Top-side?

[TimIngmire]

Top UW photographers agree that good land photography helps build your skill and 'eye' for getting good UW photos. Indeed on a recent course with Martin Edge, we spent a good few hours walking around the gardens in Bournemouth taking photos to prove points of good composition.

So, we have a Top-Side photo forum.

Feel free to post your great top-side photos - but, when doing so, think "how does this prove an UW point".

So, please bear this in mind - this isn't for photos of your partner, children, parents etc. Such posts will be removed. If you are unsure - then just ask before posting.

Anyway, let's see em folks.

Tim

[Annie S]

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this one. It's such a great idea. I think I finally worked it out this morning. I take my dog for a walk every day in the woods, looking at the same trees and the same bushes, thinking every day 'when the spring comes I'll get some good pictures here... but how to use them to prove an underwater point......' then it hit me. I walk past those trees every day without really seeing them - just to look at them from a different angle, or close up to see the detail in the bark or the fungus growing on the trunk. So I stopped to look today and I couldn't believe just how much there was to see. Then I realised that so many people dive in exactly the same way. Everyone is always in such a hurry to get round and 'see' as much as possible or they are so intent on looking for the turtles or mantas or Napoleon Wrasse or whatever that they forget all about the little things.

Thanks Tim for this because now I don't have to wait until I am underwater again. I can look at a tree or a bush in exactly the same way I would a coral reef and practice plenty!!

[DDT uk]

Originally Posted by TimIngmire

Top UW photographers agree that good land photography helps build your skill and 'eye' for getting good UW photos. Indeed on a recent course with Martin Edge, we spent a good few hours walking around the gardens in Bournemouth taking photos to prove points of good composition.

Tim

If you can, I would strongly recommend going along to your local camera club / photographic society on a competition night. Not only does it give you creative ideas but also the judges will point out lots of things that distract from pictures. Things to avoid. They will also comments on things that appear to work and things that don't.

[Cussy]

Originally Posted by DDT uk

If you can, I would strongly recommend going along to your local camera club / photographic society on a competition night. Not only does it give you creative ideas but also the judges will point out lots of things that distract from pictures. Things to avoid. They will also comments on things that appear to work and things that don't.

I joined my local camera club a few months ago. I've learnt loads from it. One thing the competitions have taught me is how subjective it all is. The last competition also had many comments that I felt reflected that there is a huge difference between topside and underwater photography. Both have different effects that go in and out of fashion and a few comments were made about black backgrounds being a bad thing!
Rob

[DDT uk]

Originally Posted by Cussy

I joined my local camera club a few months ago. I've learnt loads from it. One thing the competitions have taught me is how subjective it all is. The last competition also had many comments that I felt reflected that there is a huge difference between topside and underwater photography. Both have different effects that go in and out of fashion and a few comments were made about black backgrounds being a bad thing!
Rob

I think the first rule of judges is that they are always wrong! In any area of photography a judge may not be aware of the particular difficulties faced within that subject and I think that you have to realistic and accept that will always happen. If a judge is worth his salt then he should be able to look at the composition and context rather than sticking to making bold generalisations. That said, I do think that things like burnt out highlights are inexcusable.

Most judges that we use normally seem to be construct in their criticisms and offer suggestions to back them up. For example, how a picture is cropped can make a real significant difference and I have seen many judges using card against prints to demonstrate this. I also tend to think that it is in the general photographic arena that really hits home the value of the rule of thirds and the need to avoid (generally) a single central subject. These are, in the non-professional pictures that I seem to see, the biggest problems in most underwater photos.

I do certainly agree that photography follows fashions. I could quite happily avoid seeing another long exposure waterfall or picture of the British Museum for some time.

The advantage for underwater photographers in a general camera club competitions is that, although some judges do not appreciate the difficulties involved, their shots tend to be very different from the mainstream and so stand out from the crowd. A pat on the back for your pictures is always appreciated.

My club, Tandridge, has also been lucky enough to have talks and presentations from Len Dealey on underwater photography. We also have one coming up from Linda Pitkin (UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHS - Linda Pitkin's stock) on 17th May.
If anyone lives in that part of the world, the talk is free and you would be welcome to attend.

Daniel

[ScubaDiva]

Did a u/w photography course with Mike W the other day. Had great fun and have now decided that the trick is in post-processing when he made what i thought was a rather rubbish photo look amazing. I will post some before and after pics once I have had a go myself!

[DDT uk]

The trouble will relying on post processing is that it is so time consuming. If you end up with a dozen shots to tinker with then any more levels will take some hours in front of the computer. I always try to get the image as near perfect in camera as possible because I am far too disorganised to adjust anyhting other than the levels before needing to print the shots.

Any chance of a write up of the course?

DAniel

[ScubaDiva]

Originally Posted by DDT uk

Any chance of a write up of the course?
DAniel

Will do but want to fiddle with the photos first and haven't had a chance yet!