Coz pics. Nowhere to go but up...

[TheDavil]

First, the excuses, er, caveats:
- First time with a halfway decent camera.
- Only had the camera and housing for about 3 weeks before the trip. Pigheadedly decided that I could make myself learn to shoot all manual settings instead of relying on the camera's auto features, except for white balance.
- Only had the camera underwater once before the trip in the murky local lake.
- Cozumel drift dives are really not the place to learn how to use a camera. Sometimes it felt like I was in a river trying to stay in one place to take a picture.
- My arm just wouldn't go any more. I mean, for crying out loud, I had been bringing the heat all afternoon, 95, 96 mph fastballs all day long and I...oh, wait, wrong excuse.
- Shots were in no way framed for artistic value. They're just touristy 'look what I saw' pictures.
- As you'll notice, identification of submarine life is not my strong suit. I tend not to downplay this shortcoming. And, yes, 'Dudefish' is any species of fish that looks like it's always saying 'Duuuuuuuuuuuuude'...

All shots done with Oly SP-350, internal flash, Oly housing.

Anyhow, here are a couple of shots and the links to my photobucket albums:

topside: http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r62/the_davil/Cozumel July 2007/
underwater: http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r62/the_davil/Cozumel July 2007/Underwater/

David

 

[AUTiger]

Not bad for snapshots during a quick fly-by. I know what you mean about the current. I just got back from my first visit to Cozumel (stayed at ScubaClub Cozumel) and found their flavor of drift diving to be quite brisk. Some of my friends talk about how great it is to not have to work (ie swim) while diving - that is unless you want to stay in one place to take a photo of something!

Those photos are very good for a beginner. I checked out both of your photobucket directories. You're captions were quite humorous - especially the bearded ... er ... rough file clams.

If you want to learn your fish, check out "Reef Fish Identification" and "Reef Creature Identification" for Florida, Caribbean, and Bahamas by Paul Humann and Ned Deloach. They're pretty much required reference materials for a Caribbean photographer.

Keep up the good work. Practice is the best way to improve.

David

 

[alcina]

LOL - nice story! Got some nice shots

 

[justleesa]

My arm just wouldn't go any more. I mean, for crying out loud, I had been bringing the heat all afternoon, 95, 96 mph fastballs all day long and I...oh, wait, wrong excuse.
-

Hee hee


really nice pics for the first time out!

 

[driftin' by]

Real nice pictures but those captions are off da hook! Lobster with no sense of humor and coral that looks a part of your anatomy....