In mind-bending, eye-popping portraits, American artist Alexa de los Reyes has created a series of oils on canvas, which capture the abstract effects of refraction and reflection of water on the human form. <i>X-Ray Mag</i> caught up with the artist to find out more about her artistic process, inspiration and perspectives—discovering a deeper meaning and symbolism underlying her artworks.
X-Ray Mag #77
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Dragons that swim and fish with wings and bizarre color patterns, and slugs made of strings? No, these are not fantasy movie creatures, but Mother Nature at her best.
Dragons that swim and fish with wings and bizarre color patterns, and slugs made of strings? No, these are not fantasy movie creatures, but Mother Nature at her best.
In May 2016, the dive team of the Dutch Ghost Fishing Foundation helped a German Greenpeace campaign, with the goal of drawing attention to the sizable problem of ghost nets in the North Sea. After almost two weeks of ideal weather conditions—with bizarrely bad visibility underwater—the deck of the Arctic Sunrise boasted five enormous BIG BAGs (the Swedish eco-friendly garbage bag brand) full of nets and fishing lines. A considerable catch, but there is plenty more work waiting at the bottom of the German North Sea.
In this latest column, Simon Pridmore looks at three instances where divers survived close calls, picks out the techniques that they employed to survive and recommends strategies that you can adopt to make you a safer diver.
One of only four men in the world to have been to the wreck of the RMS Titanic and physically dived the interior of the equally tragic vessel, HMHS Britannic, is the American underwater explorer and author Richard Kohler. Internationally known for exploring some of the most challenging and dangerous shipwrecks on Earth, Kohler has pursued his passion for technical diving and maritime history since the early ‘80s.
When I lived in South Africa for two years a decade ago, Ponta do Ouro in neighboring Mozambique was a place of legend in the wilds beyond the KwaZaulu Natal border just a five-hour drive north of Durban. Tales told of a rustic village in the dunes with great diving, yet the village was swamped by South African fishermen off-roaders and quad-bikers during the school holidays. Whilst tempted to check out the underwater action, the tales of topside tourist trash won over, and I never made it. Then one day last August, on a whim spurred by two traveling companions while visiting South Africa again, I decided to go.
As my plane touched down in Athens on a warm and sunny October afternoon, it did not seem that long ago since the country experienced deep economic woes, during which a prolonged spat between the Greek Prime Minister Tsipras and then Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the EU bailout dominated the news for weeks on end, painting at times a bleak picture of a nation on the very brink of collapse and simmering with unrest. Not being totally impervious to these events, I was not sure what to expect when I booked the flights. But as I stepped off the plane, I did indeed look forward to finding out how Greece fared and forming my own opinions about the diving to be found here.
Achieving the Olympic dream is often described as the culmination of four years or more of hard work, sacrifice, commitment and dedication. To be an Olympian, there will be three components that must be present in each competitor before the dream can be achieved: talent, physical potential and psychological potential. Whether someone gets to "live the dream"""" is entirely dependent on whether they can maximise the three elements. """
Many divers dream of owning their own dive center, of doing what they love and making money out of it. But what does it really entail? Do you have what it takes to open and, more importantly, operate a recreational dive center? And what does it really mean? Whether you are planning a part-time weekend business or opening a luxury dive resort and hotel, it is worth reading further. Dive resort owner Farfat "Raf" Jah opens our eyes to the world that surrounds the business of resort diving.
The idea of Hawaii conjures up images of blue water, white sand, palm trees and soft breezes. One pictures a calm, easy-going, relaxing sort of place where one can recover from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But if one looks hard enough, there is adventure to be found beyond the sun-soaked beaches and mai tai cocktails, and so I went in search of them on both ends of the island chain that make up the Hawaiian archipelago.
The Kruber-Voronya Cave is located in the Arabika Mountain Massif of the Gagrinsky Ridge in the Western Caucasus, in the town district of Gagra in the Abkhazia region. With a depth of 2,197m, it is the deepest known cave on the planet. The entrance is located at an altitude of 2,250m.
In 2006, an expedition discovered a lake at a depth of 2,146m and went about exploring it. It was named "Dva Kapitana" ("The Two Captains"). During the initial expeditions, which were covered in a previous article in 2007 (see issue #15), the sump was explored to a maximum depth of of 17m and 40m horizontally.
But what has happened since then?
Off the tip of Southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia in the Banda Sea, Wakatobi Dive Resort offers an unforgettable blend of pristine, protected reefs with sustainable luxury.
Off the tip of Southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia in the Banda Sea, Wakatobi Dive Resort offers an unforgettable blend of pristine, protected reefs with sustainable luxury.
Powerful images can help achieve a goal. Art can stir up emotions in people and emotions lead to action, leading to change. By conveying one strong message in a visually striking image, viewers may stop and think. They might decide to make real changes in their lives, affecting their friends and families—the message spreading outward, ultimately leading to a real and positive change all over the world. It all starts with a single image. To this end, British underwater photographer, Zena Holloway, uses her photographs to raise awareness of the fragile nature of our oceans and marine ecosystems. Ran and Danielle Mor interviewed the artist to find out more about her mission, passion and creative process.
Powerful images can help achieve a goal. Art can stir up emotions in people and emotions lead to action, leading to change. By conveying one strong message in a visually striking image, viewers may stop and think. They might decide to make real changes in their lives, affecting their friends and families—the message spreading outward, ultimately leading to a real and positive change all over the world. It all starts with a single image. To this end, British underwater photographer, Zena Holloway, uses her photographs to raise awareness of the fragile nature of our oceans and marine ecosystems. Ran and Danielle Mor interviewed the artist to find out more about her mission, passion and creative process.