timmoranuk

Forum username: timmoranuk
Location: Near NDAC (National Diving and Activity Centre), South Wales, UK
Posts: 1,082 across 660 threads
Threads started: 105
Active years: 2007–2018 (peak 2008–2012)
Camera: Canon G9 (two units, later upgraded), Canon 7D (two units), Canon 5D Mark III
Housing: Ikelite (for G9), Nauticam NA-7D, Nauticam NA-5DIII
Strobes: INON Z-240 (four units, using INON side-by-side adapters)
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique (427), Shooting Technique/Workflow/Editing (118), Lights/Strobes/Lighting (114), General Chat (112), Trip Reports (79)
Specialization: Canon DSLR lens selection, multi-strobe configurations, travel logistics, solo diving, UK diving

Community Role

timmoranuk was a dedicated UK-based Wetpixel community member who joined in October 2007 and contributed steadily through 2013 before largely departing the forum. His username identified his nationality, and his posts frequently referenced UK dive sites including NDAC (which he lived adjacent to), Capernwray, Wraysbury, Porthkerris, and South Coast sites. He dove with his son CJ, who also progressed through diving certifications during timmoranuk’s active period.

His engagement pattern — 660 distinct threads with 1,082 posts — reveals a broad generalist rather than a deep specialist. He contributed across gear selection, lighting technique, workflow, travel, and general community discussion. With 105 threads started, he was an active initiator of new topics, often raising practical questions that generated substantial community discussion. His posting style was conversational and appreciative, frequently thanking other members for their advice.

timmoranuk documented a clear gear progression through his posts: starting with a pair of Canon G9 compacts in Ikelite housings (he was a “charter member of the ‘G’ club” as fellow member JeremyPayne put it), upgrading to Canon 7D DSLRs in Nauticam housings around late 2009, and later adding a Canon 5D Mark III — which he flooded in fresh water at NDAC in July 2013 (^[1]).

Notable Contributions

Lens Selection for Canon 7D

timmoranuk’s most-replied thread was “Glass for the 7D?” (61 replies), started in December 2009 as he planned his upgrade from the Canon G9. He received lens advice from Alex Mustard, James Wiseman, and numerous other experienced shooters. Alex Mustard recommended starting with just the Tokina 10-17mm and Canon 60mm macro, advice that became a standard recommendation for Canon APS-C shooters. The thread evolved into a broader discussion of mid-range zoom options including the Sigma 17-70mm and Canon 17-85mm (^[2]).

Solo Diving Guide

He created the “Solo Diving - an A to Z of operators who allow and those who don’t” thread (36 replies) in December 2012, which became a valuable community resource cataloging dive operators worldwide and their solo diving policies. Contributors shared experiences from Bonaire, Wakatobi, the Red Sea, Roatan, PNG, and numerous other destinations. timmoranuk contributed UK-specific knowledge, noting that “Capernwray and Wraysbury” allowed certified solo diving and that he “never had any problem with South Coast or Wales dive boats” (^[3]).

Multi-Strobe Configurations

timmoranuk explored an unusual four-strobe configuration using INON Z-240s paired with INON side-by-side adapters. In the “Two versus four strobes for full-frame” thread, he described mounting paired Z-240s at the end of each arm, with the outboard strobe slaved to the inboard master via S-TTL. He reported using this configuration at depths of 80 metres and noted that it improved recycling time. He also discussed angling paired strobes at 45 degrees to extend coverage for wide-angle lenses (^[4]).

Travel Weight and Logistics

The “55kgs! This is getting silly…” thread (31 replies) captured a common frustration among traveling underwater photographers. timmoranuk documented his luggage hitting 55kg (later 60kg) for back-to-back liveaboard safaris, despite using ultra-lightweight dive kit. The thread drew responses from Alex Mustard, who admitted to checking in “55+kg and have another 20kg as hand luggage,” and Drew Wong, who joked that “Dive trips aren’t fashion shows” (^[5]).

DIY Fiber Optic Cables

He started the “Home-made Fibre Optic Cables” thread, identifying a UK supplier (Blue Helix) for GH4001 Eska Premier polyethylene-jacketed fiber and asking about techniques for creating coils. The thread produced practical advice on wet vs. dry heat coiling methods and mandrel sizing (^[6]).

Other Contributions

• Stix Foam / Divinycell: Started a thread (29 replies) sourcing closed-cell polyethylene foam for custom buoyancy applications, which identified Divinycell as the material used in Stix flotation arms and located US and UK suppliers (^[7])
• Canon G9 expertise: Contributed to the “G9 - Definitive Information” thread, sharing practical modifications including protecting the INON UWL-100 dome lens hood with rubber extrusion strips (^[8])
• Flooded G9 recovery: Reported that a Canon G9 flooded in an Ikelite housing survived after months of drying in his camper van — “what a robust little camera” (^[9])
• 5D Mark III flood: Documented a housing flood at NDAC caused by a hurried battery change while distracted by rebreather preparation. Despite losing the camera, the CF card data survived and his son CJ completed an advanced Nitrox and decompression procedures certification that same day (^[10])

Activity Profile

• Peak period: 2008–2009 (over 500 posts)
• Forum concentration: 39% Photography Gear and Technique, 11% Shooting Technique/Workflow, 11% Lights/Strobes, 10% General Chat, 7% Trip Reports
• Articles mentioned in: 1

References