The cool part of this Experience was that during the underwater shots we lost one of the cameras when the steel leader line broke and sent and sent it to the bottom of the channel between 8 and 10 feet down.
My first reaction: “Did that just…” Then I texted my friend Louise.
“Camera lost in channel off second bridge to Ft. DeSoto! Help!”
“No worries. Texted Rodger. We can dive for it tomorrow morning, 9ish and just paddle board from there.”
The camera loss and Louise and Roger’s contribution ended up making the story’s punchline for “How to Catch a Fish” The next morning by 9AM, they were diving the channel hunting for the two-inch square, one inch thick, black Nikon 360 KeyMission camera (waterproof to 100 feet) while I video the Camera Down Mission. 45 minutes go by and Roger come up and signals he’s tired. So we’re ready to call it when Louise breaks the surface like a rocket and in her outstretched hand is the little black camera already crusted with seed barnacles. The footage was unaffected. The camera had filmed its fall and continued filming for 20 minutes after, capturing itself being assaulted by a large irritated purple and yellow puffer fish. One especially brutal head-butt sent the camera over onto one of its two lenses where it stay until Louise and Roger rescued it.
There were other issues. Wind and Traffic complicated the production of audio. One solution nearly sent two shotgun mics over the railing. We ended up strapping them out of sight on the outside of the rail with velcro straps. The rail offered some protection from the wind and traffic sounds. We added a thicker mic-muff and had everyone talk over the rail towards the water. Not the best sound quality, but we learned so much trying to get it there!
Trace Taylor 