Dive Time with Tim Grollimund
Back to school
When it comes to underwater shooting, the basics are many
E-Mail this story
Print this story
tool name
close
tool goes here
Posted - Thursday, January 19, 2012 06:25 PM EST
Moray eels make great photo subjects and will often pose for the photographer. (Photo by Tim Grollimund)
This week I started something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I had my first underwater photography student. He learned a lot. I learned more. I got cold. It’s still winter.
Nowadays I dread that giant stride off the boat because I know when that first rush of low-seventies water hits me, I’m not going to like it. My only thought at that moment is, “I better shoot something really good on this dive for freezing to get here.” But after the initial shock, I’m good to go.
Over the last couple of years I have observed the tremendous proliferation of compact cameras and all the goodies that attach to them. My rig, which takes up substantial space in the on-board camera bucket, is typically surrounded by different makes and models of compact cameras and housings, some with external strobes, many without.
I applaud these divers and wonder about them at the same time. Kudos for jumping in and playing with the animals — I couldn’t agree more with you on that point. But there’s another side of the coin — do these folks know the basic principals involved in creating good photos? I hope so. If not, I believe they should know, so their experience can be enriched with good quality images they can share with others. After all, why go to the expense and bother of toting that stuff around if you don’t know how to use it?
For people who want to enhance their dive vacation, a little knowledge can go a long way towards creating a great memory bank of photos. I have been fortunate to have what I (and many others) consider one of the best teachers in the world in Stephen Frink. I will always work to infuse what he has taught me into my students.
Which brings us to topic number one on my list: Diving skills. A good photographer has to have his or her diving skills elevated to such a degree that diving is quite comfortable — secondary, in fact.
I see folks many times that seem to be fighting with the water. Flailing away like a windmill in the water does not bode well for photography. Gliding and sliding through the water does. Sometimes you really do have to sneak up on an animal, and I don’t think that is efficiently accomplished when arms and legs are groping in different directions to get from point A to point B. Sea fans and sponges are indifferent, but fish don’t like that. Proper weighting and buoyancy control are the two essentials on this list.
A close second to skills is etiquette. If you really want to send me through the roof, interrupt me when I am working a subject. Please respect others who have found something they are shooting, and expect the same consideration in return. When you find that awesome setup, like a Nassau grouper with neon gobies darting all over its head, that’s yours until you are done. When you want to share, do so — but get your shots first. After all, you found it. Stern discussions on the boat afterwards can be prevented by practicing good manners in the water.
Easily approachable photogenic subjects include grunts, squirrelfish, spadefish, lobsters, any angelfish you can get close to, and eels — especially eels. When you find one, it’s not going to go far if you respect their space. And certainly, with those teeth, respect is a very good thing. They make stunning images, especially if there are coral banded shrimp or other cleaners around.
Stingrays, nurse sharks and turtles are big animals that allow close encounters if approached properly. A slow, easy approach gets the image, but a flailing diver sees the tail going away through a cloud of sand. Cleaning stations and feeding behavior are other good indicators of a possible close encounter. If you are just beginning, find sedentary subjects like flamingo tongues, soft corals or anemones. And get closer. And get closer. Did I just say that twice? Well, here it is again: get as close to your subject as you can. Always. This is the single most frequent mistake I see in beginners’ photos. I am also guilty of this at times.
Set yourself up to have good results. When I see something I want to shoot, I do a few things immediately. First I form the image and lighting in my head, then I set my camera. I shoot everything manually, so it’s up to me to choose the exposure and make the light. Next I plan my approach to the subject and relax, check my dive time and gas, and go create the image. A lot can be accomplished in your mind during the approach to the animal. And yes, sometimes I talk to them. And sometime they seem to listen. They must have a great sense of humor, or be really bored, if they’re willing to listen to me.
My first student is David Molzof from Waterloo, Iowa. He is here for two months and is diving with Ocean Divers (www.oceandiversidc.com). He does not mind being my learning curve. In return, I will dive with him anytime my schedule permits in January and February to see how far we can progress in two months. Our goal for David is to have more wall-worthy images for his man-cave than he has wall space to display them. David tells me he is learning a lot. I am learning more from him about teaching than he can fathom. Thanks David, I needed that.
Tim Grollimund is a freelance photographer and PADI divemaster based in Key Largo. He can be reached at tim@timgimages.com or through his web site at www.timgimages.com. Keep tabs on his activity for the Coral Restoration Foundation at www.timgimages.com/crlogbook.
