Hi guys --

I'm Eric. I administer this site in my spare time. I am a software engineer, musician, and have been taking photos underwater since April of 2001.

More information than you ever will want to know about me at: http://echeng.com.

Helloooooooo....?

Come on, guys! Spill it! Who are you, where are you from, and what do you do (other than take pictures underwater)?

Hi Eric and everyone ...
My name is Abri , I am a South African scuba instructor currently working in Thailand . Have recently bought a Canon G2 and Ikelite housing , so will soon be bugging all of you with newbie questions . (Don't worry , will first look in threads for answers)
I am an avid freediver and spearfisherman but only hunt reef fish with camera .

My name is Mike, I own a manufacturing co. (Yes we contract produce some dive gear) Im from upstate NY and so most of my diving in the No. Atlantic, Great Lakes and the North Sea. With an occasional trip to warm water thrown in. Been diving since 1972, university trained in scientific diving in the late 70's, mixed gas trained in 90's. Been shooting film on and off for most if this time. Went digital in 2001, Oly 4040 in a Tetra with strobes.

Hi everyone!

I'm Matt...I'm a software engineer in Tampa, FL. Lots of interests, but the biggest ones are saltwater aquariums, SCUBA, my corvette and of course photography! Been shooting underwater with my little ole Reefmaster for several years. Last year I decided to step up my knowledge a bit...Bought a C4040 as a learning camera...Hoping on moving up to a DSLR in the next year!

I'm Todd. As some may know I am a Partner of a Chartered Accounting firm in Canada. I have been a Divemaster for 6 years. I also am the president a mountain bike racing club. And enjoyed riding in Moab this year.

I actually met my wife while on a dive trip. I am a proud new father of 5 months (son Merreck...means "ruler of the sea")

Yes, I have been ice diving although contrary to what some may believe that is only in the dead of winter. It was hotter here than in the Bahamas on my last trip with Eric. I enjoy a good bottle of American Cabernet Sauvignonand have adopted three retired racing greyhounds.

I switched to digital photography this year a result of knowing Jim Watt. My last trips I have been fortunate to get to dive with a number of pros and great non pros (OB1). And, I love diving with sharks, especially great hammerheads, they are a truly impressive and beautiful animal to see.

ps Eric forgot to mention his like of Bengal cats.

I'm Bill. We met Eric and Dave Breitigam on the Kona Trip last year. My day job (that supports diving) is doing science trying to cure diabetes. Waiting for my Sea and Sea D60 housing, just got back from a live-aboard in Fiji where we shot lots of video (digital of course) and also some stills with a 4040 in an Oly housing using a Sea and Sea CW video light instead of strobe. Works quite nicely.
Bill

Hello
My name is Pierre. I live in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea.
I develop a web site " The world of the underwater photography" ( french and english) for beginner and ..... more.
I use a Nikonos V with 15mm, 35mm. I follow the evolution of digital camera and I describe on my site this type of equipment.
http://www.underwaterphotographie.com
Good Surf and Good Dives
Pierre Courty

I guess I should join in too - especially since I'm a moderator now.

I'm originally from California, but I live in Houston TX now. I'm a deepwater engineer specializing in deepwater pipeline design and construction. No, I don't get to dive for work - no one does. That's because the project I'm working on is in 6,000 feet of water! I like to get offshore on the weekends with my friend David in his sportfish called "Per Diem." I used to have my captains license, so it's nice to drive a boat from time to time. I also like to surf and sail. If it's too rough to go fishing, then go surfing, and vice versa!

I'm really into "everything marine." I have been keeping reef aquaria since 1993 and I help run a saltwater aquarium site called www.reefs.org. I have some pictures of my tank online at www.reefs.org/ops/jameso

I've only been diving since 1999 and shooting pix since 2000. I started with a coolpix 990 and not strobe and have been slowly working my way up the food chain. You can see some of my photos at www.reefpix.org

Cheers
James

Hi guys...
My name is Hector Quintanilla, I studied Architecture and have a Masters Degree In Architectural Design, althought I just do Architecture for me...I build and rent. The money comes from computers...I´m into systems consulting. I also teaching at a university 3D Visualization.
Born in May 14 1967, so if you do the math, I´m 35 years old. Married 2 years ago with a lovely local T.V. artist
Love computers, internet, and water!!! My father got me into photography some time ago, and I went digital with a Coolpix 990, sold it, and waiting to decide if I go with a Canon D60, D100 or a Coolpix 5000.
Did some diving every time I could, but never got certified until last july...I got My open water in Maui, and did some awesome diving in Maui and Kona. Since then I have about 20 dives in my log...Last week did Cozumel, 2 hours from here by plane, and cheap also (for me!)...and also awesome so you´ll be seeing lots of pictures taken ther in the future, will be my practice area...
I can´t wait to work more, earn more money...to waste it on my trips , so hope to find some of you guys maybe in the future while in a trip...
Regards...
Hector

Hi All,

My name is Jeremy and I'm in management at a enterprise software company in the SF Bay Area. I have been diving since early 2001, and I'm was officially hooked from the start. I started taking UW photos at the beginning of 2002, and it is now one of my primary hobbies.

I have a started a small gallery with some photo samples, so enjoy.

I am currently using a Canon G2 in an Ikelite housing with a DS-125 strobe. I am looking to get an additional strobe pretty soon.

Happy Diving!

Jeremy

Hi everyone,
My name is Sandy. I am a Registered Nurse from PA. Since there's no good diving in PA my husband and I do alot of travelling. We got certified in 1995 and fell in love with the sport. We help crew on a boat in North Carolina in the summers called "the Diver Down" and take at least 3 trips to warmer climates in the off season.
I have always enjoyed photography so once I started diving I bought my first camera Sea & Sea MX10. I probably haven't done 5 dives without a camera. It's part of my equipment. I progressed to Sea & sea MMII and just recently turned digital with Aquatica 995 w/ Nikonos Sb 105 strobe.

I really enjoyed this site. Lots of great tips and seemingly (LOL) knowledgable people. Can't wait to share my photos with you and maybe someday some wisdom.

Sandy

hi eric and gang.
Im pete from Singapore. Im currently using the Olympus 3040 and hoping to get the Light and Motion housing soon.
Ive taken UW pics on film and i'm in the transition of moving to digital.
Ive been recreationally (if there's ever a word like that ) diving for more than 10 years now.
I enjoy this site alot and think the pics taken on Kona are the best ever!
Good job eric.

pete

OK, now which pictures from Kona are we talking about here...

Cheers
James

Hello....I'm located just east of Houston. I got certified in 1997 and did my first dive with a MX-10 in hand. I've done very few dives without one. Started with the MX-10 for a couple years then moved on to a S&S MMII-EX and fell farther in love with macro. I was getting really tired of the double strobe mad-spider thing and film in general so this spring I went digital with an Oly C-4040/PT-10/S&S YS90-DX. I'm really enjoying the smaller size as well as all the advantages of digital.

I've been a DM for about 4 years and enjoy working with students but what I like even more is mentoring those new divers who are really serious about their diving and are eager to start the real learning stage. I've been a seamtress for years, owned a quilt shop for several years, and now make do-rags for divers. Dee-Rags

Aquariums have been a part of life since I was a child. I think I've had alittle bit of everything over the years! James, I think I've talked to you a few times over on Reef.org. Didn't realize it was you!

Dee:

It's a small world, eh? :-)

I have some new shots of my tank (they kinda suck though) up at:

www.reefs.org/ops/jameso/

Wish me luck, Monday is the Houston Underwater Photo Society's first digital UW photo contest - the subject is Wideangle.

Cheers
James

Hey James,
What camera did you get after you sold your Coolpix 5K ?

Fuji S2pro

See the Reviews on this site for my review of the S2 and Ikelite housing.

Cheers
James

Hey all. I work for a software company out of San Jose and live in NJ, near tons of nice cold wreck diving with limited visibiltiy!

I started diving about 15 years ago, took about 13 years off, and started back up again in early 2001. Since then, I've done about 100 dives in everything from a quarry in PA, to NJ, to Hatteras, to Cozumel, Nassau, and Truk. Like most everyone else here, I enjoy diving and photography (topside too), and I also enjoy hiking, motorcycling, and snowboarding.

Right now, my rig consists of a Sony DSC-S85 in an Ikelite housing with a DS-50 strobe, but I'm hoping to house my D60 early next year before my second trip to Truk.

Love the site, and I've definitely learned a lot from it. Thanks Eric, and most recently James. James, I wish you'd gotten a D60 instead of an S2 so i could piggy back on your experiences, damn incompatible lense mounts...


Tom

Hi all,

i'm located in Munich, Germany and work as a freelance software consultant.
I started diving in 1992, bought my first camera in 1995 (guess what: MX10) and went digital in 2001 with an Olympus 3030Z in a PT010. I recently added a strobe (YS90DX) and a macro lens to my rig and plan to buy a wa lens and a second strobe soon.
My husband is taking digital uw videos since 1999 (whenever he has a chance to drown a new rig :ph34r: )
There are many lakes with good visibility around where we live, but the water turned out to be way too cold for us - we go on 2-3 dive trips a year instead.
Favorite locations are the Red Sea (rather close and cheap) and Indonesia.

Sabine

James,
I can´t find your Fuji S2pro review...Could you post the link?
What make you buy the Fuji instead of the D100?
Regards..
Hector

go to the reviews area and check out the first entry. also, please discuss housings in the Housings forum category!

Ups....thanks Erick

Hello.

I've been anonymously reading wetpixel for a while now and never registered or posted mostly because I didn't feel like I had much to contribute. (Of course, that implies that I feel like I have something to contribute now... which I don't really. I'll just keep mooching off of all your knowledge and experience. )

I've been diving for 1.5 years about and just started taking digital footage of my trips. I've got a sony trv30 digicam and a gates housing. (i love them both)... for still shots, I just invite Eric on my dive trips.

I am in san diego and currently am back in school finishing up a computer science degree. (I wonder what percentage of digital underwater photographers are in the software? if this group is representative at all, the percentage seems pretty high.)

norm

Sheesh, you go away for a few weeks (figuratively speaking) and everything changes! Eric--the new software looks great! Awesome job.

Looks like I have lots of catching up to do, but it will have to wait until AFTER I MOVE because I'VE GOT A NEW JOB!!! Sorry to "yell" but I'm still pretty psyched. In a couple of weeks I'll be moving to Bar Harbor, Maine, and while a local diver told me "it's cold and dark" there's supposed to be a ton of life in that area ... and it's so much closer to the ocean than Utah where I live at the moment.

Professionally I'm a research scientist: biotech, and about to move from mainly microbes to mostly mice (Bill, I'd guess we'd have plenty to talk about). Snorkelled a lot with my Dad when I was a kid, learned scuba at university, and then gave it up for mumblemumble years when I got hooked on rockclimbing and biking in the desert. Started diving again about 18 months ago, recertified, and have been as obsessive about it as it's possible to be when you live 1000 miles from the nearest decent dive site. Into most things natural-history, in particular fungi above water and anything weird below. Shooting with an Ike-housed CP5000 and a DS125 that I seem to have a talent for flooding. Still very much in the steep part of the uw photography learning curve!

Anyone in the group from Maine or Mass or somewhere close by interested in getting together to tell some lies or jump into the balmy North-West Atlantic?

Bob.

Hello,

I live in a small town in central Az and I'm also a Native of the state.

Originally I worked as a proffesional forest fire fighter until Pres. Carters cutbacks eliminated my position. I have been working in the commercial electrical contracting field for the last 25 years. I'm also an inactive PADI scuba instructor. I found out it wasn't my calling.

I have been diving since 1970 and shooting pictures u/w since 75, someday I hope to get good at it.

I'm still a film user, hopefully I'll be shooting digital soon. Its just a matter of trying to figure out which SLR system I want to use.

Have a great day and enjoy life

Stephen

Hi guys!

I live in Singapore and started diving in June 2002. *Extreme Newbie, especially to underwater photography* Anyway, I started underwater photography in August. I currently use my educational institute's Canon powershot s30 without a strobe.

Other than diving, I play the clarinet and spend most of the rest of my time on the computer *Mac, Windows, Linux*. I have an interest in photography *this led me to underwater photography*. I have no job. *I'm still a student* I have just completed a project concerning the use of QTVR for a 3D representation of a coral on your computer. I hope i can upload this to my webpage soon and you guys can go view it.

Hi Everyone-

I'm an avid photographer and outdoor enthusist. My husband and I ski from Nov - May in VT, SCUBA every chance we get (read twice a year - the water is too cold in the NE US), ride our road TREKs as often as possible and generally love life. We're a pair of engineers which pays for our fun. We are also computer geeks.

We were lucky enough to enjoy a photo safari in South Africa this past spring where my SONY F707 was a star performer! I brought my trusty Minolta with a 500mm lens, but truth be told, the output from the SONY was every bit as good.

We got certified off the Great Barrier Reef in 1995 and have been hopelessly addicted ever since. I shoot most of the images while my husband plays the role of camera caddy and chief critter finder! Presently I am shooting Nikonos V gear, but looking into a housing for my SONY. Hoping to glean some information from all of you!


Cheri

Hello everyone!

My name is Shawn and I am a newbie to photography. I stumbled onto this site from another site. I have been diving up here in the Puget Sound since 1988 and can not get enough of it. I really have a keen interest in marine life and see photography as the next step.

That being said, I want to learn as much as I can about digital camera photography before I start. I am looking to get a good set-up for a beginner. Something better then the SeaLife. Something like the MX-10 level for digital. I need a strobe as well and would like to have some macro lenses.

Anyone have any words of advice?

Thanks alot,

Shawn

Scotty B here from Austin, TX. I did my first bluewater dive with an Aquashot. I quickly avanced to an MX-10 and then used a Nik V for several years, adding strobes and lenses along the way. I was about to purchase a housing for my N90s when I read a review on the S2 Pro. I decided to take the plunge and bought it and an Ikelite housing. I am taking it for it's first extended outing on the Belize Aggressor in December.

I am currently working on my divemaster certification and as a volunteer, I am the National Rescue Coordinator for the IHBA Drag Boat Association. I do a lot of land photography at the race venues which take me from Red Bluff, CA to Augusta, GA. I also volunteer as a rescue diver with a local Emergency Dive Unit.

My wife and I spent our 20th anniversary on the Kona Aggressor last Jan. She is a great dive buddy and can really spot the small critters.

Scotty,

That makes 2 S2 shooters in Texas. I'm in Houston.

Cheers
James

James, the S2 had been recommended by one of our IHBA Team Rescue members in N.C. He is a professional photographer in the furniture industry and uses it for commercial layouts. However, it was after I read about the Ikelite housing on your web site that put me over the top in my decision to purchase one.

Hi all, I’m Dr. James B. Wood and I’m a marine biologist specializing in cephalopods (octopus, nautilus, squid, cuttlefish). I have a few web pages dedicated to these animals:

http://is.dal.ca/~ceph/TCP/index.html
http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/

I started uw photography in graduate school in 94 with a Nikonos V and started to sell my images to pay for film, equipment and food.

I currently live in Galveston, Texas about an hour south from the OTHER JamesW. Last summer I borrowed JamesW’s coolpix system for a field study of Caribbean Reef Squid

http://is.dal.ca/~ceph/TCP/Ssepioidea.html

We are able to identify individual squid by their dot patterns and follow them for weeks at a time. However, some of us are better at this than others and explaining subtle differences in the patters of thousands of dots while talking though a snorkel, or even worse, back at base camp away from the animals, left a lot to be desired. With James’s camera I was able to take images, bring them back to the base camp, and carry on a *civilized conversation – it was a great tool.

We have recently secured a National Science Foundation grant to expand CephBase (the second link above) and I wrote an S2 into the equipment section. JamesW, no not me, the other guy, the engineer who is tech crazy and even more hyper then me, yeah him, is assisting again with advice and has also sent me here. Thanks!

Dr. James B. Wood
The Brine Shrimp

*Well, by biologist standards anyway.

Guess I'll do the same...

My name is Cliff Etzel and I am the Director/Freediving Editor for Deeperblue.net.

My professional background includes working as a photojournalist (since 1986) - first as a freelancer (including a stringer for the Associated Press), and also as a staff photographer for several small to medium sized newspapers. Some of my accomplishments include winning several regional photojournalism awards for 1993/1994 while working in newspaper and being accepted into The Eddie Adams Workshop for 1992, a prestigious photojournalism workshop which was by portfolio submission only for photo-documentary work I had done.

From there I moved to becoming a photo editor for a couple of specialty magazine publications, and now I write and shoot photo's as a freelancer.

I specialize in freediving (which I am a large advocate of) and recently became a licensed freedive instructor as well. I am also a PADI certified Rescue Diver.

Along with that, I also own a company called Blue Digital Media that I am just beginning to get off the ground specializing in multimedia content creation (both still and video) - hopefully to target the dive industry.

Not much created yet underwater since I live in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon) and I have been busy trying to get the business side of things off the ground.

I currently work with a couple of Olympus C-2000's, the PT-010 housing and Inon w/a lens.

My first all digital article was a 10 photo spread I did for a magazine on freediving.

Greetings to all



Cliff Etzel
"aka freediver"

Hello everyone,

I'm Elissa from California. I'm a forensic biologist by day and a digital junkie by night.

After years of wishing I could dive, I finally got certified in 2000 and picked up a camera (Reefmaster RC) in 2001.

I switched to digital (Olympus 3040/PT-010 housing/Ikelite DS 50 substrobe, Inon Macro, Epoque wide angle lenses. Adobe Photoshop) in Aug 2001, and just got an Olympus 5050/PT-015/Ikelite DS 125 for Christmas

I also shoot video with a Sony digital PC-110 in an Ocean Images Housing. I use Videowave V for editing, but am switching to Adobe Premiere.

I have not been trained in photography and am just learning how to do things manually. Most of the photos on my website www.descentline.com were taken with the Olympus 3040 in auto mode. There you will also find a few pages on getting started in underwater digital imaging and photo galleries and video clips from our trips.

Looking forward to learning from everyone here!

Hello all,

My name is Richard and I'm in eastern Quebec, Canada. I dive mostly the St.Lawrence estuary but also do frequent trips to Ontario and the Great Lakes for freshwater diving. I'm a DM and have been diving since 1979.

I've been working as a marine biologist for 16 years but do most of my photography for fun, although I often use UW photo as a tool at work. After using Nikonos III and V cameras for many years, I now do most of my photography with a Nikon F90x in an Aquatica-90 housing.

My first contact with UW digital was in June of 2000 when I started using an Olympus C-3030 in a PT-005 housing. Last year, that housing was replaced by the Ikelite version so that I could take the camera on trimix dives. In the fall of 2002, I changed system and I'm now using a Coolpix 5000 in an Aquatica-5000 housing. More about this system in an upcoming post.

My favorite subjects are cold water critters.

Richard

I'd like to welcome our new members. I'd encourage everyone to post some photos in the Critique section. As nerve-wracking as it can be sometimes, it's the best way to improve.

Cheers
James Wiseman

Hi all, I've been posting away for ages unaware of this thread!

My name is Mark Humpage & live in Leics, UK (spitting distance from Stoney Cove). I run my own Highway Consultancy business, and my stress busters are diving & meteorology (good mix!!).

Been diving since mid 80's. Started the BSAC way & ended up as a PADI instructor! Set up my own diving school & retail outlet in Birmingham back in 90's. Having worked myself ragged with little reward for 5 years (Oh the joys of the diving industry), got rid of one wife, gained another, sold up (not the wife!), gave up my day job & disappeared to the Far East spreading the PADI word.

Had enough of continually being broke & working for a Muppet (Aquamarine, Jordan) so we came back to UK & got proper jobs! I'm non-teaching status nowadays but Debs, my wife, still teaches at Stoney Cove every now and then.

I'm a bit of a wreckie at heart & done a fair bit of cave diving although responsibilities (kids!) precludes this nowadays, and although have only dabbled with U/W photography over the years it is something I really want to get into now, particularly digital, as I am a bit of a gadget freak (are'nt we all?).

Bought the very basic Dimage xi /YS25DX outfit late last year really to experience digital U/W, albeit at a basic level. Quite impressed at the results (for a point & shoot setup) and now in process of purchasing the Titan setup for my E10.

Diving nowadays is limited to a few trips abroad/year together with the odd weekend along the British coastline, and of course Stoney Cove every now & again.

My dream.......to emulate my old pal Bob's (Cyberfish) lifestyle - Horizontal

Music - Maiden
Books - Clive Cussler
Drink - Guinness
Regs - Sherwood (reliable as a VW)

Mark

PS Great site

I've been lurking for a few months in preparation for my first digital underwater experience. I'll be in Hawaii for two weeks and will probably snorkel every day. No diving yet. Hell.. my first snorkel experience was only two years ago and I'm 35.

I bought an Oly-2040z two years ago and figured that my best bet would be to pick up a PT-010. So that is what I did

I hope to post my first underwater digital picture next week!

Tim

oh yeah.. I'm a mathematician turned systems adminstrator.. easier job...more money

Ok James, I'm taking you up on it.

Hi ALL!

Been lurking & learning for the past few months and have really enjoyed the pictures & info. I have more apprecitation for UW photography now that I've finally given it a try myself. Wow...how you get those amazing images...well, I'm hear to learn. I've only been diving since May and just starting taking UW pix a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun but I won't be giving up my day job... which is Freelance Computer Production Artist/Designer in the advertising biz.
The next step...off to Member Photos for my critique.....

C.J.
Newbiebranch from BC Canada

Welcome. Do you know Todd alias Yahsemetough? I believe he's from your neck of the woods.

The Brits are invading BC in August (Port Hardy trip). Lock up your lenses!

Mark

Mark potentially by car they could be 20 hours from where I am. I am inland 2 provinces over from them.

Although I have talked to a couple of them out on the coast.

Todd, give Mark a break, you've got to remember, he's from a country that's about the size of a large US state, and doesn't really have a sense of the size of Canada...

Kidding...

Are you questioning Marks intelligence?

He's British or Scottish or something...oh, what's the difference anyway?LOL

I have to admit he may know more about Canada than a lot of my new friends to the south. For example my wife, being American had never heard of Saskatchewan before she moved here.

ps People we don't live in igloos! Although right now it is bloody cold. On the scale with the windchill it hit -43 yesterday. No need to put C or F as there is not difference. Hell has frozen over!

2nd ps My last trip to the Bahamas in the summer was cooler than back home. We were in the high 90's. We see both ends here but, it's a "dry cold"LOL

Something will do!

Yeah but 20 hours drive is nothing for you eskimos!

Mush!!

I just hate having to get out of my igloo, on that dog sled for two days to go to the US border to plug the extension cord back it when someone kicks it out in the middle of the hockey game.

Isn't that just another name for BigFoot?

Try one of these. Should save a day or so!

Tom I like that. I have to admit that is a new one. You cracked me up!

But do you know where it is without looking? If you haven't already looked.

Todd, I don't know where Oklahoma is without looking at a map, so there's a pretty good chance I don't know where Saskatchewan is. That being said, I could probably narrow it down if I had a map with no names on it...

Despite my limited mapping ability, I do know where Cozumel, Grand Cayman, the Bahamas, Chuuk, West Palm Beach, Hatteras NC, and the Florida Keys are!!!