Cozumel - First Attempt

Hi Everyone,

I would like to share my first attempt at underwater photography. I just got back from 11 Days on Cozumel where I stayed at the Iberostar Resort / Dressel Divers.

I also shot video which I am still sorting through and will post the result when it is done.

I learned a lot from this adventure including:

- Starting out shooting in Manual / Manual Strobe equates to about 20% more air consumption (Thankfully not an issue for me as I usually finish a dive with 1500 PSI)

- I want a second strobe

- The need to really extend the arms out on the strobe for WA to avoid Backscatter

- Diving in a recreational group can make it difficult to spend the time to get the results I wanted

- Minor scratches on the outside of the dome are not an issue, however dust inside the dome is very bad at large apertures

- What settings on the 5D make life easier and more difficult!

I shot all images in full Manual both Camera & Strobe and RAW format

Setup:

- 5D Mark II

- Sigma 15mm FE 2.8

- Ikelite Housing

- 8" Ikelite Dome

- 1 X Sea&Sea YS-D1 Strobe

- Sola 800 Photo

Below are a few photos, if you would like to see more in a slideshow fashion you can check them out @ frameamoment.com/underwater/

I would like to thank my Fiancé and Best Dive Buddy for her help and allowing me to spend a small fortune on Gear.

Any comments / critique are welcome

that shot of the jack and stingray is spectacular

Great first attempt!!

Welcome to the addiction, but be warned it only gets more expensive with gear and dive trips.

Hi Brent. I think most members would have been more than pleased with results like yours from their first trip out with a camera. The 15mm and mkII combo is a good choice and the 15mm allows you to get in really close. Use this as much as you can. Your exposure on the blues is very good so you have obviously done your homework and understand how a camera works.

Diving in groups can be fun, but when you are trying to take shots it's the last thing you will be wanting to do. Keep up the hard work and keep on posting.

Stew

Some really nice work with one strobe and great work for first time out. You see why we end up solo on group dives. You stop to set up and everyone else moves on by. Particularly true on drift dives like Coz.

Finding small group diving in off season helps a lot. For example, diving at St Croix, others ran out of air while I had 1500 left in the tank, same as you. The guide would send the others up and hang at 15 ft watching me and letting me stay as long as I had gas. Since I was at 30-40 ft, this was often quite a while. There always seemed to have some blenny around under the boat or something similar.

Thanks Everyone for the compliments, I'm totally addicted now!

Here is the Video!

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48352