Buddies and Photography

[OE2X]

"How many photographers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None. We wait for the world to turn around us."

For a long time I've been reading that photographers make the worst buddies.

While I have seen this first hand on one occasion, I would like to object to this sentiment as a generalization.

I dive with buddies and photographers who are DIR trained. What I find is that no matter what we may be taking pictures of, we always are very much aware of where each other is at all times. It is rare for us to get more than 15' apart in good vis. While I'm composing my shot, my buddy may also be shooting something nearby or waiting his turn to take photos of my subject. If I'm composing a shot and I see my buddies strobe go off in quick succession then I go over and see what cool thing has been found.

We dive this way time and time again. We will even do it in three person teams and it works just as well. We are always aware of our buddies and if we can't see their strobe or light in the corner of our eye, then we start looking for them. On my last dive with Uncle Pug, I got into his blind spot - hovering directly above him by about 4 feet. After taking a shot, he couldn't see me or my light and so he began looking for me right away. Within seconds he saw me and he returned to taking pictures.

Bottom line is that you can be an excellent and attentive buddy with another photographer and still take great photos. If you can't then you need to examine your buddy skills and awareness without a camera.

 

[Diver Dennis]

You know that I agree with you OEX2. I posted in another thread that most of the photographers I dive with have very good skills, above average but sometimes a diver with a camera can lose all sense of body and buddy awareness. It takes some practice and it's important to have good skills before taking a camera down.

 

[OE2X]

Dennis that leads me to next point. When buddy awareness becomes second nature, then one can task load and still be aware at all times. This form of buddy awareness is a bit like the sleeping dog with one ear always up and aware. If you can't see or feel your buddies presence at all times you immediately take notice.

Those of us who worked on our buddy skills to make them second nature before picking up a camera, find that it is very easy to conduct our dives without losing our buddies.

 

[Uncle Pug]

I agree. Buddy skills come first... then you can add other stuff like cameras and killing scallops.

 

[Jim Ernst]

i have to completly agree with oe2x and dennis, i have three main buddies that i dive with,one scubajunkie, also a photographer, and the othere two non photogs , scubajunkie and i have never had a problem and have never lost sight of each othere, the othere two just hang with me as i take pictures and we have great dives and of course i also keep a close eye on them as well.

 

[Cacia]

yea, yea, we know you DIR divers are perfect up there....:10:

me, I am not kidding myself. Personally, I think you guys that say you can be a good buddy and a good photographer are in denial. So....where do you draw the line? Can you be a great buddy, a geat photgrapher, and a great..navigator? I mean at some point, it breaks down and you have to be realistic. Now, I could be "aware" and work within certain divers comfort level. (that is where the new classification enters in. "Solo divers with Partners") Having what you people call situational awareness just means you are in the vicinty, it doesn't mean you are looking at the person and seeing them in distress.
Some people need a bit more buddy-ness. So, please clarify a bit for the sake of the debate...are you saying you can buddy with an assigned person on a boat, or one of your regular DIR comrads?

 

[OE2X]

yea, yea, we know you DIR divers are perfect up there....:10:

me, I am not kidding myself. Personally, I think you guys that say you can be a good buddy and a good photographer are in denial. So....where do you draw the line? Can you be a great buddy, a geat photgrapher, and a great..navigator? I mean at some point, it breaks down and you have to be realistic. Now, I could be "aware" and work within certain divers comfort level. But some people need a bit more buddy-ness.

When Murphy joins you, then clip off the camera and become a buddy. When the vis drops to where you have to be shoulder to shoulder with your buddy, your buddy skills become the priority. When it comes to taking pictures - at least for me, that is a secondary reason for the dive. When the person that I'm diving with needs my full attention - the camera gets put away.
Situational awareness for me with someone like Uncle Pug means that I know at all times how he is doing and where he is at. I can tell this by how he uses his light or how his strobe is flashing. I can tell how much gas he is using at any point during the dive. Our last dive when we surfaced I told him he had finished with 900 psi. I was right on the mark and I never looked at his spg.

FWIW - I can be a great buddy and still take good pictures.

 

[OE2X]

One other thing to consider. The more you practice being task loaded underwater the easier and more conditioned skills become. So you can take pictures, navigate and be a buddy. It just takes practice and awareness.

 

[Cacia]

well, where are all these great underwater pictures anyway? I have seen the topside ones. And they are outstanding. I bet that 4,000 dollar Aquatica is sitting in the closet with a layer of dust.

Certain people yes, you can "buddy" with. Except if they run out of air and you are behind the macro, deep in Zen, well get ready for an unanticipated body slam. I would rather call it what it is.--two Solo divers facilitating a safer dive for each other, but there must be a clear distinction for everyone's expectations (and assets) to stay protected.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Catherine... you are talking to hear your head rattle.