The Tiller dive, St. Catharines, Ontario, CANADA - June 24, 2006

[Warren_L]

You know, the longer you dive, the more you think you've seen it all. However, once in a while, something happens and you realize that you haven't seen it all. We were on our way out to the Tiller this morning. A nice clear sunny day, and I saw some tree branches floating in the water. But wait, those aren't tree branches. But a deer? A mile and a half off shore? Who would have thought.....

And a great dive on the Tiller to boot.

 

[michaelaz]

Nice shots and I understand your need for a watermark but IMHO it takes away from some nice pics.

 

[Gilligan]

Great collection of shots.

I didn't know that deer were such good swimmers.

IMHO I also think the location and size of your copyright detracts from your photos.

 

[kapula]

Cool deer!
Very nice pictures too but I'd also like to see more of those pictures. Now your water mark is taking all too much away. Maybe a smaller watermark would do. Just my 5 cents.

 

[Warren_L]

Thanks everyone - I appreciate the comments. And of course, you are all correct about watermarks detracting from the images.

I've been faced recently with a rash of image thefts and unauthorized usage. I've seen images of mine appear on a website. I've seen them being used for other purposes that I have not authorized. I've seen a pic of mine show up in a local newspaper. And as well, I have even seen someone take credit for one of my pictures.

Anyway, for those that know me, I tend to be fairly easy going about the use of my images, when asked. And typically that is the only requirement (unless of course it is for commercial purposes, then that is a different story). People have asked to use my images and I have no problem with that. All I ask it to be asked.

This has spawned an interesting discussion on another board, and out of that, it seems that if someone really wants to steal an image, it will happen. Whether you protect your site somehow, or use flash, it's not going to be foolproof. However, watermarking can make the task difficult.

One thing I can do is to reduce the opacity of the watermark and size a bit.

 

[cleung]

Great shots. Water looks cold.

 

[Warren_L]

Great shots. Water looks cold.

Thanks. It is a really fun wreck to do. There's some penetration possible, but it takes a bit of manoevering to get in the hold area with my camera, as with arms, it's almost 8 feet wide. I could do it on open circuit, but I'm still getting used to my buoyancy on closed. The water wasn't too bad at around 42F. The first time I was there was a couple of summers ago and it was around 38F.

 

[cleung]

Do you see any marine life in these cold water dives?

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Do you see any marine life in these cold water dives?

A few critters, but they look damn cold

There's a burbot that calls the inside of the Tiller, his home. Don't know if Warren has gotten a picture of him yet.

 

[Warren_L]

Haven't got one yet Steve - next time I'm out I will have a closer look.

As far as marine life, zebra mussels are everywhere. There are some fish, but didn't notice much on the Tiller. But most of the fish around these parts are some shade of green or brown, mostly to blend in with the water or silt - green or brown.

But I did see a school of fish one time in Toronto harbour. What they were doing in 42F water, I don't know. I think they took a wrong turn at Key West.