Photo Tips San Diego Underwater Photographic Society
Photo Tips
San Diego Underwater Photographic Society
| The Big Picture by Randy Morse
As this year's photographer of the year, I would like to bring back a club tradition, the Photo-Tip of the Month, published monthly right here in The Goby. As part of each column, I would like to include your questions and comments. Here's how it will work. If you have a question, comment, or think I'm completely out in left field and would like to set me straight, just call or Email me. I will select one or more of your questions/comments to respond to in the next Goby, along with a new monthly tip. My phone number is (619)278-2436 and Email address is WRMorse@aol.com. As this month's topic I will take on the Big Picture, pardon the pun, of how I approach photography and save the details for future Gobys. When the shutter is about to drop, I am considering two categories of questions. First are the technical aspects of taking the picture and second is the harder to define aspect of capturing a photograph. When starting out in underwater photography, you must first learn how to take a picture. What I mean by this is that you must master the technical aspects of photography. Your goal should be to learn to focus, f-stops and shutter speeds cold! Some examples would knowing when to use a large aperture, small f-stop, to take advantage of ambient light. Or to stop the aperture down, large f-stop, to maximize your depth of field. With different apertures, what are the trade-offs in shutter speeds? Along with these skills, you will need to master your strobe. How much light does it put out at full power, 1/2 power, 1/16 power? How fast does the light pattern fall off and where along the edge of the beam? How can you then apply this in your photography? |
Notice I have not mentioned TTL, Matrix Metering, Auto
Focus, etc, etc, etc. All of these are extras designed to assist
you in applying the basic elements. Those being focus, f-stop and shutter
speed. If you substitute any one or all of them in place of a clear understanding
of the basics, they will fail you at the worst possible moment.
Beyond taking a picture, are the creative aspects of producing a photograph. This is the realm that will hook you for a lifetime. Photographers try to define this in many ways. Some would include: having an eye or a personal style. Telling a story, capturing something that is not literally there or capturing the essence of the subject. A photograph captures the viewer's eye and demands a second look. In short it's the WOW factor! My goal is to continue developing my own style. To capture not only the subject, but also what has excited me about the subject. This is the best way I have as yet found to define this, I consider what most interests or excites me about the subject and try to capture it in the photograph. I study others' photographs, not to clone their work, but to apply some of their technique to my own style. On days when I spend too much effort considering f-stops, shutter speeds, TTL's and auto gadgets, I find I have taken pictures not photographs. Your questions and comments are welcome. |
