Back from Tiger Beach

ShawnH, Oscar van Tol and I recently returned from an outstandig trip to the Bahamas with Jim. I've posted a quick and dirty video sample at : http://www.fluent-communications.com/Fluent/Movies%204.html

Comments welcome.

Cheers, Nick

ShawnH, Oscar van Tol and I recently returned from an outstandig trip to the Bahamas with Jim. I've posted a quick and dirty video sample at : http://www.fluent-communications.com/Fluent/Movies%204.html

 

Comments welcome.

 

Cheers, Nick

Great video - I really like the opening shot with the shark against the boat alot, the combination of the water, the shark and the boat made me miss the fact that I am not in the water right now.

Of course some shots, such as the diver pulling up fins as the shark passed beneath made me jump a bit

Looks like you shallow enough and did not need to use a filter at all (no red flashes?)

Did I mention I really want to be diving right now after watching this?

Great video Nick, I'm not sure I would have wanted to be the guy with the Tiger Shark swimming between his legs. I guess that squeaking as the shark passes over you is it nudging the flexi arm on your lighting!! I would call that a "Close Encounter"

Like the RealDrew I am getting withdrawal symtoms for the warm and blue

Roger

Great video, Nick. I've been there with Jim several times and always love Tiger Beach. Your video makes me long for another trip!!!

Great video; I'm leaving on that trip on Thursday. I could hear my breathing rate increase already, watching that video. What do you recommend for a wetsuit - 3mm with 3mm hooded vest, or 7mm?

Thanks for the comments guys. The guy with the tiger beween his legs was Jim himself - quite an acrobat, and almost as fun to watch as the sharks sometimes.

I'm not sure what the noise was when 'Emma' belly bumped me, as I wasn't diving with lights, tho I agree those BlueFin arms do squeak sometimes like that when moved. No, I think it was her skin rasping on the camera or my hood; or maybe the steam coming out of my ears as my head prepared to explode

Loftus, we dived with 5mm full suits plus hood, and most days that was fine, however some days even an over-vest on top of that in the afternoon after several dives was more cosy. If I had the choice of only 3mm or 7mm I'd take the 7mm. You'll have a great time. Say hi to Jim for us!

Real Drew - I'm pretty sure I was using a red filter, I generally always do for better contrast and tone except on night dives. With WB so close to the surface and with that light I wasn't getting issues with the colour temp of the divers' flashes. It would have been a different story with any halogen lamps tho ...

Breathtaking video Nick. Super steady and perfectly framed considering the circumstances. Is that the same tiger shark all the way through?

I notice one guy has a steel prodder. Did you all have those?

Real Drew - I'm pretty sure I was using a red filter, I generally always do for better contrast and tone except on night dives. With WB so close to the surface and with that light I wasn't getting issues with the colour temp of the divers' flashes. It would have been a different story with any halogen lamps tho ...

Thanks for the info, glad the red flashes did not mess you up, I get some footage from time to time where it looks like I threw explosions in later on, and of course it is always at the shot the I really want, guess I just have to get back in the water and try again

Again, great footage and I will look some more from time-to-time to tide me over.

Great footage. FCP needs an anti-diver filter to remove other divers from a video; sometimes I end up watching them (and the antics) instead of the real subject.

Ryan

Nick,

Great shooting and great WB! Also, who was the handsome guy shooting next to you with the L&M?

Already missing the trip!

Shawn

Also, who was the handsome guy shooting next to you with the L&M?

Do we win anything if we guess correctly?

Come on then Shawn, Nick's set the bar nice and high. Let's be seeing yours

Nick, auto-focus or manual?

Well, given his good looks the answer would be too easy Drew;)

Nick was shooting manual with the magic .3M setting Nick...works almost every time:)

Nick J. crushed any hopes of topping his video with that first post of his. I have to politely bow out and concede victory:( Perhaps, i'll be posting something in a short bit..."Feeding Frenzy Left Overs" or "Sloppy Seconds from Tiger Beach"

Well, given his good looks the answer would be too easy Drew;)

LOL, I never win anything

BTW, here's a daily journal of this trip if you want to get a feel for how this charter runs:

http://www.bluespheremedia.com/journal/CB6...BDA4DB87CD.html

-shawn

Guys that was so cool, we wished we were there with you.

Great work, realy enjoyed reading & watching that.

Jim is the man alright, that big fat tiger through his legs....cool...

Lets hope that special place remains that for years to come.

Congrats.

Actually those poles are not 'steel prods' they are just lengths of plastic pipe, and they are used like a staff, held sideways, to bump the sharks gently if you lose your camera, or are not using one. No prodding allowed - that pisses them off! One has to present a hard unyeilding surface to any exploratory bump otherwise the shark reaction might not be too nice. Very occasionally a shark will grab a camera (not on our trip) and the poles are used as back-up. Swimming away (like their food does) is also a no-no.

We had four or five Tigers on these dives, although the largest - Emma - was definitely the most photogenic.

I agree in the main about videos with too many divers, although I enjoy having a diver or two for scale. When I start a proper edit on this stuff I'll lose most the divers and concentrate on these gorgeous ladies instead. All the tigers, and in fact most the sharks we saw on the trip were females.

Shawn is right - manual focus fixed on .3m. The 80 degree LMI lens is most happy on that setting although in murkier or darker water .2 might be better. Thing is to hit the one press auto focus while aiming at a diver or somthing mid distance and you'll see the wide angle lense has set itself to the optimal distance.

Shawn is right - manual focus fixed on .3m.

And no loss of sharpness when the sharks came in really close?

Shawn I read your trip report and browsed the pics. Really sounds like an amazing trip. Is that you with the Bluefin as a polecam? How did that work out?

Nice vid Nick! I've wanted to do that trip for awhile now, but for various reasons I've not made it yet.

Like you summarised in your write up I'm always amazed that the Lemon Sharks don't get more people excited and actually become an annoyance!!

Cheers, Simon