C&C - Pipe Sponges

Jamdiver · Sep 19, 2006

C&C Pipe Sponges

Alright, now this photo was a massive disappointment when I actually got to take a good look on it when I got home.

In terms of composition Im fairly happy with the image, its not perfect though.
I suppose I could have taken it from angle looking upwards at the sponge, rest of the wall and blue beyond it.

When I took this pic, I was imagining something like this in my minds eye.
Deep, rich vivid blues and a nice purplish hue to the pipe sponge.
Unfortunately I seem to have to blown out highlights on the tip of the sponge and a strange colour cast to the image (incorrect WB perhaps?)
Think that the image was also perhaps a little overexposed?

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I'm using a Canon A610 without external strobe.

Location: Port Antonio, Jamaica
Viz: 24m+ or so
Depth: 15m or so

Exif Data

Shutter Speed: 1/60
Aperture: F4
Exposure Mode: Manual
Focal Length: 17.3mm
Flash: NO
Metering: Center Weighted
WB: Manual

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rjsimp · Sep 19, 2006

Jamdiver,

If you want nice dark blues, your F-stop needs to be smaller (larger number). You could increase the shutter speed a little also in conjunction with that, but 1/60 should be okay since it is wide angle and not a lot of motion.

I see you didn't have flash (or at least the exif say's no flash). It would really help to have a strobe or two just to cast a little light even and bring out the colors better.

Just my 0.02.. Hope it helps

Mariozi · Sep 19, 2006

humm. Nice composition.
15m is shalow, difficult to produce nicer blues.
But think you should try just a higher shutter speed though.
If you close your lenses more than F4 will keep whatevever light you have from your in-camera flash from gettin to the tubes. And since you are in clear waters you should try it.
Anything from 1/100 - 1/150 would do, but if possible you can try it even faster.

Jamdiver · Sep 19, 2006

rjsimp:
Jamdiver,

If you want nice dark blues, your F-stop needs to be smaller (larger number). You could increase the shutter speed a little also in conjunction with that, but 1/60 should be okay since it is wide angle and not a lot of motion.

I see you didn't have flash (or at least the exif say's no flash). It would really help to have a strobe or two just to cast a little light even and bring out the colors better.

Just my 0.02.. Hope it helps

Thanks for the input rjsimp.
My rig is sans external strobe right now, so that's what I have to work it.

The reason I asked really is that I usually get much better results using manual white balance which I use for a large portion of my shots.
I think the weird results might have to do with the metering on this shot, high dynamic range maybe? and my selection of shutter speeds.

I find that faster shutter speeds give the water a deeper blue.

SeaYoda · Sep 19, 2006

Jam, Does your camera shoot RAW format?

Does this look more like it?

Jamdiver · Sep 19, 2006

SeaYoda:
Jam, Does your camera shoot RAW format?

Does this look more like it?

Yowzer!
Not quite Yoda, but I think it's getting close to it.

I shoot in JPEG, no raw option, anyway I do have the original on my pc and can re-edit it and see what I come up with.
I did that after going through hundreds of pics literally after a weekend of diving.... So that probably isn't best effort, post-processing wise.

rjsimp · Sep 19, 2006

A few responses here have said to change shutter speed to deepen blues. I have always used the F-Stop to do that because it controls the amount of light actually seen by the camera whereas the shutter speed is used more to control action. Yes, the shutter speed being faster causes the camera to see less light, but not as predictable as the F-Stop.

Just a couple of samples here that were taken at similar depths (about 20fsw) which is shallower than the 15m stated in this thread. You can get nice deep blues or lighter blues and the main change was the F-stop and where I pointed the camera in relation to the sun.

Obviously both of these pictures have stobes. But I really believe to control your blues, you almost need to have a strobe so you can light your subject correctly. Even if the strobe is only giving you minimal light.

This one was taken with 1/100 shutter speed and F-8

This one was taken with 1/80 shutter speed and F-10.

Jamdiver · Sep 19, 2006

Thanks Rich, I like to think of that as 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
Many ways to skin a cat........
I think really what it is is controlling ambient light..

I have used the flash in the past in conjuction with faster shutter speeds for deeper blue. I don't generally use the aperture underwater as shutter speed is more intuitive and 'logical' to me and based on past experience i'm better able to gauge the effect.

1/100s f4.1

1/50s f3.5

Monkey Knife-fight · Sep 19, 2006

Also how far were you from the sponge? The pic you posted as what you were going for and Rich's pics i imagine were both taken a lot closer than they look with a pretty wide lens. With an external wet lens like the inons you could get closer to the sponge and keep it framed the same and get more color and detail (but of course that would pretty much necesitate a strobe).

Chris

alcina · Sep 19, 2006

I, too, usually use the shutter speed to control my background. I use my aperture to control my DOF mostly.

I would have tried this shot this at something like 1/160 (maybe even faster to control my blues and try to minimize that blowout on the top of the sponge from the ambient light) with an f4.5 or 5.6 and used my flash. Then I would have tweaked from there. It's the perfect subject as it has a lot of interest, has multiple ways it can be captured AND doesn't move

I would have turned the camera so the flash fell on the sponge but was limited with how much went out into open water (helping to reduce/mask any potential backscatter). Also come right just a touch to reduce the clutter on the right side and to free up the tip of the arm that is touching the outer frame.

MWB is a wonderful tool, but it will not produce the ZAPPY colours of adding light from your internal or external strobe - and that is the biggest difference I see between the two images.

C&C - Pipe Sponges

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