Want to be a better UW photographer, then shoot topside!

Photography skills that make a good UW shooter can be learned topside for the most part. Exposure, focus modes, White Balance, fill flash, flash ratios, composition, and most things that one needs to learn to make good shots UW can all be learned when shooting in our natural air breathing environment.

I see a LOT of questions posted about how to do X, and the majority are skills that apply to topside shooting as well as UW. There are some exceptions, but not many. One exception for example is the use of Hyperfocal settings to gain maximum DOF topside that may not apply UW. Then again with 100 foot visibility, maybe it does.

My point is that photography skills are just that, and if you want to become a better UW photographer, the best place to start if one is not shooting weekly UW, is where we live and breath.

Learn to be a better topside photographer, and it will help you UW.

RonFrank:

Photography skills that make a good UW shooter can be learned topside for the most part. Exposure, focus modes, White Balance, fill flash, flash ratios, composition, and most things that one needs to learn to make good shots UW can all be learned when shooting in our natural air breathing environment.

I see a LOT of questions posted about how to do X, and the majority are skills that apply to topside shooting as well as UW. There are some exceptions, but not many. One exception for example is the use of Hyperfocal settings to gain maximum DOF topside that may not apply UW. Then again with 100 foot visibility, maybe it does.

My point is that photography skills are just that, and if you want to become a better UW photographer, the best place to start if one is not shooting weekly UW, is where we live and breath.

Learn to be a better topside photographer, and it will help you UW.

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Fine...... I really am trying... Pout!

Great post Ron.

I just graduated to a DSLR, Canon D400 XTI. Also bought lenses for topside and U/W

Land; Telephoto 75X300, W/A 18X55

U/W; W/A 15mm, MACRO 60MM. all Canon

Now the learning has started and I am working my butt of topside before baby and I go down!

I do have to say I am having a very bad time with the 60mm Macro as I seem to want to get too close and I blur everything!!

Yikes...... from full feature to DSLR Is sorta a biaatch... If you know what I mean??

I just upgraded from a D200 to a D300 (WOW!) BEFORE buying an underwater housing for either one. Mostly because I can not afford the housing yet. I have been shooting topside for quite a while now, and am just starting to get the hang of it. Headed to Paris Christmas eve so it should be a good photo opportunity with many photographic variables applied. Multiple strobes on land utilizing pocket wizards are a kick too.

They say the 50mm lens is a great training tool too. There is now one living in my camera bag, and since it is F1.8 it will be getting a lot of use in places that do not allow strobes. The lens should be good for teaching me DOF.

Totally agreed, Ron. After Xmas, I think I'll spend the rest of my rehab shooting about a hundred pics a day on the new toy, just to learn the settings. Maybe take the same shot at every aperture setting, play with color settings...Man this DSLR stuff is complex. It took me two months to learn the little SP-350. I think the D300 has more settings on one dial! Then there are lens choices. Got the 18-200VR for topside and an E-Bay 35mm f2.0 for indoor and closer focus.
Jim, I hope Canon lenses are cheaper than Nikon. I could buy two cameras and a housing for the price of a used 12-24. I think that one will wait for the UW housing, maybe next Xmas. I also got on Amazon and ordered both of Scott Kelby's digital camera books. Hope they're as good as his PS stuff.
Peter, you beat me to the punch-I'll be expecting tips on settings, especially since you're coming from the D200! BTW, shouldn't you be packing instead of playing scuba board? Let me know how the 50mm works. Those things are a steal. You can buy one new for what the used 35 cost me on E-Bay which was half the typical price for a used one.

Larry C:

Totally agreed, Ron. After Xmas, I think I'll spend the rest of my rehab shooting about a hundred pics a day on the new toy, just to learn the settings. Maybe take the same shot at every aperture setting, play with color settings...Man this DSLR stuff is complex. It took me two months to learn the little SP-350. I think the D300 has more settings on one dial! Then there are lens choices. Got the 18-200VR for topside and an E-Bay 35mm f2.0 for indoor and closer focus.
Jim, I hope Canon lenses are cheaper than Nikon. I could buy two cameras and a housing for the price of a used 12-24. I think that one will wait for the UW housing, maybe next Xmas. I also got on Amazon and ordered both of Scott Kelby's digital camera books. Hope they're as good as his PS stuff.
Peter, you beat me to the punch-I'll be expecting tips on settings, especially since you're coming from the D200!

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Hate too admit it Larry.... The lenses cost me more that my entire set-up of the full feature did. $3000 Plus plus plus

I feel like I bought another new Truck

Now over $11000 into it all.... Sucker.....I am.

Larry C:

I also got on Amazon and ordered both of Scott Kelby's digital camera books.

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I read "The Digital Photography Book" from Scott Kelby last week. It's very good.
Now I've nearly finished Bryan Peterson's - Understanding Exposure (absolutely fabulous book),

on order......
Bryan Peterson - Learning to see creatively
Freeman Patterson - Photography & the Art of Seeing

Larry, you still know more about photography than I do. Once I get a housing we should get together and compare notes. I figured on starting with a Sea and Sea housing, 60mm lens, I already have a YS110 strobe, and probably a converter for the strobe(s). Then down the road I will purchase a dome port for my Tokina 12-24mm which is much more cost effective than the Nikkor version. Supposedly they give about the same results.

The 50mm cost me $109 shipped from Beach Camera, and so far it is working excellent. I've been using it for portrait shots of the only one willing to pose...our dog.

I have the 18-200mm and am not very impressed with it, but it works great as the do it all lens for things like backpacking. At some point I will upgrade to a 70-200mm for shooting action sports. I need something that goes more towards F2.8. At least with the D300 ISO can go above 400 without getting grainy.

Peter_C:

..my Tokina 12-24mm which is much more cost effective than the Nikkor version. Supposedly they give about the same results.

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I did shooting comparisons with both lenses. In a blind test using 100% crops I could see no difference, and I purchased the Tokina.

Peter_C:

I have the 18-200mm and am not very impressed with it, but it works great as the do it all lens for things like backpacking. At some point I will upgrade to a 70-200mm for shooting action sports. I need something that goes more towards F2.8. At least with the D300 ISO can go above 400 without getting grainy.

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The 18~200mm is an awesome lens for what it does. If someone would have told me I would have that lens in my bag 10 years ago, I would have laughed in their face. However for MOST shooting situations, this is an incredible lens.

The 70~200mm is a sweet lens, and I want one, but it's expensive. However I have the 80~200mm f2.8, and I have the 18~200mm, so for now that is working.

I have no issues with shooting my D200 at ISO 800, or even 1200 in some situations. I shot an image of an Elk (6 points in velvet, beautiful animal) with my D1x at ISO 800. When my hunting buddies saw it, they all wanted copies. I enlarged it to 11x14, and the results were impressive.

Canon has been on top of the high ISO low noise game for some time, but that is only right out of camera. Noise Ninja and similar tools do a very good job of eliminating that gap albeit post processing.

Peter_C:

The lens should be good for teaching me DOF.

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Any lens can be used for DOF training, in fact a zoom lens more so even if they are not as fast.

RU familiar with the concept of Hyperfocal distance? If not learn it. If so, make sure you have the charts for every lens you own, and start to pay attention, and use them.

Good post Ron. I might add that while it's important to shoot a lot, it's more important to shoot smart. Just banging away without thought won't accomplish much more than familiarization with the camera. While that is extremely important, it's not as important as the image itself.

I think shooting nature is a great way to develop good photographic skills that apply to all types of shooting, but especially UW photography. Check out master photographers like Jim Brandenburg, Joel Sartore, (whom I had the pleasure of working for many years ago), Galen Rowell, etc,etc.

Really study the photographs, dissect the pictures to determine what makes them so good. Then go out and practice those techniques. Good composition, subject placement, angle, light, exposure, having a clean background, those are needed above or below water.

And lastly, work with what you have before buying a bunch of equipment. If you only have a wide angle then shoot landscapes and don't worry about needing a 600/4 to do birds just yet.

If you don't know how to properly expose a picture topside you won't be able to UW. Good photographers apply sound fundamentals that translate to all forms of photography.