PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

Taking a perfectly good camera and submerging it in the ocean may seem like a crazy thing to do to most sensible people. I’ve questioned my sanity more than once doing exactly that. So why risk a perfectly good camera and an expensive one at that, which may eventually become yet another paper weight? Well the reason is to hopefully capture that perfect moment under the sea and show people (typically non-divers) what the underwater world is like with all its strange and beautiful creatures.

To be a good underwater photographer, you have to be a good scuba diver. Imagine trying to take pictures in a weightless environment. Your subject may be swimming above you one moment and under you the next. The photographer may also be on the move if there is any current or your buoyancy is not just right.

The first crude underwater images were taken in the late 1800’s. However modern underwater photography really began in 1957 when the first waterproof 35 mm camera was invented. Jacques Yves Cousteau, although not the actual inventor, presented the idea to a Belgian named Jean de Wouters who designed the camera. In the early 1960s, Nikon acquired the license for the production of the amphibious camera, which they called the Nikonos. A series of rubber o-rings when lightly greased keeps the camera waterproof. Any compromise in the seal and the camera will flood. I personally know this because I have flooded 5 cameras since I started taking pictures underwater. All Nikonos cameras are rangefinders, In other words, you do not focus the camera but have to estimate the distance and then set the approximate distance on a set of calipers located on the lens. This takes a bit of practice, because things appear bigger and closer underwater than what they really are. About 2 years ago, Nikon discontinued the Nikonos. The last model was the Nikonos 5, which was in production for over 15 years. There are several other manufacturers that sell underwater cameras most notably Sea & Sea. However none of these cameras are considered by serious underwater photographers usually because of their limited depth ratings. The Nikonos had an approved depth rating of 130 feet although many divers have gone deeper with their cameras….. Full Article.

Hummingbird photography is addictive!! Stimulates your creativity, not only challenges you but takes you to great places, and hopefully rewards you with some great pics. Almost everyone likes Hummingbirds. They’re so small and fast moving, it’s hard to get a good look at them. When you show pictures of hummingbirds, people are impressed, because they can see all of the wonderful details. I thought it would be great to share how best to try and set up for hummingbirds so you can produce results you can be happy with.

So what does it take to capture a hummingbird in flight in detail? First and foremost HUMMINGBIRDS , mainly patience, and a little setup and lastly a feeder to attract them.

GEAR- any camera, lenses will depend on the working distance your birds will allow you, norm 8-10 ft, normally anywhere from 200-400mm. Dont need fast glass, ie. f2.8 as you are stopping down your glass from f-8 to f13 depending on exposure. I use my 300mm + 1.4TC on a tripod with gimbal head.

Flashes- Hummingbirds wings can beat up to 80 times per second, this produces their signature hum. To the naked eye and you camera—the wings are just a blur. One of the first questions I’m asked is what shutter speed I use to stop this super-fast movement. The real answer is that the motion is frozen with high speed electronic flash, not by a fast shutter speed on the camera….. full article.

I just got back from 1 month of hiking in the Alps with the Eos 1Ds Mark III and a 40 D as a backup. I used to use a 1Ds Mark II and a 1D Mark II, but the 1Ds Mark II was stolen (it was insured) and I didn’t want to lug the extra weight of a separate Mark II body without the compatibility of battery systems. Buying a 2nd Mark III wasn’t in the budget, thus the lighter 40D. My primary purpose of shooting is for a book I am researching on the best treks in the world. I have a report on the treks (not edited yet) and some small photos on http://www.greattreks.com/greattreks/TopTen/TopTen01.asp. Go to Tour de Mont Blanc and the Haute Route for the photostory. Pics are small, I will provide slightly large images on links below. My photographs were more documantarian than usual, but I was focused on my book rather than straight artistic style.

I was very interested to see how the Mark III would stack up to the Mark II and if the 40D sacrifice was a mistake. Here’s my anecdotal report.

The Mark III was a tank. I hike almost 400 kilometers and climbed a total of 20,000 vertical meters. It was 23 days of hiking of which 4 were horrific weather wise. I would say I had the Mark III out of my bag 95% of the time. The exceptions being one time during really hard rain and a few times where I was concerned for my wife or my own safety. It was a tank. With that said I had 0 dust on the sensor problems. This is a huge advantage over my previous experience with the Mark II. When trekking one doesn’t have the luxury to check how clean one’s images are. I was amazed that I had no issues whatsoever …. full article.