markh

Forum username: markh
Posts: 510
Active years: 2002–2003
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, General Chat, Photo/Video Showcase
Specialization: Olympus E-series housings, UK diving, early digital UW photography
Location: United Kingdom (dived at Stoney Cove and other UK sites)

Community Role

markh was one of Wetpixel’s founding-era community members, active from December 2002 through June 2003 — a span of just six months. Despite this remarkably brief period, he accumulated 510 posts and started 53 threads, making him one of the most prolific contributors during the site’s earliest days.

Based in the United Kingdom, markh brought a British diver’s perspective to a community that was predominantly North American and Australian. He regularly dived at Stoney Cove in the English Midlands — an inland quarry dive site — even in 6-degree-Celsius winter water temperatures, and shared photos and reports from UK conditions that were a sharp contrast to the tropical locations most members frequented. ([1])

His forum style was humorous and self-effacing, filled with British colloquialisms and a willingness to share both successes and frustrations openly. He was part of a tight-knit group of early Wetpixel regulars including yahsemtough (Todd), cybergoldfish, arnon_ayal, and tshepherd who established the community’s conversational, supportive culture.

Notable Contributions

Diving Partners and Community Culture

markh’s most popular thread (50 replies) opened a discussion about diving with a partner who also dives and photographs — a relatable dilemma about sharing expensive camera gear. His opening post revealed he had “just forked out a lot of dosh for the Oly Titan setup” and jokingly noted that his wife’s response to being offered a spotter role “contained a few ****** words” and included a threat of divorce, adding “Nah not again” — a reference to a previous marriage. The thread became one of the early community bonding discussions, with members sharing their own partner dynamics. ([2])

Titan Housing for Olympus E-10/E-20

His first technically significant thread sought UK availability for the L&M Titan housing for the Olympus E-10/E-20. He discovered the UK price was approximately 2,300 GBP (~$3,500 USD) compared to $2,600 in the US, and expressed frustration at the geographic price disparity — a recurring concern among European forum members. The thread also introduced the Bruder housing as a cheaper alternative at approximately 1,300 EUR. ([3])

Stoney Cove, UK

markh shared a winter photo of Stoney Cove dive site, introducing non-UK members to the quarry’s features including a submerged submarine on the 7-meter shelf. The thread became a lighthearted exchange about cold-water diving, with yahsemtough (Todd) from Canada countering with -20C temperatures and cybergoldfish sharing impressive underwater photography from the same site. ([4])

Flood Insurance Discussion

He started one of the community’s first discussions on underwater camera equipment insurance, comparing premiums across countries. The thread revealed DAN offered flood insurance at $122/year for $7,000 of equipment in the US, with real-time online item management. ([5])

Other Contributions

Activity Profile

Note: markh should not be confused with markhardy, a separate Wetpixel user active 2006–2018 with 49 posts.

Sources

  1. Forum thread: Stoney Cove Uk ↩
  2. Forum thread: Diving Partners ↩
  3. Forum thread: Titan Housing For E10e20 ↩
  4. Forum thread: Stoney Cove Uk ↩
  5. Forum thread: Flood Insurance ↩
  6. Forum thread: Dimage Xi Housing Problems ↩
  7. Forum thread: The Ultimate Smb ↩
  8. Diving Partners (forum) ↩
  9. Titan housing for E10/E20 (forum) ↩
  10. Stoney Cove, UK (forum) ↩
  11. The Ultimate SMB (forum) ↩
  12. Flood Insurance? (forum) ↩
  13. Dimage Xi housing problems? (forum) ↩