drsteve

Forum username: drsteve
Posts: 463
Active years: 2006—2014
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Photo/Video Showcase, General Chat, Conservation and the Environment
Specialization: Large marine animal photography, cold water diving, Aquatica/Subal gear

Community Role

drsteve was an active Wetpixel community member from 2006 to 2014, contributing across gear discussions, photo showcases, and conservation topics. His real first name was Steve, as indicated by fellow members addressing him as such in multiple threads. He was a California-based diver with extensive experience in cold water environments including Alaska, Monterey, the Channel Islands, and Guadalupe Island.

His posts reflected the perspective of an experienced diver and photographer who transitioned from film to digital systems. He used Aquatica and Subal housings with Canon and Nikon DSLR systems, frequently contributing practical knowledge about housing maintenance, port systems, and strobe configurations. His expertise in large marine animal encounters — particularly great white sharks, sea lions, and humpback whales — made him a valued voice in discussions about pelagic photography technique and dive safety.

Notable Contributions

Dive Safety and Awareness

drsteve authored one of Wetpixel’s most memorable safety discussion threads, “Sealife sucking you into the deep…” (26 replies), in which he candidly described a narcosis incident while photographing Steller sea lions in Alaska at 100 feet. He recounted experiencing anxiety, confusion, and CO2 buildup while focused on his viewfinder, and how he fought rising panic to make a controlled ascent. The thread generated significant community discussion about the dangers of task loading while underwater with camera gear, with Drew Wong and other experienced members sharing their own close calls. (^[1])

Aquatica Port Lock Discussion

He started the thread “Aquatica port lock?” (29 replies), which became a long-running discussion about port locking mechanisms on Aquatica housings. The thread spanned from 2006 to 2008 and captured Aquatica’s development of an externally accessible port lock system, with Aquatica representative vizart (Jean) confirming the new mechanism would be implemented on their D3 housing and future designs. (^[2])

Photo Showcases

drsteve regularly shared his photography from trips to cold water destinations:

• “Iceberg Snorkeling” (21 replies) — Shared photos from a 10-day liveaboard dive trip from Vancouver to Juneau on the Nautilus Explorer, including snorkeling among icebergs calved from the LeConte glacier in a drysuit. The trip included encounters with Steller sea lions, glaciers, humpback whales, orcas, and bears. Over 3,500 frames were shot. (^[3])

• “Fish funnies” (23 replies) — Started a popular photo sharing thread inviting humorous fish expressions, which attracted participation from Alex Mustard and other prominent community members. (^[4])

• Guadalupe Island great white sharks — Shared photos from a late-season trip on the Nautilus Explorer, documenting large female white sharks in clear conditions. (^[5])

Competition Success

drsteve earned an honorable mention in the behavior category at the LAUPS (Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society) 45th International Photo Competition in 2007, with a photo of a sea lion attacking a Mola Mola. He shared the results with the community in the “LAUPS results posted” thread (22 replies). (^[6])

Gear and Conservation

He participated actively in technical discussions including strobe comparisons (^[7]), housing maintenance, and drysuit diving for photography. On the conservation side, he engaged in threads about shark finning, marine reserves, and wildlife disturbance ethics.

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2007—2008, with substantial contributions to both gear and showcase forums
• Geographic focus: California coast (Channel Islands, Monterey, Catalina), Alaska, Guadalupe Island, Tonga, Socorro Islands, Sipadan, Indo-Pacific
• Equipment: Canon and Nikon DSLRs in Aquatica and Subal housings; drysuits for cold water work
• Competition: LAUPS 45th International honorable mention (behavior category, 2007)
• Last appearance: May 2014