Canon T2i - At Dutch Springs

[furby076]

Hey All,

I got the Canon T2i with Nauticam rig and had my first opportunity to try it out at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem PA.

I would love your opinions.

One quick question: I was under my dive buddy and wanted to get a shot with the sun above him but it came washed out...what settings do I need for that.

On a side note I used my jump settings (100ISO, f5.6, manual, 1/125 exposure, auto-focus) and I was good to go the entire dive. The rest is post processing.

Regards

Picasa Web Albums - Avi - 2010-09-04-Du...

P.S. I did post this question on another diver forum, and did so because I got the opinions of people here and there for my camera rig

 

[Blow.Fish]

Some very nice images. Thanks for sharing. Did you shoot RAW ?

 

[ScubaSam]

I'm not an expert on photography just a diver and I gotta say I really like the zebra mussel shot under the platform and some of the fish pics.

Thanks for posting your Dutch Springs pics .

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Your shots at Dutch look very good. I go there quite often, so I know what it looks like pretty well. Looks like your exposure is on, and the settings for your ISO, EV Values, White Balance is set correctly. Remember that what we see, and what your camera records can be different. Our brain will make adjustments that the camera can not. Dutch Springs, and a lot of darker water photography is quite monochromatic (except when the Koi come in - I saw about 60 of them in a group the other week...wish I had your camera!).

If you want to get shots of your buddies like my avatar, expose for the sky, and let the diver go to silloutte. If you want a shot of your buddy that you can see clearly, and also get the sky, you need to sync the exposure for the ambient lit sky with the exposure with your strobe on the diver. Depending on the output of the strobe (guide number) underwater, you will need to adjust the strobe with your power output settings. This will take a little practice, and you will need to shoot some shots going up and down your output settings until you get it right (distance from strobe to subject is very important). I would suggest starting at your lowest power settings and working your way up, so you can remember what you shot. This will also take some communication with your buddy, since you will need him to be above you as you do this test. A good pre dive brief together will help you work with your 'model' until you get it. Good luck with it. If you take your time, and practice this sync technique, you will get it and then know what the proper procudure is. Remember, topside exposure of full sun photographs is usually the same, but now you are dealing with clarity of water, depth, etc to get the shot. Then you are factoring in the power of your strobe, along with reductions in your power output. The strobe could be set to reduce the exposure in 1/3, 1/2 or full 'stops,' so, as I mentioned, practice.

When you are shooting model photography underwater, the chance of you and/or your buddy to hold their breath exists. Be careful of this and watch your bouyancy and depth. More need for good topside communication with your buddy or group. Have a lot of fun and be careful. Depending on how comfortable you are and the understanding of your gear, you will get the shots you want. As with all photography, we take pictures, but 'make' photographs. I hope to see more of your good work on SB.

Safe diving to you.

 

[furby076]

Thanks for the compliments. I do have to say that camera pretty much does all the work. It was easy.

Some very nice images. Thanks for sharing. Did you shoot RAW ?

Yes I like to shoot RAW so I don't have to worry abotu the WB. I can figure that out in lightroom in the comfort of my living room

Your shots at Dutch look very good. I go there quite often, so I know what it looks like pretty well. Looks like your exposure is on, and the settings for your ISO, EV Values, White Balance is set correctly. Remember that what we see, and what your camera records can be different. Our brain will make adjustments that the camera can not. Dutch Springs, and a lot of darker water photography is quite monochromatic (except when the Koi come in - I saw about 60 of them in a group the other week...wish I had your camera!).

Wish I saw those...would be nice if they weren't skittish!

If you want to get shots of your buddies like my avatar, expose for the sky, and let the diver go to silloutte. If you want a shot of your buddy that you can see clearly, and also get the sky, you need to sync the exposure for the ambient lit sky with the exposure with your strobe on the diver. Depending on the output of the strobe (guide number) underwater, you will need to adjust the strobe with your power output settings. This will take a little practice, and you will need to shoot some shots going up and down your output settings until you get it right (distance from strobe to subject is very important). I would suggest starting at your lowest power settings and working your way up, so you can remember what you shot. This will also take some communication with your buddy, since you will need him to be above you as you do this test. A good pre dive brief together will help you work with your 'model' until you get it. Good luck with it. If you take your time, and practice this sync technique, you will get it and then know what the proper procudure is. Remember, topside exposure of full sun photographs is usually the same, but now you are dealing with clarity of water, depth, etc to get the shot. Then you are factoring in the power of your strobe, along with reductions in your power output. The strobe could be set to reduce the exposure in 1/3, 1/2 or full 'stops,' so, as I mentioned, practice.

I would love to do the sillouete. So what are the recommended settings? Right now I use the strobe in full power.

When you are shooting model photography underwater, the chance of you and/or your buddy to hold their breath exists. Be careful of this and watch your bouyancy and depth. More need for good topside communication with your buddy or group. Have a lot of fun and be careful. Depending on how comfortable you are and the understanding of your gear, you will get the shots you want. As with all photography, we take pictures, but 'make' photographs. I hope to see more of your good work on SB.

Safe diving to you.

My first picture I dropped, from the platform, five feet. The next time it happened I rose to quickly (I felt the pressure in my BC increase). Easy correction on both situations, and that is why I picked the quarry. This mainly happened because the camera is more complex then what I am used to. Other then that my bouyancy was great. The only time I touched the silty ground is when I intended to do so (perch on a rock to get a fish pic).

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I would love to do the sillouete. So what are the recommended settings? Right now I use the strobe in full power.

Turn the strobe off and shoot the camera on manual. I don't need any light on the model, so naturally the divers go to black. Expose for the sky, and bracket. Shoot by 1/2 stops, keeping the shutter set for your best shot to stop movement, and stop down the aperture. Keep looking at your monitor until you get the desired effect.

A few things to remember: You can get this effect (or at least enhance it) in Photoshop. My avatar was shot in the blue water of the NC Gulf Stream (in film, with a Nikonos V - Ektachrome 100 - note the surface waves). You are not going to get rich color in the cold blue spectrum at Dutch. But you will get good exposures. And you can make some changes in the computer during post production and editing. Since you are not popping off your speedlight, the sediment in the water column will not be enhanced. So, no distracting hotspots. As I mentioned in my earlier post, if you want to see a diver above you, shoot the same ambient light exposure, and use your stobe. Balance the ambient light exposure, with the exposure for your diver. Once you get the silloute mastered, then you can just shoot the same style exposure, and use your strobe to expose for the diver. Keep dialing up your power to the strobe (from lowest power to the highest power), until both exposures match. You are actually shooting two different shots in one frame. Hence the term of Sync/Sun. Good luck.

Sounds like your bouyancy is good. That is cool. Make sure you are thinking about the camera, and your SCUBA diving training too. People forget this, so keep everything under control. You are doing two things now, that take your full attention of your mind. Dutch is a very good place to practice, and work out all your camera questions, before you move on to other places.

Safe diving to you

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I would love to do the sillouete. So what are the recommended settings? Right now I use the strobe in full power.
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See above..............Computer keystroke function error........sorry

 

[a22shady]

Nice pics, I too just got a camera and have been playing around with it at dutch less highline then yours but still fun and get some pretty good shots. DC1200Elite The other thing I learned is you have to take a lot of photo's it seems 1 out every 5 will come out really good the others ok

 

[Blow.Fish]

I have a T2i and am very pleased with it so far. You get alot of bang for the buck. I haven't tried any UW photogrphy with it yet, however.

The Nauticam housing looks very nice. How do you like it ? What were that factors that made you select this one ? If you don't mind, can you tell us a little more about the rest of you rig (i.e. lens, strobe, etc). Thanks, again...love the pics

 

[furby076]

Thanks for the tips. I will write them down and use them on the next dive.

Setup
18-55 Lens
Nauticam Compact Port Base
Nauticam Compact Port 15
Zoom gear for the 18-55 lens
Sea & Sea YS-110A with the ball arms
Fiber cable
3 Arms (to hold the strobe) with the necessary ball joints

The reason I chose the Nauticam was the material the housing is made from aluminum. It has a built in sensor. It was cheaper then the aquatica, but not a huge difference. I like the fact it is made in the USA.

Now I just need to attach some kind of foam to it and make the camera lighter in the water...it's heavy on land, but i got a little fatigue in the water. When swimming I carry the camera by the rope so it is easier to hold then the handles.

Changing the settings on the camera is not too difficult, and the buttons are big. Any levers used to open the camera case up requires a button and a lever so that's a built in safety.