Taking pictures while diving

[Interceptor121]

Before starting taking pictures I would consider 3 points:

1. Make sure you have good buoyancy control
2. Ensure you have low air consumption
3. have a good idea of what is a good subject and how to take a picture

Many people that start taking pictures underwater not only lack good diving skills but more importantly they have very little idea of photography
The result is tipically a blurred picture of backscattered particles of sand or silt generaged by poor buoyancy tipically of a tail of a fish all of this with bluish colors, to get that the dive had to be cut short to 35-40 minutes because of increased air consumption due to task loading
Ask yourself if you are going to be in that scenario, if yes first improve your diving and second read a book on how to take pictures and practice on land before even buying a housing, if you don't like self learning do a digital photography class and check the pictures of your instructor before booking.

Two divers can go on the same dive and take pictures of the same aquatic life with the same camera and the results can look completely different depending on the factors above

 

[Pseudocyber]

Thanks, I've seen the back kick. I should have said, "It's hard for me to back up."

 

[PittCaleb]

I'm going to chime in on this one...

My dive buddy, a long time friend, told me not to think about photography till I had been diving for at least a year. I'm an avid amateur photographer and this was an obscene request. I heeded it for maybe 20 dives though ;-)

What I found was the true underwater housing for my Point-and-Shoot camera on eBay for $25. I take my POS down with me in a pocket, take a couple snaps or short video periodically, and put it back. Even with 40 dives and almost a year doing this, no way I could handle an SLR in a full set-up with strobe and all.

My shots are useless but for personal and showing my kids what I saw, but that's all I'm wanting to do right now. For true photography, I think I need another full year diving until I buy the right underwater gear and then learn how to use it.

PittCaleb

 

[divingpyrate]

That is why I suggest the go pro for early divers
You just push record and dive
You can lift pictures fro, the video

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

 

[TracyN]

Learn from my experience, don't get a camera until you can control your buoyancy well andcan fully concentrate on the task at hand. More things go into taking a underwater picture than one would think. I found this out the hard way on my first open water ocean dive. Brand new $300 camera is probably floating to Cuba right about now.

 

[BrianBruemmer]

That sucks Tracy. I read your other post from today. Sorry for all the hell you went through!! Thats one of the main reasons I didn't buy a camera when I went to Panama City back in July. I do have one now. Going to NC in October. It definitely is still in the back of my mind, is it too soon? I am thinking maybe just take the camera and not fool with the strobe attachment for the first few dives with it. I will definitely have it hooked to my BC though.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

That sucks Tracy. I read your other post from today. Sorry for all the hell you went through!! Thats one of the main reasons I didn't buy a camera when I went to Panama City back in July. I do have one now. Going to NC in October. It definitely is still in the back of my mind, is it too soon? I am thinking maybe just take the camera and not fool with the strobe attachment for the first few dives with it. I will definitely have it hooked to my BC though.

Why the rush to take a camera with you underwater? You'll probably just end up with a bunch of blurry photos and fish butt portraits anyway.
Why not wait another 20 or 30 dives before bringing one with you?

When you gain more experience, you'll look back on your formative dives and realize that it's a poor decision for a beginner to task-load himself unnecessarily. There's a lot of learning that takes place in your first hundred dives. Don't distract yourself with a camera.