Here are some photos from Citico Creek TN. I had about a one hour snorkel to try out some new equipment and found a backeddy that had a lot of Tennessee snubnose darters, Etheostoma simoterum, in it. As you will see the males are coloring up and the females are gravid. Todd, I've been following your dry suit thread and you may find it interesting to know that I was using a 7mm farmer john with a 3 mm jacket, 5mm hood, 7mm boots and 3mm gloves and stayed comfortable for an hour in 46f water. I hope you enjoy the mussel shots.


The last photo is of some midges, Chironomids, coming off the water

Snorkelpotamus

Vahry nice-ah Bryce! Yeah I decided economics was the strongest driving factor, and I'll just have to suck it up and be cold. I bought a semi-dry yesterday. Dave really has the best argument, but I needed to get my wife a wetsuit too, so it's just gonna have to be this way. I think the worst thing is going to be putting it back on, but I'll come up with something keen to make it better. Lord knows I'm sweating by the time I have the danged thing on.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the pictures! It's all mud and high flow here right now. Can't wait to be in MO in a couple weeks

Todd

46 degrees! You brave hardy man. I drew the line at 60 a few years back otherwise my brain explodes so cold. You sure were layered and bundled up though, impressive. You might motivate me for an early plunge in clear convenient local waters on a sunny day. The earliest i get in, historically late April and into May, i see the TN Snubs all pretty and Speckled Darters metallic blue. A lot of the local waters are spring type flows so they are generally around 60 anyway. I wonder what the Conasauga looks like now? Hum. Maybe you should come down and we brave it?
What other species were in color?
Did you see any tubercules on Stonerollers or River Chubs?
There is zero activity in the cement pond though i have the Fish TV live feed up and running. They are just starting to pick at and eat any food thrown in.

So you watched those midges rise off the water surface? Nice shot.

Casper

46 degrees! You brave hardy man. I drew the line at 60 a few years back otherwise my brain explodes so cold. You sure were layered and bundled up though, impressive. You might motivate me for an early plunge in clear convenient local waters on a sunny day. The earliest i get in, historically late April and into May, i see the TN Snubs all pretty and Speckled Darters metallic blue. A lot of the local waters are spring type flows so they are generally around 60 anyway. I wonder what the Conasauga looks like now? Hum. Maybe you should come down and we brave it?
What other species were in color?
Did you see any tubercules on Stonerollers or River Chubs?
There is zero activity in the cement pond though i have the Fish TV live feed up and running. They are just starting to pick at and eat any food thrown in.

So you watched those midges rise off the water surface? Nice shot.

Casper

Casper,

I'm up for the Conasauga, we'll have to work on scheduling though. I didn't see much, I was in a quiet back eddy testing some equipment, the only other thing of note was a group of Tennessee shiners but they left when I arrived.

Bryce

Nice pictures. I especially like the first darter picture. As a fellow snorkeling and underwater photography enthusiast, I would be interested to hear about your camera setup. Were you testing out new camera equipment?

Nice pictures. I especially like the first darter picture. As a fellow snorkeling and underwater photography enthusiast, I would be interested to hear about your camera setup. Were you testing out new camera equipment?

Isaac,

I'm using a Nikon D70s, Nikkor 60mm macro in an Ikelite housing and available light. I wasn't testing any photo equipment, I'm working on a weight/anchor system.

Bryce

Bryce,

Those are great shots! Very cool (no pun intended)! Thanks for sharing!

Brian

Isaac,

I'm using a Nikon D70s, Nikkor 60mm macro in an Ikelite housing and available light. I wasn't testing any photo equipment, I'm working on a weight/anchor system.

Bryce

Thanks Bryce. I also shoot Nikon DSLRs, and I've used the 60mm micro a lot. It's the perfect focal length for underwater macro photography on a cropped sensor DSLR like the D70s.

Ugh. Another lense to buy lol. I have the 105mm for shooting my fish in the aquarium, but I always wondered if it would even fit in a case, let alone, if it was going to be worth bothering with. This makes the most sense and the results from you both are awesome. I guess I'll just tack on another $500 to that request. Or just keep shooting film, because you guys definitely have the photos covered!

Todd

Ugh. Another lense to buy lol. I have the 105mm for shooting my fish in the aquarium, but I always wondered if it would even fit in a case, let alone, if it was going to be worth bothering with. This makes the most sense and the results from you both are awesome. I guess I'll just tack on another $500 to that request. Or just keep shooting film, because you guys definitely have the photos covered!

Todd

Todd,
The 105 is a great lens, I've got one I use on land, and they're great on reefs, where the water is clear and there is little sediment, but it puts a lot of water between the subject and the lens. In creeks and rivers, even reefs, the 60 rules; if you look around you should be able to find a D series lens for less than $350. I have heard a few good things about Nikons new 85mm macro lens, but it will be more money. Tokina makes a 35mm macro but you'll have to be right on top of the subject, not much working distance.

Bryce

Yeah, it totally makes sense to me. But it's not the $350 or even $500 that's getting me. It's the $1200+ for the housing that I need in the first place, even IF I can get Erika's permission to put HER camera underwater. I destroyed the D-70 in the living room lol!

Actually, tho, the 60mm may be just what we need for shooting plants in prairies. Hmmmm....

Todd

Yeah, it totally makes sense to me. But it's not the $350 or even $500 that's getting me. It's the $1200+ for the housing that I need in the first place, even IF I can get Erika's permission to put HER camera underwater. I destroyed the D-70 in the living room lol!

Actually, tho, the 60mm may be just what we need for shooting plants in prairies. Hmmmm....

Todd

Todd, you don't like your 105mm for prairie plants? I have a Canon 60mm that I am quite unhappy with for flowers. I know a lot of the guys swear by the Canon 100mm for woodland flowers and herps (I imagine that detail and working distance is nice when shooting venomous snakes).

Sorry for derailing a little, I just had to take the opportunity. By the way, very nice photos! I really love that E. tennessense shot; I was just in Tennessee last week hunting some of the Ulocentra!

Edited by blakemarkwell, 23 March 2010 - 04:11 PM.

It's 40 more mm to get SOMETHING in the way. Short grass or other xeric prairie or woodland, no problem. Orange-fringed orchids in the Oak Openings... You're stomping down some plants only to find one pesky sedge that got in the frame.

Todd