Why is there no easy way to find an instructor?

[Octopusprime]

So many people use the first instructor they meet and after using a couple differnt instructors I have taken a new mindset in selecting an instructor.

When I took my rescue diver it was with a professional working rescue diver and the experiance was way more than the typical certification. Not only was I exhausted when I was done but he trained us to balance personal safety with the urgency needed to save a life.

We can all call the LDS and get almost any Specality card we want but when your done do you feel your instructor gave you your money's worth or WAY more than you expected?

i have been looking for an instructor that can teach me underwater videography and teach me to produce good video. I have talked to multiple LDS and when I asked to see video by their instructor they had a confused look on their face. I have posted in photo and video forums here and got no response. I am willing to travle by car and pay more than the typical Specality course. I have been talking to every instructor diver I have met for over a year with no satisfactory results.

If there was a place to read reviews on instructors would you leave or read reviews? If you were looking for reviews on instructors what would you want to see? If your an instructor or LDS would you promote your divers to leave you reviews?

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Try Angie's List I hear they rate and have reviews for everything. :spit:

And now for something completely different - who decides the rating and if it is fair? What is the benefit of the rating that is not currently in place by word of mouth?

 

[Octopusprime]

With any review site it is about volume. The more reviews an instructor had the better picture you will see. Current word of mouth is a problem just in access. If I lived in FL it may be easier but I live in IL would drive to WI, IN, OH, IA, MO for an instructor but I do not know any instructors in those states. If I call the LDS they all say they can help but have no references or examples of work.

 

[tursiops]

Seems unlikely to me that you will find an experienced U/W videographer in your area, much less one willing to teach. I assume you don't need a certification card, that you just want the knowledge? Have you tried looking at any posted U/W videos that you like and asking the poster if you could intern with them?

I suspect a week in FL with the right person would be better than trying to find someone locally.

My wife also wants to improve her U/W movies. She is going to take a class in the local community college. She figures the principles of planning and editing and post-production are pretty much independent of whether you are U/W or not.

Regarding your hope for a Travel Advisor/Yelp-like site, I still prefer word-of-mouth. Too much gaming and trash-talk on the web sites.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I suspect that a great underwater photo/videographer with the potential to teach others is unlikely to also be a scuba instructor. No doubt there are some out there, but unless a plastic card is important to you, why limit yourself to scuba instructors? In other words: what tursiops said!

 

[cbm32]

Do you want to get a PADI card, or do you want to learn how to be an underwater videographer?

For the first I have no real suggestion. For the second, I would run a google search for underwater videographers and then contact some of them and inquire about learning from them or see if they can recommend a course of action for you in your geographical area (assuming you are tied to a limited area). I just ran a search myself and came up with the names of several people I would contact if I was serious about it.

Liquid Productions

School Of Filmmaking

 

[Octopusprime]

Great points about the non instructor ... I do not really care about the plastic card. I do not ever think I will become a professional videographer but would like to be able to produce a vacation video that I would be proud to show family and friends.

I have have talked to friend that his business is photo and video but he is not a diver not interested in diving. And he gave me some pointers in shots to take and post production but he has no experience with picking cameras/housings and how to deal with color underwater.

Curently I use gopro and it is fine but full auto makes color adjustment difficult and adds post production work. I'm interested in upgrading cameras but go pro is nice because you can have 3 on a dive one fix mounted on bcd a buddy can get shots of me and I can have one on a light rig or stick.

 

[diversteve]

What he said ^. I think you have to approach it from a different angle besides looking for a trained dive instructor who also may have a video camera/interest in teaching the specialty. And frankly devote a lot more time to it than that implies.

Both recommendations are known industry professionals. Frasier shoots some amazing stuff. He shot the One Day/One Dive Wakatobi video. I don't think Becky really teaches though. She's a member here so maybe ask her fror a referral?

To that list I'd add Jill Heinerth (Cave Country, FL) and Annie Crawley (Santa Monica, CA) I don't know what either are currently doing but Jill used to teach U/W film-making. Jill's a member here also. Maybe Mary Lynn Price knows someone. Or someone at UFEX.

Maybe start with Mary Lynn actually, she does Podcasts on iTunes.

Another place to look to contact people - far better than here since a lot of working professional video cameraman and instructors hang out there is: Video Gear and Technique - Wetpixel Drew the moderator is well connected in the Industry. You could also ask Eric Cheng, the board owner - he shoots a lot of great video and is connected to the industry.

Unfortunately most don't reside in the Midwest - or even the States.

---------- Post added May 21st, 2015 at 04:30 PM ----------

Oops, based on your last response, maybe some of my suggestions are more than you need.

 

[Octopusprime]

I met Annie C at our world underwater. She was great. I started looking a little closer to home. I figure it would be easier to find a great videographer at the coast.

Just not sure if my gopro would do a class with one of them justice. But without a course how to I select the right camera/housing without knowing what I need. It seams to be a chicken/egg problem

 

[tursiops]

I'd call Reef Photo and Video and just talk to them. They are an honest bunch. Alternatives are Backscatter, Optical Ocean, and maybe a few others. What equipment to buy is not exactly the same question as how do you take better U/W video.