jjoy

Just saw this ... did you find one? Oh wait, I'm probably too far away from you. I'm in the USA.

Sent a PM

PM sent

Thank you for an excellent transaction.

Thank you for an excellent transaction.

PM sent. Guess if I'm not diving, I'm shopping -- don't tell my husband!

PM sent.

PM sent

PM sent on the: 8" Buoyancy arms X 2 $30 ea. 10" Buoyancy arms X 4 $38 ea. Thanks!

PM sent. I had a blast doing this on borrowed gear.

Well, I can answer my question somewhat. What I might have done differently: -Lined up some photos I wanted help with in Lightroom out of my small & meager catalog before I got there, with clear & concise issues/questions (Be prepared to be wowed by those who know Lightroom!) -Think more about what I would want to demo (now I wished I would have tried something like a subsea +10, etc.) -Store up some sleep, it's a go-go-go week! -Open your mind, ask questions, everyone was so helpful and nice -Be willing to dump what works for you to try new things and don't get hung up on the contest part (if there is one) Otherwise, I had a blast and I found out that despite my lack of experience in so many ways (not that many dives, trips or even use of my camera) you can do well in the contest part, but beyond that I learned a ton and would totally do something like this again. I was sort of wishy-washy on the whole contest thing, but being forced to proof my photos every day (select, sort and chose) was actually a good exercise for me. I should apply that discipline more often to my work. I love underwater photos so it was a pleasure to see what other people produced and also to hope to be like them someday (especially in wide angle which I do not have the hang of yet at all)!

Interesting article in Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/07/lionfish_invasion_the_invasive_fish_are_eating_so_many_native_species_that.single.html Nothing too new, but still interesting and exposure to such an issue not in a dive magazine is good.

I finally signed up for a week-long underwater photography event (Digital Shootout). I was wondering what tips you might offer on how to get the most out of the week and if there is anything I should bring beyond what I'd bring for a regular photo trip (gear, batteries, chargers, etc.)?

I hope I'm on topic. I moved to Santa Cruz less than a year ago, but I've not been diving (before I was in landlocked Texas). Don't laugh, but I almost froze my ass off in 71 degree waters at Aquarena Springs in Texas, so I've been totally scared to try diving in CA. I love taking photos and would like to experience the Pacific. I've also had enough of diving in <10' viz for the rest of my life (Lake Travis I do not love you). I don't want to live here for years and realize I was missing something special. It is worth working with someone to learn how to cold water dive? I see some pretty neat photos, but I don't know if that is an exception or with planning and experience more a norm. Like I know that every dive in Bonaire is going to be awesome at some level. Does that happen here?

As long as I've had my setup (7D, Canon 100mm L) I've had ok pictures, but nothing was ever that 1:1 in Lightroom "ooo, crisp" even at f22 anywhere in the frame. In my book, Christmas tree worms are a good thing to check for that or coral heads, things like that. I read a bunch and pretty much every forum was "you suck as a photographer, don't blame the equipment". So I rolled with that for a while and finally I thought, I'm signed up to spend a week for a dive photography event and I want to have a good time. What should I do about it? Then I learned a) I could have sent my lens in for a look over for free in that first year (besides shipping) and b) well, it's never too late. I sent in both my body and the lens, since they are a team, and Canon wrote back to me this cryptic message: Slow shutter release. Error 24, Error 60. So they are doing something for $200 ... it sounds like my camera body was at fault? I googled a bit on those canon error messages with not a lot of success. Can anyone explain what that means? Should I call them or will they tell me any more when they return it? I never saw an error message on my camera -- are those obvious? (Again, searching around seems to imply error messages show up on the screen.) Thanks for any pointers.

To continue down that path, turning it into a fishbowl would be amusing! Hadn't thought of that. But am going to send it off to blibecap so he can use the parts. But a goldfish in an Ikelite housing cracks me up.

A friend gave me some old gear and it includes a Fuji FinePix S2 Ikelite housing with separate handles. Besides being old it has a crack. Would anyone want this for knob parts or should I just chunk it? Thanks, Jen

Sorry if this is an obvious question, I tried to google search and find this in my LR book but I cannot. I am using the latest version of LR. I figured out how to use the LR masking tool to selectively change certain elements (contrast and so on) but I'd like to be able to mask for white balance correction. Is this possible and if so can someone give me a hint on directions? A secondary question is why when you fix white balance the shadows turn blue? I guess I can mask and unblue them somehow, or just live with them. I'm still learning and mostly trying to explore what I can and cannot do even if the photo isn't all that great. Thanks

Can you send me a message, maybe I am too new to send you one. It won't let me. Thanks!