The Morrison Spring Cavern Project

[SuPrBuGmAn]

You start getting some negative qualities showing up on photos if you push the aperature too small. I'd say we keep the aperture at f16, or even f13, to get the most detail out of the shots.

Take a couple test shots and see what I mean

 

[SeaYoda]

What kinds of things show up at f22? I saw some noise when I had the shutter open for 60 seconds but that seemed to get better when I went to 30. I didn't try changing the aperture.

 

[paulwall]

A good area for the camera might be that sand slope under the wall to the right as you come into the cavern. Little flow over there, dense sand (little silting), and a good view of the whole cavern.

(at morrison, I've never been to JB).

You could probably get some cool shots at the upper cavern, as well. SBM has a great shot of me exiting there with the opening in front, and my reflection in the air bubbles at the roof.

 

[GLENFWB]

That would be Monday, December 1st? Problem is that Bugman will probably have to work? I am thinking we will have to use Vortex Cavern or Cypress for our tests. Any chance you have some time off BEFORE Thanksgiving....a weekend day? If not, maybe we will have to arrange a weekday trip up to Vortex?? Maybe we can get a few folks to meet us there to man some lights.

I have to work the weekend after Thanksgiving but I am off the Monday after.

We need a heavy tripod and the self timer will do the rest.

If I set my camera to fire the strobe it will give everyone the signal to start painting the walls. I'll just point it away from the backscatter.

 

[ShagMan]

Glen alerted me to this thread, I have been non-existant at SB lately!

I don't really have anything useful to bring to the discussion unfortunately...

I don't have a good camera to do the shot with.

I don't have a high power cave light.

I don't have slave strobes.

And I can't take time off thanksgiving weekend or the weekdays after.

I know, I'm a killjoy

If you guys go sometime later this winter, I'll be there as some type of support!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

What kinds of things show up at f22? I saw some noise when I had the shutter open for 60 seconds but that seemed to get better when I went to 30. I didn't try changing the aperture.

Things start getting soft, noticably less sharp than mid-apertures. Take a few snaps, it doesn't have to be a long exposure for this to be apparent The aperture thing is more about conserving detail, longer exposures DUE tend to bring out more noise.


On your 60 second exposure, did you have the camera set to take a dark frame subtraction afterwards? That usually results in far less noise.

 

[mwhities]

When might this be going on? I'd be interested in trying to be there as a support dive outside the cavern.

Hopefully in my dry suit and doubles.

Michael

 

[mwhities]

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I gave this exact photo away at the Toys For Tots Dive at ABWA this last weekend. It was signed by Wes as well.

It's truly an amazing picture.

Michael

 

[cmufieldhockey8]

Seems like JB would be our best bet to get a cavern that has some heigth like Morrison. I am trying to remember, but doesn't it get pretty tall in JB right before where the gold line starts...where those large boulders are??

It would be nice to take some test shots in there...anyone have any free time in the next few weeks and we will plan a JB trial run? Maybe we could plan something if people have some free time around Thanksgiving. I am really anxious to test this in water.

I'll be at JB on thanksgiving

 

[SeaYoda]

Things start getting soft, noticably less sharp than mid-apertures. ...The aperture thing is more about conserving detail

I had always heard there was a "sweet spot" but I've never had the opportunity to play with that much. I'm either in full sunlight trying to get the exposure down or at 60 feet deep trying to get all the light I can .

...longer exposures DUE tend to bring out more noise.
On your 60 second exposure, did you have the camera set to take a dark frame subtraction afterwards? That usually results in far less noise.

I did not do a dark frame subtraction - I'll have to read up on how to do that. I just saw specks of color like pixels firing off different colors on their own here and there. Kind'a reminded me of what my 5050 sensor looked like when one of the pixels went bad.