X 



UNDER-SEA PHOTOGRAPHY 



THE equipment necessary for under-sea photog- 

 raphy is water-tight metal boxes for each camera 

 with optical glass windows and outside controls to 

 focus and operate the cameras. If machine-shop 

 made to your own plans, they will cost from $125 to 

 $300 each, depending on the size and design, or they 

 may be made in your own shop, at less outlay, but 

 with more work. For yourself you will require a 

 helmet costing from $40 to $100. 1 have seen a school 

 boy make one out of a water boiler that worked 

 well, although not advisable. Then an air pump that 

 costs, with 100' of hose, about $100. This may also 

 be made in a high school machine shop. With an 

 outfit like this and plenty of confidence, you can go 

 down as far as 30 feet in safety. 



If you cannot swim you can learn, but I did not 

 find it necessary. I soon found I could walk on the 

 ocean bottom, set up my tripods and cameras and 

 take pictures almost as I could on shore. My under- 

 sea work described in this chapter was carried on a 

 quarter of a mile off shore near the entrance to the 



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