Underwater / dive photography

[photo_chick]

Anyone here dive? I'm getting my open water certification this semester and seriously pondering underwater housing (would be for a Rebel XT or Canon 50D unless I can find a cheap deal for my 35mm body) and a strobe since I'll be going deeper than many of the waterproof p&s cameras can.

Any thoughts? What works, what doesn't?

 

[originalkk]

I would suggest that you get very comfortable with your diving skills before you venture into UW photography. You'll need to be able to control your buoyancy pretty accurately without too much thought, or you'll just be blundering into things whilst lining up pictures. UW photo requires a lot of attention, and you are in an alien environment, so the basic diving skills need to be second nature.

Housings for a DSLR tend to be more bulky, and a lot more expsensive, than for a compact camera, and a strobe is another big expense that you'll really want. I've stuck with an Oly 5060 compact in an Oly housing with an Inon D2000 strobe for many years, as I've never been happy to make the bigger outlay on housing (and possibly flooding) an expensive DSLR.

Probably the best advice I can give from a photo angle is to get as close to your subject as you think you should, then get a lot closer. Most good photos UW tend to be either macro or very wide angle, with the photographer only a few feet at most from the subject (often less than a foot for macro work), so you'll need to consider lenses also.

You'll also need to become familiar with manually controlling your camera, as many of the auto features that work great on the surface aren't so effective u/w.

 

[rtphokie]

Anyone here dive? I'm getting my open water certification this semester and seriously pondering underwater housing (would be for a Rebel XT or Canon 50D unless I can find a cheap deal for my 35mm body) and a strobe since I'll be going deeper than many of the waterproof p&s cameras can.

Any thoughts? What works, what doesn't?

I've taken some dive classes and I've dabbled in photography while snorkeling. I'm far from an expert but I do know that it's a whole different world and just when you think you understand how light and exposure works, you go down there an nothing comes out the way you expected. Underwater photography is a new set of skills.

Personally I'd buy a dedicated underwater camera with an external strobe if you really wanted to get into it. You'll probably spend less than getting an underwater housing, they are incredibly expensive.

That being said, there are divers and then there are underwater photographers. Find one of the later and talk to them. They know the craft and what it takes to get good photos. They'll also likely tell you not to pick up a camera until you've been diving for a number of years.

Talk with your instructor. Your deep water instructor may not know much photography but I'd bet they know someone who is.

 

[photo_chick]

Thanks for the responses. I'm very excited to get to learn about an area of photography that's new to me. I'm finishing my BFA in photography and the idea of a new challenge... like I said, I'm excited.

I didn't expect to take a camera down with me right away. But I do plan on eventually taking an underwater photography class, With that in mind, I'm thinking that if I get what I need before I'm to the point when I'm ready to dive with it, I can practice. Seriously, I don't want to get down there and fumble around. I used to swim competitively and was at one time a certified lifeguard, and I know it's a lot different to manipulate things with your fingers in just ten feet of water than on land, so I figure the more adept I am at handling my equipment underwater in general, even if only in the deep end of the pool, the better off I'll be when the time finally comes to do it on a dive. I don't want to have to think about the fact that the controls are different in my hands when I'm ready to go there. I want that part to be second nature, like I am with my camera on land. The last thing I want when I have 60 feet between me and the surface is to have to think about what I need to manipulate to get the shot I want.

I also tend to research things to death before I buy. I spent a year researching my car. But I've been driving it for 11 years and am still happy with it, so I guess it was worth the effort. LOL.

Keep it coming... y'all are giving me good things to think about in my research.