Newbie needs help

Hi all. I'm going on a dive trip next month to a destination I will most likely never visit again. So I bought the little reefmaster w/wide angle and strobe to take some photos of this once in a life time trip. This will be my first time doing u/w photography. I've read some and think that I got the basics. But my question it this.....what tips do you all have for a newbie taking photos. I'm not looking to win any awards with my snapshots, just want to be able document this trip with some photos.

Thanks

Shoot at a slight upward angle if at all possible. This will add some nice blue water in the back ground. Get close. If you are too far away your stobe will do you no good. Shoot a lot of pics, and enjoy.

fisheye..thanks for the info....what are some of the most common mistakes made by the new u/w photographer?

Not leading the fish a bit to account for shutter lag ending up with a lot of photos of fish butt.

Getting so involved in the camera that you don't watch your air, NDL or buddy.

Not being careful with your buoyancy.

Shoot a lot of pictures and don't be discouraged if many don't turn out well.

drew,

Do you have the flash kit for your camera. I know flashkits are not cheap but they really make a difference. I teach PADI's U/W photography course and while I wouldn't say you should take the overall course you may want to order the course book as it offers lots of information on how to shoot good photos. The flash kit for your camera would make a big difference.

I used the reefmaster camera for a while before I upgraded to a Sea & Sea model. They are nice little cameras and take really great pictures. One recommendation I can make is to zoom with your fins not with your digital zoom. Reefmaster cameras use digital zoom which lowers the resolution of the target your are shooting; so maintain good buyonacy and try to get as close as possible to your subjects.

Also remember Drew that one picture is never enough. If your subject is remaining still snap, snap, snap and get as many shots as you can in case your other shots don't turn out. Also, how are your adobe photoshop skills. When I teach the padi course I spend a lot of time teaching photoshop, way more then the padi material suggests since it can really enhance your u/w pics.

fisheye is right, shooting at an upward angle is very important but using that flash properly is as well. Beginning u/w photographers make lots of mistakes, using the zoom is a big one. I would recommend getting a book on u/w photography and if you can play around with shooting aquariums. I am an aquarist and I still think if someone can become a good aquarium photographer then underwater stuff comes naturally.

Had a Sealife camera quite a few years ago and got a lot of nice pictures with it. Starting out if 1 out of 10 shots was a keeper I was happy. Which model did you buy?

UW photography is task loading. I'd shoot when you can, and what you can, but pay more attention to your diving safety, and enjoyment.

With your diving experience, I think your primary focus needs to be first on your diving and safety, second to reef ecology (IOW's don't be kicking the junk out of the reef), next on your enjoyment, and last on photography.

Fisheye view jumped all over the most basic compositional advice UW. Other thoughts are that shooting in shallow water under bright sunlight is going to help a LOT. Always FILL THE frame.

Enjoy the trip, and take a lot of topside shots! They will refresh memories of the entire trip, and they are more likely to turn out well!

Don't forget to burp the wide angle lens on descent or before you start shooting. The SL970 lens should have water between the camera and the lens. Having that space half full of water ruined many a photo of mine. Shake it good as well to get rid of any small bubbles.

My Sealife camera also had function that showed you the picture you just took and if you hit the shutter release button again within a few seconds it deleted the photo. I found it best to turn that option off. I deleted a lot of photos by accident.

Shoot, adjust, shoot again, adjust shoot......don't delete anything you shoot.....come back and make adjustments on the PC or crop. You will be surprised at the number of keepers....

Check with you buddy and make sure they know you are taking photos....its easy to get carried away and either left behind or slow the whole group down.

Life the other posters said, shoot at an upward angle or straight on. Think of it as how you would shoot people....just because you can fly around does not mean an aerial shot is the best....get up close and low....bring enough batts and a large enough card....you will be surprised at how many shots you will end up taking in just 1 dive.

I agree with RonFrank. Just noticed that you had under 25 dives. Please don't get too carried away with your photography yet. Safety comes first. You need to have the diving part almost second nature. Good buoyancy helps you take good pictures. Be extremely careful not to damage the reef too.

If you are diving with a group of people, the water may get stirred up. The particles in the water are more noticed by the camera (particularly using flash) than your eye. Stay ahead of the group to avoid the "particle wake" of others.