Permission to Duplicate: For those who wish to have a physical reference file, you may print articles written by me and keep them in a three-ring binder, allowing new articles of interest to be added. You are also more than welcome to duplicate articles written by me for your photo buddies or entire club.

Publish Your Photos Here: This is also one of the few places where you can publish your photographs on the web. Scubadiving.com's "Photographer of the Week" showcases the work of over 25 amateurs, with more being added all the time. Instructions for submitting your work electronically are given in the "Photographer of the Week" section.

According to the subscription invitation, "UW-PHOTO is a mailing list devoted to discussing all aspects of underwater photography. Topics in UW-PHOTO can include equipment, video, schools, techniques, even showing off. UW-PHOTO will become an archive of items related to underwater photography."

My experience with this group suggests there is a wide range of knowledge and experience levels aboard. There are questions posted from those who are clearly novices seeking information about their Sea & Sea Motormarines or Nikonos cameras, posts typically answered generously by those with more experience. Most times the answers are accurate, but when erroneous data is passed along, multiple posts inevitably pop up from those eager to correct. Sometimes the opinions can be contentious and argumentative, but most times are polite, unlike the notorious egos in some other Usenet groups.

For those seeking more advanced information, this is a valuable forum as well. There are some very experienced photographers, both pro and amateur, who chime in from time to time with cogent thoughts. Ike Brigham (founder of Ikelite) is quite helpful without being commercial, and representatives from both Subal and Nexus occasionally come online to answer specific questions about their products. Pro shooters including Jim Church and Amos Nachoum frequently respond to this forum.

However, one of the true strengths of this group is the wealth of knowledge from other advanced amateurs, including the photo lab technician who provides accurate information about the complexities of films and processing, and the dive travel specialist who manages to walk a thin line by giving helpful travel information without overtly pitching the services of his agency. There are even camera repair technicians who offer valuable free advice on flood prevention—and first aid when the inevitable occurs.

Sometimes the posts can be tedious and repetitive, but that's why the "delete" button was invented. There may be as many as 20 posts a day, which can really jam your e-mailbox by the time you arrive home from a two-week jaunt to Papua New Guinea. But, sampled judiciously, there is quite a bit of valid information provided in a format that so far has remained largely uncommercial.

For example:
Subscribe UW-PHOTO