(Also) Want to share some images from my first dive trip with an underwater camera ;
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Hrm not a single comment? Im pretty excited about these. I stared at that housing for 5 months waiting to get a chance to try it out, and thought i did ok now that ive finally gotten it under water.
I dont suppose anyone would tell me whats wrong with them? Im done diving for another week, but i'll get another 7 days of diving in cebu before this trip is over. I'll be able to put any advice to use.
-jason
I dont suppose anyone would tell me whats wrong with them? Im done diving for another week, but i'll get another 7 days of diving in cebu before this trip is over. I'll be able to put any advice to use.
-jason
Hey, Jason!
Nice shots... one of the great things about macro is that you don't have to work as hard to get good exposure and color balance since there is very little water column between you and the subject, and since a good modern strobe and a modern camera do a pretty good job of adjusting things automatically when ambient light is no longer an issue.
Since you asked, here you go, my 2 psi...
1) The subject has enough depth that the further portions are out of focus. This is probably because you have a VERY limited depth of field, which leads me to believe that you have the aperture wide open. Try a smaller aperture - the "bokeh" effect will still be there because of the greater distance to the background, but the whole subject will be in focus.
2) Cropping and orientation is not quite to my taste. Since you don't show a lot of the fish, you could either emphasize what you do see (with a tighter crop and "natural" angle - fish more horizontal), or maybe pull back so that the coral head isn't cropped right at it's margin, giving a better sense of scale.
3) More patience. You clicked the shutter when some of the white, out of focus arms were over the central green ones that are in focus. Distracting.
4) Nice work with the depth of field, but for anything with an eye, it helps if the eye is more visible (slight change of angle) and in sharper focus.
5) Classic gimme shot that everyone who sees a clownfish in an anemone takes. A bit cliched. Also, the portion of the anemone to the left of the fish is better lit, with nicer highlights and contrast, so it would make more sense if the fish (main subject) were getting that light (strobe positioning issue). A tighter crop might make this technically better, also.
6) I like this one... maybe a bit tighter crop, since the background isn't very interesting, but I like the light falloff, etc...
Mike
Nice shots... one of the great things about macro is that you don't have to work as hard to get good exposure and color balance since there is very little water column between you and the subject, and since a good modern strobe and a modern camera do a pretty good job of adjusting things automatically when ambient light is no longer an issue.
Since you asked, here you go, my 2 psi...
1) The subject has enough depth that the further portions are out of focus. This is probably because you have a VERY limited depth of field, which leads me to believe that you have the aperture wide open. Try a smaller aperture - the "bokeh" effect will still be there because of the greater distance to the background, but the whole subject will be in focus.
2) Cropping and orientation is not quite to my taste. Since you don't show a lot of the fish, you could either emphasize what you do see (with a tighter crop and "natural" angle - fish more horizontal), or maybe pull back so that the coral head isn't cropped right at it's margin, giving a better sense of scale.
3) More patience. You clicked the shutter when some of the white, out of focus arms were over the central green ones that are in focus. Distracting.
4) Nice work with the depth of field, but for anything with an eye, it helps if the eye is more visible (slight change of angle) and in sharper focus.
5) Classic gimme shot that everyone who sees a clownfish in an anemone takes. A bit cliched. Also, the portion of the anemone to the left of the fish is better lit, with nicer highlights and contrast, so it would make more sense if the fish (main subject) were getting that light (strobe positioning issue). A tighter crop might make this technically better, also.
6) I like this one... maybe a bit tighter crop, since the background isn't very interesting, but I like the light falloff, etc...
Mike
Gilligan
Contributor
A great collection of shots.
Thank you very much for taking the time to reply and give cc on my images mike. Looking at them at as a whole, is there anything i should be doing differently in composition? I will work on getting more eye contact with my subjects, and im still working on balancing background exposure with my aperture and getting the dof i need. My strobes have ttl but ive been using manual to get more shadow defenition, dual strobes can flatten an image. I think i can compensate one a bit, ill look into it when i get back to the phils.
Again, thank you for your imput
---------- Post added October 25th, 2013 at 03:55 AM ----------
Thank you very much
Again, thank you for your imput
---------- Post added October 25th, 2013 at 03:55 AM ----------
Thank you very much
This is a good resource: Education :: Basic Guides to Better UW Photos -
There were a few composition issues that I mentioned above, but composition is really an artistic choice kind of thing, much more so than exposure, where there are generally agreed on and more standard "correct" approaches to lighting. Of course, there are choices to be made there as well, but it's much harder to give someone a guide (like the above) for composition.
Eye contact isn't necessarily a good thing, since it may spook shy creatures. But you want the CAMERA to make eye contact with them, which is a different thing entirely. I often hold the camera out and away from my face, and just orient it to the subject without looking through the viewfinder to get better shots.
Dual strobes can be flattening, but you can compensate by positioning, or by turning down the power on one strobe, which will give good natural shadows, but put a little fill in the shadows so that they aren't so deep and lacking in detail.
M
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