More from Hawaii

[mjh]

Here are a couple more..

 

[Gilligan]

Good ones especially catching the Cleaner Wrasse on the Raccoon Butterfly.

 

[andrea31419]

Great pics.

I have a question since we use the same cam. How would I focus or change my focus settings if I want my focus on something that is not dead center of my lcd screen? When I try to focus on something that isn't center, it pops back center. For example, taking a pic of a person, focus on their face, which is top of the lcd, but then the focal box pops back center which may be in the belly area. Can I change this somehow?

 

[mjh]

Ok here is where I get in trouble. I am one of those people who don’t read instruction manuals, I just tinker with stuff until it works the way I like. So here goes…

I have the AE/AF set to “spot metering”, bottom dot along the AF/AL button. I do not lock the “Focus Area Lock Switch”, so it is not pointing to the L. If I am thinking fast enough underwater and have a subject filling the frame but I want to focus on “it’s face” on the far right side of the viewfinder I use the “Multi Selector” button to move the focus area to the right. If you look in the viewfinder and do this you will see the focus square move from the center to right. You can move it center, up, down, left and right in the viewfinder. I think some people also have good luck using the “Dynamic-area AF”.

I am sure there are others that can answer this better than a point and pray type like me.

 

[alcina]

Excellent shots!!

I very much like the twin long-noses...great timing and nice composition, too.

And nailing that moment with the cleaner wrasse on the racoon bfly - WOW!

BTW - what camera do you use?

 

[mjh]

I am using: a Nikon D100, Aquatica housing, 2xS&S 90DX strobes, 10.5mm 18-35mm 60mm and 105mm Nikon lenses. Just picked up a used S&S 350 strobe for reefscapes and WA (need one more anyone selling?). In Hawaii a fellow diver was using 3-4 strobe set up and getting incredible shots. He was really filling in the area around the subjects with light giving his shots great color and depth with out washing out the subjects. He was also using color filters on his strobes.

Originally I was going to get a Oly 5050 L&M set up but lucked out and found a pro photographer getting out of this end of the business. I bought his whole setup, minus lenses, for what the Backscatter Oly setup would off cost w/one strobe. Nothing like jumping into the deep end.

As Dee and many others suggest I "just shoot until (my) finger bleeds". By a 3rd or 4th dive I am ready to slow down, often I will just hang out at a cleaning station to see who
stops by.

 

[alcina]

Slow is the only way to dive ...

...unless it's slower, of course

 

[Charlie99]

I have a question since we use the same cam. How would I focus or change my focus settings if I want my focus on something that is not dead center of my lcd screen? When I try to focus on something that isn't center, it pops back center. For example, taking a pic of a person, focus on their face, which is top of the lcd, but then the focal box pops back center which may be in the belly area. Can I change this somehow?

I can't speak to your specific camera, but most have focus lock and/or exposure lock that is engaged by pressing the shutter halfway. Simply center the subject of interest, half press shutter button until you get focus lock indicator, then recompose the photo and fully depress the shutter button. Or if you are trying to catch an elusive fish that keeps darting out of sight, focus on some coral at the same distance, then wait with the shutter half pressed until the fish appears. This will cut shutter lag dramatically.

 

[SeaYoda]

Very nice pics, I really enjoyed them.

 

[andrea31419]

By George, I think I got it. I've been practicing with everyone's advise at the office this morning. Worked like a champ. Thanks.

A.