Diving North Carolina Wreck Diving in Sept - Camera setup and conditions - Tips

[jgheaton]

I have just booked some diving with Olympus Dive Center in Sept 2009. It has been on my to dive list for a while. I have also just added a strobe to my camera. Since this will be the first time I am using the setup, I would appreciate if anyone has any tips on taking photos in the environment?

Current, backscatter, hints and best places to take pictures.

Found a good article on backscatter which I will review in depth when my kit arrives.

Thanks in advance John

Backscatter Article by Stephen Frink - http://www.stephenfrink.com/sf-tips/10mistakes/

 

[herman]

Get close, remember a strobe is only good to several feet, you are not going to light up something 10 feet away, much less an entire wreck reguardless of the strobe you have. If you intend to shoot sand tigers, a wide angle lens and getting CLOSE is the ticket. And they will let you get close, sometimes too close for comfort.
While not exactly photo related, if you have not dove in rough Atlantic sea conditions before,it is often a good idea to just leave the camera behind. Getting on a boat in 6 ft seas is challanging enough without a camera, you really do not want to be worring about your camera with a boat transom over your head.

 

[BabyDuck]

heh, i was gonna say 'pm herman!', then i saw he had already answered!

 

[jgheaton]

Thanks for the great advice, Herman. Looks like I may need to upgrade my camera for this trip and invest in a wide angle lens.

How are the conditions generally around Sept? normally high seas and rollers or a mix.

 

[herman]

If your coming, might as well bring the camera, you can get some great shots with the standard lens. While you might not expect it, we also have lots of tropicals during the summer and early fall. Small ones ride the currents up from the Caribbean and end up on our wrecks. Angle fish and damsels of all types are common as is the lion fish.....you can get plenty close to them as well. Wish we could get rid of them but they are pretty and easy to photograph.
Sea conditions are unpredictable at best. I have seen 8 ft seas one day and glass slick the next, you never know. You have to be prepaired for the rough days and hope for the glass slick ones. Currents and vis range from fantastic to horrible, it's the luck of the draw. On the web it's impossible to know a divers real experience so I tend to be a little heavy with the warnings. AOW, several hundred dives in a quarry and a few trips to Coz might make you an "experienced" diver but until you have been 30 miles at sea in 8ft waves and gotten back on a heaving, rolling boat, you are not experienced by NC standards.
Bring the camera, you might get lucky with a glass slick day and gin clear water full of sand tigers but if you are not so lucky, seriously consider leaving the camera on the boat...at least for the first dive.

And also have a plan "B" just in case the dive is canceled due to sea conditions. It fairly common and you really really do not want to go if they cancel the dive.

 

[jgheaton]

Herman, great gives me an idea. Just got back from Maui and did the channel to dive the hammerheads at Molokini.

Had to do the same there, leave the camera on the boat as the swell and breakers were a little rough. Good to know in advance and as you say always have a B plan. Will hope for calm waters