Pre Photo Help, Post Photo Help

Just got back from my first outing with my D7000 and want to post up some pics to get feedback on how to improve going forward

D7000, tokina 10-17 at 14mm, iso 250, f8, 1/320, raw, already cropped

What would you have done differently and what would you do in Aperture

45 views and no comments???

I also have some general queries on shooting Oceanics and would like some further guidance, so that next time I am better prepared for them.

I shot in full manual, when in hindsight I think I should have used aperture priority, what do people think? Main reason behind this is that I had a number of blown out pictures due to the sun and in the heat of the action is was a bit hard to update the settings.

Any help is much appreciated

Well I'll give you two cents Longi my man.

Firstly, dont get too upset if folks don't come back to you. :-)

It's the way things go on this prt. forum.

I think your picture tells a good story- and technically I dont see anything 'wrong' with what you did.

However, if I was there, I would have played with the compositional elements a bit more if I could- and I know given the moving elements of your scene this is hard to do!

I would have pulled the tokina out to 10mm to get a more spherical fisheye effect, gotton closer, and maybe gotten directly underneath your diver and shark.

Think of the silhouette possibilities and maybe interface the two with a sunburst maybe?? Or try a part sunburst using the boat hull, and the diver and shark??

I think change angle of attack, more fisheye, and get closer...???

Just thoughts

Damo

Many thanks for the feedback, you are saying everything that I thought myself, as it was the first outing with the camera and my most desirable subject I got a bit caught up in the moment.

I tried a few times to get the shark as a silhouette against the sun but found it quite hard, they just don't stay still ;-) As mentioned I also got a number of photos that had large burnt out areas.

The getting closer is also easy to say, but a I was a little apprehensive in the situation

Again thanks for the feedback

Ok, so here's my 2 cents.

It is pretty much the same as Damo, getting closer and try to involve the sun somehow.

I would probably have tried to get the boats out of the Picture. I know that is sometimes not feasible, due to the amount of divers in the Water in that area.

Manual vs. Aperture Priority:

Both works in my opinion and you need to find out what works the best for you.

I personally tend to use Manual and try to anticipate where the Shark comes and preset for it.

Thanks E_Viking, I positioned myself on the edge of the group hoping to get a picture of the shark in open blue water, this was just one from when it entered the group so I was not really in the position that I wanted to be in.

In a perfect world I think I know what to do, its all about the timing though and wild animals don't play by any rules :-)

The good news is I have booked up again so I can give it another go!

Anybody comment on whats the best lens to use for sharks?

Hi Longimanus,

I assumed that you were trid to get away from the rest of the divers.

Well, you just have to teach them sharks to behave and swim in the direction you want them :-)

I think your Tokina 10-17 is a good one. It gives you a bit of room to get closer if you can.

Thanks again

I have a question about the Kenko 1.4 converter, is this geared just towards CFWA or in this situation is it good to use to increase the focal distance?

I ask as advice I have seen says a good lens for sharks is anywhere up to 35mm, this may help me to fill the viewfinder a bit easier with the shark, as at present I have cropped the pictures a bit. (I know closer is better, just trying to make it a bit easier)