Elbuzo
Forum username: elbuzo
Posts: 369
Active years: 2005—2018
Primary forums: General Chat, Photo/Video Showcase, Conservation and the Environment
Specialization: Competition ethics, marine wildlife conservation, Caribbean diving
Location: Caribbean (based on forum posts)
Community Role
Elbuzo (“the diver” in Spanish) was a Caribbean-based underwater photographer and active Wetpixel community member known for his passionate advocacy for ethical wildlife photography practices and marine conservation. Over 13 years on the forum, he contributed 369 posts focused on photography competitions, marine life behavior, equipment reviews, and conservation issues. His most lasting contribution was initiating one of the most important ethics debates in Wetpixel history about subject manipulation in underwater photography competitions.
Notable Contributions
LAUPS Subject Manipulation Debate (115 replies)
In December 2010, Elbuzo started the thread “LAUPS winners: Subject’s manipulation?” which sparked a 115-reply debate about whether winning images in the LAUPS competition involved animal manipulation. He identified two problematic images: one of a Cyclura iguana in water (noting that these iguanas normally do not enter water voluntarily) and a Pegasus sea moth apparently swimming in open water (behavior contradicted by expert observations). Notably, both images were by the same photographer.
Elbuzo researched the iguana species, identifying it as likely Cyclura cychlura (Andros Island rock iguana), an IUCN Red List species with fewer than 5,000 individuals, making any disturbance of a single specimen a conservation concern. The thread attracted contributions from Drew Wong, Paul Kay, LiquidGuru, and Steve Douglas, and broadened into a wider discussion about the distinction between subject manipulation and digital manipulation in nature photography competitions ([1]).
Book Reviews and Photography Culture
Elbuzo was an engaged critic of underwater photography publications. His thread on Laurent Ballesta’s Planete Mers book (38 replies) generated spirited debate when he criticized the print quality of an otherwise stunning photography book, with Alex Mustard and others disagreeing. The discussion revealed that Elbuzo may have received a defective copy ([2]).
Other Notable Threads
- “Canada you shook the world!!!” (20 replies) — Discussion about Canadian underwater photography ([3])
- “New Mares computer” (25 replies) — Dive computer discussion ([4])
- “Strange sighting in the Caribbean” (19 replies) — Marine life observation from his Caribbean diving ([5])
Timeline
- 2005-11: Joined Wetpixel; first notable post about Planete Mers print quality ([6])
- 2005—2010: Active in general photography discussions and marine life topics
- 2010-12: Started the landmark LAUPS subject manipulation debate ([7])
- 2010—2018: Continued contributions on ethics, conservation, and Caribbean marine life
- 2018: Last active year on Wetpixel forums
Activity Profile
- Peak years: 2009—2014
- Focus areas: Competition ethics, marine conservation, photography book reviews, Caribbean marine wildlife
- 369 posts across General Chat, Conservation, and Photography forums
- Notable distinction: Started the most significant ethics debate about subject manipulation in competition photography on Wetpixel
Sources
- Forum thread: Laups Winners Subjects Manipulation ↩
- Forum thread: Planete Mers Book ↩
- Forum thread: Canada You Shook The World ↩
- Forum thread: New Mares Computer ↩
- Forum thread: Strange Sighting In The Caribbean ↩
- Forum thread: Planete Mers Book ↩
- Forum thread: Laups Winners Subjects Manipulation ↩
- LAUPS winners: Subject’s manipulation? (forum) ↩
- Planete Mers book (forum) ↩
- New Mares computer (forum) ↩
- Canada you shook the world!!! (forum) ↩
- Strange sighting in the Caribbean (forum) ↩