Blue Trigger

One of my first underwater pictures taken with a Canon Ixus V2 in Nuweiba, Egypt:

Please let me know your thoughts,

Thanks

Ben Saunders

www.bensaunders.co.uk

Very pretty; beautiful fish with a background that make its colors stand out.

Looks like you shot this very shallow with no flash. I'm guessing that you used an automatic mode in your camera. I think you could have gotten a sharper pic with brighter colors had you forced your flash to fire and used a higher shutter speed.

I would give this photo a similar critique to the wrasse. Good exposure on the fish, - perhaps needs a little shapening in photoshop. Good job of getting low and making eye contact, and you filled your frame with the subject like you should.

To improve your photography, however, you must think more about the background when you go out to shoot artistic photos. The lack of interesting negative space makes this more of a fish identification picture than an artful photograph. When you dive, look for interesting negative space, then find a subject within it. You'll find you get much better production than looking for pretty fish, and photographing them wherever they are. When I took this image, my eye was attracted to the elephant ear sponge, so I approached it, and waited for a suitable subject. The French Angel obliged. Even though I didn't capture him from head to tail, I think that the warmth of the background makes it an excellent photo.

Hi Ben,

This is a nice library shot and would not look out of place in a 'Fish Book'.

Triggerfish are notoriously difficult to photograph as they are very skittish, and to get one to pose is a dream.

We don't all get the chance to compose shots like these and both you and the camera did well. As Herb said, a higher shutter speed would have helped to freeze it and I am surprised with the level of illumination it didn't.

Unless of course it has a low topend shutter speed.

The colour of the background contrasts well to enhance the colouration of the fish itself.

Regarding the Angel in front of the sponge shot:

Kasey, I have be far more critical, especially as you contradicted what you offered in the wrasse shot.

The background detracts the eyes away from the misframed subject as it is creating confusion... "Was he taking a shot of the sponge and the fish swam in front?"

Bob

Your initial statement [This is a nice library shot and would not look out of place in a 'Fish Book] corresponds 100% with my point. This is a fish ID shot, but the lack of interesting negative space limits its artistic value.

My assumption is that most of us that present photos for critique are trying to achieve artistic photography. Fish ID is simple - present the fish from head to tail with good exposure and minimal other material in the frame. It sounds like your goal in photography is to create fish ID photos, and I didn't consider that. Personally, I've enjoyed taking artistic photos, and photos like the angel and sponge have gotten great reactions from photo contest judges and 2 ad agencies. I don't think I'd have sold this image if it had a rock or other dull background. In fact, I've dumped hundreds of Fr. Angel shots in favor of this one, and you may have preferred one of those.

BTW Fr. Angel fish are almost impossible to approach as well.

Kasey

Thanks for all your comments guys, it really helps for the next time I go away in January. I understand what you are saying about the photo being a library picture, but that is great as I'm new to this and for you to say that it's book worthy tells me I'm doing something right!

I have just posted a couple of other pictures and I think that maybe the offer a little more artistic flare!??

Ben Saunders

This is not the place

Whoa!!! I'm detecting a little insecurity here. Do you really expect me to put you in contact with the agencies that used this image so that you can personally verify? Maybe you'd like to contact the university to verify my degrees as well. Drivers license? Open water cert?

Seriously though, I think you'd be unique amongst photo instructors to understate the importance of negative space. This is not "my ideal," this is a basic fundamental of good photography, above water or below.

I'm not saying that fish ID is not legit photography, just that the composition is simple. I wouldn't submit a fish ID photo for critique in this forum - it is easy enough to judge for myself...lets see, did I get the head, hmmph the tail...OK

BTW - you said yourself that when you shoot artistic photos you shoot wide angle. Well, we aren't evaluating wide angle - we're talking artistic fish and macro. By your own admission this is a photo style that you do not engage in.

Oh, one other thing... You are a professional photo judge??? That can't be very lucrative

:freak:

!?

...and I always thought the "importance of negative space" referred to the amount a photo pro could charge. If he just called it the background he'd have to lower his fees.

I think Bob's pygmy seahorse is awefully nice.

Guys,

Let's try to keep this thread constructive. Remember, this is the internet and everyone and I mean EVERYONE has an opinion and is happy to share it.

I would hate to see these thread devolve into an endless stream of "my shot is better than yours" postings. Or even worse, "I can charge more for my shots than you, so therefore I am better."

I value all of your input, as does the original poster. I think he/she also wants to get differing opinions - from as many people as possible.

Cheers

James

I'd say damn nice for a new system. The color of the fish works well against the background. Exposure is good. Yeah, ok the composition is "library" but that has it's uses too.

The only thing I'd add to the comments above is one on camera angle. I generally try to be on eye level or slightly below with my subjects. Looking down on something belittles it, looking up at often helps make it look more impressive.

This is post #4, I stared as a brine shrimp was a Hermit crab last I looked. You know if I ever become an octopus I’ll have to stop posting!

James Wood

Cephalopod Biologist

Ben,

if this is one of your first pics taken under water, you did a good job and i like your triggerfish. It reminds me of diving in Egypt and i know that it is hard to get really close to them. The other pictures you posted here are also nice, but the trigger fish is the best one.

The other members are right with their critique (shorter shutter speed to avoid blurred fins, take pics from a lower angle, get closer, watch your composition, ...) but on the other hand most pictures i've seen posted here and on other places in the web could somehow be improved and very few were perfect.

It will take some more dives until you know for sure how to use and set your camera under water and you will find out that some motives work out better than others, because your system is limited. I assume that all the pictures you posted here were taken in full automatic mode, i.e. the camera decided everything, even the useage of the internal strobe. Try to find out, which camera functions can be preset and which ones you can set under water. Make sure that the internal flash is in force flash mode, if the distance is less than 1,5 meters. Try to influence exposure (even if your camera allows no manual setting it should be able to correct exposure, even my old Ixus does that). Preset the ISO to 100 (otherwise the camera will use higher ISO settings to compensate the loss of light). If possible, try to use a faster shutter speed when photographing moving objects. Watch your display for composition before you take the picture and have a look at the picture afterwards to decide if you can do better with other exposure ... settings.

Another tip is to try to find out what you like in uw photos of others and then try to compose your pictures in the same way. And have a look at UW Photo Tutorials published in the internet (sorry no link available). Most of the rules for UW photography are valid for film and digital.

Use Photoshop or any other software afterwards to improve your shots, i.e. correct curves and colors, sharpen the image and crop it if necessary.

I'm looking forward to see the photos of your next trip,

Sabine