uw raw file to practice with

buleetu · Mar 8, 2008

hi everyone

i havent had a chance to dive here in ireland yet so i havent got a chance at taking a photo in raw underwater

could someone maybe e mail me a raw file so i can practice in photoshop, i have taken a load above water and of my fish but i dont think its the same as underwater photos

and if u think im crazy u can tell me that too

buleetu@yahoo.co.uk

thanks guys

danclem · Mar 10, 2008

Just sent a couple of Nikon files to you. They are NEF, which is the Nikon RAW. Photoshop works fine with them. Hope you have a large capacity e-mail box!

Cheers,

Dan

alcina · Mar 10, 2008

I don't think you're crazy, but there isn't much difference to working on a RAW no matter the shot

The big difference will be white balance as most people do not adjust their topside white balance. If you are shooting with a strobe underwater, the white balance is usually just a minor tweak - just like on land.

Have fun!

buleetu · Mar 12, 2008

thanks guys

dan did u take the pic of the great white, its amazing, thanks very much for the files

im really glad i didnt get that canon dslr now alcina, im having trouble with the e900 imagine the post i would be putting on the forum if i had of gotten it with out any practice with this camera

i can always get one in the future though, thanks for the help guys

what do u think of this picture, im practicing on my fish tank, any suggestions, i know its not the same as an underwater shot, but the toadstool soft coral on the top right loks blown to me is there a way to avoid this?

danclem · Mar 12, 2008

Try e-mailing your photo to me: it did not come through on the posting. Will check it out.

Yes, we did the Guadalupe great white dive this past fall, and it was really great. I am planning a repeat later this year. The cabazon was shot at our local dive park in Edmonds.

Cheers,

Dan

Papa_Bear · Mar 12, 2008

If your going to take up Underwater Photography I would suggest you get a lot of dive experience! Doing gas management, conditions, surge, bouancy control, and depth could hurt you or your shots! Having to manage the equipment with only 0-24 dives will be a challenge at best! You're braking off a big piece of bread just be sure you can chew it!

paradicio · Mar 12, 2008

Papa_Bear:
If your going to take up Underwater Photography I would suggest you get a lot of dive experience! Doing gas management, conditions, surge, bouancy control, and depth could hurt you or your shots! Having to manage the equipment with only 0-24 dives will be a challenge at best! You're braking off a big piece of bread just be sure you can chew it!

I've heard this quite a lot and can totally understand the logic behind it. I have to say, however, that for me (at least) having a camera under water is really helping me to become a better diver.

1) With something to hold my attention and focus intently on I'm finding that I use less gas. My gas consumption is still not where I want it to be (I blame that on smoking for 14 years - don't worry I've quit!), but I've noticed that when I'm working on a shot my consumption goes way down.

2) Holding an expensive camera rig in ones hand is a major incentive to focus on good buoyancy. Crashing said rig up against a reef because of surge or poor buoyancy control is simply not an option. Also, not wanting to silt up my pictures is a major incentive as well.

I'm not saying I'm a great diver yet, heck I've only got 50 dives in just under the year since I got certified. I'm just saying that as a new diver, working on underwater photography has been a huge boon.

buleetu · Mar 14, 2008

buleetu · Mar 14, 2008

i think the photo worked that time
what do u think?

i will mainly be snorkling with my camera for now, after i do a couple of dives on my next trip i will see if i am feeling brave enough to bring the camera along, im going to the red sea so i should get some nice shots in the shallow water anyway, im gonna take it slowly with the camera and im gonna join a club here in ireland in the summer time so i can get more diving done instead of only getting in the water when im in sharm, thanks for the concern and advice

dan were u inside a cage when u took that shot? how big was it?

danclem · Mar 17, 2008

Good shot! Not much editing to work on. The big difference I found working with RAW was needing to get my workflow nailed.

I had used Elements for quite a while, then migrated to CS3 and Lightroom. It took a couple of weeks to feel comfortable with Photoshop, but I found it a big improvement over Elements, especially in the spot healing (ie geting rid of backscatter).

Lightroom is a fantastic way to import, "label," and organize pictures. I see folks are using Lightroom as the primary way of editing photos, but I have a way to go before I am that confident in using it for this purpose.

Looks like you found the Wetpixl site. It is another great resource for help. Just keep diving and taking pictures. That's how you get better!

When are you heading to the Red Sea, and where are you looking to dive? We have been trying to get a trip going to southern Egypt and the Sudan, but I am finding it tough for US citizens to get Sudanese visas.

Cheers,

Dan

uw raw file to practice with

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