Bad photographers at SCUBA Club

[hogster]

I have never written anything disparaging about other divers before but our recent trip to SCUBA Club, in Cozumel compels me to. We were there in December for 2 weeks, 10 dive days. Our first 5 dive days were beautiful. Then we started diving with these 5 photographers. They weren’t a group, 2 were from Bishop, Calif., I think and I don’t know where the others were from. I want to say first that I normally have nothing but great respect for older divers. They are great stewards of the environment and set a good example for all divers. Not so much with this lot. I have been diving since 1979 and my wife and I have been all over the world diving and we know there MUST be a few conscientious photographers out there but, in our experience, they are mostly rude and arrogant. We have seen a lot of coral bashers and wildlife molesters with cameras in their hands. These guys were world class.
The saddest thing with this bunch is, between them, they probably have 125-130 years of diving experience. This was the first time in my life I came to the realization that age and lots of experience alone do NOT make a good diver.
I cannot relay every incident that happened with these folks, this article would be WAY too long, but there are some standouts. One lady with her GoPro on a stick trying to get a turtle actually HIT him/her in the left front flipper with her camera. Another memorable moment was the Calif. team. She was shooting stills with this massive rig, he video. She pushed people aside to get a foto of a Splendid Toadfish in his hole and then beckoned her hubby to video him. He muscled his way in and proceeded to stick his video camera literally into the sand at the entrance to the Toadfish’s hole. Of course the Toadfish retreated all the way into his hole and no subsequent divers in the group got to see him. Another memorable moment was when 3 of them surrounded a poor turtle hanging out on the reef. They closed in on him with their cameras until he freaked out and escaped. Another lady swam right up to a snoozing nurse shark and stuck her camera in its face. It of course left and swam away to another sandy spot to settle down. She was not done however and chased after it until it could not take it anymore and swam away. One of my favorites was the same geezer lady who molested the shark came up to a resting Scorpion fish, with her bare left hand she grabbed a beautiful coral head and with her right hand shoved her camera in the fish’s face. Of course it bugged out and several people behind her did not get to see it. And she did it right in front of the divemaster. I could go on and on but I think you are all getting the picture.

The really pathetic thing is, I would be willing to bet that all of these old fogies think that they are the best divers in the world and having a camera gives them some right to destroy the reef and molest the wildlife.
After EVERY dive I went to the DM and told him what I saw happen and to control his photographers better. Nothing was ever said to ANY of the perpetrators. This is a huge problem as diving gets more and more tip driven. Divemasters will NOT admonish bad behavior because they fear a reduction in their tips. I reduced our tips to our divemasters and put a note in each envelope explaining that I did so because they did not control their photographers and that I witnessed a lot of reef destruction.
If any of you folks that dove with us are reading this, I hope you recognize yourselves. Please, please if you can’t behave yourselves underwater and dive any better, hang up your fins and take up golf or shuffleboard.

 

[cicopo]

Totally agree that this was VERY BAD & the DM's should have left them on the dock after day 1 of that. If they weren't willing to do so I'd have found another op to dive with.

 

[jlyle]

As an old diver and an u/w photographer, I condem the behavior of the group you were with. However, I would like to point out that their actions had nothing to do with their ages. As for photographers, I've observed worse, and that includes professionals for whom there can be no excuse.

My wife likes to point out, "Half the people (divers) in the world are below average in intelligence..." She goes on to add, "...and, yelling at them doesn't make them any smarter."

You need to reconsider your comments about shuffle board and golf. The idiots on your boat were inconsiderate oafs and have been that way all their lives.

 

[shardison]

Just curious... Who was your DM and which boat were you on?

This is very disappointing to me as I am a SCC supporter and is the OP I use when I go.

 

[bbarada]

I've been to SCC over 20 times. I'm surprised the DM's didn't say anything to them. I would tell Tim, the manager of SCC, and he would chastise the photographers.

 

[Wookie]

You bring up a very difficult subject for the operator. Yes, as a general rule, photographers are willing to do most anything to get the shot. When the operator chastises or gently recommends or screams at the offending photographer we get what I consider the "Dumb cow" look with a "who, me?". Sadly, most of these folks don't think they are doing anything wrong, because they've takes photo classes with (insert famous photographer name here) and that's how he/she did it. (Famous Photographer) doesn't think they are doing anything wrong, either, because there a a million seahorses and splendid toadfish in the ocean, right (and then they bitch and go to Lambeh because Caribbean diving "sucks")?

The current crop of old goat photography macro instructors is dying out, and the newer photographers are coming along that actually have some respect for the ocean. These new guys and gals are shooting big fish that can't be moved, and the photography is mostly about adrenaline, not setting up a staged shot.

I believe there is hope for the oceans, I think the fish life in the Caribbean will improve further, and these older photogs will go the way of the dodo. Everything good takes time.

 

[sharky60]

First of all, most of these people are NOT photographers...just people with cameras. Having spent 100's of dollars in schooling & seminars and 1000's of hours working on my craft to become an award winning photographer, I'll tell you, there IS a difference.

I am VERY conscientious of the divers around me while shooting, hell, while DIVING! and usually stay out of the way of everyone and let them get a good look and pass before moving in to take a shot. I generally just want to keep away from most of the group so they don't stir up sand and ruin the visibility in my shot as it is anyway.

It actually doesn't come in to play much with me too much though, as my wife (my photo spotter) and I are usually taking our time moving down the reef and are at the end of the group & at a slightly different level then the rest if we can.

Unless I'm diving with Jose at BA...then I try and stick close, because I know he's going to find some cool stuff!

I have just as many non-shooters forcing their way in front of me to see something as I do shooters, so I don't think it's all on photographer's heads. Unfortunately for you, these knuckelheads just happened to have cameras.

I don't think most people are trying to be rude. It's just that in the underwater environment, it's easy to feel like you are alone to a certain point and people get excited when they see things and just go for it without thinking...human nature.

I hope people don't think of me as "rude and arrogant" on the reef, just because I'm carrying a camera, and I'm sorry your experience with photographers has been that way.

 

[fisheater]

Because of the economics of DMs working for tips, it's up to us to say something to those who cause these problems. Social pressure is the only thing that may persuade them to change their ways.


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[Imla]

Not all photographers are like this.
Personally, if the diveplan called for all to ascend as a group, that is the plan I will follow. (This includes following lowest cert ie. OW vs AOWD, and most conservative comp.)
I take all my pictures hovering. It is more difficult, but worth it to exit the water knowing you left the coral just as good for the next dive.

I know I can get preoccupied when I take photos, so I prefer having a buddy I know, and one that will pull my fin when It is time to go. If diving with someone new, Ill leave my camera on the boat.

I also try to stay some distance away from the rest of the group. Not to far so I lose them, but far enough to not be in anyones way. Still, when/if I get my shot, I'll always signal others if there is something nice to see. I try to move slowly, and ease into animals (Both under and over water) to give them time to get used to me without scaring them.

These are rules I have set for myself to enjoy my photos AND my diving!

 

[cb5150]

"First of all, most of these people are NOT photographers...just people with cameras. Having spent 100's of dollars in schooling & seminars and 1000's of hours working on my craft to become an award winning photographer, I'll tell you, there IS a difference." --Sharky60

Isn't that kind of like saying only people in NASCAR and Formula 1 are "Drivers" and the rest of us are just people with cars?

---------- Post added December 30th, 2013 at 02:01 PM ----------

This sounds like about 90% of the photographers I see on dive trips.