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Camera Settings:

camera mode = manual (cameras make dumb decisions UW, the camera's meter reads ambient reflected light and doesn't take in to account what the strobe(s) will illuminate) flash = rear sync meter mode = matrix, center weight, or spot (situation dependant: usually, matrix) focus = single servo AF (I don't use focusing gears. I can switch to manual focus to lock focus _or_ AF w/single servo and hold the trigger half cocked, recompose, then shoot) macro lenses = 60mm f/2.8, 105mm f/2.8, and 200mm f/4 nikkor AF-D micros aperture = f/22 (f/32 with the Ike 200 strobes) shutter = 1/30 to 1/250 strobes = TTL (_before loading film_ do a TTL test on your camera system!) wide angle lenses = 16mm f/2.8 fisheye, 18mm f/2.8, 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2 nikkor AF-D, 17-35mm f/2.8 zoom AF-S aperture depends on light meter reading for background blue water and shutter speed shutter = 1/20 to 1/125 strobes = manual, many times diffused, power settings based on strobe to subject distance, TTL can work well for CFWA (_before loading film_ do a TTL test on your camera system!) Note: Be very careful when shooting wide open with TTL, many times TTL will overexpose because the strobes cannot quench fast enough. Note: When shooting near the surface in bright light, it might be a good idea to blackout the the white text on the front of your nikkor 35mm, 28mm, and 24mm lens. One of my shots was ruined by their reflection on the inside of my 8" dome.

My photographic methods:

general tips Become a good diver before taking a camera underwater. Your buoyancy must be perfect and you have to be able to perform most things with your left hand, your right hand holds the camera. You must be very fluid and smooth when moving in the water otherwise you will scare some sensitve subjects away. Start shooting macro with TTL for rangefinder cameras use framers and extension tubes for SLRs use a 60mm macro lens or equivalent Practice techniques on land for macro: use small plastic lizards, frogs, and insects as models (you can try shooting real ones; but, they don't sit still.) for wide angle: practice close focus wide angle on plants then work your way up to family pets Shoot an exposure test in a swimming pool for wide angle: use a flash meter and calibrate your strobe against a known strobe (done in air from the same position and distance from the meter's sensor) create a board with many different color samples (black, green, blue, yellow, purple, 18% gray, white), flip cards for distance, f/stop, strobe power, and diffuser use. vary your strobe to subject distance (1, 2, 3, 4 feet) f/stop (every foot of water = 1 stop) strobe power (full, half, quarter) add diffusers to your strobe for macro: use TTL flash setting, shutter speed = sync speed of camera, 100 speed film place a machinist's ruler marks at every 1/100th of an inch at 45 degrees to the film plane focus on a major marker near the center of the ruler (i.e., 3" on a 6" ruler) shoot at 1:3, 1:2, and 1:1 vary the f/stop among f/22, f/16, f/11 shoot three subjects: light, medium, and dark vary the ISO setting on your camera among 50, 100, 200 Learn how to compose a good photograph (shoot verticals whenever possible) Set your camera to your default settings _before_ getting in the water and check those settings before shooting the first frame. get close, (get closer), get low, shoot up look for good negative space _then_ search for subjects in that negative space relate the subject to its background (for wide angle) isolate the subject (for macro) shoot at f/32 for macro (if possible, to maximize the depth of field) aim your strobe(s) carefully by visualizing what each strobe will illuminate TIP: use edge lighting with your strobe(s) More on lighting (exercises and thought processes) the subject's "eyes" (or what people see as the eyes or head) need to be razor sharp shoot the subject at eye-level or below learn the difference between what your eyes see and what the film will record learn to edit in the view finder instead of at the light table check the all the edges of your view finder for distracting objects (the same goes for the negative space) bracket for exposure (-1, 0, +1) and bracket for composition shoot the lens you have, not the one you wish you had on your camera (no shooting nudibranchs with your 15mm wide angle lens) avoid bullseye composition make practice sketches of compositions you would like to shoot (composition practice sheets: 35mm, D200) use rule of thirds use a focusing screen with a grid pattern (nikon E screen) fill the frame with the main subject (minimum of 1/3 of the frame) diagonal lines across the frame work well leading lines "S" or "C" curves flowing motion (capture motion in stillness) give your subject room to move in the direction it appears to be moving