I am so glad that I bought a housing for my little digital point and shoot camera. This post isn't in the Photography Forum because it isn't about photography and those folks who read that forum already know what I'm going to say anyway.
1. Taking pictures and being able to share them with my non-diving friends and family has given them the chance to see why I like diving so much. Sure they have seen U/W pictures before... but when they see pictures that I have taken the realize a closer connection with them. Last night someone said to me, "I had no idea there were so many colorful critters underwater here in Puget Sound!" This is a person who had only last week seen another photographer's U/W photos at a craft fair. Seeing my pictures made the connection.
2. Taking pictures has helped me see again in several ways. Now I am looking for things to take pictures of so I see more. Also, since my vision isn't all that great and the visibility is often a problem here I see more in the pictures than I saw in person. Some times I take a picture of one thing and later when I view the pictures on my computer I see other critters in the frame that I hadn't even noticed! That isn't always because of narcosis... but sometimes it is.
3. Using a point and shoot camera that I can clip off to a d-ring means that photography doesn't become the driving agenda for the dive. But it does allow me to take pictures whenever I want during a dive and thus document the dive.
4. The cost of camera and housing were about $500 new and in my estimation one of the best diving investments I've made. Actually I had the camera already so the investment was the <$200 I spent for the housing.
5. The pictures that I have been able to take with this little camera and only the internal flash are impressive... and I'm not the only one who thinks so. I have some of them printed at 11"x17" (thanks to Snowbear) hanging in my office as well as some printed at 8.5" X 11" and they are astounding.
1. Taking pictures and being able to share them with my non-diving friends and family has given them the chance to see why I like diving so much. Sure they have seen U/W pictures before... but when they see pictures that I have taken the realize a closer connection with them. Last night someone said to me, "I had no idea there were so many colorful critters underwater here in Puget Sound!" This is a person who had only last week seen another photographer's U/W photos at a craft fair. Seeing my pictures made the connection.
2. Taking pictures has helped me see again in several ways. Now I am looking for things to take pictures of so I see more. Also, since my vision isn't all that great and the visibility is often a problem here I see more in the pictures than I saw in person. Some times I take a picture of one thing and later when I view the pictures on my computer I see other critters in the frame that I hadn't even noticed! That isn't always because of narcosis... but sometimes it is.
3. Using a point and shoot camera that I can clip off to a d-ring means that photography doesn't become the driving agenda for the dive. But it does allow me to take pictures whenever I want during a dive and thus document the dive.
4. The cost of camera and housing were about $500 new and in my estimation one of the best diving investments I've made. Actually I had the camera already so the investment was the <$200 I spent for the housing.
5. The pictures that I have been able to take with this little camera and only the internal flash are impressive... and I'm not the only one who thinks so. I have some of them printed at 11"x17" (thanks to Snowbear) hanging in my office as well as some printed at 8.5" X 11" and they are astounding.