Steve Williams

Forum username: steve williams
Posts: 2,836 across ~1,400 threads (130 started)
Articles authored: 3
Active years: 2005—2015 (peak 2008)
Primary forums: Photo/Video Showcase (759), Photography Gear and Technique (522), Shooting Technique/Workflow (476), Trip Reports and Travel (264), General Chat (258)
Comments left: 14 on Wetpixel articles
Mentioned in: 10 articles
Specialization: Community building, conservation photography advocacy, Canon 7D systems, Nauticam housings, travel logistics, Sea & Sea YS-250 strobes

Community Role

Steve Williams was one of Wetpixel’s most community-minded members, combining prolific forum participation (2,836 posts) with a distinctive emphasis on using underwater photography to give back. Based in the American Southwest, he bridged the worlds of online gear discussion and real-world conservation outreach, notably through his work with the Fin Foundation — a Tucson-based nonprofit that brought marine science education to desert communities.

With 759 posts in Photo/Video Showcase, 522 in Photography Gear and Technique, and 476 in Shooting Technique/Workflow, Steve maintained one of the most balanced forum presences of any high-volume contributor. He was one of the few forum-primary members to cross into article authorship (3 articles for Wetpixel), and his 14 comments on articles show consistent editorial engagement.

His peak activity was 2008—2010 (702, 540, and 670 posts respectively), aligning with the Canon 7D and Nikon D7000 era. He participated in Alex Mustard’s Digital Madness workshop trips and was a regular at Bahamas shark diving expeditions, Cocos Island liveaboards, and Southeast Asian dive destinations.

Notable Contributions

Conservation and Community Advocacy

• An idea: Underwater photographers giving back (40 replies) — Proposed and organized a community initiative to donate underwater photographs to the Fin Foundation for use in marine science education presentations across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. He set up a Smugmug site for image sales with profits going to the foundation and invited fellow Wetpixel photographers to contribute (^[1])
• Fin Foundation poster ready — Completed promotional materials (^[2])
• Fin Foundation needs some quick help on printing — Community request for print expertise (^[3])
• Fin Foundation photo seminar and news update — Ongoing foundation work (^[4])
• New website for the Fin Foundation — help please — Community website project (^[5])
• Conservation organizations who need our help (10 replies) — Preparing a presentation for LAUPS (Los Angeles Underwater Photographic Society), seeking community recommendations for marine conservation organizations (^[6])

Travel Logistics and Equipment Transport

• Transporting our DSLR equipment with new restrictions (109 replies) — Started this major 2010 thread addressing the airline carry-on weight restrictions that threatened underwater photographers’ ability to fly with their gear. Steve methodically weighed different combinations and shared his solution: a 14.8 lb backpack with two camera bodies and key lenses, plus a Samsonite rig bag at 50 lbs for housings and strobes. The thread became a community reference (^[7])
• How do I carry this thing to the boat? (13 posts) — Practical dive boat logistics (^[8])

Canon 7D Community

• Nauticam announces the new 7D housing (80 replies) — Active participant in the Canon 7D housing discussion, engaging with pricing, features, and comparing the Nauticam to Sea & Sea and other options (^[9])
• New 7D review up on DPReview (10 posts) — Camera review discussion (^[10])
• 7D video posted on Backscatter site — Video capabilities (^[11])
• 7D baseline video choices — Video configuration thread (^[12])
• Canon 7D noise tests — ISO performance evaluation (^[13])
• Canon 7D underwater video by Berkley White — Backscatter founder’s video (^[14])

Housing Technology

• New Housing “Airlock” Vacuum from Backscatter (194 replies) — Active in this major discussion about Backscatter’s vacuum leak detection system for housings, which became a standard safety accessory (^[15])
• Testing leak alarms — Housing safety (^[16])
• Best way to label your housing gear — Practical accessories (^[17])

Trip Reports and Workshops

• Digital Madness in Cayman (80 replies) — Trip report from an Alex Mustard workshop, sharing images and describing the experience of learning from Alex and other gifted photographers. Alex reciprocated with behind-the-scenes shots (^[18])
• Cocos aboard the Okeanos Aggressor — Pacific pelagic trip report (^[19])
• Across the Flores Sea — Indonesia trip report (^[20])
• Look what I found at the Bridge and in the Bahamas — Florida and Bahamas images (^[21])
• Grand Cayman and Hurricane Paloma — Trip report during tropical weather (^[22])

Photography Education and Workflow

• Lightroom 2.0 has some issues, please help (71 replies) — Post-processing troubleshooting that became a community reference (^[23])
• Defining the path to great underwater photography (10 posts) — Philosophical discussion about what makes great images (^[24])
• Story telling with images: what makes a photograph great — Continuing the education theme (^[25])
• Iconic underwater images — can you name them? — Community photo literacy (^[26])
• Alex Mustard video on shooting magic — Educational content sharing (^[27])

Community Support

• H2O Photo Pros / Mike Luzansky (12 posts) — Contributed to the community warning about vendor reliability issues (forum archive)
• Sea & Sea YS-250 Pro strobe leaking — Strobe issue reporting (^[28])
• Sea & Sea housings discontinued — Industry news discussion (^[29])
• Victor sets a new record on Flickr — Celebrating community member achievements (^[30])
• Carol Grant has huge win — Celebrating competition success (^[31])

Activity Profile

• Forum focus: 27% Photo/Video Showcase, 18% Photography Gear and Technique, 17% Shooting Technique/Workflow, 9% Trip Reports, 9% General Chat

References