Founder/Administrator
Joined: 14 Feb 2005
Posts: 5730
Location: Cayman Islands
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 Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:49 pm Post subject: Joe's Underwater Photos |
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After great ordeal, Peggy and I finally took our maiden voyage on our new boat and I was able to come up with a few decent shots. We ended up making two trips out to the north wall because the boat needed a minor repair. From our dock to the closest dive site on the north wall takes about 20 minutes. That?s a little longer than I had thought but still pretty quick. It will be a lot easier on Tuesday when we don?t have to go running all over the island at the last minute for tanks, camera accessories and other things we forgot about. It?s been a few years since I ran dive charters and it showed. At least I can still get from point a to point b and dock the boat without doing too much damage. 
I?ll keep posting some of my latest underwater images here on an ongoing basis and include the camera settings.
I started a separate topic for underwater photo tips that I will update on a regular basis. If you have any technical questions, please ask them in that topic 
The equipment won?t change so I?ll post that now and just list the various settings I use for the images I take. The camera is a Nikon D70S in a Subal housing. For now I am using a Nikon SB105 strobe, which will not function in TTL mode with this camera. Eventually I might get a strobe that will allow me to use TTL but it?s not a high priority. I rarely used TTL with my Nikonos V and I do not use it with the D70 on land. I prefer to shoot on full manual, including strobe settings. Next to each image, I?ll post the f-stop, shutter speed and strobe power along with anything else I can remember. The iso will always be 200. My strobe placement will almost always be as high and to the side as I can reach, unless noted otherwise. I am starting with wide angle so until I mention otherwise, everything is taken with a Nikon 12-24, usually at 12.
 
 
 
Today?s images were all taken at the first dive site, immediately to the left or West of the main channel. I don?t remember the name but it?s near Eagle Ray Pass.
This was taken at about 130 feet [note: 130 feet is the maximum allowable depth by the certifying agencies and the Cayman Islands Watersports Association, so you will never see me post a depth greater than that].
Subject: Elephant Ear Sponge, Red Rope Sponge and my beautiful wife Peggy.
Settings:
f-8
1/125 sec.
ae ? metered to neutral blue water
Strobe - Full
Same settings, just closer. I overexposed Peggy at this distance because I forgot to bring the strobe diffuser. I also should have positioned Peggy a little lower, about waist high to the reef to balance the scene and allow for top left lighting to evenly illuminate all the primary subject matter.
Subject: Overhang with Tunicats and Sponge
Settings:
f-8
1/125 sec.
ae ? minus 2
Strobe - Full
Subject: Huge Lobster and Trumpet Fish
Settings:
f-4
1/60 sec.
ae ? minus 2
Strobe - 1/4
This was in only 40 feet of water and the sun was out so it was fairly bright. Also, with a 12MM lens, I was only a few inches away from the lobster. In fact, his front antenna was touching the dome port of my camera housing.
Subject: Silverside in Cavern
Settings:
f-8
1/125 sec.
ae ? minus 3
Strobe - Full
Subject: Silverside in Cavern
Settings:
f-8
1/125 sec.
ae ? minus 2
Strobe - Full
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Joe Stebbins, Editor
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not to mention a wetsuit that actually goes OVER my thighs!
