intro questions

[asiders9]

I have a huge passion for photography and have become pretty good over the years winning quite a few awards and want to take my photography into the water and beyond reefmasters that I've used in the past, but have some questions.

1. I am about to start college and am very excited for the opportunity to study abroad and have already begun looking at options (australia and new zealand to name a few). I would love to get an slr camera set-up if I go somewhere I can dive but realize that photography underwater requires a lot of effort and don't want to be selfish and destroy anything while trying to take photos. I know a lot of you will probably say I need more experience (have 26 dives) before trying to haul around a camera underwater but are there any exercises I could work on, possibly while lake diving, that could make me a better candidate for an uw camera? I won't have a lot of time to practice because I'll be trying to save all my money for the trip but I could probably get in some lake diving.

2. When I get an uw camera, if not for the trip but afterward, starting out, would it be better to get a housing and strobe(s) for my d70s or would it be better to get a used nikonos v with strobes?

Any other help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Larry C]

Australia and New Zealand have amazing diving. Don't waste your time on a film dinosaur. Check e-bay for used D70/Housing set-ups. They are out there, and I've seen them go for under $2K including ports, camera and lenses.You'll have your current camera for a spare if and when you flood it.
As far as skills, buoyancy is #1. You need to be able to hold your position in the water column in any position-upside down, sideways, holding yourself by one finger on a sand spot while the surge pushes your body back and forth and you shoot the camera with the other hand. This requires great control of your breathing. You need to be relaxed. You also need to have one eye on your buddy to make sure he's not going around some reef where you can't see him while you've got your head buried in your camera. This requires excellent communication and buddy skills. You also need to know from experience how much air you use and remember to check it frequently, because when you're thinking about that great picture, you'll forget about breathing and become an airhog. Also, you need to be able to move gently around the reef without kicking up particulate with the swirl of your fins, because it will ruin your pictures. You also need to understand the behavior of the critters you're trying to shoot, because if you chase them around the reef like some big predator with a flash gun all you'll get is distant butt shots. They need to ignore you so they'll swim toward your camera. All that takes plenty of practice. After about 400 more dives, you'll still be learning. But you'll have great fun in the meantime.

Current e-bay item: Camera and housing. No ports or lenses. They're pricey. http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D70-with-...ryZ50506QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem