Darren Jew (photovan)

Forum username: photovan
Real name: Darren Jew
Posts: 894
Active years: 2006—2016
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Shooting Technique/Workflow/Editing, General Chat, Photo/Video Showcase
Specialization: Wildlife and underwater photography, Nikon and Seacam systems, whale photography

Biography

Darren Jew is an Australian professional wildlife and underwater photographer who contributed to Wetpixel under the username “photovan” for over a decade. He learned to dive as a 14-year-old in 1980 and bought a second-hand Nikonos during his first year at art college. After completing photographic studies at the Queensland College of Art in 1983, he worked as a commercial colour lab technician, a black-and-white darkroom technician for an archaeologist, and an advertising photographer’s assistant before spending eight years as a photographer with the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service (^[1]).

In the early 1990s, Darren began freelancing full-time, leading photographic courses and tours to wildlife destinations worldwide, producing stock images, selling fine art prints, and undertaking wildlife, underwater, and travel commissions. He is the author of the book AUSTRALIA — reef, rainforest, red heart, a photographic journey through the continent’s deserts, forests, and reefs (^[2]).

In 2007, Darren received the Canon/AIPP Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year award with a portfolio of underwater images. He also won the Threatened Species Category of the 2006 ANZANG Nature and Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards (^[3]).

Wetpixel Moderator

In February 2009, Eric Cheng announced Darren as one of four new Wetpixel forum moderators, alongside Ryan Pedlow (aussie), Giles Shaxted (Giles), and Ellen Quale (ornate_wrasse). The announcement highlighted his extensive professional credentials and his contributions to the Wetpixel community (^[4]).

Community Role

Darren contributed 894 posts across 11 active years, with a steady presence spanning both gear-focused and creative forums. His participation was weighted toward Photography Gear and Technique (29%), Shooting Technique (15%), General Chat (14%), and Photo/Video Showcase (12%). He also contributed to video discussions, conservation threads, and trip reports.

He was known for thoughtful, measured contributions grounded in decades of professional experience. His posts often bridged the gap between professional practice and community discussion, offering practical advice informed by real-world shooting experience.

Notable Contributions

Strobe and TTL Technology

Darren started a detailed thread about the Sea & Sea iTTL converter for the Nikon D200, sharing practical experiences with the system for macro photography and gathering community feedback about reliability issues across different housing brands (^[5]).

Video Crossover

In March 2007, Darren explored moving into underwater videography after a client expressed interest in video content. His “hdv - sony/canon?” thread documented a stills photographer’s perspective on entering the video world, drawing advice from Drew Wong and other video specialists. Drew’s candid response — “you’ve really bitten off more than you can chew” — and the subsequent discussion illustrated the distinct skill sets required for each discipline (^[6]).

Conservation Advocacy

Darren was active in conservation discussions, posting about Japanese whaling and other marine conservation issues. He started a thread highlighting the Australian government’s documentation of Japanese whaling fleet activities, including the killing of a minke whale mother and calf (^[7]).

Whale Photography in Tonga

Darren led photographic tours to Tonga for humpback whale season, sharing striking images of whale calves during the 2012 season while running multiple consecutive groups (^[8]).

Gallery and Exhibition

In November 2006, Darren opened his own exhibition space in conjunction with a gift shop that had been selling his work for approximately six years, featuring about one-third underwater images (^[9]).

Equipment

• Primary housing: Seacam (D200 housing with Superdome port and S45 viewfinder, received July 2006) (^[10])
• Camera: Nikon D200
• Strobe system: Sea & Sea with iTTL converter

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2007—2010
• Forum focus: Photography Gear (29%), Shooting Technique (15%), General Chat (14%), Photo/Video Showcase (12%), Video (6%), Trip Reports (6%)
• Threads started: 63
• Mentioned in articles: 1 (moderator announcement)
• Activity score: 1,088

Timeline

• 2006-06: First appearance on Wetpixel forums
• 2006-07: Received Seacam D200 housing system (^[11])
• 2006-11: Opened photography gallery/exhibition space (^[12])
• 2006-12: Started Sea & Sea iTTL converter discussion (^[13])
• 2007-03: Explored video gear for underwater client work (^[14])
• 2008-02: Posted about Japanese whaling documentation (^[15])
• 2009-02: Appointed Wetpixel forum moderator (^[16])
• 2012-08: Shared humpback whale photography from Tonga tours (^[17])
• 2016-12: Last recorded forum activity