What is your biggest challenge when shooting?

I think one of my biggest problems, and this includes shooting topside, is being patient. I know especially uw, I shoot too soon because I think I am going to miss a shot, and while my camera or strobe is recycling, the perfect shot presents itself and my camera isn't ready. I found this to be the case in a place like Galapagos and shooting hammers.

I have no idea how to correct this problem. Don't drink so much coffee in the morning, maybe?

Practice.

Lots of shooting, lots of diving.

I have the same problem. Especially when I get to go on that rare exotic trip and actually have great conditions.

Beyond that I would say have a picture in your mind of what you want to accomplish and how to do it.

When the killer whales swim by you don't have time to think. You want to know ahead of time how you are going to shoot.

And have the right lens on your camera.

For me, the biggest challenge is to find the 'right' buddy's for photography diving. But if i really want to focus on taking photos, and it takes out 10 minutes or so until that shy fish comes out, and 'poses' properly, it's hard to find buddy's that don't mind the waiting. That's when possible, i preferably dive alone... Or at least, away from the group. The only thing they do (most of the time) is make a lot of noise, stir up the sand, and when i just want to take the shot of that turtle, swim in front of my lens, and upon that, scare the turtle away But hey, i'm a social guy

Do you really have to wait such a long time until your gear recycles? i have a canon 450d with a ds160 strobe, and the longuest i have to wait is aprox 1 second. Or are you talking about high speed action pictures?

And indeed have the right lens on the camera. The guy that invents a really good one-in-all (1:1 marco, or even more + wideangle,...) will be a millionaire...

Jochen

I think one of my biggest problems, and this includes shooting topside, is being patient. I know especially uw, I shoot too soon because I think I am going to miss a shot, and while my camera or strobe is recycling, the perfect shot presents itself and my camera isn't ready. I found this to be the case in a place like Galapagos and shooting hammers.

I have no idea how to correct this problem. Don't drink so much coffee in the morning, maybe?

For the quick action type of situation like the Hammers in Galapagos, three things are key: Preparation, previsualization and familiarity with your rig. You have to prepare your camera and strobe (f-stops / shutter speed etc) ahead of time for a previsualized frame and context. You should have a clear idea where you want your main subject to be distance wise from your camera and set-up accordingly. And then you have to be patient and let the animals come to you, chasing after them is futile. Once you have your image and setup ready you should only have to make minor adjustments according to what your screen / histogram tell you. Most of the time the only adjustment you should have to make is if they come closer than you expect, and then to decrease your strobe power through strobe control or f-stop to prevent overexposure. If the animal is too far away, you're unlikely to get a decent shot anyway. I find setting up your review screen with the flashing blown highlights setting is more valuable than the histogram, so all you have to watch for is minimizing the areas of blinking blown highlights. The biggest mistake I see some photographers make with big animals is chasing after them, I've seen this with sharks, mantas, dolphins, manatees, baraccuda etc. It also pisses off any other photographers in the area when you chase them away. So yes, it's patience, but also be ready for the type of shot you want.

Even for smaller stuff swimming around furiously looking for stuff, I think will be less productive than simply staying in a smaller area and really working the area, setting up your shot, and waiting for the right moment. Patience with purpose is probably a good mantra.

I think patience and perserverance. I have countless shots that weren't as perfect as they appeared on my LCD. I moved on thinking I had nailed it and then when I got to the computer...viola a piece of salad, another fish or something not correct with the composition. Because I dive so infrequently, I still don't have the patience to sit with one subject for an entire dive.

Poor vis!

To deal with it one must have patience and persevere!

Happy New Year!

Tom

mine is simple...

lack of funds to buy new toys

What is your biggest challenge when shooting?

Oh come on !!... Somebody ??? I cant be the only one here with the childish mind for innuendo jokes

Dive safe

DeanB

To raise a counter point. I must admit that I never find I need more patience. More air perhaps. I have to admit I love every moment I have underwater taking photos and there are never enough. Perhaps my most boring dive this year was going with one of the guides at Lembeh Resort to photograph mandarin fish. That evening not much happened, but I was still happy underwater watching and waiting. After the dive my guide said she had never dived with someone so patient. I hadn't really noticed we were waiting. I guess she was being nice - as it was a bit of a dud dive. But it did make me think - if you feel you have to be patient to get a certain shot, then some aspects of wildlife photography may not be for you.

That said I think it is important to recognise when a situation will develop into something workable and when it won't. Time is always limited underwater and using it wisely is perhaps the biggest challenge of underwater shooting. I'd love to be able to stay underwater all day, with no ill effects.

Alex

mine is simple...

 

lack of funds to buy new toys

I disagree... You can still make very bad pictures with very expensive equipment

My biggest challenge is finding time that matches my photobuddy's schedule, And at the moment.. temperature: Just came back from a non-photodive, water was a freezing 3c..

As I like wide angle; I find a big challenge is finding and reproducing the light I see underwater. One of the most magical things for me underwater is the interplay of light in water; reproducing that magical underwater landscape is a challenge.

Dean...we've been waiting for you, but I would have to guess that for you the challenge might be finding someone to shoot with.

Weather, visibility, time, money - that about covers it!

I got my job because although I was a lousy writer (they can change the words later) I was one of few that could produce an in-focus properly lit and exposed piece of film while underwater. Digital imaging has changed all that. Now the challenge is to make an image that is different from the millions being made by everyone else. I'm obviously getting too old for it. I should have...oh, never mind!

I belive finding decent conditions. And offcourse some money would not hurt anyone in pursuit for clearer water's.

Scubamoose

To raise a counter point. I must admit that I never find I need more patience. More air perhaps. I have to admit I love every moment I have underwater taking photos and there are never enough. Perhaps my most boring dive this year was going with one of the guides at Lembeh Resort to photograph mandarin fish. That evening not much happened, but I was still happy underwater watching and waiting. After the dive my guide said she had never dived with someone so patient. I hadn't really noticed we were waiting. I guess she was being nice - as it was a bit of a dud dive. But it did make me think - if you feel you have to be patient to get a certain shot, then some aspects of wildlife photography may not be for you.

 

That said I think it is important to recognise when a situation will develop into something workable and when it won't. Time is always limited underwater and using it wisely is perhaps the biggest challenge of underwater shooting. I'd love to be able to stay underwater all day, with no ill effects.

 

Alex

I think you make some great points. However, when conditions are bad for taking pix, it may try ones patience waiting for things to change and get better. For example, if you live where it can rain for weeks on end ruining the vis, this can be quite frustrating. I was looking forward to the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend to shoot salmon on their spawning grounds just a month ago. It was decent on Thursday, the pic in my post above was on Friday when the rain started (this was one of the better shots). I watched college football on Saturday instead of shooting as it poured. Since it was fall (should have been below freezing), when the rain subsided on Sunday, it began to clear, but there was still a lot of junk in suspension. However there was silver lining - the rain had re-arranged the whole stream. What had been under water was a gravel bar. in other places salmon redds were being exposed and eggs were circling in small eddies. The pix I took do show a lot of backscatter. An example is posted. It was an interesting opportunity.

Tom

Dean...we've been waiting for you, but I would have to guess that for you the challenge might be finding someone to shoot with.

Sadly not true...

But i do find financial constraints a major problem... This might be down to the once said Hollywood ideas, amatuer budgets...

Dive safe

DeanB

Lack of diveworthy water within reasonable distance form where I live.

I think one of my biggest problems, and this includes shooting topside, is being patient. I know especially uw, I shoot too soon because I think I am going to miss a shot, and while my camera or strobe is recycling, the perfect shot presents itself and my camera isn't ready. I found this to be the case in a place like Galapagos and shooting hammers.

I have no idea how to correct this problem. Don't drink so much coffee in the morning, maybe?

Time and money and lack of experience as a result. This site does help me stay connected .