Mind your camera manners: Diving etiquette for photographers (and non-photographers!)

Shaun Tierney & Beth · Issue 15, Oct/Nov 2003 · pp. 34–37

34 Sometimes a small thing can make a huge impression. We were perusing a foreign language dive magazine when we came across a photo that left us breathless. Not because it was beautiful, or technically perfect, but because of what it showed. Two smiling divers, standing on a jetty. One was proudly holding a giant clam and a camera sat at their feet. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. What were they going to do with the poor creature - a living animal in it's death throes? Surely like us, they had been taught not to touch anything in case it was dangerous, poisonous or fragile. We've all heard the “don't do this, don't do that” dive briefings, but we have never been on one that said “bring up whatever you fancy, wreck the reef a little while you're on the go”. What made it all worse was that they were obviously photographers of enough standing (well, enough money to buy a housing) …