Amos: The Movie.In our story this issue about
professional underwater photography, you'll read
that Amos Nachoum says he started his travel outfit,
Big Animals Expeditions, so he could make his
niche as a top photographer of big-animal behavior.
It could also make him a movie star. Two documentary
filmmakers have been filming Nachoum while
he has been filming animals, and they've started a
crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to finish the
production, by filming Nachoum and polar bears
during a Canadian Arctic expedition this summer.
Amos: The Movie is seeking $30,000 funding -- a $25
donation will let you download the film free when
it is finished, $1,000 will let you attend the film premiere,
$50,000 will let you attend the Arctic expedition
and get you credit as executive producer. All
donations are tax-deductible ( www.indiegogo.com/projects/amos-the-movie#/story ).
Download This Photo Magazine for Free.
Speaking of gorgeous photography, the Pacific
Northwest Underwater Photographic Society produces
a great, full-color magazine, PNW Diver, every
two months and lets anyone download it free. The
May/June issue is now online and features photo
portfolios of Pacific sponges and the sinking of the
HCMS Annapolis in British Columbia's Halkett Bay.
Download it and past issues at www.pnwdiver.com
Diver Finds Some Skeletons "Just Chillin'." A
diver at Colorado's Cienaga Springs had quite the
scare in early May when he discovered what he
thought were skeletal human remains at the bottom of the river. He phoned the sheriff's office, and a diver
was sent down to inspect. What he found: an underwater
party with two fake skeletons sitting in lawn chairs.
They had been posed to look as though they were simply
chillin' in the riverbed, complete with sunglasses and
comfy chairs. One skeleton held an algae-covered sign,
with only the date "8-16-2014" visible. Instead of reporting
the skeletons, the startled diver should have just
chilled along with them.
Where to Find Unique O-Rings. In last month's issue,
reader Bruce Drucker lamented that Sony doesn't sell
replacement O-rings for his underwater camera housing,
and we commented how once most inexpensive housings
go off the market, O-rings for them exit, too, so it's wise
to stock up on them at initial purchase. However, reader
Jim Rogers (Silverdale, WA) has this suggestion: "Contact
McMaster Carr, an industrial supply company. They will
in all probability have the correct size O-ring." Its website
( www.mcmaster.com ) says it has five locations and carries
more than 555,000 products.
Nothing Illegal about Wearing Scuba Gear, Right? A 48-year-old man wearing full dive gear caused quite
a stir in Traverse City, MI, last month. The Traverse City
Record-Eagle reported that the man, who had been drinking,
showed up at a downtown McDonald's and acted
quite belligerent. Workers called police, who found
the man near the store, and told him that management
didn't want him at the restaurant. Police don't know
why he was wearing scuba gear, but Detective Sgt.
James Bussell told the newspaper that "as far as wearing
scuba gear and having a couple of beers, that's legal."
So have no fear leaving your mask, fins and BC on
while stopping for a Big Mac after you dive -- you're not
breaking any law.