SAA Policies & Guides
Photography: Shooting them small part 1.
One of the golden rules of underwater photography is to get in as close to your subject as possible, even the very large objects. This is because the more water between your camera and what you are photographing the less clear the final picture will appear. Water filters away colour and definition hence even good underwater visibility will be considerably less than on land. How often would you get 200m vis on your dive!
Many UK subjects such as this
nudibranch Antiopella cristata
make ideal close-up pictures
(frame size 48x72mm).
To get close to underwater subjects you will have to use specialised lenses that focus to within a few centimetres. For small subjects such as fish, crustacean and nudibranches close-up lens or extension tubes are available for amphibious cameras or specialist macro lenses for housed cameras. Large subjects, ranging from divers and habitat shots to wrecks, will need wide-angle lens (e.g. 28mm and larger) to capture them completely.
If you intend to do much of your underwater photography in the UK or are just starting out as a beginner I would recommend shooting close-ups. You will achieve consistently good results as the camera’s focusing, exposure, and shutter speed can be pre-set to take technically correct photographs. This is how its done.
Focus control
For amphibious cameras such as the Nikonos, Sea and Sea Motor Marine II EX and MX10 there is quite an array of add on equipment, which fixes the correct focal distance by using a framing device. These are rectangular boxes held securely in front of the lens defining the size picture you can take at the correct focal length. All you have to do is find subjects to fit within the frame.
If you have a Nikonos camera you will be able to remove its primary lens and place a variety of extension tubes between the lens and the camera body. Depending on the length of tubing this will allow you to take shots of small subjects ranging in length from 18mm to 108mm.
The Nikonos will also accept accessory lenses over the front of the primary lens on the camera to photograph an area of 109 x 164mm with a standard 35mm lens or an area of 144x 216mm with a 28mm lens.
As Sea & Sea cameras have a fixed lens this system can only use accessory lens which can give picture sizes of either 48x 72mm or 72x 108mm. The Motor Marine II EX also has an internal close-up lens that will allow you to take pictures of subjects as close as 30cm away. The major draw back to this system is that there is no accuracy way of focusing and composing the shot.
Although extension tubes produce excellent photographs of very small subjects, there is a down side to their use - they can’t be removed underwater. So you are limited to just one size of picture. Accessory lenses can, with care, be removed underwater allowing you to use either the camera’s main lens or a different accessory lens. This versatility is very useful on dives when you are unsure of the vis or the site.
Shutter control
Most, if not all, close-up photographs are taken with the use of flash. So use the fastest synchronised speed that the camera will allow to help eliminate blurred pictures caused by camera shake. (For the Nikonos this will be 1/90 of a second and for the Sea and Sea Motor Marine 1/125 of a second).
Aperture control
The lens aperture determines the amount of light that can enter the camera for a set shutter speed. It also controls the depth of field i.e. how much of the picture is in focus. You should always try to achieve the greatest depth of field possible, as in close-up photography this is always small. Set your lens aperture to f16 or greater.
The Dive
Before jumping into the sea it goes without saying that you have spent time and film familiarising yourself with your camera system in a swimming pool. Pre-set the camera controls before entering open water and do not change them unless you remove your accessory lens. Position the flash above and to one side of your camera to illuminate the subject in the framer. The closer to the framer the flash is positioned the larger the aperture and better the depth of field you will have. (The flash manufacturer will have provided a chart of optimal flash to subject distances.)
Enlist the help of your Buddy. Taking close-ups will require you to search small areas for suitable creatures and this takes time. So, before entering the water, show them the frame and explain that you are looking for small subjects that will fit inside. If they have any experience of marine biology you could ask them to keep a look out for particular species. I have found that if you encourage your buddy to help, you both have a good dive and they will dive with you again. Since photographers are noted for being boring to dive with, it’s up to us to change this image!
If at all possible, dive sites you know already or do an exploratory dive of a new area first. Then, once you have an idea of what is down there, you can choose the appropriate close-up attachment. Try and limit yourself to between 6-10 subjects and look for the best examples that are easily accessible. Its far better to wait until you have found a good example then take several shots (varying flash light angle or frame position), than to shoot everything in sight.
At these shallow depths it is possible to get good results and not have to bother too much about the problems caused by water pressure or loss of natural light. You could try out underwater photography very cheaply by using a disposable splash print film camera and snorkel in the shallows taking photos of surface marine life and your buddy. Although these cameras are limited they may just give you the simple holiday snaps you are after.
But unless you want to be limited to natural light shots and only taking pictures within about 3 meters, then you will have to invest in a more sophisticated camera system, and this will involve the use of some type of flash gun system. For the deeper you go, the more the depth of water will filter out the bright colours, so you won’t get very good results colour wise.
The red and orange colours are lost first, eventually leaving only a monochrome of blue/grey. Though atmospheric, generally you’ll want to bring back the lost colour so your camera will require a flashgun.
| First clicks | Shooting small 01 | Shooting small 02 | Getting the Big Picture |
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| Building Pictures | Lighting the underwater world | Colouring the Ocean | Balanced Light photography |
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