Christmas Gift For UW Videography Enthusiast

[Oldbear]

My daughter is very interested in learning about UW Videography. Does anyone have any recommendations for good instructional DVDs, books or even courses/internships? We did find a interesting internship in Thailand...underwater videography internships | gap year | career breaks | koh tao | thailand But now our plans have changed and we might not go there for a while. I already got her the PADI courses and these just wet her appetite for more. :uwphotographer:

Any suggestions are welcomed...thanks and Merry Christmas

~Michael~

 

[DevonDiver]

Why not get a basic 'GoPro' video camera, so she can start practising and having fun. She'll enjoy that and get a good grounding until the time comes when she can take a pro-am type internship.

If she's a novice/trainee diver, I wouldn't rush to overload her with a full videography set-up just yet. Let her gain some experience and develop good foundational/core skills first. Video and stills adds a lot of task loading to a developing diver, which can hamper their progression and also pose some safety/awareness issues. The GoPro is a nice compromise for that.

From personal experience, the internships available on Koh Tao are excellent quality.

 

[diversteve]

DVD's:

Dive Into Your Imagination - DVDs - if this link doesn't work, it's: The Camera Coach®, Your Guide to Creating Underwater Video - I have it, there's a lot of useful basics.
Underwater Video Basics - Home

Books:
Underwater Digital Video Made Easy - from Hammerhead Press - slightly dated now, I have it also.

She can also read and ask questions on the Wetpixel video forums: Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums -> Video and Film

 

[Oldbear]

Why not get a basic 'GoPro' video camera, so she can start practising and having fun. She'll enjoy that and get a good grounding until the time comes when she can take a pro-am type internship.

If she's a novice/trainee diver, I wouldn't rush to overload her with a full videography set-up just yet. Let her gain some experience and develop good foundational/core skills first. Video and stills adds a lot of task loading to a developing diver, which can hamper their progression and also pose some safety/awareness issues. The GoPro is a nice compromise for that.

From personal experience, the internships available on Koh Tao are excellent quality.

Thanks DevonDiver.

I saw this camera on dispalay in London last summer, but it was late at night while strolling around on our last night there...I forgot about this camera. Right now she has a Canon S90...with Sea-Life Stropes and Video Light. But she also likes to snowboard in Colorado...so this camera would be great for that also. :luxhello:

As far as diving goes...she is a DM and waiting for me to catch up in my training so we can do an IDC togeather.

Thanks for the great suggestion...

~ME~

 

[Oldbear]

DevonDiver,

I was reading the 'GoPro' website about the camera and in the Specs it said the Whitebalance was Automatic...

What does "automatic" adjustment mean and how well does it work in the constant diving conditions?
Do you need a whiteboard to set it?
Can it be set manuall? How often does it re-set itself during a dive?

For the most part I really like this camera and will be getting one for my daughter...with here active lifestyle and intrigue with videography I think she will love it too.
:dancingsnoopy:

~ME~

 

[Oldbear]

DVD's:

Dive Into Your Imagination - DVDs - if this link doesn't work, it's: The Camera Coach®, Your Guide to Creating Underwater Video - I have it, there's a lot of useful basics.
Underwater Video Basics - Home

Books:
Underwater Digital Video Made Easy - from Hammerhead Press - slightly dated now, I have it also.

She can also read and ask questions on the Wetpixel video forums: Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums -> Video and Film

Diversteve,

Thanks for the DVD suggestions, I will order them out today. I might hold off on the book for a little bit for now. She is starting an EMT course in a few weeks so the DVDs might be a nice break in studies. I will pass along to her the Wetpixel site...I liked it and joined.

Thanks...

~ME~

 

[Oldbear]

From personal experience, the internships available on Koh Tao are excellent quality.

DevonDiver...are the internships that you took the same as offered by underwater videography internships | gap year | career breaks | koh tao | thailand ? I thought they looked really good...or they build a nice website :admingreet:

~ME~

 

[DevonDiver]

DevonDiver...are the internships that you took the same as offered by underwater videography internships | gap year | career breaks | koh tao | thailand ? I thought they looked really good...or they build a nice website

There are 3 videography companies that I know of on Tao. They're all good. I did actually do an internship with Deep Down (the link mentioned) - I felt it was a good investment, as I could teach much more robust and in-depth 'PADI Videographer' courses afterwards. Obviously, the PADI courses aren't a patch on a proper internship with a professional company. The team at Deep Down were lovely also.. really enjoyed my time with them. Koh Tao, if you've not been before, is a really fantastic place to hang out and dive - a completely 'dive obsessed island'. I recommend it for your IDC also - Deep Down often work in conjunction (or used to, if anything changed since I left the island 4 years ago) with Crystal Dive Resort and IDC centre. Matt Boulton, the course director at crystal, is truly excellent for instructor training.

DevonDiver,

I was reading the 'GoPro' website about the camera and in the Specs it said the Whitebalance was Automatic...

What does "automatic" adjustment mean and how well does it work in the constant diving conditions?
Do you need a whiteboard to set it?
Can it be set manuall? How often does it re-set itself during a dive?

Sadly, I am really not an sort of expert on the GoPro - my experience only really stems from seeing a few of my customers use them over the last year. There's quite a few GoPro threads here on the board, so I expect someone more knowledgeable can answer your questions on that. I just liked the small size and generally decent results that I saw divers achieve with it. Diving the wrecks in Subic Bay, I even saw a couple of divers strap them (unobtrusively) onto dive torches for filming inside the wrecks.

 

[Oldbear]

There are 3 videography companies that I know of on Tao. They're all good. I did actually do an internship with Deep Down (the link mentioned) - I felt it was a good investment, as I could teach much more robust and in-depth 'PADI Videographer' courses afterwards. Obviously, the PADI courses aren't a patch on a proper internship with a professional company. The team at Deep Down were lovely also.. really enjoyed my time with them. Koh Tao, if you've not been before, is a really fantastic place to hang out and dive - a completely 'dive obsessed island'. I recommend it for your IDC also - Deep Down often work in conjunction (or used to, if anything changed since I left the island 4 years ago) with Crystal Dive Resort and IDC centre. Matt Boulton, the course director at crystal, is truly excellent for instructor training.



Sadly, I am really not an sort of expert on the GoPro - my experience only really stems from seeing a few of my customers use them over the last year. There's quite a few GoPro threads here on the board, so I expect someone more knowledgeable can answer your questions on that. I just liked the small size and generally decent results that I saw divers achieve with it. Diving the wrecks in Subic Bay, I even saw a couple of divers strap them (unobtrusively) onto dive torches for filming inside the wrecks.

Thanks for the recommendation on an IDC...however we already have one picked out in Austrailian that we have been in communications with for about a year now. But the Video Internship is still of great interest to us...especially my daughter. And in the fast pace and constently fluid world, if something comes up and we need to change our plans...I will keep Matt Boulton in mind.

I also found what I was looking for on the GoPro camera. Glad I bought one for my kid...now I am looking into a Flat Lens for it...found a link for that as well.

Have a great day and thanks for the input.

~ME~

 

[AquaProHd]

Hey Oldbear - It is my understanding that the goPro will do an automatic white balance when the camera is turned on. (I'll verify that and post my findings) It is a good idea to use a whiteboard if available, All though I've seen divers use a dive buddies white scuba tank, white sandy bottom. Heck! I've know some to buy white scuba fins to use as a white balance tool. You can not do a manual white balance with the GoPro which is not all bad since she's just getting started. I've went from using a Pro-Am setup to the GoPro - BlurFix solution for the very fact of simplicity and joy of shooting video.

Rule of thumb: white balance often and plan your shot. Hope this helps?