Hopefully Future Diver wondering about Photography

[EdwardMH]

Good advice you've gotten. It really depends on where you're diving. Open Water card does not limit you to 60 feet I don't believe, but instructors are encouraged to not go past 60 with students.
Many divers (okay, maybe it's just me), get Advanced Open Water around 25 dives, then around 50 dives, take the Rescue course. Anyhow that's what I did. I'm not a camera guy, I'd rather just dive. Try to have varying conditions no matter how many dives you're aiming for.

And yeah, holding a camera does not give you the right-of-way. Au contraire, you should be mindful of others who may want to see the underwater world without you being right there *in* it, and hanging there. And, mindful of your buddy. Many divers refuse to buddy with shutterbugs because sometimes you block your view, you don't get your face out of the camera or the scene, to check air remaining, and where is your buddy anyway, the usual interactions of 2 human beings underwater.. Situational awareness is important--many photogs don't quite grasp this concept.

Thanks for the reply. And I understand the right of way aspects, I take my dogs to local park and am always looking around for oncoming bicycles to get out of their way.

 

[EdwardMH]

Before you get a camera, practice diving while holding something in your hands. I don't care if it's a stick! Just hold something so you don't use your hands to do that hand-finning thing. When you're using a camera you depend almost entirely on your buoyancy control via your lungs and your feet finning. Hand finning doesn't actually do very much anyway - and it just confuses your brain into thinking it's helping when it's not. I've thought that using a camera improved my buoyancy skills because it forced me to learn how to use my lungs and feet, and NOT my hands.

If you already have a good camera eye, you'll have a ton of fun in the water. Good luck!

Great idea, as for good eye... not sure only had my camera out maybe 15 times since I bought it a year ago due to Covid. But I am learning.I dream of going from the skies to the seas but I am in absolutely no rush. I took these yesterday.

 

[EdwardMH]

.If you can find a good instructor, a buoyancy class is a good addition to your basic training. UW photography is a lot harder than most think and requires a lot of instinctive skill, your buoyancy control needs to be second nature and something you are doing without thinking about it. Task loading jumps a lot with a camera in your hand and buddy skills suffer. If you have a regular buddy, diving as a photographer and guide team is a good option, esp. in the early days. I know the desire to shoot UW photos but until you get your skills up, look around the group you are diving with and see if there is a good amateur photographer, most of the time they are happy to share their photos with you. You get much better pictures, get to observe them (hopefully they are a good example) and you might get in the shot as well.

Here is my test to see if you are ready.

Go to a dive spot where you can't hurt anything - a pool or sandy bottom quarry are perfect. Find a spot at least 6- 8 ft deep that has a vertical surface with something you can "focus" on at least 3 ft from the bottom or surface. This can be anything, a small rock, a paint mark, a piece of tape you put there, a spot you rubbed dirt off , anything. This becomes your photo subject.
Now move several feet away from the object, hold your hand out in front of you with your thumbs together and index fingers pointed up- the classic "director framing the shot" from old movies. Keeping your arms extended, ease up to your photo "subject" while keeping it in your hand framer, get within 6 inches of it, HOLD that position for at least 30 seconds ( you are now framing and focusing the shot) then the back away without using your hands. You must stay horizontal, not sink, rise or bump into anything. After you have backed away several feet, turn, swim away, repeat this several times. Have a buddy watch you to see if you sink, rise or kick anything while you are doing the test. If you can do this easily, you are ready to grab a camera. This is not easy.

Thanks I will ask the 2 schools I am considering about what buoyancy classes they offer.