Pictures in a cave

[DiveLvr]

I was diving in an u/w cave in Florida so there is a lot of white limestone. I am a beginner at u/w photography using a sealife DC 800 with strobe. I basically have everything set to the Auto mode. I had a problem with many of my pictures "washed out" by the strobe. Is there a good tech for taking pictures when so much of the background, overhead, bottom is reflective white limestone?

DiveLvr

 

[Doubler]

If the camera allows it take it out of Auto. Set ISO to 100, Set to Aperture Priority and set a F stop, the camera will set the shutter speed. Adjust the Aperture or ISO until you get what you want. Once you get used to doing this all your photos will get better and you will never go back to Auto. Also change the strobe power. Good Luck

 

[Doc Harry]

Shoot in manual mode

Adjust your ISO, shutter stop and f/stop as needed

Also use manual mode on your strobe, decrease the power as needed

 

[The Chairman]

Point the strobe away from the subject. IOW, make it a bounce flash. Be sure that the surface you are bouncing off of will illuminated the subject though!

 

[_Slacker_]

Post an example.

 

[Tienuts]

Caves are hard to shoot in without a remote slave strobe. I shou;dn;'t say it's hard, but I find the shots come out much better with some remote lighting.

I don't have a great example of it, cause generally when my slave does not fire, I delete the shot. But I've attached a few examples - Shot one is where the slave did not fire. Shot 2 has the slave fire.

That being said, if you don't have access to one, like others have said - shoot manual with manual strobe control. Find a hard bottom, and play around with your settings until you get the exposure you're looking for. Generally I shoot cave shots with a bit slower shutter speed, and a lower power on the strobe than I would in an ocean environment.

Remember, the power of a strobe falls off quickly in the water. The more power you apply with strobe, generally means the the darker the background will be, and you'll light up the foreground rock more easily. I also try to find shots in more open areas. Everyone loves the super tight shots of divers squeezing through restrictions, but these are super tough to light IMO.

 

[vicp]

Can it then be said, that in a cave, powerful strobes with (GN > 20) may be overkill and that it may be better to have a lower power strobe (GN 20 or less) and possibly several of them that are distributed (with the other divers)?

 

[vip-diving]

No strobe

Hello i am a cave diver and crazy about dive pictures also win 2 underwater picture contest. And the best advice i can tell you. Dont use a strobe when you go diving in cave actually the only time i use a strobe for underwater picture is when i do night dive. Dont ven use the small flash on the camera, just use your cave lamp of course if its a lamp more then 10 watts led. I have HID 24 watts. also play with the apperture of your camera. The pictures may not be the best but its an exemple. You also have a few pictures on my website check on the pages sites all pictures was taken with out flash www.vip-diving.net but if you use the strobe put it in the lower mode and put it towards the sealing or the buttom or on the side but directly on a wall it will appear white and it always depending how close or how far you are and also what you shoot so theres alot of things to take in considerations. Just play with it.

 

[boydski]

Can it then be said, that in a cave, powerful strobes with (GN > 20) may be overkill and that it may be better to have a lower power strobe (GN 20 or less) and possibly several of them that are distributed (with the other divers)?

I find the opposite to be true (as far as strobe power is concerned). I use a pair of 160 Watt/s strobes on the camera, but put the most powerful strobes that I own as remote strobes on my models ( 300 Watt/s). As Doc Harry suggests above, shoot in manual mode so that you can put the f/stop of the lens in it's sweet spot (not wide open) that gives you crisp, in focus images.

For example, the photo below uses two strobes on camera, and one large strobe on each of the cave divers:

More examples from Jailhouse Cenote.

Even in really white caves, I find that it takes a lot of strobe power to really highlight the cave walls and decorations. Here is an example from NoHoch:

Other samples of underwater cave photos from white caves can be found at NoHoch Nah Chich or Sac Aktun's Cuzan Nah loop.

Good Luck with your cave photography!