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New book: the diving photographer

6K views 45 replies 26 participants last post by  Raggie 
#1 ·
Hi guys, It's out ; the handbook for anyone that takes down a camera. have a look....
 

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#9 ·
#10 ·
Ok here is the introduction;

Dray van Beeck

Born in the Netherlands (1961)where I studied and taught Art.

Started diving in 1997 and became a diveprofessional in 1998.

I have been teaching diving since 1999 in Malaysia,Canary Islands, Thailand, the Philippines and Egypt. Been working as a live-aboard guide in Egyptsince 2003.

I started under water photography in 2002with the Canon Powershot S40 and theCanon Powershot S70. In 2006 upgraded to the Nikon D80 with Ikelite housing andDS125 strobes. Upgraded again in 2008 to Nikon D300 with Hugyfot housing, 2xInon Z-240 and 2x Ikelite DS 125 strobes.

Author of thefollowing Apple iTunes Applications:

i. Aqua life Images (Fish IdentificationBook)

(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aqua-life-images/id389359273?mt=8)

ii. A guide to Underwater Photographyediting and manipulations (App Store - Guide to Underwater Photography)

iii. A guide to Advanced UnderwaterPhotography (App Store - Guide to Advanced Underwater Photography)

iv. A guide to Underwater PhotographyLighting (App Store - Guide to Underwater Lighting)

v. Sharks of the Red Sea (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sharks-of-the-red-sea/id414454518?mt=8)

vi. Treasures of the Sea ([URL="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/treasures-of-the-sea/id401630636?mt=8"]http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/treasures-of-the-sea/id401630636?mt=8[/URL])
Also won a couple of uw photography contests of which the last was the BSOUP open category contest of Dec. 2011

Hope this will satisfy you.

Happy Bubbles
 
#13 ·
So you think you can write a book (handbook, whatever) on unnawata fotografy? There's another sometimes on these pages who thinks rather like you, and has done the same.

Now I have absolutely no idea how your books differ but I've been doing this unnawata fotografy lark thingie for the best part of 50 years and i have yet to feel the need to write a book about it.

But what would I know?
 
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#17 ·
Maybe because he got off his arse and wrote one? ;)

Give the guy a break...

Regards
 
#21 · (Edited)
Welcome to YD Dray.

I for one will take a look at the book. As much as I like Martin Edge's book there are aspects in it I don't agree with 100%, so always interested in other people's views. I think anyone that thinks one book will answer everything is missing out on a world of knowledge.
Rob
 
#22 ·
Dray is a great bloke, dive guide and 'tographer. Give the guy a break, please, he's put some effort into writing a book which may well be exactly the right thing to help others. Just because there's another book out there which you regard as better (without actually having read Dray's, I'll warrant), that isn't an excuse to be rude to Dray.

Dray, I only met you briefly a few years ago, but I had the pleasure of diving with Karin for a week. She made me laugh as it was her first ever dry-suit dives and I still have the photos of her with a plastic bag on her head to help get into the neck seal!

Welcome!

Cheers, Chris
 
#24 ·
Give the guy a break, please, he's put some effort into writing a book which may well be exactly the right thing to help others.
OK, I'm quite happy to eat some humble pie here and I apologise profusely to everyone I seem to have offended.

Just because there's another book out there which you regard as better (without actually having read Dray's, I'll warrant), that isn't an excuse to be rude to Dray.
I didn't say that, I've read neither, nor for that matter Martin Edge's book. When it comes to underwater photography books I tend to buy German (Kurt Amsler (he's Swiss actually), Helmut Debelius (Ikan) etc).

I'll get onto a bit of general philosophy here. UK types tend to buy Brit, Americans US, Aussies Australian authors and so it goes. I'm lucky (I suppose) given my background I don't have that much in the way of bias. I do admit, though, that most of my photography books, especially the u/w ones, are written by native German speakers. I also like to think, rightly or wrongly, that this is a fairly natural thing to do - if you can read German. Having said that I also have two books by some feller;) called David Doubilet - an American plus several others by diverse nationalities such as Italians.

I note, for example, that someone said that they didn't get on with all of Martin Edge's book. Nor should they have, after all, it is an opinion piece and not all opinions are the same. Errare humanus est - even though I don't think that every error, as perceived by some, is that. I don't necessarily agree with lots in the books I have, of whatever ilk, but that doesn't mean that I discount the book in its entirety (not that the original writer of that post did that).
 
#25 ·
I remember twenty years ago when a group of us did a 'How to Dive' video, the first properly produced video of its kind. Someone at the BSAC Diving Officer's Conference was very critical of it and Tom Burton wisely asked him, "where's your video?" he replied he had not made one to which Tom's riposte was, "Well, when you've made one, come back and let us see it!"
 
#26 ·
I know Dray Van Breek to be an experienced, passionate and competent photog. I'm sure his written contribution will be both useful and well received. Well done Dray and like many others, welcome to YD (but don't forget to post in WP...)
 
#31 ·
We've got a vast selection of uw photography books at home, so many, in fact, that my photos should be award - winners by now!

However, what I'd find REALLY useful would be a book on UK uw photography, instead of endless publications about blue water photography.

If I knew what the hell I was doing I would write one myself :)
 
#32 ·
If I knew what the hell I was doing I would write one myself :)
I've written it Kirstie. Here it is:

Get close. Get even closer. Use a flash positioned well off the lens axis. Shoot in RAW. Adjust contrast and colour as required prior to making you final jpeg/tif file. Use Filter/Dust & Scratches for removing detritus in the even green area. Use the cloning tool to remove white spots elsewhere.

How's that?
 
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#37 ·
Oh boy,Christian - what can I say?
I only know Dray by reputation and also have not seen the book, so won't comment on it. But I'll make this observation. I am part of a team that used to organise underwater photography conferences in the UK. Speakers included Martin Edge, Mark Webster, Michael Aw, Paul Kay, Maria Munn, Peter Scoones, Colin Doeg and Peter Rowlands, all of whom have written books on how to take underwater photographs. Sitting in the audience alongside Peter Rowlands, I asked if he learnt anything from these festivals. Regarding me as one regards a fool, he said that of course he did. I believe each of those authors and the wonderful underwater photographers who we had who had produced books of underwater photographs (including Helmut Debelius, Paul Naylor, Alex Mustard, Tom Peschak, Don Tipton, Dos Winkel, Constantinos Petrinos, the Ferrarris, John Collins, David Doubilet to name a few for point scoring) would all agree with Peter. You become a better underwater photographer through seeing others work. The cost of taking underwater pictures is very high and the cost of obtaining one scrap of knowledge from a book very cheap - I'd be absolutely amazed if I could not glean something from Dray's book myself that I don't know He's a good photographer. I've been diving since I was sixteen and I'm now nearly fifty and been taking pictures for 20 years. With a little more experience and help from other people I hope to get good at both.

Dray, I wish you every success with the new book (I worked a little on Martin's by the way) and, Christian, I think you should buy a copy, read it objectively and then come back with an informed viewpoint.
 
#38 ·
Hi Christian
Thank you for your message and I'm very happy to sincerely apologise for jumping on you!

Regarding the Rolloeimarin - I own an unused Rolleimarine and it is mounted on a plinth and carries the names of the four individuals to whom we made awards at our festivals. Beautiful piece of equipment. Best wisjes - Steve.
 
#39 ·
Congratulations Dray,

Writing a book is a really difficult thing to do, so well done from me. I'm really looking forward to seeing it and working with you on Blue O Two's Red Sea In Focus Photography Workshops this year.

See you on 29th June for the first one! Can't wait ....

Well done again Dray, your underwater photography work is simply stunning ......

maria
 
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