French Polynesia without strobes? (any other advice for there)

Newbie here. Figured this is the best place to start this conversation. I'm at that point of paralyses by analysis. I've searched a lot.

I've been shooting for most of my life. Having a camera in my hand is very natural. I'm also very comfortable with buoyancy control, no concerns what so ever jumping in the water with photo gear.

My wife and I are heading to Moorea and Bora Bora in 5 weeks. I plan to do a lot of snorkeling and diving. I'm trying not to spend a lot on equipment but what I am finding is that I'm far better off buying and reselling anything (strobes) I don't see myself using again for a while (Landlocked Midwesterner with young kids). Rentals are cost prohibitive because I'd need the rental for about two weeks as we will be gone 11 days.

I've recently offloaded all my pro level Canon gear and switched to micro four thirds. No regrets. Anyway, my plan is to shoot with an Olympus OM-D and a Panasonic 8mm fisheye. I have no interest in macro. I feel pretty comfortable with just the camera (in a housing of course) for our snorkeling and swimming around the bungalow. I'll probably pick up a magic filter to play around with. From what I can tell, it looks like a lot of the diving will be deep. Deeper than where accessible natural light will be for the camera. I'm fine shooting high ISO and I think there will still be some shots to grab, though they may be black and white.

What I am wondering is, will I be doing myself a disservice by not taking a strobe or more? Will I regret not having one? I'm not looking for portfolio level photos but this is likely a once in a lifetime trip and I want to capture OUR trip.

Thoughts?

I guess the question is whether you will be satisfied with the mono-chrome images that you are going to get at any depth. It sounds like you know your way around UW photography, so at least you won't be surprised...

On the other hand, once you're there and look at your day's shooting, if you aren't happy, you won't be able to do anything about it.

Is there an option to rent something while you are there for a day or two? It would be difficult to justify buying two strobes for one trip though...

Geez, that was a helpful answer wasn't it? :-)

This is why I am asking! I know my way around a camera but not under water. Very limited experience shooting underwater limited to point and shoot with tons of back scatter.

I don't know if I can rent there. I've not been able to find out. I should probably send an email or two.

I also know nothing of the diving there. Maybe I should just dive and enjoy it and save the photos for shallow water? That may seem too reasonable for me though.

It is helpful. I know there is t a simple answer, I'm looking for a conversation to help come to the most reasonable solution.

I've bought equipment for one time use before for paid jobs, that was an easy decision.

You might struggle shooting a fisheye lens with a single strobe. Wide angle scenes need a lot of light on arms spread out wide. With one strobe you'll have a hot spot with good color in part of the frame and the rest of the frame without color. The only kinds of images that I can imagine working is where you want to illuminate a relatively well defined foreground subject (for example a sea fan on a wall, or close focus wide angle, or a pelagic animal in open water) and expose the rest of the scene for ambient, or shoot up toward the surface for a silhouette. Your definitely cannot light up an underwater landscape with a single strobe.

I'd suggest looking at a lot of sample images to decide if they are what you want to achieve. Martin Edge's book "The Underwater Photographer" has some good examples and discusses shooting with single strobes quite a lot, however not with FE lenses.

One more thought: what about a GoPro with MagicFilters to capture memories on deeper dives? If you're an accomplished photographer it might not be the first thing that comes to mind but it could be a simple solution.

You might struggle shooting a fisheye lens with a single strobe. Wide angle scenes need a lot of light on arms spread out wide. With one strobe you'll have a hot spot with good color in part of the frame and the rest of the frame without color. The only kinds of images that I can imagine working is where you want to illuminate a relatively well defined foreground subject (for example a sea fan on a wall, or close focus wide angle, or a pelagic animal in open water) and expose the rest of the scene for ambient, or shoot up toward the surface for a silhouette. Your definitely cannot light up an underwater landscape with a single strobe.

 

I'd suggest looking at a lot of sample images to decide if they are what you want to achieve. Martin Edge's book "The Underwater Photographer" has some good examples and discusses shooting with single strobes quite a lot, however not with FE lenses.

 

One more thought: what about a GoPro with MagicFilters to capture memories on deeper dives? If you're an accomplished photographer it might not be the first thing that comes to mind but it could be a simple solution.

I don't know if I'd use the word "accomplished", I've been playing for years and am comfortable

Anyway, I should clarify, I do plan (as of now) to shoot FE, BUT I am not going for reefscape/landscape shots. Much more interested in close focus or divers or sea creatures.

Thanks for the book recommendation, thanks to Amazon Prime it will be here tonight

I've thought about a GoPro but I really don't like video...at all and if I'm gonna use it for stills, I'd rather just take one of our point and shoots and do the same thing. Or take the fourth thirds with no strobes and at least be able to capture creatures and coral snorkeling but maybe not get much diving. Which may be my best option for this trip.

In my opinion you will be disappointed. If you have gone to the trouble and cost of an underwater housing and dive trip like that you want something halfway decent to show for it.... Why not look at buying some strobes second hand or failing that buy some new ones for the trip and sell them after if you are not going to use them.

Hi Dave

I dived Moorea a few years ago.

As you'd expect visibility is pretty good and there are lots of fish swimming above the reef: all the usual suspects plus a good few reef sharks. The ambient light is good.

As others have said, shooting underwater without some sort of light/stobe is always going to be limiting. Photos are, generally, flat and rather lifeless. It needs the light/strobe to provide the illumination to show the underwater colours at their best.

Shooting FE underwater is never easy to light. You need a great deal of light to even approach the coverage of the lens. But if you are planning to photo divers and snorkelers underwater you might be able to get away with one strobe provided you position it carefully - either to highlight one element of the reef (perhaps a colourful soft coral) and light the rest with the ambient light using the diver as a prop to give the image context; or to use the strobe to light the face of the diver.

Sounds like a great trip you have coming - and it's not far away - and my suggestion would be to get yourself a strobe and then you won't regret not having one. You can always sell it on later (through Wetpixel!) and if it's a good, well-known make, you should get a reasonable amount back on it - and you won't be gnashing your teeth that you didn't take the plunge.

Have a a great holiday!

Thanks. I bit the bullet last week and bought a used DS125 and two batteries for all the same reasons listed above. I just need to pick up an arm for it.