I just returned from my Bahamas live aboard trip! Had a fabulous time! It was great to have so much opportunity for learning UW digital photography. I thought of you guys and all your helpful tips as I scowered the reef in search of great photo ops. I really love my digital camera! I had so much fun with it. It was great to come up from a dive and look at my pictures. I even put on a slide show on the safety stop. I think I sold some digital cameras to my fellow divers.
Let me know what you think.
Come on guys! Say something!
I'm a little disappointed that no one has critiqued my pictures. I value your feedback and try to learn from it. Doesn't anyone have a comment?
Sandy
Hey Sandy,
Sorry appear to be ignorant - busy busy busy.
That Grouper & friend is a cracking observation and beautifully captured - look great on the wall eh!
The macro shots are good too but the focus might have been a touch better on the first.
The head on shot of the purple-headed smiley fish is very nice - One in a thousand!
I agree with Bob on the isopod/grouper shot. Cool! That's gotta hurt.
The blenny shot is good but could be a lot better if you didn't have that blurry coral (diploria I think) in the lower right foreground.
The octo is nice - can definitely tell you are only using one strobe, but it works.
How did you set your exposure for the macro shots? Did you fire at 1/16th power? The exposure is great.
Cheers
James
I would have like the grouper shot to be a close-up on the paracite and face. I think that would have been interesting too. I do like the shot as you have it though.
I find the purple fish causes me to keep searching for a focus which just may be the inherent nature of the subject. I have some spotted drums that are like that yet they appear to be in focus.
For your first effort with the camera I think you have done well. Especially with a single strobe.
Sandy, You have to be patient with this topic. Some times it takes a while for everyone to see your post. I hope you have discovered the magic of live-aboard diving. I was equally impressed with the ability to produce the shots immediately after the dive as you described. You achieved some very nice shots, showing a tremendous amount of patience with some very dificult subjects. It seems the learning curve is cut byleaps and bounds with digital photography. Good Job.
Thanks guys for your comments.
I did try to get a closeup of the grouper/Isopod I just didn't like the shot as well. I did get a different grouper/Isopod closeup that was a little better.
My macro shots were shot at 1/16 strobe power.
As far as the focus of the fairy basslet. I love these little guys but they are really difficult to get a shot of. Especially with the shutter lag of a digital camera. I had the camera on continuous focus and tried to follow him around with the camera to get him in focus but these little buggers are not real cooperative. It was fun trying though. This is my best of many attempts and lots of patience. I had to settle eventually.
