U/W Photography Instruction

[t-mac]

Hi,

I've been a terrestrial photography junkie for a long time. I started diving a few years ago and quickly got a point and shoot camera. Almost immediatly I became frustrated with it, but tolerated it because of the expense of a housing for my DSLR and fears about whether I could handle the bulk. I use a Canon XSi on land and my lovely wife got me a Sea & Sea RDX 550 housing as a gift (conveniently it also accomodates the T2i if I want to upgrade!). Wow, what a difference the full rig makes -- and to my surprise it was no problem to handle! It is just barely negative and doesn't affect my trim at all.

So, I am now comfortable enough with my diving and using my camera in the RDX underwater that I'm ready to start thinking about how to get better. I haven't taken the underwater photog cert because I don't think that's what I'm looking for, but maybe I'm wrong. I understand the mechanics, composition, lighting, etc. and I'm looking for something that goes beyond the basics. I know Stephen Frink offers a course and I think Brian Skerry and others do workshops. I'd be interested in hearing about experiences with all forms of instruction. Do people think the cert is worthwhile? Experience with workshops with the pros? What helped you move to the next level? It seems to me that the biggest leap foward would be in better understanding and anticipating behaviors. I have accidentally caught a few things, but I know there is a lot more going on out there and it seems like it would help to know better what might be coming.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

 

[EastEndDiver]

Tom taking instruction from a true profesional will give you a lot more than some ______ (insert Cert.agency of your choice) instructor who read a book.I know someone who took some time with Cathy Church and learned more than could be expected in a short time.

Familiarity with what/where you are shooting is very useful also as you seem well aware of.In order to not get frustrated start shooting either static or slow moving critters and work your way up.

You seem to have a grasp of photography now just need to adapt it to underwater.Try using manual,this may take a little trial and error but will eventually give you more "control" over the pics you take also shoot in both JPEG and RAW most DSLR's have that capability.There are raging discussions on the pros and cons of both if you search for past threads.

I have actually progressed opposite of you I have shot underwater for 25-30 years and just started seriously shooting above water.

 

[Larry C]

If you have the opportunity to work with an instructor on a dive trip, it's really worthwhile. You can get observation and constructive criticism and I've seen people improve tremendously from day to day. Cathy Church does instruction in Grand Cayman, there are several of the people who post on this board who do instruction in Hawaii, Philippines, South Pacific... My last trip, in Bali, we dived with a Swiss operator, Abyss, who also does the Philippines and Phil Simha was along as instructor. Most of the UW equipment suppliers also do photo trips with seminars and instruction. Try Backscatter, Blue Water, Reef and others who advertise here.

 

[t-mac]

Interesting -- I'm planning a trip to the Caymans in May. I'll look up Cathy Church and see if I can set something up when I'm there. Thanks for the info.

 

[jameseg]

I'm still quite new to underwater photography, but am currently reading Martin edge's book "The Underwater Photographer" and am finding it very informative, both from a technical and an artistic standpoint. There's obviously no substitute for one-on-one training, but you might consider checking out that book or a similar one before your trip, as it could help you get more out of personal instruction.

James

 

[t-mac]

Thanks, James. I'll check it out for sure! Tom

 

[KelnKelp]

I totally agree with folks above... the general specialties for photography are not that useful, you can get much more bang for you buck by just taking an underwater photography course offered from an actual photographer. Another option is a photo based dive trip... Bluewater offers trips like that throughout the year to a variety of locations. Next one coming up is in August to the Sea of Cortez... whale sharks, sea lions and other large animals is the focus for that one...

I bring it up because they always have a couple professional photographers who offer clinics and photo workshops throughout the trip which can be extremely helpful, and the experts as well as all the other photography folks on the trip can offer advice and recommendations throughout the trip...

I read through the Underwater Photographer book which is great! There is also a great online resource at Underwater Photography Guide

 

[t-mac]

Thanks, Kelli. This sounds like a really good way to go.

 

[DSR-3]

I can vouch for the photog-trip option. The talks and 1 on 1 advise from Scott Gietler Mike Bartick in Anilao last year were great.

One lesson that really stuck with me; Mike found me shooting a cool nudi and patiently observed me trying some minor setup & settings changes. After a while, he took my rig, did what looked like a review of settings or pictures, then pointed my 2 strobes directly at the sides of my camera. Even though I had read about it beforehand, it wasn't until Mike did it for me that I realized the great potential of this arrangement. I spent the rest of the trip with another trick in my bag. I'll do my best not to fin him in the head this year...

Plus those guys are walking critter ID books!

 

[t-mac]

Thanks DSR-3. This sounds exactly like what I am looking for.