Photo etiquette

[ScubaTim]

What is right and what is wrong? I have seen photographers totally take over a rare find, I have seen them do serious damage to the reef to get their shot and I have seen them spend way too long taking the pics leaving nothing to be seen by the other divers. On the other hand I have seen photograhpers either wait until everyone has had a chance to see what the dive master is showing before they take any pics or get in and out without damaging the reef. One photographer on my last week long trip would even show me what he was looking at, swim away and then return to take his pics. I hope we are not worried more about what our friends will think of "the great pic" than we are of the reef - or those who are being patient to experience why we dive. My experience is most photographers are great but there seems to be a growing number who are worried more about their bragging rights than why we all dive! What does everyone else think is right? Or wrong?

 

[alcina]

Wrong = moving or destroying things; not paying attention to where your fins etc are

As for "sharing" creatures...this really depends on how you are diving and who you are diving with. If I am diving by myself and another diver wants to see what I've found usually I simply get run over. But I feel no obligation to share my find with every other diver under the sea. I might do and I might not. There are lots of neat things to see down there. On the flip side, I don't expect to be shown every cool thing and I do not crowd in to see what someone else has found unless explicitly invited. I do not encroach on the diver's space - you never know when you will scare off what the diver is looking at...

If I am diving in a group, I like to be the very last person and I stay out of everyone's way. If I see what everyone else sees, great, if I "miss" something, fine...there's a lot of neat things down there!

I just don't see the destructive behaviour as solely coming from photographers, nor even primarily from photographers. Sadly, dive skills and respect for the diving environment seem to be prevelant across a huge range of divers.

This is not the first discussion on this so you might want to also do a search and see what else pops up for even more replies and input...

 

[Diver Dennis]

I agree with alcina. There are some people who take pictures that are extremely hard on the reef but the photographers I've met have extremely good buoyancy and are excellent divers. I do the same as alcina when I'm diving with a group but no buddy. I like to bring up the rear and hope the water in front of me has not been too stirred up.

I don't think a lot of divers who have a camera and take pictures realize how much it can affect your trim and buoyancy. You have to be aware of your position in the water. A good lesson is to have divers with cameras wear shorties or swim trunks so they can feel what it's like to touch the reef...

The answer to your question is wrong but as alcina pointed out, they are out there without cameras too.

 

[AUTiger]

Looks to me like you got "right" and "wrong" figured out pretty well.

Here's what I try to live by:

Don't damage the reef and don't molest the creatures. One time, some idiot kid on my dive boat was poking an eel in a crevice with a stick or something to get it to come out for me to take a photo. He started this while I was trying to take a photo. I wanted to poke him with my knife.

Wait your turn and don't trash the site when you finish with your turn. This is a pet peeve of mine. After taking my shots I try to take a deep breath and gently float up and away without finning. More often than not, finning away will stir up debris, trashing the photo for the next photographer.

If your first turn wasn't long enough, wait for everybody else to check out the find and then go back for a second turn. Some fish require a little longer "turn". Juvenile drums are a good example that move a lot and may take a bit longer for a photo. I take a few shots and go back again if there is nobody waiting or after letting other people have a turn.

If you find it, its okay to get off a few shots before you call anybody else over (and the corollary: if a fellow photographer finds something cool, give him some space until he is finished or invites you closer)

Share your finds with your fellow photographers and they'll probably share with you, particularly if you follow the other rules.

I think that I have done a pretty good job of not making enemies.

David

 

[ScubaTim]

Thank you, you summed it up better than I tried. I agree with everything you said. With all of the digital cameras and computer programs the photo diver is getting out of hand, at least what I am seeing. Don't get me started on the video thing! I usually find myself diving at the back too.

 

[kapula]

I've seen all kinds of divers doing all kinds of things to reefs. It's sad. Part is propably unawareness of how fragile things can be. Other is just not knowing how to control your boyance. Dive masters play big role in educating divers. As we all don't live in countryside and some of us have lost our respect for nature. On the other hand when dm is leading a group he/she has so many other things to worry about than one divers boyance and as that diver is a paying customer dm doesn't want to give too hard lessons.

When it comes to photographing. I too like to be the last. Then I won't get ran over by other divers as I stop to take a pic. On the other hand I need to sprint every now and then to keep up with reef rockets My problem with diving in groups is that they mostly advance so quickly. If you are last and find something neat you get a chance to take one or two pics before sprinting after your group. Even though I do ask dm to take the group as slowly as they can. Well we ain't all diver so dm needs to pay attention to other guests needs aswell.

As digital cameras cheaper, smaller and almost everyone has one it seems that divers take them u/w all too early. My advice is to take your time and learn how to control your boyance and after that think about taking a camera on an easy dive.

Dennis has a point on shooters having to use shorties (although I'm having 5mm long suit ). That way you need to pay more attention to where you are laying your legs. Anyway I don't like to touch the reef with any part of my body. I only touch bottom if it's sandy and even then it tends to bring up sand and stir water so I usually just hover. On top of not using long suits I'm wondering why so many divers need to use gloves in tropical waters? I've never needed any. You don't need to poke your hands to every other hole or if you feel like it you don't need a glove to warm your hand (firecoral will do just fine ).

All in all biggest problem is people not having respect for the nature. UW photography is nature photography and a big part of nature photography is trying to be one with the nature. For me big part of diving is being one with uw nature. Unfortunately I don't have gills so I need diving gear for that. So touching, lifting or poking stuff is a huge no for me. Maybe small electric rod would come in handy straightening those divers up though

 

[Diver Dennis]

I like the Cattle Prod (electric) idea kapula...

 

[kapula]

Looks to me like you got "right" and "wrong" figured out pretty well.

Here's what I try to live by:

Don't damage the reef and don't molest the creatures. One time, some idiot kid on my dive boat was poking an eel in a crevice with a stick or something to get it to come out for me to take a photo. He started this while I was trying to take a photo. I wanted to poke him with my knife.

Wait your turn and don't trash the site when you finish with your turn. This is a pet peeve of mine. After taking my shots I try to take a deep breath and gently float up and away without finning. More often than not, finning away will stir up debris, trashing the photo for the next photographer.

If your first turn wasn't long enough, wait for everybody else to check out the find and then go back for a second turn. Some fish require a little longer "turn". Juvenile drums are a good example that move a lot and may take a bit longer for a photo. I take a few shots and go back again if there is nobody waiting or after letting other people have a turn.

If you find it, its okay to get off a few shots before you call anybody else over (and the corollary: if a fellow photographer finds something cool, give him some space until he is finished or invites you closer)

Share your finds with your fellow photographers and they'll probably share with you, particularly if you follow the other rules.

I think that I have done a pretty good job of not making enemies.

David

That's my guideline
It's very well summed up and pretty much what I do. That inhaling way of getting away from your subject works very well.

 

[_Bella_]

I have moved things but don't anymore. I've realised it's kind of fun to capture the creature exactly as they are and find a unique angle than to move it and get a picture that's been taken by 1000 photographers before me.

I love showing people stuff I find, but I've had so many divers do an about face and destroy the location and creature to the point that I am very careful who I show what to. I don't usually point out pygmy's unless I know you have 1) good eyesight and 2) perfect bouyancy.
I now prefer to show divemasters or guides what I've found and let them take on the responsibility of who to show what to.

If a guide shows me something I'll look and let everybody else look and shoot before I take pictures. I take my chance that someone will ruin it, but I'd rather take a good unrushed photo than have a heard of cattle breathing down my neck and take a mediocre shot.

 

[isurus]

For some animals (seahorses, small cephalopods) and/or if someone else is waiting I try to limit myself to a few shots (ie 3 or 4), depending on the circumstances u/w I may go back to something later after others take a turn. One of the few times I've become genuinely annoyed u/w was with another photographer who was taking shot after shot of a small cuttlefish at an awkward spot on a drift. This was because he was not only harasing and hogging the animal but blocking everyone elses progress through the site so bare that in mind too when considering positioning.

I always share everything I ifnd which could be interesting. Why? Because I like sharing and more selfishly I want people to share with me.