Underwater photography: Dealing with the guilt

[cloudflint]

Generally ill either dive with another guy who has a camera or ill just not use my camera unless I see something really good. It probably helps taht I just dive with a compact and sometimes a strobe arm so I can carry around my camera not using it without it being a pain.

On the rare occasion where im in a group of people without cameras and there is loads of stuff around ive been known to just set my camera up for the general conditions then just swim along firing blind as it where taking pictures of stuff without bothering to look at the view finder and keeping an eye on my buddy. Ive managed to get some surprisingly good pictures doing this

 

[Insta-Gator]

One of the young ladies we dive with on occasion used to be a regular torpedo. It was very frustrating to dive with her, even though she was new and we understood, but coaching didn't seem to help and she was everywhere at 20 knots. Then, a magical thing happened. Her boyfriend bought her an underwater camera. She has always been a shutter bug, but now she could do it under water. What a wonderful difference. Rather than the camera causing a task load, she actually slowed down and became a better diver. I personally like taking my time and looking at the tiny little things swimming around. I suppose your best option is to find someone who enjoys taking it slow and enjoying the little thingies.

 

[Mossman]

One of the young ladies we dive with on occasion used to be a regular torpedo. It was very frustrating to dive with her, even though she was new and we understood, but coaching didn't seem to help and she was everywhere at 20 knots. Then, a magical thing happened. Her boyfriend bought her an underwater camera. She has always been a shutter bug, but now she could do it under water. What a wonderful difference. Rather than the camera causing a task load, she actually slowed down and became a better diver. I personally like taking my time and looking at the tiny little things swimming around. I suppose your best option is to find someone who enjoys taking it slow and enjoying the little thingies.

Taking time to enjoy the little thingies is one thing, but serious amateur photographers like myself will sit (not literally) on a single anemone for 10+ minutes waiting for the best angle to shoot a shrimp, or sit on an otherwise mundane coral head trying to time a good blenny shot. J loves the little things, often spots them better than I do, but unless they're "interactive" like cleaner shrimp, she understandably gets bored with them and wants to move on to the next little thingie after a few minutes or so when my camera is just getting warmed up. At that point, it's "see ya, I'll catch up in a bit".

 

[MarkHerm]

During some dives in the Philippines we were paired up with a hardcore photog... to be honest, it was annoying. Waiting, stopping, waitimg, stopping... .... I take pictures myself but only snapshots without putting too much effort in. I enjoy the dives more if I am not in "photography mode" and my buddy benefits by it too... so I stick with that for the moment.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

This is leading me to feel much less eager to offer to dive with people, unless I do a bunch of pre-apologizing.

How do you all deal with this? For folks who aren't photographers but dive with them, how do you feel about those dives? What do you do to keep things interesting while the photographer has his nose in the camera?

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I wouldn't feel bad about it TS&M,

My wife is a photographer. She doesn't bring her camera gear on every dive, probably about 80% of them. As we became more experienced as a dive team our pace during dives tended to slow down anyway, so the camera being part of the dive doesn't detract anymore.

Early on it was a little frustrating for me, now I just fall into a pace with her. The intermittent stops she makes to compose a shot just seem to flow with the overall dive. If anything, it probably led to me being a more attentive dive buddy....because I have to focus on her stops and starts. I just intuitively fall into her pace.

She doesn't bring it on every dive, just depends on what we're diving.

It's not like I don't benefit from getting to see all of the great pictures from dive trips either. So it's a win for me. Early on it improved my ability to hover, maintain trim, etc. I also see the smaller things that I might not otherwise have paid attention to on a dive.

I don't think you should feel apologetic to a dive buddy pre-dive. It's not like they can't see that you have a camera with you.

If I were diving with you, I'd just fall into the pace that you were setting, including all of the stops, and starts. It wouldn't be a problem for me from a dive buddy perspective. It would just be a different type of dive, and I might even end up with some cool pictures from the dive afterward.

Take care,
Mitch

 

[fisheater]

I LOVE going really slow. I want to explore what's in front of and around me. A photographer is IDEAL for that.

Even if I don't bring my camera, I like being buddies up to a photog.

Otherwise, it's constant kicking and not enough time to look in cracks and crevices for neat stuff

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[soltari675]

Interesting topic. So far I have just taken pictures when we had a pause spot. Not been able to just stop and focus on something yet. I always feel bad taking up someone else's time. I do try to warn up front when I am going to take pictures. Hopefully they don't mind much. Hopefully I meet more photographers and it will be easier. If I was with one, I would just practice skills, or spot new targets. I'd find all the little things that are impossible to see swimming past. There is lots to see even when holding still. Unless you're in a low vis quarry.... in which you probably are not taking pics anyway.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, Bob, tomorrow should be interesting -- two frequent solo divers and me, and all of us with cameras and scooters. We'll see how it goes!

I have often thoroughly enjoyed scouting for my husband, in target-rich environments. I guess I just need to find some other folks who feel the same way. Or hook up with today's Fundies upgrade folks, who would undoubtedly enjoy back-kicking circles around me while I shoot!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Look at it this way, Lynne ... after all the times you've been out with photographers, you're owed. Who knows ... maybe one of these dives, I'll leave my camera home and watch you shoot while I practice my back-kick ... it could be fun ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TMHeimer]

TSandM, Haven't read all the posts, but solo may be the way. Unless you wind up in Panama as I did with my crummy little camera for 5 days with just me and the DM.