Virgin Kit

Hi all

Well my kit finally arrived, cleared customs (after 2 weeks) and today got wet.

I have dived with a Canon Ixus 950is for around a year and decided the time had come to add an external strobe. After lots of discussion on this forum and with the very helpful Dave Hambleton from Backscatter I went for an Inon D2000s, and some Inon wet lenses (UCL165 and UWL105).

Well I deciphered the Janapenglesh instructions and assembled the kit and today went diving.

It was sheer terror as I lowered my rig into the camera bucket, but it didn't flood immediately, so my Japanenglesh must be OK. Then down to depth (well 8m) to take some photos.

I never expected the degree of task loading that I felt I am a reasonably experienced divermaster, but this was way worse than the task loading test ...

Manual WB

Strobe setting

Strobe angle and position

Which lens

Fish refusing to stay still for their portraits

Hunting for critters

Oh yeah...and all the usual buoyancy nonsense

Oh yeah BTW - When I first joined Wetpixel I said on my introduction page that luck played an enormous role in photography. Well after today, I want to revise that statement - I was only in the water for 2x40mins today and I am exhausted - award winning pictures are jolly hard work!

So here are my first strobe pictures. Don't judge them too harshly, I am amazed that I have got anything at all onto the disk. Can't wait to go back tomorrow.

Cheers

Hal

Hal,

You're well on your way to selling kidneys on Ebay for your future DSLR upgrade..haha. For a first timer you got some nice blues there...easier typed than done. You also managed a nice portrait of the hogfish (I think that's what it is). You also managed to shoot most of the photos angled up which is a nice rule of thumb. Keep shooting and get as close as you can!

Well done Hal. This is why I've come to love nudibranchs - they're pretty and stay still! (Unless you move them - Oh wait, that's another thread). Have fun with it!

Phil

Hal,

Good work, you shouldn't worry about the task loading. If you figured out all the partial psi stuff becoming a DM, taking pictures UW will eventually get easier. You've read it hear before, take lots of pictures and experiment with settings to see what works best for you and your style of photography.

I agree with Phil, nudibranch photography has become a passion of mine. Anyway, keep at it and enjoy.

ed

First let me say "Open the pod bay door ..."

Good effort and isn't it a scary moment lowering your brand new kit into the water!