Question for the guru's...

[jbd]

of UW photography. We are planning to have an UW pumpkin carving dive in October. Taking pictures of the jack-o-lanterns when they are finished and lit up with red cylume sticks has been suggested but seems to pose a problem. Apparently the flash will washout the red glow of the cylume sticks.

Can this problem be effectiviely dealt with?

Check out Ber Rabbits post about this in the Kentucky Piranha Patrol section for more details.

Maybe ckharlan66 will make a link to that thread.(or anyone who know how)

 

[raxafarian]

turn off the flash.

if you want pics with everyone holding their pumpkin, then you will have to experiment... maybe take 2 shots... 1 with flash, and 1 without... then photoshop the "without flash" pumpkin into the pic "with flash"

Another thought.... have somebody light the scene with a dim flashlight or 2, and take the pic without flash...

 

[Finesse]

If your shooting with a strobe and it has a manual power adjustment ...back the power off so it doesnt over power the glow of the light sticks.....yet allows some light on the subject

Also the aperture should be set low (lens wide open ) so as to gather as much natural light as possible. Some of the new (well use to be new) digital cameras have great light gathering lenses. If you are (or whomever is taking the pictures ) using digital just keep snapping pics off and changing the settings to get your desired result.....

Typically in this type situation (on land at least) you would need the photo subject to be real still (or else expect the blur effect)and the camera would typically be on a tripod with a slow shutter and an open lens......

hope that helps

 

[ckharlan66]

Here is the link you wanted.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=152579#post152579

I have to agree. From my days of photography (no underwater) I did Jackolanterns several time and I always had to do very slow shutter speeds to get them to really turn out. A tripod was a must. I don't know how to get them to turn out well underwater.

Chad

 

[Dee]

You don't need anything fancy, just something stable to brace against. Where are you gonna take the pic....on a platform or in the open on the bottom?

What I've done in the past when I know I'm gonna be shooting slow spees is take a broomstick down with me. Unless the mud/silt is really deep, you can poke the stick into bottom and brace yourself on the top of it. Or hold it steady with your left hand and brace your right hand on your left hand. You get the idea.

I agree with the others. If you can adjust your strobe for low output, try that. Or use no flash at all and an open aperature.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Do I want to give away this little secret???... sure, why not.
Just cut a hole in the bottom of the punkin (or pumpkin, if you prefer) and stick a slave strobe in there (lower than can be seen from the angle you're taking the shot - the face of the strobe should be level with the bottom of the punkin, so it'll fire straight up and you'll only get light reflected off the orange insides showing through the mouth & eyes). That'll give you a nice bright orange inside, and allow you to use your regular strobe and shutter speed outside..
Have fun.
Rick

 

[ckharlan66]

Great Idea Rick. Thanks.

Chad

 

[Jonathan]

should be plenty of broom sticks around as well - it is halloween after all!

Sorry couldn't help myself.

Be sure to post your results.

Jonathan