Underwater photography

[migrant]

All I can say is I'm stuck here in California, working 7 days a week on taxes, and I see these fantastic photos that just incredibly inspire me to work longer hours........


Now I'm really jealous, and need to bill more in order to accelerate my move over to HH!! And go diving with you!!

Great photos!

[Rhodiebkk]

Great pix especially considering the plankton bloom problem this year.
I especially liked the juvenile scorpion fish, tho I would have mistaken it as a Leaf Fish. But then they are more down Bali way.
Do try the Similans & Surin islands if you haven't already, esp Richelieu Rock - tho the currents can prove interesting. Tho this year has been poor due to El Nino, but normally the viz on the Sims is spectacular when in season, Oct-Mar/April.

Re cameras etc the last good P&S Canon camera was the 7mp PowerShot S70. This is the last camera to shoot in RAW which allows you to"develop" the image esp white balance before any photoshop enhancements. JPEG is an already "cooked" image that allows limited adjustments - tho perfectly adequate for web & happy snap uses.
The problem with the S70 is the shutterlag issue and as a fellow diving photographer boasts he has a fine collection of fish arses than faces.
The new generation have largely overcome the last issue but are confined to producing jpeg images.
The use of a "red" filter is useful between 5-15/20 metres. The best one to get is Dr Alex Mustard's "Magic Filter". This can be cut down and inserted in the housing - though it will prevent the use of useable flash. which on the whole you tend to avoid for wide large shots unless you have external strobes or you will risk the blizzard of backscatter.
magic-filters com

Flash for macro subjects with P&S cameras is normally more than adequate if not very good.



He has also produced a very good new book
The Art of Diving: Adventures in the Underwater World by Nick Hanna and Alex Mustard (Paperback - 15 Mar 2006)

Two excellent free online magazines are:

uwpmag
&
xray-mag

Finally if you do not already have this site, wetpixel is very good.

Hope this is of interest.
Rhodiebkk

[crazy88]

A couple of excellent shots there Buksida .I have been teaching underwater film and photography for many years now and would be more than happy if my students (the vast majority of whom are instructors of other diving disciplines ) came back from their first session with such a selection .

Save your pennies and get that D70 underwater .You will not regret it .