To camera or not?

[Chavodel8en]

I used to covet a really nice camera setup with the best strobes etc.

But I've dove with buddies who spend 5 minutes setting up a perfect shot. Infuriating to dive with and I cant imagine it would be fun, unless you were REAALLY into phtography.

Now I think Im fine with my GoPro and my $150 video light. Both mounted on a soft Goodman. I see something interesting, I stop, take a video or pic. takes less than a minute. Swim on.

Im not winning any awards for my videos/pics, buts its cool to relive dives and I get a few like when I post on facebook

 

[tridacna]

I'm constantly showing people my pictures. This afternoon I was showing pictures to a dive master that we dove with yesterday

I used to have an uncle like that when I was a little kid. Unending slideshows of dramatically boring pictures while we all feigned astonishment and surprise. I still have to do that with some divers showing me endless pictures of puffers taken from above the subject. I used to joke that the level of a DM's interest in your pictures is directly proportional to the size of the tip he/she is expecting. There are dozens of excellent reference books that show all sea creatures small and large if I need to see pictures of them.

 

[mcohen1021]

AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Infuriating to dive with and I cant imagine it would be fun, unless you were REAALLY into phtography.

 

[lexvil]

Honest question...why do you care whether one believes you or not?

-Z

I try to live in a fact based world, when you see something that someone who dives that same area for 20+ years has never seen it’s important for them to know what other realities exist, doesn’t it matter to me, not so much in the big picture but it’s nice to have receipts.

 

[drrich2]

If you get a decent photo of something and don't know what it is, you can ask later online, or use your photo to look at likely candidates yourself (for those of us without photographic memories).

How many people post on SB claiming they saw a sea snake on a Caribbean dive, when it's a sharp-tail eel? The photo does offer an objective record.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I used to have an uncle like that when I was a little kid. Unending slideshows of dramatically boring pictures while we all feigned astonishment and surprise. I still have to do that with some divers showing me endless pictures of puffers taken from above the subject. I used to joke that the level of a DM's interest in your pictures is directly proportional to the size of the tip he/she is expecting. There are dozens of excellent reference books that show all sea creatures small and large if I need to see pictures of them.

I have often thought about how social media is today's "slide show of my vacation" that we older people politely suffered through. The great improvement is the ease of avoiding seeing someone's social media post if you just don't feel like viewing the photos.

Granted, there are some good photos I have been grateful have been shared with me by underwater photographers.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

No up until a couple of years ago. At that point I got a simple GoPro to shoot video and pull stills from for family and friends. Simple natural light videos and screen capture stills. It allows me to share with my wife and grandkids what I see. I also have some neighbors in our community who are nature loves but not divers. They enjoy what I share as well. Nothing of any level of quality, but good enough for me. That allows me to keep it into perspective and still enjoy my dives without focusing too much on video. It also keeps me from sinking too much money into an already expensive hobby.

 

[Damselfish]

Mostly no, I can’t really be bothered.

My husband, I’m not sure he would still be into diving if not for photography, which has been a hobby for him since high school including developing his own film. He started with a class with a real pro in Bonaire and a NikonosV, and now dives with a housed SLR with the works, like he has to adjust weights if he dives without camera. Seems travel would be easier without all that stuff but he has no interest in making it simpler. He loves spending hours fiddling with camera gear, processing pictures, helping others, etc.

 

[passeparici]

I used to have an uncle like that when I was a little kid. Unending slideshows of dramatically boring pictures while we all feigned astonishment and surprise. I still have to do that with some divers showing me endless pictures of puffers taken from above the subject. I used to joke that the level of a DM's interest in your pictures is directly proportional to the size of the tip he/she is expecting. There are dozens of excellent reference books that show all sea creatures small and large if I need to see pictures of them.

It is because you feigned astonishment and surprise that they continue. If you have said it was boring and not well done they would have stoped !

99,9 % of scuba diving videos of scuba diving on Youtube are boring and most of the time I stop watching them after a few second : fish, boring musique, badly edited with not a thing that could bring your interest aroused.

I am not better than those people putting their videos on Youtube but I still like to take videos when I scuba dive. I keep the camera on the bcd and use it only if I think there something special. I don't put the video on Youtube and keep it for myself. Editing videos is difficult and long and if you want to comment on it and have a real scenario it takes some real commitment !

 

[Hoag]

I have often thought about how social media is today's "slide show of my vacation" that we older people politely suffered through. The great improvement is the ease of avoiding seeing someone's social media post if you just don't feel like viewing the photos.

Granted, there are some good photos I have been grateful have been shared with me by underwater photographers.

I have hit what I believe is a fair compromise. I do not EVER force someone to sit through a presentation of my pics. What I will do though is post them to my website & say something to the effect of "I just got back from ___________ and here is the link to the pics if ya wanna take a look at them __________________.

If they click on the link, cool. If they don't, then that is perfectly fine too. I make the pics available but I don't make anyone look at them if they don't want to.

The exception that I make is when I post pics here and they are relevant (such as posting pics on a trip report or in a classified or if they are otherwise relevant to the ongoing discussion).