Shooting SCUBA Class

Van Isle

Yo,
noob looking for tips and tricks for shooting an advanced SCUBA class outdoors, partly cloudy. I have no underwater gear, are there some easy trick things I can to take partial underwater shots? This is for learning only, so I don't need to worry about screwing anything up. I have a D70s w/Nikkor 18-200 DX and a Nikkor 18-70 DX. Trying to capture the joy and fun, comraderie and equipment, technique and struggle of a "harder" dive as this is an advanced class.

I'll be focusing on parking lot preps, immersion, group shots, out of water shots, and if I can figure out how to get the camera underwater, some underwater shots. But I don't think that's gonna happen!

Thanks for the tips, they're diving Sat and Sun, but the weather is looking best for Sat.

Peace

VI

ziggy53

Van Isle wrote:

Yo,
noob looking for tips and tricks for shooting an advanced SCUBA class outdoors, partly cloudy. I have no underwater gear, are there some easy trick things I can to take partial underwater shots? This is for learning only, so I don't need to worry about screwing anything up. I have a D70s w/Nikkor 18-200 DX and a Nikkor 18-70 DX. Trying to capture the joy and fun, comraderie and equipment, technique and struggle of a "harder" dive as this is an advanced class.

I'll be focusing on parking lot preps, immersion, group shots, out of water shots, and if I can figure out how to get the camera underwater, some underwater shots. But I don't think that's gonna happen!

Thanks for the tips, they're diving Sat and Sun, but the weather is looking best for Sat.

Peace

VI

Circular polarizer (CPL) for any shots where you want to see into the water. The CPL is also useful to help make the skys more interesting.

Use an external flash for fill, preferably with a very large diffusion surface for close objects, and positioned opposite the side with the ambient light.

Take a large bag that you can poke a hole through for the lens, and keep a filter on the lens to simplify cleaning any mist that might hit the lens.

Also see this thread:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=39787

ziggy53

Van Isle

Great tips, thanks. I particularly needed the circular polarizing filter, got me a B&W one, and it work awesomely. I'll do some processing over the next few das, get a Smugmug account, and show off a bit!

VI

Van Isle

Now we're heading out for a night dive, and I'm going to shoot the class' pre-dive/post-dive action. I've picked up a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (tomorrow) for the dive. I'm going to try to use natural light, high ISO and try and give it that gritty, anxious feel a la photojournalistic style. I don't have any flash other than my D70s speedlight, so I want to avoid that, although if I do use it, I'll dial it down. I'm also going to not use any filter at all. And the weather is looking rainy and dark. hmmm....other hints and tips? I've got some camping headlamps, I might be able to work some thing there.
I imagine I'll do a lot of learning on the shoot!

Nikon D70s
18-70 f/3.5-f/4.5
18-200 VR f/3.5-f/5.6
50 1.8

Thanks
VI


damn, this is fun.

ziggy53

Van Isle wrote:

Now we're heading out for a night dive, and I'm going to shoot the class' pre-dive/post-dive action. I've picked up a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (tomorrow) for the dive. I'm going to try to use natural light, high ISO and try and give it that gritty, anxious feel a la photojournalistic style. I don't have any flash other than my D70s speedlight, so I want to avoid that, although if I do use it, I'll dial it down. I'm also going to not use any filter at all. And the weather is looking rainy and dark. hmmm....other hints and tips? I've got some camping headlamps, I might be able to work some thing there.
I imagine I'll do a lot of learning on the shoot!

Nikon D70s
18-70 f/3.5-f/4.5
18-200 VR f/3.5-f/5.6
50 1.8

Thanks
VI


damn, this is fun.

Area lights are generally more useful than spot lights. Battery powered fluorescent lights work pretty well, especially if you don't worry about color balance.

Unless you are going for a "Blair Witch" sort of look, you would probably want to cover a head lamp with a diffuser of some sort.

Try it both ways and see what happens.

ziggy53