Couple of Scuba Pics
Discussion
Hi guys, I just got a Housing for my Canon s95 and promptly took it diving this weekend, I used the underwater mode on it and the pics came out ok (especially with a bit of photoshopping) I was wondering if anyone with a bit of knowledge about these sort of matters could offer me some advice as to make the most out of my camera in terms of settings?...here are the originals and then the edited versions... all comments welcomed 
My tuppence worth Mark...
Remember the limitations of your camera - or more specifically our camera's flash. It's not very powerful and it's also not pointing in quite the right direction for underwater piccies (Should be up above and angled down to avoid back scatter)
With your camera don't try and take pictures more than about 3ft away with the flash, and if you're taking wide angle shots, have the camera pointing slightly upwards and keep the sun behind you (if you can). With a more high powered system yo'd perhaps want the sun in front of you but your camera's not up to the job I am afraid.
Specifics for your pictures. Try and take a nudibranch from the front, not above:
The lionfish. If's a dark lionfish, ain for a light back ground and vice vera:
First batfish shot better than second batfish shot!
Sponge - nope, don't bother!
Diver - see what you are trying to do there but in general it does not work as there are too many bubbles. Works better on video!
Trawl through my history and you'll find some pictures from Aug 2009 and Jan & May 2010 that may be of interest!
Hope that helps!
Remember the limitations of your camera - or more specifically our camera's flash. It's not very powerful and it's also not pointing in quite the right direction for underwater piccies (Should be up above and angled down to avoid back scatter)
With your camera don't try and take pictures more than about 3ft away with the flash, and if you're taking wide angle shots, have the camera pointing slightly upwards and keep the sun behind you (if you can). With a more high powered system yo'd perhaps want the sun in front of you but your camera's not up to the job I am afraid.
Specifics for your pictures. Try and take a nudibranch from the front, not above:
The lionfish. If's a dark lionfish, ain for a light back ground and vice vera:
First batfish shot better than second batfish shot!
Sponge - nope, don't bother!
Diver - see what you are trying to do there but in general it does not work as there are too many bubbles. Works better on video!
Trawl through my history and you'll find some pictures from Aug 2009 and Jan & May 2010 that may be of interest!
Hope that helps!
It really does, thanks, it is totally a little hobby for me and I really appreciate the tips, unfortunatly because I am usually leading a dive/buddying up with a new diver I dont have time to get into position but I've taken on board what you said, for the sponge and diver picture I was more trying to show the limitations/abilities of my camera so that you could offer the best advice to me. Thanks for the feedback.
One question which Id appreciate is, I have a flash diffuser on my case, and the visibility is normally of the quality of that seen in the sponge picture, do you have any particular advice about getting through the crap in the water to whatever you are trying to shoot?
One question which Id appreciate is, I have a flash diffuser on my case, and the visibility is normally of the quality of that seen in the sponge picture, do you have any particular advice about getting through the crap in the water to whatever you are trying to shoot?
You're welcome Mark! Your camera, and pretty much all other compact digital cameras have one major flaw - the flash is not in the right place! Even the diffuser won't help in that respect, as while it spreads the light out, it is still flashing directly at the subject and not from above and slightly aside.
See this fine figure of a man? (It's me, but that's no important at the moment!)
Anyway, my strobes (flashes) are above the camera, not pointing directly at the subject.
You can see how cloudy the water is (that'll be my buddy kicking up the sand!
) but with the strobes angled like that you can still get nice shots:
This octopus is the same one as in the picture above with me taking his photo! No back scatter!
If you've got murky water then I suggest you consider getting a small slave strobe that is fired by the flash from your camera, that sits on a bracket at a sglight angle above and away form the lens.
Something along these lines: http://www.fantasea.com/s.nl/it.A/id.503/.f?sc=2&a...
I'm not necessarily saying this particular one, but something similar! Sits on a tray that screws into the bottom of our housing and you adjust the strobe accordingly with the bendy arm. Tis small, cheap and worthwhile.
I expect you can get one in Qatar. If not, then Fantasea or a host of other sites sell em!
Cheers
See this fine figure of a man? (It's me, but that's no important at the moment!)
Anyway, my strobes (flashes) are above the camera, not pointing directly at the subject.
You can see how cloudy the water is (that'll be my buddy kicking up the sand!
) but with the strobes angled like that you can still get nice shots:This octopus is the same one as in the picture above with me taking his photo! No back scatter!
If you've got murky water then I suggest you consider getting a small slave strobe that is fired by the flash from your camera, that sits on a bracket at a sglight angle above and away form the lens.
Something along these lines: http://www.fantasea.com/s.nl/it.A/id.503/.f?sc=2&a...
I'm not necessarily saying this particular one, but something similar! Sits on a tray that screws into the bottom of our housing and you adjust the strobe accordingly with the bendy arm. Tis small, cheap and worthwhile.
I expect you can get one in Qatar. If not, then Fantasea or a host of other sites sell em!
Cheers
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff