Monthly Challenge - March 06

[TimIngmire]

Oh My God! It's March already and we now need another topic - it feels like yesterday that I was racking my brain trying to think of something for Feb's challenge.

OK, this month should be a fun one - "The Surface".

Please interpret as you see fit but remember this is UW photogrpahy so no top side although split shots are fine - especially if you can get a good one.

Just to reiterate, individual photos should be taken in the month but you can also submit a portfolio of past photos which are relevant to the topic.

For me, this month I will mostly be looking forward to a trip to Mull - the first bit of briney of the year - hoorah!

Have fun out there.

Tim

[KenByrne]

I'll be glad to get back into the briney.

For now it's capenwray again. Went on Saturday snow on the ground ice on the water and very cold. But the sky was a clear blue and the vis was good. I'm hoping that all the practice is going to stand me in good stead for the summer.

Anyway a literal interpretation of the theme.



And slightly less literal but you can see the surface and those cliffs are above the water.

[triplefin]

Some very interesting pictures. I think this monthly chalenge is a good idea (although I'm not diving myself at the moment!) It certainly makes you look at things in a different way and focus on things that maybe you wouldnt thin k about normally.

[dave s]

[


Photo 1 : Taken in warmer times, sun light breaking through.
Photo 2 ; Same spot and as there is a water drop on the lens - does that help it qualify ??
Photo 3 : Donegal.

Roll on some warm weather.

[Mike W]

Liked your shots, Ken - I can see what you were trying for I think! The first s particularly evocative for me.

Thanks for the sun-rays Dave - like you said, roll on some warmer bl**dy weather!

[Cussy]

Still no chance of getting wet, so I've had to rely on the archives again. Unfortunately I only had about 10 photos to shoose from:

Rob

[TimIngmire]

Well this is my rather shameful attempt....



Not much surface unfortunately, the water was a little cold to be hanging around for too long.

[KenByrne]

Rob I like the circular fisheye pool shot. It's interesting to see something so different from the norm. Something that would be worth trying in openwater.

[Cussy]

Ken,
Over/under shots are really tricky with the WA lens on. If you look at the top right image (my mate Mark's backside) you can see 2 water levels, one on the front of the lens, the other on the opening between WA lens and housing (its also not a flat water level, slight wave effect). Over/under shots I'm guessing are a lot easier on a DSLR with a dome port. The one of my little lad was a burst of 16, with only 2 showing what I wanted.
Rob
PS every dive club should have a 27m deep swimming pool like that

[KenByrne]

Rob, Over under shots are really tricky. I've not done very many at all. My previous wide angle lens needs a +4 diopter to focus underwater behind the dome and so wouldn't focus above. I've tried a couple with my Nikon 12-24 zoom but nothing I'm really pleased with yet.

A problem with this is that the dome acts as a lens underwater but not in air so half the shot will always be out of focus.

The proffessionals use a split diopter with a +3 or +4 diopter for the underwater part and no diopter for the surface part. Trick is then to get the join just at the surface so it doesn't show. Of course fitting 1 of these limits you to just over under shots. So far I haven't tried one of these I just rely on a good depth of field to try to produce something usable.