How about some dam courtesy...

[2 Bar]

...both for the other divers and the animals?

I didn't realize this guy bothered me until the trip was over and I thought about it on the plane. This past weekend was my first time in Florida. I dove out of Key Largo and Pompano Beach. One of the boat dives this guy does the following:

Dive #1 Him and his buddy are near me and my buddy. We all see a nurse shark lying under some reef. We swim closer to observe and take pics. This guy gets right in the shark's face and parks. He's clicking away while we patiently wait. He's in no rush and hogs the shark. If he wasn't right on top of it, we could all take our pictures.

When he finally moves my buddy and I move a little closer and start taking pics side by side. This guy moves to the back of the shark and starts petting it. Not a touch, continual petting. Thanks guy. Now as the shark starts to move a little, we expect it to take off or possibly get aggressive. We bail and move on. The bonus is 30 seconds later another nurse swims right between us. We get some good pics of that one.

Dive # 2 The captain buddies me up with them, since my buddy gets sick. We come across a sting ray...my first up close. He is lying on the bottom next to some rock and plant life, making picture taking good only from one angle. We both lay near the front of the ray, but this guy moves right in front of it. I patiently wait expecting to get some pics after him. He clicks away and inches closer. Clicks some more and moves closer...and closer...and closer. Thanks guy. Now the ray begins to lift very slightly. It looks like he will be leaving so the guy lets me in. I get a few clicks, but soon the ray had enough. He slowly moved on. I got a few nice ones as he was going.

Too bad there wasn't some protocol on a boat when we see a few cameras in the rinse bucket that everyone verbally acknowledges they will respect each other's opportunity to see the animals and take pictures.

 

[RonFrank]

Photographers can be very self absorbed. Professionals even more so.

My thoughts on this is that you *should* have talked to the guy about this between dives. If they guy was a jerk, and basically told you to blow bubbles when HE is taking shots, then you could really blast him for his self absorbed behavior.

One potential approach is to respond in kind, moving in to HIS shot to make it VERY clear exactly how rude he is being. Two wrongs may not make a right, but hey, I'd move into a shot if the individual taking said shot had the attitude that it's HIS and everyone else can wait... in fact I've done exactly that.

As it is, it's difficult to say if he is just too into the moment to realize what a jerk he is being, or if he does know, and just does not care.

For pro's where getting the shot is a paycheck, it's at LEAST understandable even if not very acceptable. Most people I've run across while taking shots in a popular location are just not very aware of how in the way they are until someone points that out. Most also will hurry or move once they realize that they preventing others from sharing the experience.

 

[Tortuga Roja]

That's a tough one. There are a couple schools of thought on protocal but none of them please everyone. Some photographers would say if you find it first, it's yours til you're done and others say everyone should take 2 shots and move on. Unless the DM briefs one way or the other, there will be problems.

The only ways I know of to avoid dealing with the problems of other divers is to either dive private (very expensive) or shore dive (cheap and my favorite).

 

[drbill]

I never have such problems with my regular buddies since we both want to ensure the other gets good shots (mine on video, hers still). Otherwise I dive solo and stay away from the crowds whenever possible. Despite that I have had divers passing by put their hand right into my composition as I am filming, beginning divers walk on top of me (as did their instructor) at 30 feet, divers vertical at 80 feet kicking up the sediments within a few feet so I lose my shot, divers tapping on my shoulder WHILE I am shooting, etc., etc.

This kind of stuff really makes me wonder whether they have functional nervous systems and brains. I rarely run into another photographer who isn't reasonably courteous if we are working on the same subject.

Dr. Bill

 

[ssra30]

This is tough. I dive with a few friends with cameras and we pretty much decided to spread out from each other as much as possible, basically find your own things and do things separately underwater. We only go to the same spot only when the diveguide knows exactly the location of certain critters that we all want pictures of. When that's the case then we take turn taking pictures. It is a bit more difficult to do so when you dive with someone new as you don't yet know their routines nor they yours. Often I have no idea if I am in somebody's way or not when I am taking photos as my eyes are glued to the viewfinder. However if I know that somebody is waiting then I try not to take too long but this is a bit subjective as to how long is too long. For most people though the finder gets to take as long as he wants is probably the most common practice, just hope that he will be nice enough to share with the rest!

 

[skeet]

With someone that inconsiderate you may have to bull doze your way in there a couple of times to provide a lesson in manners.

 

[vladimir]

I dive solo whenever possible.

 

[Jetwrench]

I try to be aware of other divers trying to get the same shots but may not always know if I'm monopolizing a subject. I would hope that if I did, the other diver would bring it to my attention. It would in no way bother me and in fact I would appreciate them being forward enough to tell me. If you can't share, take your toys and leave the sandbox.

 

[TheNitroxinator]

I try to stay away from the crowds. I have one buddy that I dive with most frequently, if we see the guide/group going one way, we head the other way, or lag way behind if there's a current forcing you in one direction on a drift dive (helping with classes being the exception, I have to watch the students in that case, and I don't get to take pictures, ). Unless you're diving someplace that's pretty barren, you ought to be able to find interesting stuff on your own, or hopefully your buddy is good at spotting things if you're not. I've had several discussions with my buddy after dives where we saw a bunch of stuff, and the discussion amounts to "Why did everyone else take off so fast in the current, they missed everything?". Maybe they saw something we didn't, I don't know or care, I got to see cool stuff. And the other people didn't interfere with my shot, because they rushed off to see, well, whatever.

Diving is not a herd activity or a race, especially if you're out to get pictures.

 

[cdiver2]

My way is if you see it first its yours I will hang back behind you until you have finished, if it takes longer than I am willing to wait I will move on. This works the other way though if I see it first then its mine until I get the shot I want. The exception to this is the DM points it out to the group then its in and out quick so they all see it, I usually wait until last so I can spend more time with it, some times it swims of before I get my turn thats the luck of the draw.
Now if someone starts pushing me out or as you said touching whilst it is my turn...well thats why I carry a big knife.
It can take some time to get just the right shot that you want.