K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page i The Underwater Photographer Digital and Traditional Techniques K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page ii This book is dedicated to Colin Bateman. An enquiring student A talented photographer And a dear friend K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page iii The Underwater Photographer Digital and Traditional Techniques Third Edition Martin Edge AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page iv Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA First edition 1996 Second edition 1999 Third edition 2006 Copyright © 1996, 1999, 2006, Martin Edge. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved The right of Martin Edge to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (+44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (+44) (0) 1865 853333; email: [email protected]. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN–13: 978-0-2405-1988-3 ISBN–10: 0-2405-1988-4 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our web site at http://www.focalpress.com Typeset by Charon Tec Ltd, Chennai, India www.charontec.com Printed and bound in Italy 06 07 08 09 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page v Contents Foreword vii About the book viii Introduction ix Acknowledgements xi Photographic information xii Part 1: The Basics and Beyond 1 1 Basics refresher – traditional techniques 3 2 Colour loss, light and particulates 8 3 Getting close physically 11 4 Shooting up 15 5 Preferable lenses and lens law 20 6 The trouble with zooms 25 7 The environment 28 Part 2: The Digital Revolution 37 8 Image quality, megapixels and sensors 39 9 Memory cards 41 10 File types: RAW vs JPEG and TIFF 43 11 Digital ISO and noise 47 12 Resolution 49 13 Digital white balance 51 14 Workflow and photo trips 56 15 Shutter lag 64 16 Understanding histograms: the digital underwater photographer’s best friend 66 17 Capturing sunbursts with digital cameras 71 18 Using the LCD screen 74 19 Digital compact cameras 79 Daniel Beecham 20 Digital SLRs and housings – what’s on the market? 87 21 Digital underwater photography with filters 93 Dr Alex Mustard Part 3: Using SLR Cameras and Compact Digitals Underwater 103 22 Using SLRs and digital compacts: an introduction 105 23 Exposure modes: aperture, shutter and manual 107 K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page vi vi Contents 24 Metering patterns 115 25 Autofocus 121 26 Exposure compensation 125 27 Checking TTL is working 129 Part 4: The Mindset 131 28 Our mindset 133 29 The ‘think and consider’ (TC) system 135 30 Camera preparation 139 31 Top-side pressures 141 32 Subject selection, negative space and potential 144 33 Approach 159 34 Lighting for the TC system 164 35 Composition for the TC system 167 36 Visualisation 170 37 Patience 173 38 Peak of the action 176 39 Shoot and evaluate 180 Part 5: The Big Four 183 40 Composition 185 41 Lighting 210 Natural light 211 Using flash underwater – a new approach to an old technique 225 Twin flash guns 235 42 Close-up and macro photography 246 Introduction to close-up and macro 246 Blue-water close-up and macro techniques 276 Abstract images 281 How to photograph fish 289 The underwater photographer at night 297 Ring-flash lighting 301 43 Wide-angle photography 307 Introduction to wide-angle photography 307 Dome port theory 314 Balanced-light wide-angle photography 318 Close-focus wide-angle photography 325 Photographing people 329 Photographing shipwrecks 335 Photographing schooling fish 343 Rear curtain synchronisation 352 Under–overs 355 Creative wide-angles just below the surface 362 Internet resources, equipment suppliers and useful names and addresses 373 Glossary 375 Index 387 K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page vii Foreword The previous two editions of The Underwater Photographer have earned Martin Edge an international reputation as an excel- lent tutor of a subject which is multi-faceted and often difficult to explain simply yet comprehensively. This latest edition, whilst carrying on the successful formula, is really a major new working and should quickly establish itself as both a comprehensive reference manual and a continual source of inspiration. Martin’s approach is very personal and his book is littered with decades of experience imparted to help the reader not only pro- duce better photographs, but also to understand why, without the feeling of being a slave to the learning process. There is no doubt that the advent of digital photography has rev- olutionised underwater photography and now accounts for the majority of shots being taken underwater. The exciting capabil- ity of digital cameras has opened up underwater photography to a whole new audience and Martin’s teachings apply equally well to this new technology. In a fast-changing world capable of producing instant results it still pays to understand the basics in order to maximise the qual- ity of your shots. The Underwater Photographer provides all the technical knowledge you need but more importantly gives you the benefit of Martin’s considerable practical experience. This is a very comprehensive book which you can either immerse yourself in from cover to cover or dip into randomly to solve a problem or seek inspiration but, above all, learn from someone who is both passionate and knowledgeable as well as being a good teacher. Peter Rowlands PR Productions Editor/Publisher, Underwater Photography magazine www.uwpmag.com K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page viii About the book The book is split into five parts: 1. The basics and beyond 2. The digital revolution 3. Using SLR cameras and compact digitals underwater 4. The mindset 5. The big four. The basics and beyond considers the basic theory and principles of underwater photography, including popular lenses, problems when using zoom lenses, and how to dive and select subjects whilst protecting the reef. The digital revolution covers digital issues relevant to the under- water photographer, including ideas on how to use the LCD screen, reading histograms and much more. Using SLR cameras and compact digitals underwater examines the use of exposure modes, metering patterns, focusing tech- niques, exposure compensation and TTL flash issues. The mindset is at the heart of the book, and describes my entire philosophy on how to approach underwater photography. It includes the TC system (Think and Consider), which has been re-written to take advantage of digital capture. The big four discusses the four particular topics that, over the years, I have found to dominate the quest for knowledge of enthusiasts. They are composition, lighting, close-up and macro, and wide-angle. There is an in-depth chapter on each of these. K51988-Prelims.qxd 2/15/06 2:26 PM Page ix Introduction I discovered underwater photography in the early 1980s, and immediately became addicted. I was not especially interested in the variety of equipment available at that time; I was too distracted by the wonderful images on display in scuba magazines and books, and at BSOUP (British Society of Underwater Photography) meetings in London. There was a clear distinction between the best and the rest, and I was determined to find out why. How were the best photog- raphers able to obtain such superior pictures to those obtained by enthusiasts using the same equipment in the same location and on occasions shooting the same subject? I was also influenced by three American photographers; Howard Hall, and Jim and Cathy Church. At BSOUP, dive trade shows and seminars, I had the opportunity to question some of the best underwater photog- raphers at that time. My questions tended to revolve around top- ics such as imagination, patience and visualisation – topics not easy to explain. My persistence paid off, and over a period of time I gained a valu- able insight from these conversations. Using my own interpret- ations of words, I began to label what I had discovered and set out to apply this knowledge to my own underwater photography. In a short time (months as opposed to years), I developed my skills and abilities significantly. Others would question me about my own techniques, and I found a way to communicate topics that were less to do with equipment, f-stops and shutter speeds and more to do with how to think and apply ideas underwater. These questions led to arti- cles, which inevitably led to underwater photography courses and workshops for individuals or small groups, with tuition structured for both beginners and the experienced (see www. edgeunderwaterphotography.com for details). In the early 1990s the idea of writing a book came to mind, and since that time my efforts by and large have been directed towards helping others to develop their own underwater photography.