 Video Lights
by Roger Roth
Dusty Photos and Video Footage
OK. You’ve just returned from another great dive trip
to one of your favorite dive destinations and have another huge
batch of photos or video footage. There’s the great shots
of a juvenile many-spotted sweetlips dressed like a clown, dancing
erratically, face down (and of course away from your camera).
You finally “captured” your elusive Thor ambiensis
shrimp and a sailfin blenny, along with plenty of harlequin (ornate)
ghost pipefishes and the long-awaited mantis shrimp.
Years ago, you would have found most of these shots to be what
you would classify as award winning. Almost all of them were
mounted into slide pages or incorporated into a two-hour video
production. But now, having been an underwater photographer or
videographer for a number of years, your discerning eye now throws
out almost everything you’ve shot.
Our first shots of yellowhead jawfish hovering just over its
burrow are now being replaced with ones of the male holding its
brood of eggs. The octopus peeking out of its den with only its
eye showing in the picture is now replaced by another with the
octopus wrestling with a large conch which it plans to eat for
dinner. The seemingly lifeless lizardfish posing head-up in the
sand now has a damselfish hanging out of its mouth with the damsel’s
eyes looking to the sky with little hope of escape.
This process is a sign of normal growth in our photographic
endeavors. Obviously, the more time we spend underwater, the
more chances we get to see the rarer behaviors of marine critters.
And of course, now we understand much more of what we are seeing,
as well! For example, the first time I saw a sponge giving off
its reproductive spores, it looked like a fish had darted away,
leaving only a cloud of sand. Fortunately, I had seen another
sponge with the same cloud around it, so I shot video of it.
Subsequent research after returning home is the only thing that
led me to understand what it was that I had seen and documented.
Through the years, many slides and video shots have been discarded
and/or long forgotten. The smallest bit of backscatter now disqualifies
your shot as being a good one. The one golden anthia in front
of a diver’s face causes concern enough to ignore the wide
angle shot entirely. The angle of the turtle’s flipper
just doesn’t fit the rule of thirds, and this shot also
now qualifies to hit the floor.
Thinking of all the money we’ve spent on equipment and
trips to acquire these shots makes it seem quite a waste to just
throw these shots in the proverbial round file. Remember the
first time you finally decided a shot just wasn’t perfect?
How about the time you finally realized you only had 2-3 good
shots from an entire trip? What did you do with the rest of your
shots or those two hour long productions? What could you do with
them?
I’d like to suggest donating them. Schools, libraries,
daycare and retirement centers could all use them in their resource
centers. Many of these places don’t have large budgets
to purchase these types of things but they all do have the use
and need for them.
Teachers who are excited newer divers or ones who don’t
use a camera underwater can still use these tools to share the
excitement of the underwater realm. They don’t care about
the little bit of backscatter. Actually, this just leads to a
new lesson about the different angles of light! A video of sharks
underwater will keep the attention of even the most inattentive
youngster, regardless of a monochromatic background or even an
autofocus that doesn’t stay put.
An attending nurse in a senior center who also dives will be
delighted to identify various fish in a donated slide show. You’d
be surprised with the number of senior citizens nowadays who
have never seen pictures from the underwater world. And for the
ones who have snorkeled before, these pictures serve to call
up these wonderful memories that they then share with others!
Librarians have many books and videos at their fingertips,
but most don’t have much in the way of colorful, real-life
photos and videos, especially ones taken by one of their own
neighbors! Whether you just drop them off or give an hour of
your time, these shots will serve a worthwhile purpose for many
people for years to come. Furthermore, your “fame” increases
each time you give of yourself and your shots.
And speaking of giving of yourself, consider what a couple of
my friends have done. After 9/11, Marc Weiss was moved by this
disaster and started looking for a way to do something charitable.
Being a talented videographer and filmmaker, he posted his underwater
DVD’s for sale on the Rodale’s scuba board with proceeds
going to charities. In just a few short months, Marc was able
to donate $2-3000 to various New York charities.
Steve Cohen takes every opportunity he gets to show his friends
and others one or two of his short videos, and then easily convinces
them to purchase a DVD with numerous productions on it for $25.
The wonderful catch about this is the fact that he asks all checks
to be made out to Coral Reef Alliance, a favorite charity of
his, then each month he sends this non-profit a pile of checks.
Just in the last year alone, he’s been responsible for
over $3500 worth of donations.
Your dusty slides and old videos may not be something that Discovery
Channel or National Geographic would choose to use, but these
other applications are worth their weight in gold to the recipients
and beats the round file, fins down. These shots that once held
your attention, but don’t anymore, can again become useful,
interesting, and entertaining! Who knows, maybe even your own
memory will be jogged towards the many stories you’ve long
since forgotten about how you obtained those shots! Find the
joy in sharing and giving.
Sea Ya!
Critter Corner: The juvenile many-spotted sweetlips is always
found dancing and contorting upside down in the same place. This
is a protective maneuver making it look like a small plant or
leaf swaying in a surge or current, thus lending a “camouflage” effect.
Copyright 2006, Roger Roth, used by permission.
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