Taking the plunge - My migration to UW Photography (Part 4)

[Mo2vation]

My Bad Photo Weekend

Any (or all) of you experienced shooters can likely relate. This weekend's Photo dives - I couldn't get out of my own way. I was going to step out and try some new stuff. It all, for the most part, failed me.

Strobe Issues
This was the weekend i discovered backscatter.

I was working with Strobe position - and everything I did, sucked. I've never seen so much snow in my UW pics before. I've seen all the diagrams, and read all the posts about the theory of lighting the subject and not the water column between the lens and the subject, blah, blah, blah... I was just out of the groove, and nothing I did was working. I actually tried getting the modeling light ONTO the subject... and this was just not working snow city. I I think maybe my arm is too short. When I light "straight ahead" I get no snow, but sometimes the right part of the frams isn't lit to my satisfaction. dunno. I'm whining. Several shots I muffed because I couldn't get the right side lit. I need to get a quick release or something.

Plus I couldn't get the strobe to fire in "P"... only in the "My Modes" that I've programmed. It was not a great weekend for me and shooting.

Arnaud found a cool rockfish on the Sue Jac that I shot, and I finally got a Giant kelpfish (look at all that backscvatter...) and a decent Goby... but everything was just sort of out of sorts. With the exception of the Ana pic, it was a very below average day.


Wide Angle Needed
Went diving with Ana (Wrinkles) and Arnaud this weekend. And I wanted to shoot them over the wrecks in the Dive Park to try some perspective and reference shots. I had to get so far away to get them AND enough of the wreck to make the shot that there simply wasn't enough light. So here I am with the problem many of you experienced shooters have debated, I'm sure... the whole slippery slope thing. WA, then Dome Port, then Second Strobe and Arm.... AAUUGGHHH... I need to be less ambitious and stick with the simple stuff for awhile. I'm pretty bmmed right now. I'm taking this weekend off to regroup.


Another Portrait Leads the way
The best shot I took this weekend was another portrait. I shot Wrinkles on the descent. I love this shot. The catchlight in her eyes give the shot its life, as her eyes just light up the place. I need to get photoshop so I can do some color correction (add come color to her skin, as she's pretty dark skinned.) Although the contrast of her eyes and skin contribute to this pic, I need to get photoshop soon.


Another thing that is happening down there is I am seeing more stuff than ever before. I've dived the Dive Park a zillion times, and I'm seeing new stuff that I've never seen. An example is the Jelly. Its not a great shot, OOF and rushed - but it was the last dive, we were moments from exiting and I wanted to get it. So it was one of those reach-out-and-pop-it things... the colors were so amazing, and it had one arm sort of stringing along... Any help ID-ing the thing would be appreciated.

I gotta say, I'm pretty depressed after this weekend's shooting. I'm away on business this week, and I brought the cam. I'm resetting some of the "My Modes" and am gonna study the EXIFs of the shots that have worked, and try to push through this string of bad shots, take a week off and then hit it again in a couple of weeks.

More soon.

K

 

[Dee]

Ken...You are guilty of the same thing we all did...trying too much stuff at one time. It takes time to master this stuff, whether you have topside camera experience or not. In fact, I think that only makes us more impatient because we know this stuff, right? So go back and decide on ONE thing that you are going to work on and get really good at before you move to the next.

It is a very slippery slope but if you add a WA now, you'll never be happy with it without learning all that goes before it first. Patience, my son! Learn your gears limitations and put a new spin on it, make it yours.

I remember when ChrisM got his first camera. Just about all we ever saw was his kelp shots. He used no strobe for over a year and learned exactly what that Oly camera could do. Some of his beginning shots are still my favorites. He's now known as the King of Kelp and you only have to see his photos to see why. Don't get impatient!

There are some days that backscatter is just a reality and you have to deal with it. That's when macro is a great alternative. You have a good handle on this stuff, just slow down and concentrate on one thing at a time...there is time for the rest!

 

[ChrisM]

I remember when ChrisM got his first camera. Just about all we ever saw was his kelp shots.........

[blushing] -- thanks Dee [what do I owe you?]. That is the advice I give people looking to buy a camera. Even if you buy the strobe, don't even add that to the mix until you have the camera wired. i.e., dive with it if you want, but don't turn it on. IMHO, it's just one additional way to mess up a shot....

THe strobe really only helps pics in the 3-6 foot range anyway (well, not entirely true, can add highlights, shadows, etc to macro and portraits, but you get the idea). WA (not CFWA) can be done without it, but you have to open the exposure, especially under the Cal. kelp canopy. One of my favorite WA kelp shots has a shutter speed of 1/6.... not a typo, that's a six.

Any (or all) of you experienced shooters can likely relate

Yup, many trips I have come home and decided to throw the camera in the trash. SOmetimes you just feel like you lose whatever momentum you have,

Welcome to the roller coaster world of UW photog. When we were in Palau, I will never forget the look on the face of a friend using the 5050 for the first time. Gave her some general tips, and she goes out and shoots a cleaner fish INSIDE a manta's mouth. SHe was on cloud nine..... until the next day, when she never wanted to see her camera again.

I'm convinced it's an alien plot to take over our brains,,,, lol

Chris
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