How I shoot photos while scuba diving

Blogged by Simon on February 02, 2009 11:53pm | Last updated by Simon on February 07, 2010 2:27pm | Pages: 1 2

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Taking the shot

At the very basic, I try to point the camera level or upwards, adjust flash position to avoid backscatter, as well as aperture and shutter speed before taking the picture. Using the two finger stabilizing method is useful for getting things right, if you have something to hold on to.

When I see something I like, I’m trying to imagine the picture I would like to have, dive into position, aim and shoot, there really isn’t much more to it. If the opportunity to repeat the shot presents itself, I check the histogram, make exposure adjustments and try again. I find that most of my better images are the result of exposure adjustments made in the water, so they’re usually the second or third shot in a row.

Especially when shooting macro, I try to be within 1 meter of the subject, to get the proper detail resolution. I use the 105mm macro lens for very small marine life and now the 60mm for larger subjects. The 60mm lens allows you to get closer while maintaining a useable field of view, whereas the 105mm lens has a narrow field of view and depth of field at close ranges, that makes it more difficult to use.

When visibility is good, sometimes the 105mm lens allows me to get closer to subjects I otherwise couldn’t and shoot from 2m away with +3EV flash compensation, such as especially shy fish. There is obviously no changing these lenses under water so it’s a bit of a lottery game before going diving. I find the 60mm a better general purpose macro lens, the 105mm is more of a special lens, given it’s focal length is equivalent to 155mm on a DX chip camera like my Nikon D300. I recently added a Canon 250 diopter to the 105mmm macro lens which reduces the minimal focus distance of this lens in an attempt to shoot more super macro.

For wide angle shots I use the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, and now the new 10-24mm. The 10.5mm also requires you to get very close to your subject. Super wide angle subjects look tiny very quickly with growing camera distance, so composition is more difficult, my favourite subject distance again being 1m and less. After the Wakatobi trip in November 2009, the ultra wide fisheye lens became my favourite underwater lens.

The Nikon 10-24mm’s wide angle behavior is less extreme, which makes it a better general purpose lens. After some research, I purchased the Sea&Sea zoom ring for the older 12-24mm lens which fits this perfectly. As recently as January 2010, I bought a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye zoom lens but haven’t dived it much yet.

If I don’t know what’s waiting for me, I’m using the 10.5mm fisheye lens for wide-angle in open water, or the 60mm macro on most muck dives.

This pretty much sums up the basics for my SLR camera kit. If you have any questions or recommendations of your own I’m more than happy to hear from you.

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  1. Miso
    on November 14th, 2011
    1

    Very nice post, a lot of information, still simple and comprehensive.

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