OK, now I'm worried about this underwater photography thing

[TSandM]

I honestly think a camera can be risky for a new diver. Initially, I only thought of buddy awareness and separation issues, which are real; but that thread from the person who chased her photo subject up and down in rather eyebrow-raising profiles alerted me to another issue. Most digital cameras have a video mode, and it's great fun to video when you have an exciting opportunity. We have video of our whale encounter off Lanai that we got in just that fashion. But we have learned through intense education to maintain situational awareness while taking pictures or video. This is NOT something which is natural to most people.

Taking pictures, you can get separated from your buddy, from the group, from the anchor line, from the boat; you can lose track of depth and profile, forget to check your gas, forget what the briefing told you about navigation. None of it is necessary, but all of those things are pitfalls new divers can fall into.

 

[mrwa]

I dive solo almost exclusively. So I agree with your general point, that divers should be free to assume whatever risk they are comfortable with. Or even slightly uncomfortable with. Hopefully they are making an informed decision, and that is what Scubaboard is good for, information.

I also agree that carrying a camera is not particularly risky for a diver, new or otherwise, but it is risky for the environment they dive in. You cannot go on a dive with other photographers without seeing some reef abuse. I know, nobody here does it, but in the real world photographers are constantly abusing the reef to get their shots; some intentionally, most inadvertently. So I hope new photographers (not you, I know you don't touch the reef) will consider the health of the reef as well as their own safety before bringing the camera down. As for experienced photographers, well, that's another thread.

I honestly think a camera can be risky for a new diver. Initially, I only thought of buddy awareness and separation issues, which are real; but that thread from the person who chased her photo subject up and down in rather eyebrow-raising profiles alerted me to another issue. Most digital cameras have a video mode, and it's great fun to video when you have an exciting opportunity. We have video of our whale encounter off Lanai that we got in just that fashion. But we have learned through intense education to maintain situational awareness while taking pictures or video. This is NOT something which is natural to most people.

Taking pictures, you can get separated from your buddy, from the group, from the anchor line, from the boat; you can lose track of depth and profile, forget to check your gas, forget what the briefing told you about navigation. None of it is necessary, but all of those things are pitfalls new divers can fall into.

One can envision many different scenarios in diving, with or without a camera, that can result in morbidity or mortality. I think that a person's decision making process is the most important factor though.

There is no reason why someone carrying a camera should be any more prone to losing their minds and doing just plain stupid things. If a person can't multitask, they shouldn't dive, drive a car, or attempt to walk and chew gum at the same time.

A person's sense of reason and self preservation should overcome any impulses to break the cardinal safety rules of SCUBA. If this isn't the case, said person probably is a poor candidate for this sport and many others.

I'm not saying that humans should be above making little mistakes, as they will do so with predictable regularity. I just hope that there aren't a lot people who will chose to do highly irrational things like bolting for the surface from 30 m for a silly video clip or photo.

 

[Tigerman]

Personally I dont agree with "number of dives" as a measure of anything.. Some of us learn slower, some of us learn faster. Some of us only dive on vacations that is far apart, some of us dive regularly. Some of us more easilly "multitask" than others and so on..
However, I do agree that boyancy and situational awareness is very important and that you should have some experience before adding extra tasks. Personally, my divesites has been iced up for about 5 months now and not having the opportunity to dive for that time, my camera will not come with me on the first dive as I want to brush up on my skills before I bring it.

 

[Deefstes]

Holy smokes! I would never have thought that my simple question would elicit such a plethora of fantastic responses and even beome a sticky thread. Thanks a bunch for all the advice. Unfortunately I could only read the first page of responses before we hit the road but I think it may be worth reporting back.

First of all, I didn't ignore your advice but I'll have to be honest that I didn't quite follow it either. On the first dive I took my camera with me but tucked away in a BC pocket so as not to interfere with my diving. On my previous dives (7 of them) I've managed to sort out my buoyancy but was a slightly apprehensive as I'd be diving with a new wetsuit and expected it to affect my buoyancy to some extent. It did but I carried an extra weight and had no problem with buoyancy whatsoever.

Once I felt that all was going well I took out the camera and got busy. What a joy! I managed a few decent pics and I can honestly say that buoyancy was the last of my worries. TSandM mentioned something which I'm sorry I didn't read before we went down and I certainly was very guilty of this. My buddy-awareness was horrific and I feel very bad for it afterwards. My buddy happens to be my wife and she was happy to just follow me around but other buddies might not and I think it's downright reckless to be so absorbed by the photographic opportunities that you lose track of your buddy. I'll certainly work at this in future. I'd much rather be a safe diver than a maverick who has to his credit a stack of god photographs and a dead buddy.

I was diving with rental hard gear and on the second dive I had all sorts of hassles with a free-flowing octo, leaking BC and what not. The result is that my camera went back into the BC pocket so that I could focus my attention on the crap equipment - consequently I have virtually no pictures of that dive.

Third dive was champagne! Conditions were awesome, fauna and flora superb and the camera came out. One of my initial concerns were also air consumption but it would seem that the camera forced me to spend more time hovering around one spot and it seems that it actually improved my SAC! There is so much to photograph that there really is no need to fin crazily in pursuit of a subject but once I start chasing specific species, I'll make a point of bearing my depth and of course distance from the dive group in mind.

In retrospect I would probably not have done much differently but definitely tried to pay more attention to the wereabouts and well-being of my buddy. Again, thanks for all the brilliant inputs. I'll sign off with a few pictures from the weekend.

Cheers,
Dewald

 

[vladimir]

My buddy happens to be my wife and she was happy to just follow me around but other buddies might not and I think it's downright reckless to be so absorbed by the photographic opportunities that you lose track of your buddy. I'll certainly work at this in future. I'd much rather be a safe diver than a maverick who has to his credit a stack of god photographs and a dead buddy.
Cheers,
Dewald

I wish I'd killed my (now ex-) wife on one of our early dives. Not only would I have a stack of good pictures but an extra $250K in the bank.

 

[fairybasslet]

Wow, you got some totally awesome photos there considering that you are new to both diving and uw photography. I love the snappers (but I thought they were grunts). There is a really nice diagonal line in that one and it is really a nice shot in what could have become a mish mosh. Good eye.

 

[sarita75]

I am glad that you are aware of where you could've improved - admitting it is the first step to remedying it in the future.

Beautiful photos, especially the napping turtle. That's beautiful. Where were you diving?

 

[Deefstes]

Thanks for the nice comments. The turtle was awesome, it was a sizeable specimen but it didn't allow me a lot of time for shots while it was swimming. Once it settled in the coral and fell asleep it was difficult getting a proper shot. Also, I've heard that these turtles are very sensitive when they're sleeping and that you shouldn't touch them as they may get heart failure from the fright (not sure how true that is) but I decided to play it safe and not use the flash on the sleeping turte, hence the absolute lack of red in the shot.

We were diving at Sodwana Bay on the east coast of South Africa. All of the dives were on 2-mile reef.

 

[Eskasi]

Hey Deefstes....nicely done pal! some really good pictures. I see you took my advice and stuffed that camera away in your BC and only took it out when you were comfortable. You got some great pics for a beginner. Later on, see if you can check your white balance before taking the photo....this will bring out more realistic colors and less blue or green.

It's things like that that will increase the task loading. So keep that in mind. Also, always remember that your buddy needs watching too. She can't shout if she needs help and may not be able to reach you to get your attention. Some people don't get comfortable in the water as quickly as you may feel. Being a photographer, you should also realize that there is some etiquette involved. If you dive with a group of non photogs, they may get annoyed if you hold them back to take multiple shots .... and may even leave you trailing behind.... not good especially for an inexperienced diver. Remember, be aware of your surroundings and your buddy!

Welcome to the wonderful underwater world we all share and protect. Beware...this hobby is probably going to cost you a fortune. I can see it from your comments now....you will buy a bunch of personal gear.....and even get a better camera when your skills get better! lol

As a final note and question, where would one go to dive if visiting Cape Town? I am thinking of visiting. I thought the diving had been banned all along the coast...

 

[ScubaAddictedLisa]

I'm a fairly new diver ... (21 dives), and I started to bring a camera with me on my first certified dive.

I will say this ... First, I am very comfortable in the water, and don't really seem to panic with "new" situations. Second, I also don’t worry so much about passing up on a shot in order to ensure that I don't damage the reef, if I feel that I may have issues with my buoyancy. (the reef is more important than my getting that pic!!!) And third, I keep the camera attached to my BC by a bungee, so if I need to, I can let go of it with both hands and not worry about it floating to the surface (my camera is positively buoyant)

I’ve gotten a bunch of really great shots! And I like having the photos for the memories.

But I think that if you are not feeling totally comfortable yet in the water, you’re better off waiting to bring the camera down. Or maybe bring it on the boat, and see if a fellow, more advanced, diver would be willing to bring it down and shoot some shots for you.