I'm currently on Eleuthera (Bahamas) and going to a good shark dive site soon. I have been there once before, I didn't bring my camera. The water is very clear and the reef sharks slowly swim around you.
I have a Nikon P7700 (compact camera, about 4 years since it came out) with an Ikelite housing and one ds-50 strobe with TTL functionality. I also have the attachment to adjust strobe power manually but this precludes use of TTL. I have done a lot of snorkeling practicing with the camera. I have been using TTL mode with mostly good results. I have barely practiced with manual strobe settings.
Is TTL OK for shark photography? What strategy do you recommend for shark photos?
thank you
First, check with the operator. Some don't allow strobes on shark dives
You have to be very close for that strobe to light up a subject, like a 1.0 - 1,5 meter or so. If that is possible, you can try to balance the ambient light and use the strobe as fill, in which case TTL could work. Or you can ditch the strobe, shoot ambient only, and adjust white balance later
thank you - i like the idea of ambient light. I've been shooting RAW so white balance shouldn't be a problem. Do you recommend full manual mode for using ambient light? I was thinking aperture priority with ISO set at 100 or 200 would be easiest for me. And I would just adjust aperture and ISO if my shutter speed was too slow.
I'm not an expert on this style (I shoot mostly macro) but here is what works for me when I do dabble with WA. Set exposure using A mode, internal flash to manual or fill, strobe to manual. If shooting more than 1 my away, start with strobe on Full, then dial back as necessary. Practice on the reef first if possible. Good luck!
