In a rut

"My photography is always in a rut; occasionally I climb out with a decent shot". Amen, brother Loftus! I'm just trying to get a clue how all this gear works

Seriously, great thread! Having some skill with the tools allows you to focus on those things that make good photography (about which much has been written and could be debated endlessly). I think we're all striving for photos that are not just technically adept, but have an impact on or say something to the viewer - that's what elevates the image to something more than a snapshot.

Phil

Great thread; thought-provoking too.

I am truly lacking when it comes to creativity/artistry so I have shamelessly studied others' work (and yes, Dr M is one of them!) and tried to learn from them. I don't want to copy their work, but rather to use it as a basis for helping my own composition.

Things initially deteriorated when I changed from my D100 to the D300 and this frustrated me, but I now realise it is because the new camera is getting between me and the images, so I have resolved to learn it to the point I no longer 'see' it anymore and can concentrate completely on the image.

The suggestions made by scorpio_fish have struck a chord with me and I'm going to apply them, thank you and the others who have posted so far on this subject.

R

Thanks for all the imput, its very helpful. Regardless of all factors, my favorite saying for uw photograghy is still luck is always a good thing

Thanks for all the imput, its very helpful. Regardless of all factors, my favorite saying for uw photograghy is still luck is always a good thing

One of the things Steve alluded to in the lobster example, is the concept of working the shot, rather than swimming around frantically from place to place and subject to subject.

Mauricio Handler emphasizes this in his courses. Find a subject and really work it, maybe even devoting a whole dive to it. That does not necessarily mean shooting thousands of pics and blinding / stunning the critters, but rather spending time observing the behaviour, looking at different angles, and planning the shot. It may then mean waiting for the subject to swim exactly into the right place before getting the shot.

Regardless of all factors, my favorite saying for uw photography is still luck is always a good thing

Oh, so true... Like Loftus, I haven't been doing this very long, and only luck seems to lead me "occasionally climb out with a decent shot!" It's been a bit over a year since I went to a dSLR, and I am only now really getting comfortable with the changes that emerge when I change my camera or strobe settings/positions UW. To be honest, at least one of my best shots was an accident (in terms of exposure).

Vazuw, it is funny to see you say that you are diving locally to shake things up - I am practically diving myself into a coma locally so I can have a clue what to do when I finally get my rig to Indonesia this summer!!!! Like others, I do see the same subjects again and again (La Jolla Shores underwater topography? I've got a lot of it memorized.) - I try to look for new stuff, but there are some dives that I'll take only about 6 pictures to avoid having yet MORE shots of fringeheads, Hermissindas, etc etc etc.... Lately, I'll pick a subject and take a few shots two different ways - what better way to learn? And a few times, I have gotten a reasonably unique shot out of it.

Oh, so true... Like Loftus, I haven't been doing this very long, and only luck seems to lead me "occasionally climb out with a decent shot!" It's been a bit over a year since I went to a dSLR, and I am only now really getting comfortable with the changes that emerge when I change my camera or strobe settings/positions UW. To be honest, at least one of my best shots was an accident (in terms of exposure).

 

Vazuw, it is funny to see you say that you are diving locally to shake things up - I am practically diving myself into a coma locally so I can have a clue what to do when I finally get my rig to Indonesia this summer!!!! Like others, I do see the same subjects again and again (La Jolla Shores underwater topography? I've got a lot of it memorized.) - I try to look for new stuff, but there are some dives that I'll take only about 6 pictures to avoid having yet MORE shots of fringeheads, Hermissindas, etc etc etc.... Lately, I'll pick a subject and take a few shots two different ways - what better way to learn? And a few times, I have gotten a reasonably unique shot out of it.

I've been doing north channel islands via truth aquatics out of santa barbara. The three day limited load trips are a good deal. BUT man its cold. check my flickr site for vazuw

camera is getting between me and the images

HI all,

great thread, for me the rut is it takes a little while to get back in the swing of takin images,

as I ownly manage to go away a couple of times a year, but I am lucky to say I manage to go

on workshops which help no end. As for ruts of takin the same type of images I have alot of the

same kind of things. but what I have noticed is that my images get better of those subjects.

I also think that you may be lucky to get that special image if you take images of what interest

you. For me if I think I am not progressing I always look at my first images I have ever takin,

then I end up with a big smile on my face, as I can now pull apart the faults ( if thats the way to word it)

back then. Now I strive for a better image than the last one, but that goe's for everyone doesn't it?????

Andy

HI all,

great thread, for me the rut is it takes a little while to get back in the swing of takin images,

as I ownly manage to go away a couple of times a year, but I am lucky to say I manage to go

on workshops which help no end. As for ruts of takin the same type of images I have alot of the

same kind of things. but what I have noticed is that my images get better of those subjects.

I also think that you may be lucky to get that special image if you take images of what interest

you. For me if I think I am not progressing I always look at my first images I have ever takin,

then I end up with a big smile on my face, as I can now pull apart the faults ( if thats the way to word it)

back then. Now I strive for a better image than the last one, but that goe's for everyone doesn't it?????

Andy

Andy, you've made a very good point there; I remember you saying the same thing when we dived last November - that if you think you are not progressing go and look at some of your earlier work. I've done just that since we spoke and yes, it has put a more balanced perspective on things!

R

Agree, this is a great thread, and a subject I've been giving a lot of thought to lately. I dive the one dive site most weekends, and while there's always something new to see there, there's a lot of the same. It's always a challenge to find new ways to photograph the same thing. I'm also trying to now make art in some way, rather than your standard ID shots. A good example would be nudis. I see a lot of side on nudi shots from my area, that are straight forward ID shots, from some fairly decent photographers. Last week, I found this guy floating/sinking in mid water (yes, I know they don't swim, I think he'd gotten knocked off his perch in the surge or something), and jumped at the opportunity!

I'm still fairly new to shooting SLR too, and lately have been looking at other peoples work to get ideas for how to shoot things differently. Maybe that's the real difference between a good and a great photographer, a great photographer is trying new things, making unique images, rather than doing what everyone else is doing?

Ryan.

Another help for me is to review uw photo books for new ideas for a subject. I like dr ms wide angle close up macro technique, for my next warm water trip

I am currently working on a book on fish. I estimate that there are around 500 species in the UK/Ireland of which £300~350 should be within diving range, so I've still got 200ish to go. The biggest problem is trying to find or figure out where I might see some of them - looks like diving mud and sand a lot, but absolutely fascinating as some have still been rarely photographed at all, let alone well photographed (and many are proving very difficult to source decent images of). I can't see getting into a rut - there is simply more to see and photograph than I will ever be able to do in my lifetime!

I have fun by baiting the simple souls who post on www.yorkshire-divers.com. It's always great fun!

I have fun by baiting the simple souls who post on www.yorkshire-divers.com. It's always great fun!

I'm lost as to the relevance of this in the thread, what am I missing please?

R

HI Ralph,

I often look a what other peoples images are like, when you are on workshops its quite easy, I always

see lots of great images & different ways to take images of the same subjects. I think we all become to

critical of our own images, when we think ( i know i have) that I have not shot any good images on a dive.

I can remember the first trip I went on with Alex with Peter Rowlands he said that he doe's not look at his

images for a couple weeks when he gets home, then when he doe's go through them they seem better than

he throught. I know that I will keep takin images for a long long time yet, as I still do not have any good images

to put on my walls at home yet .

Andy