View Full Version : Photos of some small fishes...
Canadadiver
17-02-09, 20:12
I thought I'd post some photos of small fish I've seen recently at the A-Frames (although I've seen them elsewhere too).
http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v648/162/49/594300534/n594300534_2574031_8718.jpg
Leopard-spotted Goby
http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v648/162/49/594300534/n594300534_2574029_7865.jpg
Long-spined Sea Scorpion
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2089/162/49/594300534/n594300534_2520401_5430.jpg
Sand Goby
Feel free to correct any of the above IDs.
dive granny
17-02-09, 23:10
Nice pics :)
Canadadiver
17-02-09, 23:20
Cheers DG! I need more practice... or more £££ for strobes!
dive granny
17-02-09, 23:28
I'm still practising myself. I have a Fuji f40. No fancy add ons.:rolleyes: Just look and click:)
Excellent clarity on these!
Scuba-Doh!
18-02-09, 11:53
Good pics, especially if that's you just starting out. I never seem to get a good shot of the leopard spotted gobys. Fast little blighters know when to shift before the photo is taken. :mad:
Practice should be all you need. I tried messing with a strobe but it wasn't worth the effort or cash. If you're using the flash try using your dive light to illuminate the subject, experiment with different angles of lighting and try to get some contrast (difficult with these fish as they like to blend in with their surroundings). Nowadays I never use the flash on the camera, some of my photos suffer for it but I prefer the outcome. Natural light in the shallows / good vis is my preferred method, with manual white balance (if I ever remember to set it up), but it's not always available.
Canadadiver
18-02-09, 22:44
I never seem to get a good shot of the leopard spotted gobys. Fast little blighters know when to shift before the photo is taken. :mad:
I tried messing with a strobe but it wasn't worth the effort or cash. If you're using the flash try using your dive light to illuminate the subject, experiment with different angles of lighting and try to get some contrast (difficult with these fish as they like to blend in with their surroundings). Nowadays I never use the flash on the camera, some of my photos suffer for it but I prefer the outcome. Natural light in the shallows / good vis is my preferred method, with manual white balance (if I ever remember to set it up), but it's not always available.
Good advice. I'd like to shoot more video (the quality's good enough for YouTube), but when it's real deep and dark, you can't see a damn thing. I think I'll jury-rig an arm and bracket to mount my torch on. There's actually loads of options available online too, like these, from Cameras Underwater (http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk/index.html):
http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk/Ultralight/pix/torches.jpg
It'd also be handy for aiming and focusing still shots in the dark... see the sea scorpion below (shot at 40m... it's slightly out of focus as the camera was metering in almost pitch black).
http://www.congeralley.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=340
And the Leopard-spotted Goby is a shy one - the other photo is slightly blurry 'cause it's in the middle of fleeing! This one shows it ready to disappear into its burrow.
http://www.congeralley.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=45&pictureid=341
Scuba-Doh!
19-02-09, 00:06
Yeah, I was tempted to jury-rig an arm for my torch while diving Scapa, since I intended shooting only video with my camera (in an effort to see more of the dive and because a macro shot doesn't give much of an impression of a German Battleship). What I discovered though was that my Darkbuster was best positioned as far from the camera as possible to avoid the scatter, I was diving with the camera in one hand and the DB in my other outstretched. The wavering torch can be quite distracting though and that is where an arm/tray arrangement helps.
You really can't beat a strobe. Especially if you can adjust the power level and stick it on a longish arm. You can position them almost anywhere and being able to adjust the power (and camera settings) you can get round most situations :cool:
Canadadiver
19-02-09, 13:52
You really can't beat a strobe. Especially if you can adjust the power level and stick it on a longish arm. You can position them almost anywhere and being able to adjust the power (and camera settings) you can get round most situations :cool:
More good advice, regthing. I think for now, it's best to keep banging away with my present set-up, then I can identify what type of shots I like taking, where I need improvement and where my equipment needs upgrading.
I started taking macro shots when I was working in the bush in Northern British Columbia. There were scores of plant species that I wanted to identify, but couldn't remember the details without taking a photo. Same goes for aquatic life - and just like id'ing plant, insect, or bird species, the more you know, the more you notice! "So, what do you see when you're underwater?", "Er... fish, I guess...":rolleyes:
Anyhoo, think I'll keep posting assorted photos of Scottish marine life as I see 'em!