Donovan

The only time that I don't use a Uv filter is underwater and in a controlled environment, like a studio shoot. Any time you work outdoors there is always the possibility of foreign orbjects impacting your lens. The filter is cheap insurance. Uv filters have saved me on many occasions. I still remember the first save. I was shooting the Grand Prix of Monaco when a piece of rubber came off a tire. The piece cracked the filter. I simply replaced it with one off an unused lens and kept shooting. Splash

I use digital photography in a variety of ways. the first time was way back in 1986. We took a video camera and hooked it up to a computer and copied the data on to print for documenting artifacts from a sunken spanish galleon. If we had to shoot film, 180,000 coins plus artifacts would have taken forever. We did it in a year. These days we are 100% digital. we use digital for mapping UW sites and documenting the digs. Plus we are slowly scanning images from the 70's and 80's to document the history of the project. See Natl. Geo. june 76 and feb 82. Don Kincaid

On Land, W.Eugene Smitth, Elliot Porter, the Capas, Ansel Adams, Jerry Uelsmann, Weegee, Stieglitz, Gordon Parks, Harold Edgerton, Helmut Newton, Mapelthorpe, Don Mcullin, Dorothea Lang, Dicki Chapell, Walker Evans, Marie Cosindas and lots more. Underwater, Jack Mckenny, Hans Hass, J.Y. Cousteau, J Barry Heron, Lamar Boren and Lois Marden. In the past I have had the priviledge to work with David Doubillet, Bates Littlehales, Johnathan Blair, Flip Schulke, Flip Nicklin, Nick Caloyanis, Harold Edgerton and Otis Imboden. Each was very helpfull and generous with their hard won knowledge. Twenty years later, Davids advice on how to get close to critters while blowing loud bubbles is something I treasure and pass on to all guests on my boat. Splash, Don Kincaid www.adventurekeywest.com

If the bulk of your shooting is in bad Viz get the widest angle lens you can afford and do lots and lots of shooting. When you learn to shoot in bad Viz, by the time you get to good viz, shooting will be a piece of cake. Countless times I have seen people come to the clear water and just fumble around because they didn't practice enough under adverse conditions. If you learn in short Viz, you can shoot anywhere. Splash, Don Kincaid

Some years ago I spent several weeks on a sailboat traveling and diving Tahiti. One of my business partners just returned from a month on a boat there. She dove the Marquessas and Fakarava. I dove Huahine, Tahaa, Riatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti and Rangiroa. Great Viz, great diving and great people eveywhere. Lots of Macro stuff and coral starts at the shoreline. Viz was 150 feet everywhere we went. You will love it. Splash, Don Kincaid

I also attended Tom and Therisa Stacks UW Digital workshop. My photoshop skills were greatly improved by this very knowledgable team. I highly recommend the Stacks workshops. Great diving, great teachers. Plus, I won a new Aquatica D 70 housing. Splash, Don Kincaid

Some years ago I was about to go to San Andres on a treasure hunt. At the last minute I had to drop out. But my friends went and loved it. Great diving, great people. About a year ago I was one of the hosts for a group of San Andres environmentalists who were in the process of setting up Marine preserve areas. Their slide show images were terrific. Looked like Little Cayman UW. Try www.sanandres.com. Enjoy.

Bar Jacks

Last Saturday Stephen Frink showed his student pictures to a group of about 250 scientist attending, "CONECTIVITY, science, people, and policy in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary." After a couple of days of looking at pictures shot by scientists that left some photo technique to be desired. It was indeed refreshing to see such upbeat colorful pictures. Your Trumpet fish and Jawfish shots were included. Good Job. Splash, Don Kincaid

It has been a few years since I rented from them but the Museum of Modern Art in New York has an extensive library of almost every film ever made. BWWD was on their list. Don Kincaid

I have a D100 in an Ikelite housing with a 10,5 mm lens and 5503.15 port. It is an excelent choice, it is light weight and slightly negative. I use it a lot while free diving. It is easy to move through the water, unlike my larger metal housings. The price and weight were my deciding factors.

J. E. Wiliamson... Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the sea...Shot in 1914. He used real tiger sharks, divers were in hard hat with rebreaters. He had a wooden submarine that would dive to 80 ft. The large metal sphere with a glass window that he used to shoot from is still lying alongside the highway in Nassau, Bahamas. J. Y. Cousteau...The Silent World shot in 1953. There is a new Bill Murry film coming out called, The Life Aquatic or The Battling eels of Antibes...say it with a french accent. It is a spoof of J. Y. Cousteau

I recently finished work on a Disney film shot here in Key West. I thought that some wet pixers might like a look at an UW movie set. The camera is a 35mm Arri panavision camera in a Hydroflex housing. There is a DV cable to the surface that connects to a viewable monitor as well as a 15 inch Mac that saves the DV footage for later editing. Direction is by hydrophone. The lighting is two to one with diffusers UW and two large lights on land to act as key lights. The platform is out of frame and holds the divers in position for CU facial expression shots that will be inserted into WA ocean scenes. Milk has been added to the water to reduce vis and water jets on the surface simulate a boat wake and obscure the sky. The rigs on the divers are props that are supposed to be water jets but contain a small air supply. The full face mask is an off the shelf Ocean reef unit. The camera man is Pete Romano who makes the Hydroflex housings. Splash, Donovan

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