Member's Photo Gallery

[kapula]

That's a nice pissed off cuttlefish there Victor
I've only dived in groups but every now and then I do wonder how much more pleasant diving would be without having to charge after those reef rockets. Luckily my girlfriend shoots u/w aswell so on the next trip we can buddy up together and don't have to worry about the rest of the group so much. Diving in a group teaches you to shoot fast

 

[Darnold9999]

You will find that unless you can find, frame and shoot really, really fast you are pretty much diving alone - even when diving with a group. Diving with a buddy is a bit better, depends on the buddy and how patient they are. Best is someone else taking pictures. Best to get in the mind set of being very self sufficient under water and make sure your buddy is OK with a partner that is not paying attention to them fairly regularly.

A strobe will make a huge difference. Did exactly one dive without, to try the camera without strobe. The difference is amazing, you will see so much more colour in your shots.

 

[victor]

You will find that unless you can find, frame and shoot really, really fast you are pretty much diving alone - even when diving with a group. Diving with a buddy is a bit better, depends on the buddy and how patient they are. Best is someone else taking pictures. Best to get in the mind set of being very self sufficient under water and make sure your buddy is OK with a partner that is not paying attention to them fairly regularly.

A strobe will make a huge difference. Did exactly one dive without, to try the camera without strobe. The difference is amazing, you will see so much more colour in your shots.

Group diving just does not work, I would have been better off if they would have agreed to let me dive solo. After a few dives one of the divemasters agreed to buddy with me, otherwise I was going to lose the group on every dive.
I agree that a dedicated, and very patient, buddy is what you need. I think the best solution is to have a dedicated local divemaster as your buddy. They can find so much more than I would see by myself. Its partly local knowledge, some fish just hang in the same place, and partly a much better eye.

Strobe or Flood
One photographer I spoke to at this weekends dive show, sugested that I buy a powerfull flood simillar to the ones they use on video cameras instead of a strobe, mount it as I would a strobe.
His argument was that
Digital cameras can get good pictures with the amount of light a good flood can provide.
It helps with the autofocus
You can use it as a dive light, particularly good on a night dive

I don't know if it works and one tried it.

 

[Darnold9999]

Victor not a bad idea, I use a ikelite D125 and use the model light as a night light. Not the best for signalling, but just enough to see by even in the vis we get up here. Most times it is enough for autofocus - only when the vis is particularly bad is it not enough.

The only down side I can think of for the video light is the battery. Large, heavy (for travel) and expensive. Never tried it. Others may have first hand experience. I have taken pictures using a buddy's video flood and they came out very well, and he used his light as a night light with no problem. Did take a while between charges however.

 

[parabolic]

 

[clgsamson]

Wow!...great stuff Ken. Looks like them mandarins are just about ready to hit it off..

The last pic is really beautiful.

 

[parabolic]

Thanks much caloy. Yes, it was mandarin love. I almost blushed ++Ken++

 

[Fastmarc]

Just snapped this little guy today.

 

[parabolic]

Nice shot Fastmarc. They are great subjects. Where were you?

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

i love jawfish. they remind me of angry old men. "hey! get outta heah, ya bastid."