First Attempts at UWP, Any Feedback?

[hammersinc]

Isla Paraiso, Dominican Republic

[jule]

Thanks for posting this image and welcome. Underwater photography is very difficult and it takes a lot of experience and a bit of good fortune to get great images. For me, this one is in the just Ok basket, because it has varying elements which are in focus, which often is so hard to do underwater.

If you take away your own emotional element involved in the photo, and look at it objectively as if someone else had taken it, what does the image do for you? There is nothing really spectacular taking 'centre stage' of the image. The coral bommie in the foreground is not in focus, which is fine, but is takes up such a big portion of the image and is ugly. The blue 'veins' on the coral are really interesting, so could have been an opportunity to create an interesting image up closer. The texture on the mustard coloured sponges? is really interesting but gets lost in the whole image.

Because underwater photography is so difficult, one often thinks an image is better than it is. Look at the image as if it were a landscape and see whether the elements work together to 'say' anything. If they don't...it is just a happy snap.   

I would suggest having a look at http://wetpixel.com and see some of the underwater photography there. Please don't be discouraged by my honest thoughts. They are of course only my opinions. I find the best part of underwater photography is actually being in the ocean, and I too have folders of happy snaps.

Julie

[PeterCatchpole]

tough, tough, tough, one word that describes UWP.  Wetpixel is an excellent website, as is the free Under water Photography Internet Magazine produced by Peter Rowlands.  http://www.uwpmag.com/

You will get a lot of help and encouragment from the UWP there.

Couple of thoughts, I'm guessing you are not using a strobe?  Water depth will strip away colour faster than a running tap, a cost effective way to reintroduce the lost colour is to use a filter, in the UWP mag, you'll see an advert for 'Magic Filters' might be worth buying a filter for your lens.

I like the natural look of the image with the light rays coming through the water, try and pronouce these more in post production, another way is to use manual control on your camera and slightly underexpose the image.

One of the key points in UWP is get close and then closer still to your main object, not sure if it is the fish or coral.  Also try and shoot up rather than down.

Keep up the good work and post some more images, as a piece of encourgement this is what you get when you get up close and personal with a Pygmy Seahorse.