Video Etiquette

[Ovahimba]

Hi All,

I’m just getting back into the sport after a couple decades. I’ve really taken a liking to video and have a pair of Bigblues at 15,000 lumens each. On my first liveaboard trip a couple was a bit upset with my lights. I never deliberately pointed the lights at them but they would occasionally appear in the background as I was videoing a critter. Later in the trip I tended to keep my distance from the main group, but this wasn't always possible because of currents. Of course I tried to keep the lights off when not filming, but turning them on and off often can be a bit awkward. After a while I acquired the nicknames, “the Mac truck”, and “the submersible". Have others experienced this issue?

Thanks.

 

[aviator8]

Nobody has ever said anything but I have wondered. The video lights can be quite bright depending on distance. If I’m diving with someone new I have a quick chat up front and ask them to signal me or let me know if my lights are bothering them. I have never had anyone do so but then again I haven’t been shooting underwater long. I try to hang toward the back and be aware of where I’m pointing. I sometimes turn them off but gets to be a pain.

 

[CWK]

Other than night dives, my lights are off eccept when I videoing. I'm tending to do more clips with ambient light.

 

[Oitzu]

Speaking from a perspective of an videolights affected:
They really ruining the mood/feeling on a night dive.
I try to keep a great distance on night dives to anyone with a video light.

 

[CWK]

Speaking from a perspective of an videolights affected:
They really ruining the mood/feeling on a night dive.
I try to keep a great distance on night dives to anyone with a video light.

Likewise I find that narrow beam dive torches ruin my videos and I keep a distance from divers with torches.

 

[kelemvor]

If you're diving with 30,000 lumens on your camera you probably should consider private charters or small groups where you won't encounter the other divers.

 

[ronscuba]

Night dives I use a regular flashlight as my dive light and only turn on video lights when recording. Daytime, video lights on only when recording.

 

[dlofting]

Does anyone have information on how lights of this intensity affect sea life ?

 

[Ovahimba]

Thanks for the replies. Next week I'll be in Raja Ampat, and on this boat I have the option of paying for a private guide if there is a problem. On night dives I do macro still photography with only small modeling lights. Turning those video lights on at night could simulate a nuclear detonation. Even with all that light power I still have to get fairly close to subjects for the colors to really come out, ideally inside of 3 feet.

 

[Steve_C]

Does anyone have information on how lights of this intensity affect sea life ?

Predators love them. They light up the pretty little tasty fishies and disorient them