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PADI Advanced Open Water Course – Underwater Photography

by admin on September 16, 2008


padi underwater photography course

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but an artful picture of your underwater dives is worth a thousand stories. The PADI Advanced Open Water Course specializing in Underwater Photography teaches camera handling techniques, preparation and care of equipment, the unique properties of underwater photography, and safety during your dives. Supervision from specialized instructors is especially important if you will be making your first underwater photography dives.

The Advanced Open Water Underwater Photography Course begins with these basic principles:

• Planning and organization
• Procedures and techniques
• Hazards of underwater photography
• Preparing your camera before and after a dive

In addition to these important basics, you will also learn photographic principles including:

• Composition
• Flash vs. available light
• Judging distance and light underwater
• Film types
• Water vs. air effects on photographs
• How descent changes affect colour and other properties

During the PADI Advanced Open Water Course, you will make one dive for Underwater Photography. The Underwater Photography PADI Specialty will require one additional dive.

Correct preparation of your camera and the underwater camera housing are crucial before a dive. A foreign object as small as a hair or grain of sand can cause the seal to fail and the housing to leak, resulting in ruined equipment. The O-ring and O-ring seat should be inspected diligently to prevent debris. The camera should also be inspected for “spidering” or cracks indicating the need for new housing. Some divers carry a magnifying glass to inspect equipment before and after a dive.

Photographic memories of your dives are so much more rewarding than log book entries! The variety of ocean fauna and flora has yet to be fully catalogued, and pictures of the amazing creatures you will come face to face with will delight family and friends for years to come.

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How to Choose a Waterproof Camera Housing

by admin on September 15, 2008


underwater camera housings

You can take dive pictures with your existing camera provided you have an underwater camera case. There are a range of designs available, but at the least your case should be watertight, airtight, dustproof, and crush resistant. Some cases are also manufactured to resist rust, pests and chemicals such as oil, fuel, and solvents. Additional flame retardants and UV stabilizers can be added to the plastic to protect against fire and brittleness caused by extended sunlight exposure. The housing should protect the camera not only from underwater hazards, but also life on a boat at the mercy of the waves.

A pressure release purge valve utilizes an O-ring to ensure your underwater camera case achieves a perfect seal. The valve automatically engages when the case is closed and releases when the latch is opened. Accuform foam is another material used to protect your camera from adventurous abuses. This foam is a high-density vertically scored padding that holds your equipment snugly in place to prevent jostling and jarring.

Waterproof camera housings come in a wide range of sizes for both digital and 35 mm cameras. The best cases will have undergone rigorous testing in the factory including 24-hour submersion tests, drop tests up to 48 in (121.9 cm), and 400 lbs (181.5 kg) of weight stacking.

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