C&C: First time shooting UW

[TheDeuce]

Hey all,

OK, I'm looking for some input.

I did the Caymans in October and took my Rebel XTi and Ike housing down for the first time - save for one dive in a local lake in which the rig was somewhat secondary. I was pleased with some of my work but the chaff to wheat ratio was something like 10:1. I have a specific question about one of my keepers though.

There's a lot I like about this shot but the black background is replete with backscatter. Getting close to the subject eliminates the soup between the lens and the subject but what to do about the negative space? I did some gentle Photoshopping but don't like the artificial look I get when I go too crazy.

Equipment: Canon Rebel XTi at F8, 1/40th, Sigma 10-20 smack in the middle at 15 mm, single Ikelite DS161 hanging off the left hand side.

Please be candid - I'm here to learn a few things and my feelings are surprisingly resilient.

BTW, here's the rest of the keepers I've posted if anyone's interested.

Cayman Aggressor IV 2012 Photos by MikeyTheDeuce | Photobucket




Here's the image:

 

[bfowles]

Well done! The expression of on the fish's face makes it look like you caught it in the middle of something it shouldn't be doing This looks a lot better than my first attempts of underwater photography.

My suggestions are
1. Get closer, the bommie next to the fish is a little distracting.
2. The lighting is a bit off, you are lighting the bommie but the fish the main subject is a bit dark. Two strobes would help with this especially with a wide angle lens. Getting closer will also help a lot.

 

[BUDMANOK]

chaff to wheat ratio was something like 10:1.

that's about correct on the ratio lots of times I don't get even close to that.

 

[TheDeuce]

Well done! The expression of on the fish's face makes it look like you caught it in the middle of something it shouldn't be doing This looks a lot better than my first attempts of underwater photography.

My suggestions are
1. Get closer, the bommie next to the fish is a little distracting.
2. The lighting is a bit off, you are lighting the bommie but the fish the main subject is a bit dark. Two strobes would help with this especially with a wide angle lens. Getting closer will also help a lot.

Thx! I'm learning something with every post, starting with what a 'bommie' is.

I was conflicted as to whether or not I should get a second strobe right off the bat. In the end I decided to follow the advice given in Martin Edge's book - get a few hundred shots with one strobe and learn single-strobe lighting in full before adding #2. Makes this shot educational when looked at from that perspective, no? I hadn't thought of it but I'm now considering, in my minds eye, what a second strobe would add to the shot.

In terms of composition, I've been trying to get balance - hence the placement of the bommie and the fish. It was a technique I tried to reproduce in this shot:

But if the only effect I'm getting is distraction I'll reconsider the technique. Good input - thx!



m.

 

[bvanant]

My take on the picture (it is quite nice by the way) is that it is better as a vertical. Here is the way that I would crop it with the nose and the eye on the thirds line.


This keeps the negative space tight, keeps the shadow which I love and minimizes the distraction of the bommie on the left.

My $0.01 (not worth two cents)

Bill

 

[bvanant]

As for keepers if you are getting 1/10 that is quite good, mine are like half that.
Bill

 

[Gilligan]

There's a lot I like about this shot but the black background is replete with backscatter. Getting close to the subject eliminates the soup between the lens and the subject but what to do about the negative space? I did some gentle Photoshopping but don't like the artificial look I get when I go too crazy.:

Try THIS PROCESS to remove the backscatter.

 

[TheDeuce]

My take on the picture (it is quite nice by the way) is that it is better as a vertical. Here is the way that I would crop it with the nose and the eye on the thirds line.
View attachment 141677

This keeps the negative space tight, keeps the shadow which I love and minimizes the distraction of the bommie on the left.

My $0.01 (not worth two cents)

Bill

Cropping it more tightly was something I'd thought of after reading the earlier post but changing it to vertical hadn't occurred to me. I'll look back at the original to see how much negative space I have top and bottom to see if I can give some more oomph.

Thx for C&C!



m.

 

[TheDeuce]

Try THIS PROCESS to remove the backscatter.

Thanks for the link. I'll give it a go when I have a moment but it looks pretty straightforward...



m.

 

[klausi]

Good job getting close to that fish, which makes a lot of difference regarding backscatter. The image is unevenly lit, though, and partially overexposed. Strobe placement can make a big difference - can you move it around? An indirect light path can aleviate this, and also reduce teh backscatter, since you shine less light on the particles in-between the fish and your lens.

I don't think the use of image processing software is "cheating" in any way, but it tekes time, and the effects sometimes look less than ideal. That being said, your shot does not look over-photoshopped at all.