Considering quitting underwater photography

[johndiver999]

The problem is not the photography- it is the spearing. Do your (new) scooter buddies talk about which types of regulators, BC's, BP/W, dive computers they use? Do they discuss trim, perfect weighting, or which tank to use or how much reserve air you came up with?

I didn't think so - LOL. It is a different activity and is simpler and probably more engaging - too bad there are hardly any decent fish to spear in that area anymore.

 

[MrChen]

I am the opposite, ditching spearfishing and going into uw photo deeper and deeper. Can't imagine ditching photography, I have been doing it since circa 1995. I recently got into competitive UW photography and won medals for my work. I am going to the Africa Championship in 3 weeks.

That's awesome.

 

[MrChen]

Why do you depend on company of others? My perfect dives are solo, when I can go as deep as I want to take a shot of an isolated coral head at 150 ft or lay down on the sand at 15 ft and wait for quater hour for some bug to get out of its hole so I can take a shot.

I don't depend on others but do enjoy diving with likeminded people to find more stuff and share a beer and burger with after the dive. My motivation to maintain the camera, process photos, etc has declined. I spent a week in Roatan and didn't miss my camera at all. I couldn't fathom doing a trip like that without it in previous years.

 

[MrChen]

The problem is not the photography- it is the spearing. Do your (new) scooter buddies talk about which types of regulators, BC's, BP/W, dive computers they use? Do they discuss trim, perfect weighting, or which tank to use or how much reserve air you came up with?

I didn't think so - LOL. It is a different activity and is simpler and probably more engaging - too bad there are hardly any decent fish to spear in that area anymore.

That's an odd assumption. We absolutely talk about these things. We talk about our rigs, pony bottles, scooters, computers, guns, DSMBs, flashlights, air consumption, PPO, and more. We also talk about recipes, hunting stories, etc. We also have a very active FB messenger group.

Now would they make good BHB divers? Probably not, but they aren't diving BHB (even though I still go).

 

[MrChen]

I don't understand some of the questioning which makes me feel like I need to defend how am feeling.

 

[johndiver999]

That's an odd assumption. We absolutely talk about these things. We talk about our rigs, pony bottles, scooters, computers, guns, DSMBs, flashlights, air consumption, PPO, and more. We also talk about recipes, hunting stories, etc. We also have a very active FB messenger group.

Now would they make good BHB divers? Probably not, but they aren't diving BHB (even though I still go).

Well then your spearing buddies are different than mine. We talk about locations, hunting technique, what kind of gun, how many bands, sometimes scooters- (and how to keep them running). etc.

The scuba stuff is pretty much superfluous to most of them.

 

[Still Kicking]

Nothing worse than missing the dive to get the photo.

For most of us, spending our time chasing the NG-quality photo is futile (no disrespect to the few who succeed).

Gopro is a happy medium.

 

[arew+4]

For me the ideal would be a TG type camera that could operate down to 150' without a housing, and could operate a Strobe/Video light like the new Backscatter hybrid wirelessly.​

 

[Trilobite]

I don't understand some of the questioning which makes me feel like I need to defend how am feeling.

Kind of the nature of the internet--if you post your feelings about anything, someone will be there to question them or try to psychoanalyze you even though they know little about you.

I have to say though that your post made me cringe. You want to give up photographing creatures to instead take pleasure from hunting and killing them, which causes them pain and suffering? I'm not trying to start a big debate, but I could never do that; I used to fish when I was a kid, but I've never done it as an adult.

I don't know much about you or your photography, but my suggestions would be (1) to opt for a lighter photography rig (micro 4/3 or 1 inch compact sensor–David Haas loves his Canon compact) and (2) if you do not do so already, make an effort to identify everything you see, and possibly record it online, e.g. by uploading photos to iNaturalist or taking part in fish censuses. Also, if you do not do so already, try to learn more about the creatures that you photograph. And try to find some buddies with similar interests. Listing and identifying can give some a similar adrenaline rush to what you now seem to get from hunting.

 

[BoltSnap]

Nothing worse than missing the dive to get the photo.

No, the photo makes the dive last much longer even weeks, months, years after the dive.