Underwater Tips

[babette_ross]

Hi, I just picked up the underwater housing for my Fuji f11 - im going to be

going to Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) and Hawaii shortly and will be doing some

snorkling.

 

I have been doing a bit of reading but am intersted in tips - my prior

experience with underwater shooting has been (unusurprisingly) very

dissapointing results with throwaway cameras....

[manitas]

Babette,

 

Go into NationalGeographic.com David Doubilet has some very good tips there. Have lots of fun!

[vandit]

Some ideas:

 

1/ Get close to your subject. A lot of people, when they start out, shoot underwater the same way they shoot on land - ie, broad scenics, etc. That doesnt work underwater, due to loss of light as well as particles in the water, no matter how clear it may seem. Ideally, you should be shooting subjects no more than 6-8 feet away (although exact distance will depend upon distance).

 

2/ Use a flash - even an onboard flash will be better than no flash if you are in clear water and the subject is within a couple of feet from you. Again, an external flash is better - b/c the light comes at an angle, you dont get backscatter (light reflecting back into the camera off particles in the water). A basic flash, the Sunpak G-Flash is < $200 (although it isnt the best buy in terms of reliability - the battery door is very prone to flooding).

 

3/ Look into buying a magic filter - www.magic-filter.com - in lieu of a flash. Dont know how it will work for shallow water, though.

 

4/ Start with macro and closeups, as quick wins.

 

5/ Aim for a clean background - open sea works best.

 

6/ Shoot up, if possible.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Vandit