Buddies and Photography

[Diver Dennis]

Yeah, I'm hoping to have a housing before my next trip to FL for my D200.

I know totally off topic, but it is interesting that you have been loving the nice small footprint of your PnS (and so do I) yet you are getting a housing for that DSLR.

I REALLY enjoy my S70 UW, and will carry that camera on every worthwile dive (diving where I do is often an excercise in training, and nothing more), but I am NOT completely happy with just having that UW.

Ron, I still hate you...

 

[RonFrank]

Good point. It is totally different diving in 50'+ vis. That's where I dive almost exclusively and I know that it is far easier keeping track of one or more people or diving on my own, which is my usual MO.

I understand that good vis promotes a sense of freedom vs. no vis. But the reailty is that if you are 50fsw away from your buddy, even if you have an easy time seeing them, is that safe? Can one get that far OOA?

If I was OOA and that far from a buddy, I think I'd go to the surface. The point that PUG and O2X are making I think is that good vis should not be an excuse for bad buddy practices.

If you are a solo diver and setup to dive solo, well that's a choice to be made and I assume you have some self rescue skills, and redundant air supply.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I understand that good vis promotes a sense of freedom vs. no vis. But the reailty is that if you are 50fsw away from your buddy, even if you have an easy time seeing them, is that safe? Can one get that far OOA?

If I was OOA and that far from a buddy, I think I'd go to the surface. The point that PUG and O2X are making I think is that good vis should not be an excuse for bad buddy practices.

If you are a solo diver and setup to dive solo, well that's a choice to be made and I assume you have some self rescue skills, and redundant air supply.

I agree Ron, I didn't mean you should be that far away from your buddy but that it is far less stressful and safer than diving in 5' vis. It is easier to see where the rest of the group is though and you and your buddy can lag behind and wait for a few minutes to get that great shot. There is no excuse for being a bad buddy, if you choose to dive that way. I've been solo diving for quite a while now and I'm set up to do so within my safety limits.

 

[Darnold9999]

Still pretty new at the picture taking thing, but I find that if I am focusing on trying to frame, focus, get the lighting right and keep my boyancy where I need it to take the picture - this all takes all of my attention for two or three seconds maybe a bit more for a macro shot. My buddy during this process could be doing anything and I would not know it unless they were in my field of vision, flashed a light or made a noise of some kind.

First thing I do after pushing the shutter is locate them, but in that few seconds they could easily swim out of visual range if the vis was low enough and they wern't paying attention. Could I do better, perhaps, but I would have to be a better photographer so that it took less time to take the picture, or always ensure that my buddy was in my field of vision when taking the shot - not likely for most pictures.

I relate the "always being aware of my buddy" to driving.

I always know whats going on around me in a car. Not because I can see behind me, but because I check my mirrors and blind spot. Not on a regular interval, but based on the situation. Often in heavy traffic, a lot less often on a rural single lane road. Years of experience in all kinds of vehicles and some specific driver training gives me "situational awareness". To the point where, in an emergency, I will switch lanes without even looking because I am absolutely sure there is nothing beside me. There can't possibly be. (DO NOT try this unless you have the training)

However, I don't have mirrors when I take pictures and my field of vision is very restricted. I also don't have the same training and bottom time as some so what follows is speculation. However, I am a bit skeptical of claims that you can take pictures and have the same "situational awareness" that you have without the camera. I think you might be kidding yourselves a bit. The fact that you feel you need to put the camera away in low vis confirms this. You do have to pay attention to the camera, and in low vis the time you devote to the camera is long enough for the situation to change to the point of no recovery so you put it away.

In good vis, your experience and confidence in your buddy perhaps allows you to be confident in not refreshing your "situation picture" for the time it takes to get the shot. However, I also expect that if something went wrong you would be unaware of it until your attention returned from the picture to "refresh" your internal "situation" picture. Your trust in your buddy permits you to know that the situation is unlikely to change, but it could, and I don't think you would be aware of it until the next refresh - and I bet that, with a camera that refresh cycle is longer than without a camera.

Just my 2 cents, from someone new to the camera and trying to work out how to use it in this environment.

 

[OE2X]

I agree with your argument, however I think it would have been much better presented without the word DIR. Lack of DIR does not a bad buddy make, and DIR has little to do with UW photography IMO.

I dove last Summer with my Cuz who has been diving since the early 70's (never heard of DIR BTW). I am a relatively new diver. We did a lot of diving together, and both had cameras. We were within 10 feet of each other most always, and while we were both taking photo's we worked out very well as a buddy team and we remained tight.

This has nothing to do with DIR training, but rather the decision to stay together regardless of vis (which was great), photo OPS, or personal desire to go off to see soemthing. If I wanted to go somewhere, I'd wait until she was done with a shot, grab her attention, and we would both go.

This is what being a buddy is about, and while I do think that having a camera can be a bit distracting, if she had gone OOA, I was never more than a few feet away, and a quick pull of the fin, or tap on the shoulder, and the OOA sign would have prompted air exchange.

Actually I completely agree with you Ron. You don't need to be DIR to have excellent buddy skills. To have good buddy awareness is a mindset.
Not to beat a dead horse, but one of the most important skill sets that a course like Fundies beats into the student is being a good buddy and approaching the dive from a team mentality. When that skill set becomes second nature then taking great pictures can be accomplished without sacrificing your buddy skills.

Do you need to take DIR-F to be a good buddy/photographer? No. There are plenty of people like your cousin and yourself that have made the commitment to buddy awareness and are more than capable of this success.

 

[Mike Veitch]

I prefer not to see anyone underwater....

There... now you have a photography troll...

 

[Rick Inman]

If I buddy with a good (read, aware) diver, whether they are staring into their camera waiting for the perfect shot or not, when I flash my light in their eyes, I'm instantly getting a regulator with good air shoved at me. The camera isn't relevant.

However, as a buddy to a photographer (assuming I'm diving sans camera, because, say, mine flooded), I have a responsibility not to get distracted and wander off, but to stay near my photo-focused buddy. Some people get bored hanging with a buddy who hangs motionless forever in front of a hole waiting for the subject to reappear. But I enjoy the slow pace, and don't mind supporting a friend on a dive. It's very relaxing, air lasts forever, and it's amazing what you see staying in one place.

 

[alcina]

I prefer not to see anyone underwater....

You can dive with me

But on a serious note - yes, you can be a good buddy and take good photos. You have to make the CHOICE to do so and then PRACTICE those skills, just like Ox2 (I can never remember your screen handle!!) has detailed.

Mostly I choose not to, but I can and I do when needed.

 

[OE2X]

, just like Ox2 (I can never remember your screen handle!!) has detailed.

It's OE2X - overexposed 2 times.

 

[alcina]

LOL...I always remember what it stands for, I just never get my head around the right order for the letters and number...it's a not enough nitrogen thing