Your best beginner tip - post it! :)

[arenny]

Here is a collection of beginner tips I compiled from different posts/books/etc. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of these and please post more tips for beginners!

Thanks!

1. -To make your background lighter or darker adjust your shutter speed, for black backgrounds use a high shutter speed (less light)
   
2. -To make your subject brighter increase the strobe intensity
   
3. -Always take your pictures in manual mode.
   
4. -Press shutter halfway to get ready, expect shutter lag, if you pre-focus (press halfway) you cut down your shutter lag time
   
5. -Do not use "autofocus on" because it drains battery life
   
6. -For macro subjects always try a higher F stop, the higher the F stop the greater the depth of field (but less light comes in)
   
7. -For macro: get as close as you can first then zoom, but when you zoom, you lose a bit of depth of field
   
8. -Example: you get the same amount of light with - F11 and S 1/30 than with F2.8 and S 1/500
   
9. -Don't slow down your shutter speed too much or your pictures will be blurry
   
10. -the strobe should be pointed 45 degrees horizontally and vertically from the lens
    
11. -the max distance where your flash is effective is about 3 feet
    
12. -to minimize backscatter on a bad vis day, make sure your flash is outwards and the reflection does not come back to your lens and minimize the column of water between you and the subject. Also make sure you feel the frame with the background that is close to you
    
13. -For wide angle: smaller F stop than macro (need to let more light in since flash has less impact)
    
14. -Look and aim at blue water the camera will tell you the exposure: +0.3 means 1/3 stop overexposed, -1.0 is one stop underexposed - choose about -0.3 to -0.6 when you see the blue you like
    
15. -increase flash intensity to light subject
    shutter + aperture = background water
    flash + aperture = affect subject
    
16. #1 pick aperture for subject
    #2 Strobe intensity
    #3 adjust flash angle (objects appear closer than they are)
    #4 adjust shutter speed
    
17. -If you get a hot spot from your focus light, increase your shutter speed
    
18. -Do not shoot into the sun
    
19. - If you have green water use manual white balance, use a white slate to set it. Adjust it again as you change depths. If you are using the flash then correct white balance with the flash.

 

[Cacia]

whoa, where have YOU been all my life? thanks.

My tip, check your air. Don't shoot down on subjects, shoot up at wrecks, it looks cool. beginners, download Picasa, free from Google and EASY. Stalk...don't chase.

 

[JeffG]

beginners, download Picasa, free from Google and EASY.

Whats Picasa?

 

[Cacia]

Whats Picasa?

It is a "photoshop" type program that has multi-factorial corrections in blonde speak for non techno types. Buttons named "I am feeling Lucky"...it rocks. Lotsa cluck for the buck. (free). Plus it organizes all your images in the computer, leaving the originals in place on the disc. Disc....whatever..?

 

[JeffG]

It is a "photoshop" type program that has multi-factorial corrections in blonde speak for non techno types. Buttons named "I am feeling Lucky"...it rocks. Lotsa cluck for the buck. (0)

Thanks. Learn something new everyday. I'll download it.

 

[arenny]

Hey - I speak blonde too!
Photoshop Elements 4 is also easy to use, cost me about $50.

Forgot that very important tip: shoot up! Thanks for the reminder Catherine!

One more: I was told to always at least get one eye in the frame from the creature (I already have enough fish butt pictures!).

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Here is a collection of beginner tips I compiled from different posts/books/etc. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of these and please post more tips for beginners!

Thank you so much, Arenny. I'm just getting started with UW photography, so I really appreciate this. Many thanks...

 

[JeffG]

As a hack Photographer. My best advice (and this works great when I went to a Digital Camera)

is to take LOTS AND LOTS of pictures. Because even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.

 

[arenny]

Oh and the sacrifices:

Greater number F stop - more of the subject is in focus but you get less light (compensate with strobe)

Slow shutter speed gives you a lighter picture but your subjects might get blurry

 

[scubavince]

1. If your going to edit, best set the camera to save pics in TIFF or RAW formats.
2. To do above, buy a larger card, 1-2 GBs.

Vince