Nightdiving Tips

[desiredbard]

Hi There

Anyone with nightdicing tips, especially if there is a bit of current as well.
Its hard to aim. focus and keep focus, Using your Often Burns the subject
And for some reason the eddects of the flash seemn to be much stronger.
Yep there is some blinded squadlobsters again and a big fat edible one that probably wishes he was slowly boiling by now.

Weird enough I have some surprisingly good pics of fish (for the circumstances and in respect of the faiuled shots that is, but I cannot say way these worked out better.

Any tips please please pretty please?

 

[havnmonkey]

photobucket.com search havnmonkey; the octopus was shot at night. I just used a simple LED dive light on my strobe (w/ a bunjee). It told me where my strobe was pointing and it illuminated it just enought to get a green focus bracket.

My first night dive with a camera and it wasn't too bad.

 

[montychandler]

Certainly night dive photography introduces additional challenges. Depending on what you want to photograph the use of focusing lights throughout the dive can assist.. (this will impact what you see as there are critters that do not like the lights at all). The key to good photo's is the camera being able to focus and determine the power requirement of the flash - especially important/challenging at night. The best results will obviouslly be attained via TTL flash use.. Of course this is also a technology issue tied to the camera setup you are shooting with.

Another method which helps is to use your buddy to help illuminate the subject with their torch while you focus and shoot. Especially difficult as you stated if you are doing drift dives at night.. Collaboration in this can be especially beneficial and is generally rewarding.. Lot's of ways to address these challenges - most importantly though is to have fun and enjoy the dive!

 

[desiredbard]

Yeah my last technique actually was defalte fully rest on the bottom, light subject, signal buddy to kill torch and shoot. This is actually where the sharkmode on my cam came in really handy. Focus when there is lite, set the focus and kill the shutterlag and shoot. Only problem remaining is due to light/dark moving the critter might get scared and goone into hiding.

I have a really good shot of the retracting leg of a squat lobster
But the rock he was sitting on is nice

 

[HowardE]

I use a simple focus light (Ikelite mini C Light) that attaches to my strobe arm with UCLS clamps etc. I got the whole setup for around $100 -

It worked really well... Here's a few night dive shots...