That is a key quality of a marine biologist. When you are out at sea for extended periods of time and no where near your list of lab suppliers or hardware stores you have to be resourceful. Here is a cool, simple, smart way to make a monopod to photograph all those strange deep-sea creatures from your next otter trawl.
Not sure how well this would work with a DSLR though. Check out the bottlecap monopod images and more at Toxel.com.
Yea, great idea for the compact camera, but you’d need a pretty much want a 5 or 10 litre carbouy to support a DSLR. On the Nancy Foster I handheld the camera. Use remote triggers on a pair of flashes on clamp mounts so they could be secured almost anywhere (In the wet lab there in no lack of clamping surfaces!). One test shot to get light balance right then off ya go….
And here’s how to waterproof that camera. Though asking for the necessary…equipment…on shipboard could be highly entertaining…
Unlubricated condoms are great for water proofing smallish objects. For theatre we put wireless mic pacs in them to keep actor sweat from completely destroying the pacs. Which inevitable leads to stories of PA’s on shopping trips going out to buy condoms and cucumbers.
No it’s really not a fun as it sounds.