How far do you go to get a shot?

[franny]

A bit of background.

I was trying out my camera under one of the piers. It was basically a second attempt at getting it to work (the first time the port fogged up). Anyway there were two other divers under the same pier with cameras. They were turning over everything they could to see what was underneath to try to get photos.

This felt a bit odd to me, as I come from a hiking background and was taught "Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints!", as it seemed as though they were potentially damaging the habitat for the creatures that lived there.

Is this normal? do you regularly turn things over to see what is underneath?

Or do you just take photos of what you can see?

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I have the same philosophy as you. I try not to disturb UW critters too much. I'm sure that the flash/strobe already does enough damage. That's why I try to limit re-takes. I take pictures of what I can see. I don't "create" photo opportunities by moving critters or rocks. I've observed other divers going to various lengths to get shots: lying down on things, molesting octopi, grabbing onto coral, turning over rocks, digging into holes, and poking seahorses (really!).

Photographers aren't necessarily conservationists.

 

[TSandM]

The most I will do is to move a bit of kelp leaf to get a better view. I will not move animals or disturb habitat. I think part of the challenge of underwater photography is to work within the limits that the site and the animal's location give you.

I have friends who do not operate that way, though.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I go by the philosophy of disturbing the environment as little as possible. I try to create as little silt as possible (i.e., using frog kicks, etc.), and I never purposefully touch/disturb animals (other than with the light of the camera flash and my presence). I just watch.

If I had a choice between a really good shot and silting the area significantly, I'd just abandon that shot. Not worth killing/displacing wildlife for one photo. And I've seen what fin kicks can do to the sea bottom, even when people aren't that close to the bottom.

 

[vladimir]

I'm with the rest--I don't disturb the environment, and I don't want a contrived shot. (I have seen well-known photographers move animals to a more photogenic background.) The bigger challenge, often, is getting the divemasters on the same page. It seems that many assume if they stage a picture for me it will enhance their gratuity. We should all take pains not to reinforce that assumption.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Sometimes, it's not about how far I'm willing to go!

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Never closer than 18" from anything on that pic, but in retrospect one of my most harassing pic's. :shocked2:

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

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They turned and skedaddled asap; same gender it would seem.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

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Yes, I put the Triton's Trumpet next to the Crown of Thorns. Honolua Bay's coral needs help!

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[MauiScubaSteve]

Who's harassing who, as chin hair gets plucked!

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[franny]

Thought as much... thanks for the replies. I didn't query it because I hadn't done enough photography, but it definately made me uncomfortable.

Mind you, it could have come back to bite them when they disturbed this.

Next time I will say something.