Fiji, Beqa Lagoon, Aug 08

I have rented a point and shoot once in the past (Roatan) and a nikonos also (Belize). My wife and I went to Beqa this August and since no rentals were available where we stayed (Beqa Lagoon resort) I wanted to bring my own camera. I was torn between buying a housing for my Sony A350 which I just purchased and the Sea and Sea DX1G. Since i thought the learning curve might be too steep for the A350 I went with the DX1G with one YS110 strobe. After some panic with the strobe not working the night before my trip (I had the fiber optic in the wrong spot) I made the long flight from NJ.

I wasn't really pleased with my results. I do understand this was really my first attempt at taking decent photos. I continually forgot to turn the strobe on (duh duh I know) and could not get clownfish pictures to come out good at all. I had absolutely no success with "fish" pictures where the fish were swimming freely, they came out either colorless, out of focus, blurred or both. I don't think I got one successful one the whole trip.

My gallery contains only the pics that are even somewhat ok.

My Gallery

I used sea and sea's underwater mode for the photos.

Any analysis/criticism is extemely appreciated.

Thomas McVicar

tmcvicar2@aol.com

Some of the shots suffer from strobe angle issues but have some color. They are not bad for a first time with an underwater setup. You want to avoid shooting beyond the capabilities of the camera, ie. shooting macro subjects without a macro lens.

You can pick up a lot of great pointers here, at local UW photo meetings if there are any in your area. The speed track to better photos is taking a course. Several of the pro photographers posting on Wetpixel offer courses at tropical destinations, and you don't need $30,000 of gear to get better shots.

I was in Beqa years ago. It was beautiful. I'll bet you had a great time!

I wasn't really pleased with my results. I do understand this was really my first attempt at taking decent photos. I continually forgot to turn the strobe on (duh duh I know) and could not get clownfish pictures to come out good at all. I had absolutely no success with "fish" pictures where the fish were swimming freely, they came out either colorless, out of focus, blurred or both. I don't think I got one successful one the whole trip.

Hi Thomas,

Wasn't Bega a great place to spend some time? I will always remember the people there with a happy heart. Don't be too hard on yourself for your first time with a camera. It's a lot harder than it looks. It's easy to forget that the great shots we see posted here are being taken by folks with hundreds if not thousands of hours underwater with a camera in their hand. I took a look at your gallery and I see some things you could work on for next time.

First, in almost every instance you be happier with your images if you get closer. We say that all the time but it takes a few attempts to sink in. Try this, get what you think is "too close", take some shots, then check out the pictures, then get closer, you'll be about right. Lot's of great things happen when you shorten the range, color is hugely better, shutter speed is faster, less blur, sharper images, etc. This is the most obvious to me on your nudi shots. If your more than a hands width away you won't like the results.

Second, I noticed you were shooting down quite a bit. In other words the subject was below you so in the image it's hard to pull out visually from the bottom. This shows up in your lionfish shots pretty dramatically. They will look much better against a blue or black background.

The third thing I noticed was at times you got in a hurry, easy to do, we all have been there. Your closest shot of the anemone fish is an example. I'll bet you the strobe hadn't had time to recycle before you pulled the trigger. Either that or it wasn't on, I make those mistakes when I get rushed.

You did a whole bunch of things right too. Very little backscatter, which tells me you were being careful with your fins and equipment.

For what it's worth, here's what I tell myself before every dive.

Be safe,

Protect the reef,

Get close,

Shoot up,

Relax

Have fun

You got three out of six, pretty good for your first attempt!

Cheers,

Steve

Hi,

I have actually got a DX-1G and it has taken me a while to get results that I am actually happy with.

The first thing to master is to only shoot in manual mode, you then have complete control over your picture regarding depth of field and exposure. Also GET CLOSER, when you think you are close enough, get closer. The wide angle lens is worth purchasing as it make a massive difference as you are minimising the distance between yourself and the subject. Also get used to the manual white balance and set it before EVERY shot, it does make a difference. Also if you shoot in RAW mode as opposed to JPEG it is more forgiving and you can correct the shots easier in photoshop(its slower to write to memory but worth it!).

Also I started out using the strobe for every shot, it is not always necessary, sometimes natural light gives you a far better shot. Also pratice, practice and the npractice some more. I tend t oshoot in the murky gree nwater we have here in the UK and Itake my camera on virtually every dive. Its the quickest way to get used to your camera. Its worth it in the end.

I am off to the RedSea next May for some BLue Water diving for the first time withe DX-1G and cannot wait forthe results!!!

Good luck and keep trying.

well, you've received lots of good feedback.

Often times if you don't shoot in manual mode, the camera will completely expose for the natural light, which is ok without a strobe, but not necessarily what you want with a strobe. This may have happened in your "underwater" mode, although I can't say for sure.

Scott