Discussion of fantastic underwater images

[_Bella_]

Hey will do coming soon (digital images)... I just need to add water! but if I post any U/W pictures or not does this make my advice technically incorrect? The principles that I speak of, I did not make up, they are the simple laws of physics (light dropping off with increased distance) applied to U/W photography.

Many of the "fantastic" images I see are not really due to the skill of the photographer but because most are from the "fantastic" exotic locations and the exotic subjects that many folks have not seen before or like myself have no access to these locations at the present time.

When compared the land Photography there only a very few amount of U/W images I have seen that even comes close to land shots in the terms of composition, exposure, focus, color sat. etc.

I thought this an interesting discussion that deserved its own thread.

Can you expand on your idea of fantastic underwater images in comparison to land photography?

 

[SeaYoda]

I think things would be equal if we had to shoot land pictures with a thick, dark, dirty, blue filter. If I could bring the sun under water then things might even out. That's just the beast we call underwater photography. The two just can't be compared in my opinion.

 

[soonerwink]

Well said Yoda. Should try in some of green algae lakes in Oklahoma. It's rare to even see 10' vis.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Yoda, you hit it on the head...

Of course, when I shoot on land I get to, you know, stand upright or lean against something. I don't have to float motionless. And then there's the entire issue of shooting wearing a heavy suit often with thick gloves.

The fact is, contrary to the genesis of this thread, shooting underwater, even to get a marginal image, requires more skill.

I would put it like this, if you can shoot underwater, you can shoot anywhere.

Jeff

 

[bigfrog23]

well said Seayoda, with that in mind though there are few U/W photographers that have master lighting and composition like some of the great land photographers of our time.

 

[SeaYoda]

well said Seayoda, with that in mind though there are few U/W photographers that have master lighting and composition like some of the great land photographers of our time.

I think you have to make more critical trade-offs under water when it comes to lighting and composition. If you don't have extra lighting in the background of any wide angle shot, you get the blues. There is such a loss of light in water that the background choices are black or varying darknesses of blue. That doesn't give a lot of creative room or create lots of interest for the viewer. The lighting affects the composition too. Wide angle shots that are done with natural light and then white balanced look pretty good. Try using a strobe for fill purposes and it looks terrible. The foreground can't be adjusted like the background so, unless you get very skilled with post production, you need to choose which you are focusing on. That limits the composition more than land photography. Macro shots are not left out either. The dark water forces the aperture open to get light which limits depth of field choices. You can compensate with more light which can ruin the shadows you are trying to use creatively plus give you good old backscatter. Slowing the shutter helps but if your subject is skittish you get motion blur. The balance of lighting and composition are just flat out hard down under.

 

[victor]

Trying to compare land and underwater photography is pointless as the two disciplines are so different technically and physically.

If F3Nikon had been comparing wildlife photography both above and below the surface then he is slightly closer to the mark. More so if it is really in the wild, not Zoo's, wild life parks, or even game parks.
Underwater we still have to cope with colour absorption, lighting, buoyancy, air consumption, etc.

Many of the architectural or panoramic shots that are the staple of land photographers are impossible underwater due to the lack of ambient light and the differing rate of absorption for different colours.

I know some photographer can take great pictures in both environments but the skills of land photography do not directly translate to underwater.

There may be an element of luck in some of the best underwater images but the same can be said to be true of any wildlife photography. However the best photographers have used great skill and determination to build up a portfolio of beautiful images.