I need to get arty far...

I have been taking underwater photos since 1985. Back then I was a big fish in a little pond, so to speak. Now... now I am a rank beginner, left behind by the masses who have mastered digital and know how to use light and composition. AND.. know how to post process.

This has been disheartening for me so I bought digital. And my shots aren't any better. I need a better digital camera!!! Yeah, that will fix everything. Won't it?

My style of photography has stemmed from needing to build a list of species. I didn't have to do anything special, just get that fish on film. Well now every fish on the planet has been photographed so I need to do something better.

How can I force myself to "see" the art in a scene and then photograph that instead of chasing a fish I don't have.

Please, someone tell me a D700?

Mary

I am probably not the best one here at Wetpixel to suggest ways to get out of your dilemma but here goes:

“Break the rules”

restrict yourself to one lens and really work it for all you can get out of it

Intentionally introduce various amounts of blur to your photos

Use “rear flash” if your equipment allows it

Dive somewhere where you normally wouldn't dive (do this safely though)

Try different lens and equipment combinations i.e. wide angle lens with teleconverters, small apertures and long shutter speeds, etc.

Dive without your camera once in while (it's amazing the great photos you will see when you don't have your camera gear with you!)

Try available light underwater photography with and without filters

Vary the position and number of strobes you use when you photograph underwater

Shoot with and without diffusers

Look at the work of other photographers and maintain a file of photographs you admire (best done with magazine photos and try to figure out what you like about them)

Execute images in terms of style from that list of magazine photographs that you admire

Study your results with a non critical eye and decide on what you like about your images and improve or expand on these concepts

Challenge yourself on a concept or theme...

Remember that there are other things besides fish to photograph when underwater such as seascapes, diver interaction, diver portraits, environmental change due to human interaction etc. These issues can be extremely interesting to non-divers due to their lack of familiarity with the issues that we see every time we dive.

Allow yourself to “break the rules” and don't become overly critical of yourself and your results.

You already have enough underwater photography kit to compete effectively with everyone. Shoot the image the way you see it in your mind's eye and the worries about post processing will cease to be a major issue.

While this is not an exhaustive list, this should be enough to get you re-started in the right direction. I know others will have more ideas you should be able to use.

Good Luck, hope you get some great results.

Hi Mary,

First, the list that Paul made is full of great ideas on how to vary what you do. I couldn't have come with a list that long. However, I'm in the other bucket in that I've only been shooting u/w for just over a year so I'm still working on learning the basics. Regardless, I can see what has been done and started wondering what hadn't been done - I quickly figured out that first, I'm shooting for myself so I can maybe hang something on the wall at some point. I also thought about what I wanted to shoot - or say, with my u/w photography. I'm an aquatic biologist by training, and interest, so critter ID shots appeal to me, but as you say, chasing that critter you don't have yet can be a bit boring, especially when you see a great shot of it by someone else. So, in addition to the odd critter shot, I decided I'd try to capture why it is I dive, why I like being underwater, try to make images that might inspire those that don't dive to at least think about the other 2/3rds of our planet. I heard a great saying once (I'd give the credit if I knew), and it goes something like this: "You can spend your entire life on the Ocean, but if you never get into it, you can miss the whole point." I'm trying to get the "point" on film... ah, sensor. The reasons I dive and my interpretation of the "point" is what will hoefully allow me to make the odd original image.

Hope this helps.

Lee

Look at the late Jim Church's "Guide to Underwater Photographic Composition"!

It's not really the camera, it's colour, contrast, perspective and activity in the image...

Tim

Here is a link to see more info on the book tdpriest mentioned, if you have interest. The link includes the table of contents and up to the first few chapters...to wet the ap'...so to speak.

(slightly different title than tdp mentions but I believe this was the intended book)

Jim Church's book

Hey Mary!

I know of what you speak. I've got hundreds of pics: nicely composed, reasonably well lit, in focus - and boring.

We've just had Willian Tan at KBR and I discussed it with him. His pics are BRILLIANT. He showed me about 150 and they all had the wow factor. William's advice: get close. MUCH closer. And think about the image in terms of the background. What will make the picture look good. Find a good background and then look for a critter on it - rather than the other way around.

I would have tried this in Lembeh except my macro port has just decided to go for the frosted antique glass look. But it sounds good to me. Just got to get the damn port fixed now.

And then buy the D700.

But but but...

William shoots film

Great list Paul

(slightly different title than tdp mentions but I believe this was the intended book)

 

Jim Church's book

True enough: my copy is buried in a heap of diving books and my memory is going....

Tim

Does anyone know where I could get hold of a reasonable priced copy of this book? Amazon want £125 ($190) in the UK or £70 ($100) for a fair second hand copy. Most other places seem to be out of stock.

Daniel

Another source of inspiration, though with an odd layout, is the Ferrari's book "The Art of Underwater Photography". I can't find Jim Church's book except as second-hand, either...

... and I won't sell mine, I'm afraid.

Tim

Thankyou everyone for your input. I was very impressed with Paul's list, except the part about going in without a camera!! I am impossible to live with if I see a great shot without my camera.

I am going to address his points with new enthusiasm.

Mary

Does anyone know where I could get hold of a reasonable priced copy of this book? Amazon want £125 ($190) in the UK or £70 ($100) for a fair second hand copy. Most other places seem to be out of stock.

 

Daniel

I ordered the book from Tower Books the other day and they accepted the order. We will see if anything shows up.

Divers supply also seems willing to accept orders for it - see link below.

I talked to DiversSupply on the phone today and they claim to be getting some copies in next week.

I plan to call in a week and see if they really have some.

Divers supply

Does anyone know where I could get hold of a reasonable priced copy of this book? Amazon want £125 ($190) in the UK or £70 ($100) for a fair second hand copy. Most other places seem to be out of stock.

Have you tried to get a copy in a library? I would consider that to be "reasonably priced"

I don't know how libraries work in the UK, but here in the US you can request a copy of the book you want thru interlibrary loan if your local library doesn't have a copy. If any library in the US that participates in the loan program has the book, they will ship it to your local library and you can check it out. Of course, it would be best to own the book, but this might suffice until you can get a copy at a reasonable price.

I actually requested a copy of Jim Church's Composition book at my local library years ago. They didn't have it but ended up purchasing it due to my request for the book!

Ellen

How can I force myself to "see" the art in a scene and then photograph that instead of chasing a fish I don't have.

Paul has given you a great list of ideas. I'll just add two ideas to his list:

1. Take an underwater photography workshop. I've taken a few classes over the past few years and, while they haven't transformed me into a world class uw photographer, the classes have forced me to look at things differently. In addition to learning from the instructor, I've also benefitted from talking to other folks in the workshop and getting ideas from them.

2. Join a local camera club which does not need to have anything to do with underwater photography. That's an excellent way to learn about composition and the color, contrast and perspective in the image to which Tim refers. You can then apply the principles you will have learned to improve your uw photography.

The above ideas plus those that Paul has mentioned can't help but improve your uw photography and help you to look at the fish in a different light.

Ellen

Mary,

You're one of the most accomplished photographers already but my little tip would be......

Sometimes the fish is not a fish, but just another element of the scene.

Some of my favourite photos have been captured when I stop trying to get a close shot of some critter and move back to see how it fits in the wider environ.

Another is to shoot kelp, the shapes, textures, curves and colours are amazing. I often do it on the way back to shore or when I can't find any seadragons and they often turn out to be the most artistic of my results.

Oh and as for cameras, you definitely need a D700. Won't make the pictures any better but you would be a D700 owner!

... you definitely need a D700. Won't make the pictures any better but you would be a D700 owner...

Well, it's going to work like a film body, optically, but cropped sensors facilitate some kinds of underwater photography, and some lenses, so it isn't as straightforward as it seems. Some really useful lenses underwater have been designed for cropped sensors (if you're a Nikonian).

Legacy lenses will suit a D700, I guess, so that's a factor, too.

Tim