from the SCUBA gear, I decided to take a 3-day dive trip on my favorite vessel, the dive boat Horizon out of San Diego, for some diving at Catalina Island, Santa Barbara Island, and San Clemente Island. I got my regulator serviced…

adminNovember 27, 2009

Wisdom

SEO For Photographers, Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important for photographers. With the growing number of photographer websites on the internet, it is increasingly difficult for a photographer's website to be noticed by photo buyers who rely on search results. Good positioning in search engine results translates into revenue. Here in a nutshell…

adminNovember 10, 2009

Ocean Realm Rose Atoll

Rose Atoll, A World Treasure in Peril

by Phillip Colla and Harrison "Skip" Stubbs, Ph.D. This blog post is now available as a downloadable PDF article. This post was originally published in Ocean Realm Magazine in the Spring 1997 issue, one of a series of articles I contributed to Ocean Realm in the '90s. In August 1995…

adminNovember 8, 2009

California Ocean Realm San Clemente Island

Kelp Forest Reminiscing

Kelp forest underwater photography. This story was originally published as a pictorial in Ocean Realm Magazine in the Spring 2001 issue, the last of a series of articles I contributed to Ocean Realm in the '90s. This blog post is now available as a downloadable PDF article. My…

adminNovember 7, 2009

Skip's Trips

Skip Stubbs in the Sea of Cortez (2009)

My friend and diving partner Skip Stubbs was doing a little diving in the Sea of Cortez with a group of long-time diving friends. Skip shoots primarily video, but on his trips he always takes some time out to shoot a few still photos with his Canon G10. I particularly…

adminNovember 4, 2009

Hawaii Humpback Whale Icons Ocean Realm

Heat Run: Humpback Whale Behavior Photos

Humpback whale underwater photography. Originally titled "Heat Run", this appeared in Ocean Realm Magazine in April 1995, the first of a series of articles I authored for Ocean Realm in the '90s. This blog post is now available as a downloadable PDF article. Each winter North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera…

adminNovember 1, 2009