Ok...so I took some pics.

[Dr. Jay]

Matt and I went to Devil's Den this weekend so I could finish my AOW, and I brought along my new PT-015 to test it out. First dive was just with the housing (per Matt's recommendation). Shot down to 40 ft (max for the Den). No leaks, so I headed up and put the camera in....oh so carefully, I might add.

Went down the first time and shot some mediocre pics. The viz was horrible (there's a layer of silt on just about every rock...and there were herds of OW classes that day, which made for a pretty silty cavern). Anyway, I figured out quickly that I wasn't going to get any shots from far away. Way too much backscatter.

So, I started moving in closer, which was much harder cuz there isn't much to take pics of in a spring.

We did, however, happen to have a bottle of cheez whiz, which apparently catfish and these "other" fish just love. The first pic I've got is of a giant catfish sippin' the last bits of Cheez Whiz from Matt (FallenMatt)...

He didn't seem too interested in the Nutrition Facts label.

The next few pics I posted at http://www.aquaticoutpost.com/photos.htm (the first 2 pics were not taken by me). Most are actually topside, and have got some nice views of the landscape. You can see me in my clown suit, as I forgot my cool black wetsuit at home....:banging:, and I was forced to wear the Bozo the Clown colors.

I did manage to shoot another fish, but I'm not exactly sure of the species. This shot was from below...

I started having trouble during the feeding frenzy. I was hitting the shutter amidst the fit, and all I would get was an orange light....and no flash. My guess is that the camera couldn't focus on a good shot, so it gave up. Normally the second or third time I hit the button it would go.

Altogether, I learned some valuable lessons in UW photo.

1. Get close! - especially with no strobe
2. Don't bother trying to take wide angles w/out a wide angle lens....well, duh!
3. Anticipate the shot - the shutter just doesn't clamp down automatically - it has to make some adjustments that I'm too lazy to make myself.
4. I would recommend against feeding the fish. A few of them attacked my camera, and they generally made kind of a mess of the place.

I'm a little ways through Jim Church's book. It's been pretty helpful so far.

Jason

 

[double125's]

That is a realy good photo of the catfish. Thanks for sharing the pics and the tips. I to may be getting into digital photography. I just bought my wife a c-4000 for our aniversary. turns out that is one sweet little camera and I may end up getting a housing for it. I also started my web page which has some photos taken from a point and shoot camera. right now I only have the photos of vortex on it. once I get the website complete I will be putting the link in my profile. If you are interested check my profile next week and feel free to stop by my site.

 

[SueMermaid]

:lol:
Thanks for posting one of the best UW photos I have seen. Heehee, that's gonna make me giggle all day.

I am definitely not an U/W photographer, but everyone I know who is, says that you have to take 20 bad pics for every good one.

Keep shooting, and for cryin out loud, keep posting them!

 

[Dee]

Cool Catfish! The other one is a Bluegill.

 

[mdr231]

That's a great shot of the fish sippin the Cheez Wiz!
You should have offered his some Ritz crackers.

Good luck!
Michael

 

[FallenMatt]

I need to add that it took 149 pictures to get the two above

the digital olympus and housign is pretty cool and compact. Unfortunatelly it gets pretty tough to swim in a cavern with camera, light and keeping track of bouyancy, especially when you are trying not to bang it into rocks :/

 

[scuberd]

I love the cat fish shot. Good work!

 

[double125's]

hello FallenMatt,
out of those 149 photos can you give me a rough ideal of how many pics were useable and how many were ruined by backscatter or other factors that were related to the camera. Also has anyone used there oly digital in limited visibilaty say 10 ft viz. If so were the resaults acceptable or is digital useless in those conditions. Thanks

 

[double125's]

BTW thanks for the newest pic posted. Any ideal how much them cats weigh.

 

[Dee]

I take it you and FallenMatt are one and the same? Your sockpuppet is showing!

double125's once bubbled...
hello FallenMatt,
out of those 149 photos can you give me a rough ideal of how many pics were useable and how many were ruined by backscatter or other factors that were related to the camera. Also has anyone used there oly digital in limited visibilaty say 10 ft viz. If so were the resaults acceptable or is digital useless in those conditions. Thanks

Double125's....Beast and I both use Oly cameras in PT-10 housings in low vis. Sometimes with internal flash, sometimes without. U/W photography isn't useless but you have to get close to have it work. Anything over 3-4 ft will be lost in the murk. It al depends on the viz and what kind of viz....cloudy, hazy, murky, funky stuff in the water, etc.

Click on the My Photos link in my signature and look at the Twin Lakes albums to see for yourself.