How do you feel about photographers?

[smw]

So now that I've been doing videography for a while - I'm understanding what a luxury it is to dive without flash photographers. We videographers are probably the bain of their existance... We take our time - we want to catch the animal DOING it's thing.

And my greatest stuff - there are flashes going off. And the flash is scaring away the animals. I admit - I find things the DM doesn't. (Don't get me wrong - I love it when the DM points out the cool stuff.) But sometimes I find my own stuff - a fish going from one fist to another, flitting around cleaning their mouths. The magic is in the footage when it's not cut. And then BLAM flashes.

I've been physically pulled out of a place by a rude photographer. When he tugged me and pushed me - I thought he must need air. It's not like I was there for more than 15 seconds. I'd pointed out a zillion things that the photographer hadn't seen that he was obviously interested in. This guy had screwed up a ton of my footage in the last five days and then he physically pulls and pushes me underwater!!!

I've been a little sensitive since then. Now I see the photogs and think - wow not only might this person screw up my video, but he/she might freak me out underwater making me think that there's a huge problem with his/her gear.

And on a different trip - I'm still smarting a bit by the flashes chasing off a seal. We'd dived the same spot four times to get the animals used to us. The last dive a photagrapher joins our little group. The seal finally comes up and is checking us out - 3 feet away. Then BLAM flashes - off she goes.

Anyway - what do you all think? Am I being ridiculous? I certainly get enough film to make my dumb little home vids when I get back from vacation.

SMW

 

[Annie Crawley]

You are really funny. I am both a photographer and filmmaker and when I go on shoots with charters I discuss photo versus video ethics and what they each need.

Believe it or not, people do not know and realize it. It is a matter of gaining respect for one another underwater. Just make sure you never do it to others!

I could tell you stories too...I was 100 feet deep filming an electric way with my video lights on literally an inch away from the torpedo rays head...and blam a flash went off. I was upset about the footage but more upset because I did not know if I was going to get zapped!!!!

We laugh about it now, but that photographer does not dive and take pictures any where near me unless he asks me first

It was funny!

Annie

 

[merxlin]

Is it anything like being on a night dive when a videographer comes up and turns on 100 watts of HID and it's now a day dive?

Seriously, rude divers are rude divers whether the have a camera or not.

 

[diversteve]

I dive with a semi-serious photographer. We have sort of an un-written rule that whoever sees something first gets the time they need with it. I film him shooting when I get tired of waiting..lol. If the water's clear, we're more like two solo divers. Sometimes solo works better anyway - especially when I'm shooting fill material - it even bores me to do it.

If someone pulled me out of a shot, there'd at least be words when we surfaced. I don't care what you've found, that's just rude. And likely whatever it was can be found 100' away also.

Usually my buddy and I go off by ourselves leaving the group trailing behind the DM. We stay within 100' or so but it allows us more freedom to find stuff or wait for it to re-appear - One reason I'll go through rebreather training one day.

 

[robint]

yeah, I have been shoved out of the way a few times. :shocked2: We now try to lag behind the group (if diving with a DM) and then we don't have problems. That is one of the best things about doing liveaboards or places like Bonaire! Hopefully Cocoview will be the same way next month!

robin

 

[drbill]

Had these things happen repeatedly. It's one reason why I almost always dive solo. When I dive in the dive park, there are often lots of divers in the water and that is where it is most likely to happen.

Annie, nice story on the electric ray incident. I usually get flashes when I'm filming giant sea bass since they are easy to spot and draw most of the divers towards them. Fortunately I'm able to get plenty of footage of them so a flash now and then doesn't usually destroy a unique video sequence.

 

[ronscuba]

rude divers are rude divers whether the have a camera or not.

what he said.....


Robin, try to get on a boat with no or few photog/video people. Cocoview's few weakpoints include, 1 DM/guide per boat. That can mean crowding around the creatures they point out and a long wait to film if there are a lot of photo/video people on board.

That being said, the house reef shore dive is loaded with macro subjects and you can hog the subject all you want.

 

[Teamcasa]

...I've been physically pulled out of a place by a rude photographer.

but that photographer does not dive and take pictures any where near me unless he asks me first

yeah, I have been shoved out of the way a few times.

Seriously, rude divers are rude divers whether the have a camera or not.

I find this really amazing! Pulled or shoved you away while you were filming?

Mike is right, there are rude and self serving people in every activity. However, if some knucklehead grabbed me and pulled me away from my shot, (no easy task, given my size) we would have more than just a casual conversation upon surfacing.

Anne is also right. Videographers carry tons of gear on board so it should come as no surprise what our intentions are. If you want to dive with us please know that we stop and hover for long periods of time. Maybe I need one of those large Orange Triangles the Amish use on their carriages.

Attn: Rude photographer, you have been given fair warning.

 

[Calle Roo]

Recently on a San Carlos trip, this couple had a lil Reef Master, and were going crazy!

They had one of those horns on their power inflator, and they were trying to get eachother attention and the sea lion, fish, other students attention, gosh knows what else, but it was a noisance the whole dive.

We kept thinking someone may be in trouble, and spent the whole dive circling the area.

Than when we'd swim off, they thought we were seeing something they were missing and would follow up over and do it all over again.

 

[scubajcf]

Recently on a San Carlos trip, this couple had a lil Reef Master, and were going crazy!

They had one of those horns on their power inflator, and they were trying to get eachother attention and the sea lion, fish, other students attention, gosh knows what else, but it was a noisance the whole dive.

We kept thinking someone may be in trouble, and spent the whole dive circling the area.

Than when we'd swim off, they thought we were seeing something they were missing and would follow up over and do it all over again.

I've had dozens of people ask me how divers get left behind by a dive boat.
Thank you for explaining it.