This is the second of two columns interviewing underwater photographer Marc Furth. This month, I ask Marc some more technical questions about shooting photographs underwater and his advice about cameras.
Q: Is there a compact camera suitable for underwater photography?
There are quite a number I would consider suitable including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Casio and Olympus. I recommend www.digideep.com as a great resource offering an extensive database on both compact and professional cameras as well as available underwater housings.
Q: Do they have housings for compact cameras? Are there any you recommend that are inexpensive yet functional?
There are many inexpensive camera housings available. The clamshell style housings are typically made from inexpensive polycarbonate plastic and come with full controls.
Q: What do you look for in features in underwater cameras?
I recommend looking for automatic cameras with a functional, manual override for shutter, aperture and white balancing. You can start off using your camera system on automatic and grow into using full operator control to achieve better images.
Q: Have you tried any disposable underwater cameras? What do you think of them?
For high quality images, I don’t think much of throw-away cameras. They are great for catching a shot during an underwater snorkeling adventure but offer little emphasis on quality.
Q: Light changes behavior when passing through water. How is light altered? How are subjects altered?
Water filters color and the deeper you dive into the natural darkness, the more the color spectrum will become absorbed. At 100 feet most light in the red spectrum has been absorbed. In deeper depths, you cannot get true color using natural, ambient light alone. If you are trying to achieve color-balanced images using natural light you need to stay in shallower water.
Q: How does light’s diminished ability to travel affect your choice of flash power? Is this the main impediment to using compact cameras underwater?
Yes, the flash is absorbed just like natural, ambient light. The farther away your flash is from your subject, the more flash power you need to illuminate the subject. I recommend not being farther than 3 to 4 feet from your subject. At 3 feet you are actually filtering your flash through 9 feet of water. [Marc is referring to the loss of light being squared to the distance it travels, what we photographers call the inverse square law. – JS]. More importantly, water is seldom completely clear. Most often there are suspended particles that act like a sponge to filter light. So my advice for the best results is photograph within 10 feet of your subject and keep the colors vibrant by not venturing too deep.
Q: Is there a depth limit and/or distance limit to which compact cameras are usable?
The main stumbling block of compact cameras is the internal flash is not properly located to take good pictures. A flash should be externally positioned to minimize back-scatter, the floating particles in water that reflect light and cloud the picture.
With an optional external flash, your limits are the housing manufacture depth rating, usually about 100 feet for a better-made housing.
One other option available if you prefer shallow water and not using the internal flash is the use of a color correction filter. Made by several different manufactures like UR Pro and Magic Filter, these filters absorb some of the predominantly blue spectrum of light while passing the red. I’ve had excellent results using these filters to a depth of 50 feet.
Q: What, if any, are the difficulties in operating equipment underwater?
Most important is becoming familiar with your equipment by knowing how to operate your camera through your housing’s controls. The key to great photos is good buoyancy; keeping your camera steady will yield the sharpest pictures. You don’t want to find yourself banging or kicking corals while going after the shot. Often, underwater photographers will also find themselves holding their breath to keep their buoyancy and should be careful about ascending while chasing their subject.
Q: Do you do all your photography scuba diving? Is it possible to have success while snorkeling?
You don’t always have to scuba dive to get good underwater photographs. There are many great opportunities for good pictures while snorkeling. The disposable underwater cameras are great for snorkeling in very shallow water. While snorkeling, I occasionally take half-in/half-out (of water) photographs, which are quite beautiful.
Q: Are there ways to select the best underwater locations for photography? I suppose reefs are always best?
Not necessarily. One of my favorite places to take photographs is under my local fishing pier where I consistently see all manner of fish life, large and small. Wrecks also provide great backdrops and, of course, coral reefs provide an array of breathtaking corals as well as fascinating reef fish. Again, obtaining local knowledge is advisable.
Q: Do you plan any shots? Can you?
I do plan whether I will be taking close-up or wide-angle shots, so I arrange my equipment (accordingly).
Q: What do you enjoy most from underwater photography?
I just love it all. I enjoy the peace and tranquility of the underwater world. For me, the inhaling and exhaling is like a meditation and it is so peaceful and quiet that you can hear the reef crackling with life. I like the euphoric sense of weightlessness and the adventure of seeing something new and different on every dive, capturing it, and bringing it back to share.
Source : www.the-triton.com
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