Who is your dive buddy?

[talbazar]

Dear all UW photographer,

Even if I haven't been diving for ages, I'm always wondering something:
Who are you diving with?

My last trip for example, I was with a group of friends (4 of us) and was the only wannabe photographer.
As a result, here are the general course of actions while underwater:
1. Spot something
2. Get down close to the bottom
3. Try to compose a bit
4. Fine tune you camera settings
5. Wait
6. Shoot
7. Shoot again (first one was missed)
8. Smile because I think I had a good one
9. Put my head up
10. Look for the group
11. Kick like a fool to get back to the group and my dear Buddy
--> My buddy and I even lost the rest of the group once while I was taking a shot. But at least she waited for me

At the end, your legs are killing you, you suck more air than anybody and your shots are crap...

Is this the curse of any UW photographer or is there a "trick"?

Thanks for your feedback, stories or memories on that topic.
Cheers,
Pierre.

[kloozo]

haha, been ages since i pop by this forum

anyway, i think the trick is to go with friends who wanna have their photos taken.
We tend not to go too far from the photographer, so that at appropriate times we can conveniently end up in his photos.
Helps when said photographer is good at spotting stuff too, as it is in my case.

[howeikwok]

dive with photogaphers, or better still dive with photographers with similar subject interest. (ie nudibranchs) that way you get similar kind of dive and you have an extra pair of eyes looking for stuff. Actually sometimes i do end up diving solo, then i will head shallow and usually catch up with the group eventually.

[Lumiere]

thats why always haf a compass and dive com...know your orientations well during the briefing and have a safety sausage

[lovells19]

I dive alone

hahahahaaha ops

[sprain]

Originally Posted by lovells19 I dive alone hahahahaaha ops

notti notti. Bad exmaple!!

[sgfriend]

Originally Posted by lovells19 I dive alone hahahahaaha ops

Yes indeed, very very bad example.

[cityofangels]

Solution: Dive with a buddy who does UW photography too.

[Chrislim]

Just use a buddy line tied up with your buddy

[lovells19]

hahaha yeah but i love it when im alone..

can slowly take my time to shoot.


best is dive with a group all photographers, and not just photographers, considerate photograhers..

i saw photographers pushing each other, going under the subject blowing tonnes of bubbles while the buddy is taking photos, finning ard the slity area....... bring a knife.. stab them grrowwll

[Tri99er]

What howeikwok said about diving with ppl with similar subject interest is very true. Everyone can contribute in looking for stuff and will enjoy the dive better. The non-photographers become the spotter and photographer take pictures. Good combination.

[crusher]

In my last Manado trip, I was the only one without a dive buddy as I went alone. The rest of the people in the group were either couples or friends. There were numerous times when I stopped to take pictures, the rest of people would just carry on without waiting or looking out for me. I would still continue to shoot until I was satisfied with the pictures, it didn't bother me even if I lost sight of the group. Maybe it was because most of the dives were wall dives. I just followed the wall and I would join back the group. Me just a OW without compass without dive comp.

[lovells19]

Originally Posted by crusher In my last Manado trip, I was the only one without a dive buddy as I went alone. The rest of the people in the group were either couples or friends. There were numerous times when I stopped to take pictures, the rest of people would just carry on without waiting or looking out for me. I would still continue to shoot until I was satisfied with the pictures, it didn't bother me even if I lost sight of the group. Maybe it was because most of the dives were wall dives. I just followed the wall and I would join back the group. Me just a OW without compass without dive comp.

it's really nice to dive alone and left to shoot alone RITE? hehehe

but its not fair if the group have to wait for you on board lah,

do make your intention clear prior to the dive, and keep to the planned bottom time lor
If not ppl will start to worry although u might just be a stranger.

last time i was Diving Solo at Hantu the boat man was going crazy why I haven return after 1hr+ hahaha

[howeikwok]

that's why i'm usually first to jump in and the last to come out, hehe... then people dun have to wait so long...

[sprain]

Originally Posted by lovells19 it's really nice to dive alone and left to shoot alone RITE? hehehe

Very nice! I think quite often for me at least, I thought I was only taking a couple of shots, but when I look up, everybody is gone!

[crusher]

Originally Posted by lovells19 it's really nice to dive alone and left to shoot alone RITE? hehehe but its not fair if the group have to wait for you on board lah, do make your intention clear prior to the dive, and keep to the planned bottom time lor If not ppl will start to worry although u might just be a stranger. last time i was Diving Solo at Hantu the boat man was going crazy why I haven return after 1hr+ hahaha

Manado dives all 60-70 mins, all wanna maximise their dives, nobody wanna come up first.

[howeikwok]

heh for me in manado/lembeh is more like 80-90 min...
long slow shallow dives, woohoo!!

[kthan]

really, if u want to take photos, the best is just u and the guide.....my best trip was 2 spotters to myself. That's the plus for diving non-peak season.

if u really want a non-photographer buddy, i can only say get someone who really likes you, A LOT!

anything more than 2 photographers to a guide is too many.

[stonefish35]

so i'm not alone in this. I guess the best thing to do is to go for a trip with photographer divers.

My dive buddy is my spotter. She spotted something, signal me over, then I will always spot another more interesting subject nearby.

Its good to operate like a sniper team, 1 spotter, 1 shooter. .

[lovells19]

Originally Posted by stonefish35 so i'm not alone in this. I guess the best thing to do is to go for a trip with photographer divers. My dive buddy is my spotter. She spotted something, signal me over, then I will always spot another more interesting subject nearby. Its good to operate like a sniper team, 1 spotter, 1 shooter. .

best is ur buddy is spottable can spot her on surface interval