Photo with the manatees

[Scotttyd]

I am headed to the Crystal River next week to snorkle with the manatee's. If I take my camera, do I need to take the strobe since the water is shallow and clear. I did not know if the bright flash from the strobe would scare them away and I should just stick to the internal flash?

 

[Coll]

I'm not sure about using ambient light or strobe but as for scaring the manatees away with a flash, I don't think you will. They are pretty docile lazy animals, just don't annoy them trying to get macro manatee eyeball shots or something

 

[deeper thoughts]

I just came back tonight and took photos with the DC800 no flash. I will post the pix Monday night

 

[louisianadiver]

I never use a flash at Crystal River--it will only produce backscatter. The animals are in shallow water with a reflective bottom. My 2 cents'. -Clay

P.S.: Let us know how it goes. I'm headed there in a few weeks.

 

[Scotttyd]

I never use a flash at Crystal River--it will only produce backscatter. The animals are in shallow water with a reflective bottom. My 2 cents'. -Clay

P.S.: Let us know how it goes. I'm headed there in a few weeks.

I definately will, is the clarity pretty good there? I would assume so considering it is spring fed, but I know rivers often silt up with their turbidity.

 

[louisianadiver]

The biggest factors regarding water clarity are your proximity to a spring and the number of people in the area and what they're doing. You'll probably stop at a popular site called 3 Sisters. It's a great place to shoot, and the water in or near the actual spring is beautifully clear. However, the water is shallow enough for people to stand and wade, and if a large tour boat of waders shows up, it's terrible for viz. Also, the water in the river itself is not very clear. Your best bet is to use the widest lens you have and get close (getting close to a manatee is not hard to do). -Clay

 

[parrothead600]

I got some good pics @ 3 Sisters this past December. No flash was used with my DC500. For what it's worth; We were there before the sun was high enough to help with the lighting. I got some good pics & video with & without the wide angle lense. I also got some good pics in the river after the sun got higher.
I'll try to post some pics later tonight.

 

[carlcz]

If you can get to the head springs at Homossassa Springs (rent a boat) early in the AM, you will probably have your pick of photographing manatees, BEFORE the various folks show up and "muddy the waters". Depth there is about 6-8 feet deep, with normally lots of manatees. For deeper water pics, Kings Bay (Crystal River), Three sisters, etc are good spots. I don't use a strobe here.

 

[Scotttyd]

If you can get to the head springs at Homossassa Springs (rent a boat) early in the AM, you will probably have your pick of photographing manatees, BEFORE the various folks show up and "muddy the waters". Depth there is about 6-8 feet deep, with normally lots of manatees. For deeper water pics, Kings Bay (Crystal River), Three sisters, etc are good spots. I don't use a strobe here.

I am not sure where we are going, my LDS has rented the boat from Bird Underwater and we can set our own schedule. We are there on Friday, hopefully before the big weekend rush.

 

[deeper thoughts]

The following pix were shot with no strobe and the sea setting(dc800) makes everything a little red