Light, Shadow and Sea – A Black and White Short Film

This month, I had the chance to share a new short film at the New York Underwater Photographic Society’s March meeting. The theme was black and white, which made it a natural opportunity to step away from color and focus on something more elemental — contrast, silhouette, texture, and the way light behaves underwater.

https://youtu.be/Fb3KwaH0V1U

“Light, Shadow and Sea” is built around the tension between illumination and darkness. Underwater, light is never fixed. It scatters, softens, disappears, and sometimes cuts through the water in a way that gives even familiar subjects a completely different presence. That shifting relationship became the foundation for this piece.

Rather than leaning on color, the film focuses on form, movement, and atmosphere. Some sequences feel quiet and weightless. Others feel heavier, more imposing, and almost theatrical. Black and white helped simplify the frame and bring those shifts forward more deliberately.

The footage moves across very different underwater environments and subjects, from drifting jellyfish in Mozambique and the shadowed presence of sand tiger sharks off North Carolina, to whale sharks and schooling fish in the Philippines, before narrowing in on the smaller, more intricate details of Indonesia’s macro world. I did not want it to feel like a destination reel. It was really more of an exercise in mood, contrast, and structure beneath the surface.

I also took a little creative liberty at the end by closing on two subjects that were naturally black and white. That felt like an appropriate way to bring the film full circle — ending on creatures whose patterns already carried the theme without needing any reinterpretation.

About NYUPS

For anyone landing here for the first time, NYUPS is the underwater imaging sub-group within Big Apple Divers, a dive club based in New York City. We meet monthly, and each meeting is built around a different subject, which makes it a great forum for sharing new work and revisiting older footage with a more specific creative goal in mind.

The black and white theme gave this project its structure from the start. It pushed me to think less about color and more about shadow, shape, and the way light defines a subject underwater.

More Projects from NYUPS

• Light, Shadow and Sea – A Black and White Short Film

• Marine Life Close-Up: The Eyes Project

• Life on the Ocean Floor – Dauin

Tonight’s #NYUPS theme: Black & White! 🌊 Reminiscing on my 2021 film—the Maldives in monochrome is pure magic. See you all there! 🎥🎞️

https://scubahanknyc.com/2021/06/29/black-and-white-underwater-maldives/

#UnderwaterPhotography #ScubaDiving #Cinematography

Beneath The Sea, Big Apple Divers and NYUPS

https://youtu.be/VA5YYJKQ4cw

Beneath the Sea is the premier international dive, travel and oceans exposition in the US. It’s held annually at the Meadowlands Expo Center just outside of NYC. BTS overall mission is to provide continuing education to the recreational diver community. It aims to educate the public in the benefits of protecting the ocean environment. BTS also supports ocean and environment-related projects and charities.

Exhibitors from around the world come BTS to promote dive products and scuba diving destinations. Also, a few local dive clubs have booths at BTS to promote regional diving and support the overall dive community. The Big Apple Divers obtained a booth with a video monitor this year. They asked members to submit their work for display during the consumer trade show (March 29-31, 2019). I presented these three underwater videos.

https://youtu.be/DrCffR5fVHk

I filmed this ribbon eel off the coast of Tulamben, Indonesia. Accommodations and dive guides were supplied by Bali Dive Resort & Spa.

https://youtu.be/AT8kMLCuDS0

I shot this young sea turtle while I was shore diving near the Salt Pier in Bonaire. Accommodations, truck rental, and tanks were supplied by Captain Don’s Habitat.

Marine Life Close-Up: The Eyes Project

Last week, I had the chance to present my latest project at the New York Underwater Photographic Society (NYUPS) meeting. The theme was “EYES”—a challenge that pushed me to look through my archives with a very specific focus.

As divers, we often get caught up in the wider scene or the specific behavior of a subject. But for this project, I wanted to strip away the distractions and focus purely on the “windows to the soul” beneath the surface. From the alien gaze of cuttlefish to the textured detail of rays and crustaceans, isolating the eyes changes the way you connect with the animal.

I put together a short montage to capture these fleeting connections. You can check out the full video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRRJfCv8lic

What started as a monthly challenge became a solid reminder. Underwater photography is worth the effort for that split second when you lock eyes with another creature. In that moment, you realize you’re both just passing through the same space.

Presented this #demo #reel last night at #NYUPS. 🐡🎥

It's a work in progress where I'm testing out a new FCP plugin called "Fast Transitions" from LenoFX. Check out the results here:

https://youtu.be/vRRJfCv8lic

#FinalCutPro #LenoFX #UnderwaterVideo #video #photography #fediverse #ocean

Tonight! 🌊 Join the #NYUPS crew at Fred’s @ 7 PM. We talk underwater photography, share clips, and geek out on marine life.

From Blue-ringed Octopuses to Anemonefish, you never know what amazing shots you'll see. Grab a drink & let’s talk diving! 🍻🦈

https://scubahanknyc.com/2025/12/27/life-on-the-ocean-floor-dauin/

Life on the Ocean Floor – Dauin

I recently shared this short film at our monthly NYUPS gathering in New York City. The meeting is a chance to show personal projects, discuss creative choices, and learn from one another’s approaches. This film came out of that same mindset – keeping things simple and letting small moments speak for themselves.

“Life on the Ocean Floor” focuses on the incredible biodiversity found in the sand and rubble. These are the heart of Dauin’s world-famous diving sites. These areas might look like a barren “desert” to the untrained eye. However, they hold an amazing concentration of life if you know where to look.

https://youtu.be/4zONvsLBS20

Featured Marine Life:

• The Partnership: Watch the tireless work of a blind shrimp and its Goby protector [00:10].
• The Nursery: An Anemonefish fanning its eggs with constant devotion [00:45].
• The Miniature Titan: The vivid, flashing rings of a Blue-ringed Octopus as it glides across the sand [01:45].

Gear Behind the Shots:

To capture these tiny subjects, I relied on a high-magnification setup:

• Camera: Panasonic GH5
• Lens: OM 90mm (excellent for that 2:1 macro reach)
• Housing: Nauticam
• Location: Dauin, Philippines (Silver Reef Dive Resort and Atmosphere Resort & Spa)

Dauin rewards the patient diver. Even a patch of sand that looks empty at first glance can hold a surprising amount of life if you take the time to look closely.

Caribbean Reef Life in Tobago – Short Film for NYUPS

This week, I had the pleasure of presenting my latest short film at our monthly gathering for the New York Underwater Photographic Society, or NYUPS.

NYUPS is a free, monthly meetup in NYC for divers who are passionate about underwater photography and video. We get together to share images, short films, and exchange tips and tricks we’ve been learning in the field. Lately, we have been meeting at Fred’s, a great spot on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It’s open to everyone—no membership, no fees—just a group of people who love to shoot underwater and talk about it.

https://youtu.be/nS-6KX68I4I

This month’s theme was Close Focus Wide Angle (CFWA), and I put together a short edit from a recent trip to Speyside, Tobago. The waters there are incredibly nutrient-rich, and every dive feels packed with life—turtles on the sand, stingrays dusted in sediment, and fast-moving reef fish weaving in and out of the frame. CFWA fits Tobago well because you can stay close to your subject while still keeping the wider reef in the story.

The film, titled “Caribbean Reef Life in Tobago,” opens with our dive guide filming a turtle, which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the edit: observing the vibrant, busy life of the reef.

I hope you enjoy this two-minute glimpse into the incredible underwater world of Tobago!

Shooting Details

Camera: Panasonic GH5 | 14–42 + Nauticam WWL1-B
Location: Speyside, Tobago
Dive Op: Tobago Dive Experience
Theme: Close Focus Wide Angle Shooting in Tobago

#NewYorkUnderwaterPhotographicSociety #NYUPS #Stingrays #tobagoDiveExperience #tobagoScubaDiving #TrinidadAndTobago #Turtles

Black and White Underwater – Maldives

The underwater world is full of vibrant colors. As an underwater image-maker, sometimes we need to light our subject to bring out these exciting and rich colors. Occasionally, it is better to go back to basics and produce black & white images. Photographers might do this by shooting film, setting a digital camera to black & white, or converting the image in post.

https://youtu.be/j10M8MakX1E

As some of you might know, I am a member of a NYC dive club called the Big Apple Divers. (You can find out more about our dive club here.) Each month a group of underwater photographers and videographers gather to discuss underwater photography and share our images. Normally we meet at a local bar but due to the pandemic we are meeting by video conference.

This month I presented the video above.

Enjoy!

NYUPS Is Back — Spiny Devilfish

On September 30, 2025, NYUPS (New York Underwater Photographic Society) – the imaging arm of Big Apple Divers – held its first meetup since the pandemic pause, filling the back room at Fred’s on Amsterdam Ave. Hosted by Larry C., Mike R., Adam S., and myself (Hank), it was standing-room only. Around ten presenters shared their underwater images. Most were stills. The energy was exactly what you’d hope for. People were excited to talk only about underwater photography and videography.

My screening: Spiny Devilfish Courtship (Dauin, Philippines)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QqCfP2QoVE

I presented a 2-minute short about Spiny Devilfish courtship. It was filmed in front of Atmosphere Dive Resort in Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines. It’s a quiet behavioral story – glances, approaches, rejection, persistence – ending in a tense, sandy flare-up. I shot these clips with a Gopro Hero 11

Gear: GoPro Hero 11 + Backscatter Action Cam Sharp Wide Lens

About NYUPS (and how to join in)

NYUPS is a NYC community for underwater shooters — monthly themed shares, friendly critique, and bite-sized talks. The next meeting is planned for late October 2025; the date will be posted on the NYUPS Facebook group.

Share a short video (≤2 min) or 5–10 photos and tell us what you want help with—color balance, macro focus, pacing, lighting… anything. Kindly follow the submission deadline so we can queue everything in advance.

Also, attendance is free. In appreciation for the venue, we ask each guests to order at least one food item and one drink.

#DiveClub #NewYorkUnderwaterPhotographicSociety #NYUPS #spinyDevilfish #UnderwaterVideo