Inspiration and Observations

Amigos,

Going out on a limb here.....

When I need inspiration I revisit the few underwater coffee table books I own. The images made with systems lacking the immediate feedback we have come to love simply amaze me. Plus text which can inspire new ideas. So here we go......

Chris Newbert's classic, "Within a Rainbowed Sea" broke new ground in 1985. Tightly framed images taken with "archaic" Canon F1 cameras accompanied by poetic text leads to the question...."Just how DID he get that shot?" !! Lots of time in the water and an unending curiousity in creating beautiful portraits of the animals he encountered.

Another favorite is Kenneth Brower's book, "Wake of the Whale". Brower is the son of Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth founder David Brower. The text accompanying the photos is probably my favorite for inspiration. The photographs by National Geographic photographer Bill Curtsinger amy not be 100% of what we see today, but many can still hold there own. Chris Newbert was a young dive guide / photographer with a Boston Whaler larger than Curtsinger's Zodiac, dubbed "Bloater" in 1979. He accompanied Brower and Curtsinger out into blue Hawaiian waters for classic adventures you'll surely enjoy. Curtsinger's attempts to get images of Narwhal, whales, and Leopard seals in other hostile conditions is a must, too. Circa 1968 he was diving to 100' under 8'+ of Antarctic ice in a WETSUIT!!!! He's asked by Brower how he steadies his camera underwater, freediving with Kiko dolphins in Hawaii. His reply: "I dunno', I just kind of swim around the housing!" speaks more to the importance of diving skills verus needing tons of gizmos to make great photos. I recently checked Bill Curtsinger's web site and was saddened to read about his artisit wife, Kate Mahoney's death from cancer. Can a book make you feel like you know someone? It sure did in this case.....

David Doubilet's first coffee table book, "Light in the Sea" came out around 1989 after shooting for National Geographic since 1971. How do you distill 20 lifetimes of film being exposed underwater into about 130 frames? The text describing National Geo's Director of Photography Bob Gilka in 1969 when Doubilet first presents his work is hilarious....We all should have a real or mental critic like Gilka to challenge us in making images.

My reason for revisiting the past is to challenge myself to make better images. I still subconsciously tell myself "Move Closer" underwater from my slide shooting days. I don't believe in "Salad Bowl" shots, a little of this, a little of that with no clear subject. In the limited simple photo seminars I teach I use a term, "isolationism" to encourage people to cut out the clutter. To get a tightly framed digital file as a starting point then do further refinement in the computer.

The last point I want to make is an observation on Eric's recent Rodales shot of the "Dolphin Armada". What sets the image apart from countless other dolphin pics is the eye contact of the animals and symmetry of them together. Don't mean to be brutal, but no BUTT shot of any animal can compete with a critter staring at you with an inquisitive look. This intangible "mood" is what separates great images from snapshots....

You can find the books mentioned through Amazon, or you can borrow mine as long as you pay shipping and return it

David Haas

davidhaas@sbcglobal.net

Amigos,

 

Don't mean to be brutal, but no BUTT shot of any animal can compete with a critter staring at you with an inquisitive look. This  intangible "mood" is what separates great images from snapshots....

Gotta disagree with you here, amigo. It depends what type of "animal" you're referring to. There's a couple of blonde 'animals' whose butt shot would certainly attract my attention more than Eric's Dolphins (sorry Eric).

But seriously, I definitely concur with your frame of mind. I find an enourmous amount of inspiration from going through my collection of old underwater photography books, my collection of Ocean Realm magazines, and the hundreds of photography galleries online. Then there's the infinite collection of underwater videos. Everyone of them portrays how different artists perceive the ocean world.

For me, I am attracted mostly to creative lighting. I feel this one variable can make one scene look average or look extraordinary. The works of Bob Talbot, Herb, Craig and numerous others who have developed such an artistic style is always a true inspiration and the fuel I use to push myself further.

One of the greatest joys I have with diving is, as you've mentioned, the story telling. Reading and rereading the dive adventures of Howard & Michelle Hall, Stan Waterman, Tony Wu and numerous others makes this hobby / addiction just that much more enticing.

Lastly, I think what most attacts us to diving is exploration. While many of us are techno geeks, all this equipment would be useless without the thrill and determination of finding that elusive symbiotic relationship between a nudibranch and a whale shark to observe and photograph. Discovering something completely new or never before noticed adds the thrilling element to your image and/or story.

I think mixing all these ingredients together produces the kind of work that stimulates people to want to experience it for themselves and take action to protect it if necessary. The Internet - the inexhaustible medium - is but one of the canvases with which to paint your view of the world for the masses to see. All in all, a good day's work as an adventurer and a photographer.

Here are a couple of books and web sites I truly enjoy:

Tony Wu's web site and his book, Silent Symphony

David Doubilet's numerous books and articles

Fathoms Magazine

Ocean.com

OneWorldJourneys - The perfect blend of photography, story telling and the power of the Internet's interactive media.

I'm sure there's plenty more.. Post them if you've got them!

I'll start by saying I definately agree. I used to watch for the Skin Diver annual photo issue. I believe it was Constantinos Petrinos (spelling) that I first really saw some intriguing macro.

I always like to look closely at unique photos to try to understand what thoughts they had and how they captured the art on "film".

Now, to put Craig and Herb in the same sentence as Bob Talbot is a stretch for me. Now don't get me wrong they both inspire me to push myself further. Especially when they are diving beside you shooting the same damn subject. (To avoid confusion, I consider both very good friends now) And, Craigs recent shots and filter use motivates me for later. Ok, maybe I do agree with you but would not use Talbot in the same sentence.

Heck Laz some of your macro shots inspired me to look for the smaller picture. Those little subjects we all miss every dive.

Yahoo!

I started a thread that so far hasn't gone into "lines of millimeters resolution" or reproduction ratios, or the next newest lens, blah, blah, blah.....

Laz, who is going with me on another Bahamas adventure understands this "mood" idea as does Todd (who I'm sure I'll get to dive with someday and have traded emails with

One other thing I didn't add to my original post was exploring outside the diving world looking at other photographic work.

I bought a book for $5.00 at Borders by Pete Turner, a legendary shooter. It's on Africa where he first traveled to shoot in 1959 with a Nikon SP (Nikon rangefinder camera like a Leica.) The main reason I bought the book (other than I had an usused gift certificate) is Turner's eye for color....You have to "read" into his images made on film, but so many have fantastic shadows, unique light and elements I find fascinating.

I also subscribe to PDN (Photo Distirct News) which besides giving photographic business information showcases many new photographic styles and ideas. I'm finding myself drawn to what I call for lack of a better term "weird" If it's weird and thought provoking and fresh and NEW I like it!

Hopefully all this will lead us to image making paths less traveled underwater.

David Haas

davidhaas@sbcglobal.net

www.pbase.com/dhaas

I myself have been struggling with how to make my pictures more interesting. I certainly am better with big animals than I am with the little guys, and mostly, it's lighting that is the problem. Thus far, I have been only able to get flat, well-lit, boring lighting. I have lots of ideas on where to go from here (since it can only get better!), but I tend to be out of the water for 5-6 months at a time, which makes it hard to develop consistently.

I also am tired of shooting the "same old sh*t" that photographers decades before have been shooting. How do I take my personal photography to the next level? I've never been so concerned about shooting specifically for other people, and all of my published work has been published through serendipity alone. Hopefully, I can continue to have that attitude. If anyone sees me taking a photo of a model looking at a little critter, please shoot me. (My point is that the working professional who focuses on dive magazine publication must often shoot things that are contrived.)

Great post Dave! For me, one of the most inspiring photo experiences is a slide show composed and put together with music. When artfully done, the images and sounds can really bring out a strong response - not just the "wow!" factor.

Unfortunately, we sometimes "have to" talk about equipment here on Wetpixel, but that doesn't mean we are all heartless technophiles that never get out and shoot photos. A good "technical" example is shutter lag.

Try creating a mood when instead of eye-contact, all you get are "fish-butts."

Cheers

James

Now, to put Craig and Herb in the same sentence as Bob Talbot is a stretch for me. Now don't get me wrong they both inspire me to push myself further. Especially when they are diving beside you shooting the same damn subject. (To avoid confusion, I consider both very good friends now) And, Craigs recent shots and filter use motivates me for later. Ok, maybe I do agree with you but would not use Talbot in the same sentence.

If Herb and Craig had anywhere near the amount of in-water time or financial backing as Bob Talbot to stay at one location for long periods of time, I am quite sure their imagery will be just as stunning (not like it isn't already). But most of all, I mentioned both of them (to name a few)because they seem to have acquired a personal style to their photography. You could see the development of this style from their older galleries to their newer ones.

Heck Laz some of your macro shots inspired me to look for the smaller picture. Those little subjects we all miss every dive.

Thanks. I just can't wait till the water warms up so I can get my head stuck in some mangrove roots and hopefully find some new critters.

I think David Doubilet is a good example of a photographer with a unique photographic style. I have heard stories from dive captains and read about his setups for photographing a subject. One such example was when he photographed the Mantas in Hawaii. With movie lights powered from a generator from above, his images of the Mantas swimming through a ray of light in total darkness are truly stunning. I think it is creative ideas like this that attract my attention the most... that and the blonde butt shots, of course.

David, when are you going to the Bahamas?

I will be there this year with the regular group.

Laz I also enjoy a friend of mines' site

His stuff just seems different. I also understand that recently he was featured in a article on one of the hawaiian airlines magazines.

www.wantphoto.com

For inspirational Macro photography, Coral Seas by Roger Steene can't be beat. As for finances, and time underwater being a factor, a friend once won a trip to the Galapagos with Dave Doubilet. Three weeks, unlimited diving, a camera caddy, and the result? Six photos in the article. Not to knock Doubilet's work, as I'm a great fan, but many 'amateur' photographers, given the consistent opportunity, would develop their skills and style at a faster rate. Some still won't. I think the major factor is a passion for what you do, and to treat the camera as an artist's tool. It isn't the camera that takes good photographs, it's the artist.

Mentoring, such as can be found on sites like this, and newsgroups, are also a great aid to developing your vision and skills. I was very fortunate to work on a conservation project with Rick Sammon when I first got my camera. He told me to 'put on my small eyes'. It's the best advice I ever received, as a diver, and underwater photographer.

As for publication biases, I think it has a long way to go, but I'm seeing less cheesecake on the covers, and more photography that emphasizes style. You couldn't find a macro shot in a magazine four years ago (except Nat'l Geo., and they have all their employees already). That seems to be changing. I'd like to see a Photo Annual like Skin Diver's (except with recent photos...some of the one's they used were old or just published elsewhere) where photographers are invited to submit their work.

Marli

I also am tired of shooting the "same old sh*t" that photographers decades before have been shooting.  How do I take my personal photography to the next level?

I have found, from diving every weekend, that I have amassed an enormous collection of the regular critters that seem to catch every divers eye (ie. Angelfish). Although every photograph I've taken of Angelfish (and I have a lot) is challenging, I have realized the hard way that the one's that don't seem like the "same old sh*t" are the ones that I accidentally lit in some odd way (see my latest weekly gallery for an example). I have also noticed that a lot of critters that are "normally" seen, we as photographers seem to overlook. I have seen very few photographs of the mass of tiny fish that constantly surround me on every dive in the Keys. With a stunning background, these common critters might surprise us when we paint them with a little light (look at Craigs macro photography as an example).

But I definitely agree with you, Eric. In all my diving I have come to the point where it's the places that everyone overlooks (ie. Mangroves, Seagrass, plankton, etc.) that seems to be attracting most of my attention. I think this is one of the enjoyments of diving with Jim Abernethy. His quest for the adventure can have you swimming with rarely seen Tiger sharks one minute, swimming with baby sea turtles the next or combing some out of the way reef for some unknown critter the next. I wish more dive operators down here were as spontaneous and adventurous.

The one tip I can give you for your lighting --- hand-hold one of your strobes.

Thanks, Laz. I have always planned on hand-holding a strobe, but my set-up is so negative underwater that I sometimes have a hard time shooting one-handed. Ahh, the benefits of using a smaller setup!

But I do have removeable ULCS handles that I use with the Seacam setup, so each strobe/handle assembly is just a button press away from separation from the housing.

But I do have removeable ULCS handles that I use with the Seacam setup, so each strobe/handle assembly is just a button press away from separation from the housing.

That's the same arm system I have.. They are a plus as they give me the equivalent of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arms.

Todd,

I'm leading one group including the famous Lazaro on the Shearwater May 28-June 3. Then a friend is leading another group for me October 7-12 while I'm taking 15 lucky people on the Deep Blue in the Galapagos I may also fill a July 2-8 Shearwater charter, but will not know about that one for a couple weeks. I believe that's the trip before Eric's (which I'm assuming you're on, correct?)

Laz has hit the nail on the head in one aspect regarding developing a photographic style. Surface photographers become very adept at their lighting versus many underwater photogs initially duplicating the magazines and books. Plus being obsessed with "even" lighting. Many times this looks "flat" as Eric stated. Personally, shadows always add a mystery to photos, at least to my eye. As Laz states "painting" with our strobes, hand held if possible, allows us to experiment with different shadow effects. I'm currently torn between using an Ikelite DS125 strobe or two of the smaller but possibly more creatively capable DS50 little wonders with EV controllers........Since my new Ike EOS 300D housing is more compact I can likely hand hold a small strobe easier......We'll see.....

One thing about Doubilet's photos......He doesn't obsess over an animal kicking up some sand in the frame, although he is a quasi journalist / artist. I think many times we're too obsessed with technical "perfection" while forgetting "mood".

IMHO

David Haas

One thing about Doubilet's photos......He doesn't obsess over an animal kicking up some sand in the frame, although he is a quasi journalist / artist. I think many times we're too obsessed with technical "perfection" while forgetting "mood".

This is a great point David. It seems we get hung up on the technical aspects of the photo too often, is it sharp here, is that noise I see there and forget that it's the feeling that the photo shows that's most important.

I myself have been struggling with how to make my pictures more interesting. I certainly am better with big animals than I am with the little guys, and mostly, it's lighting that is the problem.  Thus far, I have been only able to get flat, well-lit, boring lighting.  I have lots of ideas on where to go from here (since it can only get better!), but I tend to be out of the water for 5-6 months at a time, which makes it hard to develop consistently.

 

I also am tired of shooting the "same old sh*t" that photographers decades before have been shooting.  How do I take my personal photography to the next level? I've never been so concerned about shooting specifically for other people, and all of my published work has been published through serendipity alone. Hopefully, I can continue to have that attitude.  If anyone sees me taking a photo of a model looking at a little critter, please shoot me.  (My point is that the working professional who focuses on dive magazine publication must often shoot things that are contrived.)

This is a very good point. I was thinking something like this myself.

Till now I have tried to light subjects in a traditional flat way.(macro, like you see)Part was learning the system and photography and part was thinking that this was the way to do it. But the whole time thinking to myself "so what". I was concerned that if i tried to be different others would not "get it". What I have found is that the pictures that are different and not "technically" correct seem to catch my eye more and intrigue me more.

This is something I want to work at now that I will be with the same system for awhile now. Develop my own style or signature. (hopefully not crap in the process)

This is exactly what I have been toying with over the last 10 days. I'm laid up after a knee op with my new digital kit in a box beside me, but it has given me time to reflect on just what I'll doing with it. (after leak tests!)

I went back to my old Newbert and Doubilet books and found that Chris N still had the wow factor, but the DD book had started to look "old". A bit like my own images. I've also spent some time reviewing non u/w masters like Edward Weston, Pete Turner, and Ernst Haas. Also some of the old u/w b/w work like Silent World still has a lot of atmosphere. Perhaps as they were some of the first underwater images I saw.

Through all of this I've not come to any solid conclusions, but I'll be shooting in at least a few different modes.

- marine biology and recording the local environment

- magazine style stock (still need to pay bills)

- available light

- black and white

It will be great to come back to this thread at the end of 2004 and see where we all went.