Tips and Tricks to get those Perfect Shots

Underwater photography is a beast in itself. Along with the focus of getting the perfect shot you still have to be aware of your surroundings. Keeping an eye on depth gauges, computers, equipment are just a few of the worries that go along with lugging camera gear beneath the water’s surface.

 Luckily I had the privilege of studying under Tim Grollimund. Tim taught me the majority of what I know about using a camera and how to get those sought after shots that you've seen of scuba divers. However, this post isn't intended to teach you everything you need to know about taking photos. I just intend to tell some key points that proved beneficial when I went through a course on underwater photography.

Similar to taking photos in general it is best to be as close as possible to your subject matter. However, this is not always the easiest when trying to take an image of an animal.

Patience, patience, patience. Like anything, if you chase after it (animal) chances are it is not going to stick around. So, whenever possible it is best to let the subject (animal) of your photo come to you. Chances are the majority of your shots have the fish however it has turned around and is swimming away from you. This ties into the issue of having patience but it was also something I had to understand if I wanted to become a good photographer. Nobody wants to look at the tail end of a fish. The best photos are never the ones of the fish swimming away. So, whenever possible it is ideal to try and take shots of the side or the front of a fish.

Another hint that I learned from Tim’s course was to try to get below what you are trying to take a photo of. If that is not possible then try shooting on the same level but avoid taking a photo looking down on something. How I see it is that anybody can look down and see the fish swimming around but it is more unique to have those photos looking directly at the animals/plants.

While you should focus on getting good photos you should never become careless. When trying to get close-ups avoid accidentally brushing up against sensitive organisms such as coral. This can be prevented by constantly reading depth gauges and monitoring you breathing. Remember, the most important aspect of scuba diving is to remain safe so don't get too consumed in trying to get the perfect shot.

Take a Deep Breath

Whenever it comes to control you need to focus on your breathing. Being able to control your breathing underwater is vital in scuba diving. In order for you to have an enjoyable experience you need enough air as well as being able to control your buoyancy.

The best way to control breathing is to PRACTICE and be COMFORTABLE with your surroundings. The old saying of how practice makes perfect holds true in scuba diving. Looking back I was in no way perfect at controlling my ascents and descents with my breathing. On several occasions I blew past safety stops (practice) because I was using my BCD to surface instead of breathing. It is essential to be able to ascend and descend properly in scuba diving because if you make a habit of missing safety stop chances are you’ll be taking routine trips to the decompression chamber.

By controlling your breathing you will be capable of staying down for longer amounts of time. What personally worked for me was taking routine trips to confined water sources whether they were in pools or quarries and just repeatedly practicing. As opposed to practicing in turbulent waters in the ocean quarries offer a calmer more relaxing place to hone in on skills. What I've discovered is that while diving in a lake is not as luxurious as a tropical reef the practice will benefit by allowing you more bottom time and a safer experience. 

Dive Shops in the Salisbury Area

Having been traditionally from the Salisbury area scuba dive shops are hard to come by but with this entry maybe you’ll get some ideas of where to look. To be specific I live a little outside of town so the nearest dive shops are towards Claremont, Charlotte, and Mooresville North Carolina.

Let’s begin where it all started. My first training was through a small quaint shop in the town of Claremont just a skip and a jump away from Hickory. The DiveShop provides certifications through PADI so as I’ve mentioned in the About page of my blog I was first certified through PADI. You’ll find the shop operated by Gene Monday, a delightful gentleman that won’t try to force a sale on any customer. Rather, Gene will usually try to coerce you to have a seat and enjoy an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. In terms of service they provide adequate training but sometimes it may be difficult to complete in a predetermined amount of time. It took me several extra months until I was finally able to finish my open water certification. The Dive Shop while located in the mountains of N.C. is on island time like any other dive shop and you can’t really rush through good training. Personally, the small shop still serves as my go-to place when I need a gear tune-up.

A little further away is Open Water Adventures in Charlotte N.C. (45 minutes). This shop is really state of the art with a training pool located on site. In terms of convenience this would be my preference of a dive shop mainly because there is no hassle of trying to reserve a pool. The service is excellent with all employees taking the time to learn the customer’s names. The shop is different from the dive shop because they are an SSI certifying organization. In addition Open Water Adventures has a dive blog which can be accessed by this link http://www.openwateradventures.com/dive-blog/ 

Lastly is the Lake Norman Scuba which is located in Mooresville N.C. (30 minutes). Unless you come from a wealthy area I would recommend elsewhere for your training. While I personally haven’t trained under the staff at Lake Norman I have been a regular customer for several years and still many of the employees have no idea who I am, apart from another potential customer. As opposed to the previous two shops this one relies heavily on sales and is willing to push you out the door trying to get a sale. Honestly while the people are friendly I would rather shop at another store that appreciates and is willing to take the time to get to know their customers.

While there are numerous other store in the area I felt it would be more beneficially to tell about the ones I specifically associate with. Also I cannot vouch as well for other shops that may have been excluded in this review.

Night Diving, Friend or Foe

There is something about night diving that really peaks the interest. A dark world with no light except that narrow stream being emitted by the primary light and a back-up if that flashlight fails. Following a guiding line down further into the enveloping blackness, passing through a thermocline the water becomes cool.

Becoming almost omnipotent, acting as a decider for what will live and what shall die. Revealing a fish from the shadows only for a predator to shoot past making an easy kill, always knowing there are groupies’ following the diver’s every move.

Looking up on a clear night and being able to still see the glimmer of the stars and constellations piercing the water’s surface and the heart of this gorgeous sight. Diving with a large group of divers all equipped with multi-colored tank lights it was truly a show when water activated the sensors that lit up the strobes. Explosions of green, red, and blue bursting in the shadows and revealing the whereabouts of lost friends.

Similar to a child afraid of the dark I had some unease of jumping into water that I couldn’t see. The first leap off the dock with the primary light directed downward so not to flail about blinding others. Chilled cool water entering into every opening of the wetsuit as your body plunges downward. This was my personal experience of night diving. While it was more of a crash course since I received the textbook only hours before the sunset over Lake Rawlings Virginia it was still one of my favorite experiences of scuba diving.

Geared Up for a Good Time

In order to really gage whether or not one enjoys scuba diving they must be comfortable in the water, for that they may have to be willing to purchase their own equipment. Buying equipment is a big commitment to the sport and it may be daunting especially if you are second guessing the decision to pursue the certification but I noticed immediately after buying a Buoyancy Compensator Device (BCD) that I could relax and enjoy my time underwater.

Generally, the equipment that is rented out by the dive shops is not top of the line equipment, by any means. The BCDs, regulators, and wet-suits have all seen better days. For these reasons I choose to buy my own gear and by far I have no regret. Whenever I’m diving I want to feel safe and be able to trust that my gear won’t malfunction. By owning my gear and taking proper care of it (the annual inspections) I know that if an accident were to really occur it would be because of personal error not someone else. Preferably I feel more comfortable maintaining my gear, similar to setting gear up I’d rather do it myself (just so I know I did it correctly).

What I would recommend for those looking for their own equipment is to spend time researching. Diving is very individualized, not everyone uses the same equipment. There is a lot of variation and people need to be aware of what they are buying.

Buddy Checks, Are They There?

It’s always a good plan to dive with a partner even if you are only planning a short excursion because you never know what might happen. While we are all probably guilty of abandoning our buddy once or twice we shouldn't make a habit of doing this. If an emergency were to arise it’s better to have a buddy close by than one nowhere to be seen.

Occasionally you might get stuck with someone that doesn't have the same amount of training as you (whether they have more experience or you do). Regardless you should try to accommodate the dive to fit both divers’ potentials. Preferably before going on a diving venture you should try organizing yourself into a group that fits your level of experience.

Unless you’re very attached to your dive partner you won’t be diving with that same person every time, for that reason you need to be able to associate with other divers. The diving community is very tightly knit, you are one of the few that enjoys the sport and chances are the others on the dive boat aren't being forced to be there. There is no excuse not to meet other potential dive buddies. All you have to do is summon enough courage to walk over and introduce yourself.

When Choosing Training It's Up to You

Getting into Scuba diving can be challenging especially if you don’t know anyone that is certified. In general the idea is quite daunting unless you have a stable income and time to enjoy this sport. Although if you do take on the commitment to become a certified diver it can really broaden one’s horizons exposing you to some of the most beautiful untouched environments on our world.

In hopes of avoiding bias I’ll only discuss the two certifying organizations that I have been trained through. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Safe Scuba International (SSI), in the area that I’m from these are the only two options that train divers. While I did train under both organizations I personally would recommend PADI over SSI (opinion) because my first certification was through them and while certifications can extend across organizations once you began training to become a professional you should choose one and stick with that, it’s just simpler.

Although both organizations do have pros. PADI is more widely recognized, at least from what I could tell from my travels. SSI appears to be more centralized in the Americas and while the organization may have shop set up elsewhere I saw no sign of their presence in Europe. Although preferably I’ve found SSI’s training to be more thorough with instructors dedicating more time to individuals (varies based on instructors). What it all boils down to is your opinion, which organization is more feasible to you? When I first became certified in 2008 PADI was offering training at a local YMCA that I worked at so this cut down on cost of commuting to a dive shop further away. The cost and availability of the training was the deciding factor of why I chose to be certified under PADI. In general the reason why I switched to SSI was also because of my access to the training which was being offered at my college at the time.

Welcome to SCUBAneeds2know

Welcome,

As an avid diver I enjoy receiving feedback or hearing other's opinions on diving, equipment, locations and generally anything relating to the sport. This blog covers my experience as a diver and what I would suggest to any new or aspiring divers. Simple tricks that will make your dive enjoyable and recommendations based on gear that I've used and places I've been.

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