Would love your feedback on my UW Shots as a novice with my SeaLife 1400 in Cozumel

I don't want to discourage diving enthusiasm, but I hate to see a newbie get a camera. I know that shops want to seel them before someone else gets to them, but too much task loading. Wait until you have 50 dives ok? Or a pony bottle, or both.

 

Some very nice shots! Good to know that the DC1400 will do that... as I just bought one (with the external strobe). Just getting back into diving after a number of years... and sold my old Nikonos a long time ago. I hope I can get shots with the color and clarity that you did, OP!

 

Pillpusher thank you for that, I don't think I can afford both as I want to buy my own regs before the next trip also. I really am far too new to even understand what RAW is all about, but assume that I can still make some adjustments through my iPhotos software. I had come to the same conclusion as far as videoing goes and quite frankly if the light wont fill the frame from any distance, there seems little point in getting it. Thanks for the advice regarding battery life, is it possible to have a spare battery so that it can be changed inbetween dives?

 

These pictures look great. I would just get a small book on composition or check out what is on the web about it. Perhaps Wikipedia has some tips on getting a great composition. Good Job, I would zoom in and crop the best parts of those photos and you probably have some really nice ones.

 

My other hobby (or one of them, at least) is Photography.... here are some decent articles on basic composition. Might be difficult for a relatively new diver to concentrate on a new camera, composition, and diving all at once.. but just be careful and have fun!

10 Top Photography Composition Rules | Photography Mad

Basic Photography Techniques - Photographic Composition, Center of interest, Subject placement, Simplicity, Viewpoint and camera angle, Balance.

 

For me, it's usually all I can do to shoot the first while he is still in range and hasn't turned tail. With digital cards and extra batteries, I just shoot shoot shoot, then see what I have later. Many dark shots can be saved with a good program.

 

Yep.. I loves my Photoshop! lol!

 

I just purchased the same camera; I will use it next week for the first time in Belize. The quality of your photos are very good and this is encouraging, good job.

I do have a question for you however, why did you choose those settings on your camera and not the Easy Set-up option? They seem to be very close in configuration.

 

Wow, my 1400 (purchased in 2012) did not even come close to the clarity and color of your shots, which are IMO great.
Purchased a single SL strobe recently, but haven't had a chance to get it wet yet due to health.

I tried the standard UW settings, then tried manually setting the white balance. Just can't get the color saturation.

I will take any and all suggestions to improve. If my photographic abilities just suck, I can take it. LOL

Oh these shots are anywhere from 40 - 60' depths. Clear skies, lots of Anejo the night before.

 

I finally got around to look at some of my pictures that I took with my Sealife 1400. The pictures are not as clear and natural as yours but then my pictures were taken at 60 to 70 feet. A little editing helped as well. These are my first pictures with this camera, no flash, I tried with a flash but I was getting over exposed pictures each time, so I turned it off. I need to practice more with the flash.