Your messages are encouraging and discouraging at the same time.
I am a new diver, OW certified 6/03, AOW 9/03. I became certified in anticipation for a 2 week trip to Hawaii (back 6 days now). I had no illusions about my novice abilities and let the dive masters know.
I had 12 dives before going to Hawaii, all in Michigan's cold waters, most with visibility less than 10 feet. I have 22 now.
Prior to even thinking about becoming certified, I bought an Olympus C5050 camera. I liked it an it took great photos. Learning that they also made a housing was a bonus, so I bought one for the trip. No strobe as of yet, I'm not ready for it.
I also took a photography class from my LDS so I would know what I was doing. I spent an hour learning how to control my buoyancy, using my breath, to balance in place on the bottom of a pool, on the tip of one finger. This was prior to even thinking about taking my first photo. I also did a couple fresh water dives with the camera before going.
Perhaps my buoyancy is not the best, but I don't drag/land on the bottom, don't walk on coral, and don't bowl over people. My console and camera are attached on retractors so they don't drag along behind. My bouyancy problems are related to becoming too light on the way up, sometimes having to hang onto a rope to maintain the 15 foot safety stop. Not always, but frequently. Down deep, I feel I'm OK, given my experience.
I take those shots that I can without interfering with other divers. If too many people are opting for the same shot, I swim away and look for something else. There are a ton of things to photograph so I'd rather pass up a shot than get in someone else's way.
As a new diver, I didn't want to hold up the groups I dove with, so I made all of my shots using the automatic mode. Even though I practiced and practiced using the manual mode, I felt I was still too slow at using the settings I wanted and was afraid I would slow everyone up. So I just shot automatic and lived with it. (The settings I wanted I learned on this board)
Now, if I understand these messages, I'm all messed up. I shouldn't have the Oly setup, I should have had more dives before taking the camera, and since my bouyancy isn't 100% I had no business taking photographs in the first place.
However, I feel I did everything I could to prepare, spent a lot of dive time, study time and money to do so, and received the blessing of my LDS as well. I think it was Dee or Justleesa, in another message, that stated she takes 100 photos per trip. I got less than 300 on 10 dives in Hawaii. Probably more than 100 of those were on snorkeling trips, as well. I took far less than I wanted just to be courteous to other divers. I don't know what more I can do, other than to keep doing what I am, trying to improve all of my skills as I proceed. I plan on additional classes with the LDS to do so.
It's nice to know I have a good camera though and not bowling over people or interfering with their shots puts me on the right track. Perhaps I'm on my way to becoming a diver who does photographs, afterall.