morgan lee Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Last weekend I went to Weeki Watchee to take photographs for my web site, www.realfloridaphoto.com Though I got several photos I like regarding composition, I was frustrated by the exposure and color. My question is, "how would you have taken this photograph?" It was taken sixteen feet undergound through very-thick glass looking at performers in a natural spring that feeds/creates the Weeki Wachee river (so, yes, the fish is just a fish hanging out, not part of the show). I presume this question is basically, "how would you photograph subjects in an aquarium lit by natural sunlight?" Any input from what lens you would use to exposure settings and the myriad of other options on the K10D are greatly appreciated. ~Morgan<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kuhne Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 That is a pretty nice shot, marred mainly by the wearing of the bra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan lee Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 P.S. Photographed on K10D with 50-200mm pentax AFZoom lens at f4.5 ISO 100 Focal Length 115mm Exposure 1/180th second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan lee Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Darn it Michael! You're right. Weeki Wachee completely missed their target audience. Unfortunately, the no-bra version will set you back about $15,000. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/fashion/06mermaids.html?pagewanted=print Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markus maurer Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Sadly I can not tell you from my own experience Morgan ;-) But you did use a polarizer and pressed the lens as directly as possible on the glass? Depending on the mermaid distance I would have tried using a strong external flash off camera at 45 degree from the side directly on the glass as well but I'm not sure if that really works in a aquarium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2imaging Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Opened it in Photoshop and just hit 'Auto Levels'...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shots worth sharing Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I'm sure that can be fixed in post-processing, Michael--I mean, if there's a red-eye removal tool... :>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2imaging Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I don't know that I would want a flash, at least for this one. I like the rays of light cutting diagonally through the water. Too many variables you can't control. Shoot it RAW and just wait for nice highlights to appear before you. This one is after the auto levels. It's a channel mixer adjustment layer set to greyscale that is on top of a hue/saturation adjustment layer with the hue set to -125.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2imaging Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 BTW: Glare on the glass is about the only thing you MIGHT be able to control. At least for this one, you did a good job of avoiding it. As it was said before, get right up on the glass. A polarizer might help, but you will loose more light because of it. You might shoot some with and some without to see how you like it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kuhne Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I like that "auto levels" button- just my kind of thing! Now on to that other post processing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan lee Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Markus: I have not used a polarizing filter. Would that cut down on the glare on the bubbles and the highlights? I'll have to get one anyway. Shooting in Florida gives me a lot of bleached-out skies. As for relflection off the glass of the viewing window, it was in ideal circumstances. The theatre itself is dark while the performers were in direct sunlight. I could not be directly next to the glass because we were seated in an auditorium and this was an actual performance. Also, flash was not allowed. Michael: Sorry about the annoyance of the bra. Dave: LOL! As soon as you said that I had a vivid mental image of a little bra icon planted with the other Photo Shop tools right near the red eye icon. Matthew: Thank you for taking the time to play with my photo. I was heading in that direction and have already done a few in the series in black and white. Fortunately a lot of them have those slanted rays of sunlight that beg to be brought out with B&W processing. Thank you all for your responses and ideas. ~Morgan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a few images Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have some shots from L'Oceanographic in Valencia, same exact situation. The comment about an external flash is correct. It needs to be mounted away from your camera, pressed against the glass as well, and, triggered with a wireless remote. I was not lucky enough to have this setup when I was there but I did get to observe a photographer working on some promotional stuff do so. And a polarizer does help, though, it's not as apparent when your right up against the glass as your minimizing the light hitting the glass in front of the lens, thus eliminating the need for a polarizer in the first place. What I have found is that, unless you're in the water, the magic happens in post processing. When I get home this evening I'll post some examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a few images Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hey - I managed to find one image on my work computer.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan lee Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Nice shot, Markus. Reading all of these responses made me realize several things: 1)Photography (at least what I would like to do with it) is not just a camera and a choice of lens. I have a lot of gear added to my shopping list now and an even longer list of books to read on things like Lighting and Flash Photography. 2) Location, location, location. As true for photography as it is for real estate, this one has bit me before: If your'e going to shoot an event, at least get there early and sit in the front row. Preferably, do MORE than that and make friends at the location which leads me to number three: 3) My two New Years resolutions are A) Visit as many unique locations in Florida as possible and photograph them well and B) Work on what I am beginning to think can be the most important "equipment" in a photographer's inventory: my personality. If I were more gregarious at Weeki Wachee, I could have explained how I am out to photograph and promote the "real" Florida and probably gotten nice portraits of mermaids and photograph opportunities not usually given to a regular "guest" of the park. 4) An oldie but a goodie in the digital-photographer's bag of tricks, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade: when a shoot hands you foggy, bleached, photos, turn them into art. I got beautiful people underwater performing a great show and will post the results soon on: www.realfloridaphoto.com Jennifer, my wife, was shooting with the Pentax Optio T30 and this shot (wider than I could shoot with my 50-200mm lens) illustrates what conditions I was shooting under. Hope this helps explain my dilemma and thank you all again for your input.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan lee Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Ammended: in the previous post I meant, "Nice shot, TOM. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a few images Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 No worries mate.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2imaging Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Have you ever seen the movie "Catch Me If You Can?" It's Abagnale's principal that the only things people know about you is what you tell them. Not that I'm encouraging dishonesty, but it is amazing what you can get away with when you have a home made laser printed badge hanging around your neck. As far as personality goes, you are absolutely right. That's the real differnce I see between good photogs that are poor and good photogs who are rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_lee1 Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Matthew - Don't encourage him. He's already managed to get quite a few primo shooting spots just with a well-timed, solemn nod to local police and/or security guards. Homemade laser printed badges aren't too far in his future, I'm afraid. -jen, the wife with the Optio T30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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