Dr Richard Chesher takes spherical VR panoramas of the idyllic World Heritage Site reefs off New Caledonia in the Pacific. On land these panoramas are captured by taking several shots as the camera rotates round on a tripod, then they are post processed into the finished image.

Underwater the camera is stabilised by a weight and a yellow float leaving the Canon 7D reasonably steady. But there is a problem, the fish are frightened of humans! Taking images whilst the diver is beside the camera doesn't get the best shots. So Richard added a mechanical rotation device to the bottom of the camera (white tube) and a gentLED-AUTO intervalometer inside the 7D' s waterproof housing taking pictures every 3 seconds.

Built in December 2010, this is believed to be the first automatic, underwater, panorama camera system for taking spherical images. Leaving the camera alone for around 5 minutes, taking pictures and rotating autonomously, ensured many marine creatures were in-shot rather than hiding in the coral:

• A school of Yellow Snappers on 360cities.net,
• See this panorama on 360cities.net, and
  see the photographers returning.
• read more about gentLED-AUTO part of the enabling 
  technology that made this image possible.

Thanks to Professional New Caledonia photographer Richard Chesher for demonstrating that the uses for our products are only limited by the imagination of the photographers using them!