what have i learned so far

what have i learned so far?

about 6 months and 300/400 pics in, what have i learned?

kit, 20-d ikelite housing and a d120

in no particular order

1, NEVER try to take pics with a trainee in tow, obviously you wouldn't it while instructing, but as an instructor you often get the "just have a dive trainee"

2,ikelite's housing wont accommodate the best zoom lens canon make? (24-70 2.8)

3,being experienced at above water photography works against you considerably underwater

4,taking snapshots just doesnt work, you need to slowwww right down

5,nobody wants to be your buddy

6,the Internet and especially forums like this are a fantastic source of help/information,

7,underwater photography is much more disappointing than land based

8,the learning curve is much steeper than i first thought

9,compacts are MUCH easier than DSLR's

10,no after 300/400 shots i don't have one worth uploading

11,how much has it all cost me

12,you move the fish moves, the sea moves, it all keeps moving

13,expect a spanner to be thrown into the works, like when i had a duff strobe lead that intermittently only worked the ttl, took 100 shots to work that one out

14,ribs and expensive housings are a bad combination

15,when concentrating so much on the housing, strobe, lens's, ports etc remember to pack the camera before turning up for a days hard boat diving especially then to find the best vis you have had all year

i have enjoyed the learning process, and feel i am getting to understand the mechanics of how to set up and run my kit much better now, hopefully before long i will have a pic worthy of an upload

have i missed anything from your learning experiences?

Steve

what have i learned so far?

 

about 6 months and 300/400 pics in, what have i learned?

kit, 20-d ikelite housing and a d120

 

in no particular order

 

2,ikelite's housing wont accommodate the best zoom lens canon makes? (24-70 2.8)

Someone just posted how to make your own zoom gear. Wonder if with some creativity this would work for the 24-70 as well.

9,compacts are MUCH easier than DSLR's

Hmmm, i came from a compact and find the dSLR so much easier. Especially the shutter lag of the P&S was killing me as I shoot mostly moving fish and having an external strobe also does wonders.

10,no after 300/400 shots i don't have one worth uploading

Keep going at it. Is there one thing in particular that is the problem. Colour, sharpness, composition... It may be a small thing that is needed to make a big jump. The recent UWphotography book from Martin Edge may be a good investment. Talking with an experienced UWphotographer on this list or a local dive club may be even better.

12,you move the fish moves, the sea moves, it all keeps moving

Try to find easy dive sites so you can focus on the camera without too much distraction. If you are deep enough not to feel the surge and there is no current then the only thing moving is the fish. If you are still moving yourself, then you have to work on your buoyancy first. Reading the "what certification discussion" for ideas of what diving skills are needed before you can safely and successfully become a photographer.

i have enjoyed the learning process, and feel i am getting to understand the mechanics of how to set up and run my kit much better now, hopefully before long i will have a pic worthy of an upload

have i missed anything from your learning experiences?

Steve

My approach on my first dSLR dives was to try to keep things simple and then experiment once the basics are working. I set my shutter time to 1/250 and aperture to f8-22 depending on lens and subject distance. That way I don't have to worry about movement blurring and I should have decent DOF. The TTL flash will figure out how much light is needed so I don't have to worry too much about exposure. What remains are finding interesting subjects, composition and focus. The 20D should do a good job on the latter and once you can be relaxed and focused as a diver you should have no problem to find interesting subject (unless you dive in an Alberta lake as I did yesterday). It took me about three days and a few hundred pictures to go from okay to great (at least in my eyes). Of course, taking these shortcuts does not make use of the ability to use DOF to create nice back ground blurs, or balancing natural & strobe light for better results. But there is something very motivating and fulfilling in getting your first tack-sharp shots and seeing details you have never actually seen during the dive.

After the first dives I've been experimenting with manual flash power, apperture priority and full manual. Some dives almost every shot was a keeper, some dives every other was a keeper (forgot to replace my strobe batteries and every other shot was too dark as the strobe was still charging), and some dives didn't work out that well. I just need more "down-time" to learn from my mistakes in a more systematic way.

Finally, and what everyone must have been telling you over and over, is to try to get close, especially if vis isn't too good. I often take an early shot as I approach the fish to have "a record that I've seen it" and then slowly glide closer in hope I can get a real nice image. Some fish are much more cooperative than others so start with the easier ones. Corals, tunicates, sponges etc are also good starter objects.

My main lesson has been that diving in a DM-led group is not the way to really learn UWphotography as you have to stay with the group and people try to point out subjects that they think are great but don't really interest me (how many shots of a lobster can you really take?) but they are disappointed if you don't come and take a picture of their "find". Next trip should really include unlimited shore diving with a nice and easy-diving reef on the doorstep.

Bart

thx for the reply, i have uploaded an image from last weekend to give you an idea where im up to

the 27-70 wont even fit through the hole in the housing

i have been diving for over 10 years, am an instructor so my basic skills are good

i started on a 60mm on the 20d, the depth of field was a stumbaling block that i now have sourted, along with using the 9point meter,

on my way out, will add more later

steve