8 replies to this topic

[Painted Frogfish]

Hi all,
Taken at Manta Parade in Sangalaki in July with Canon S45, Inon Fisheye lens, dual Inon D180 strobes. Comments please, thanks.
ML

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[MikeVeitch]

HI Marcus didn't notice this shot before.

Its a great idea and turns out quite nice, good saturation on the corals and nice exposure....but....

I think the positioning of the diver is a a bit distracting. I think it would work a little better if the diver was coming more toward the camera at about a 30 degree angle. With the way it is now it makes me want to turn the photo vertical...
Also, i would suggest you pull your strobes back just a touch in order to avoid that slight flare on the left side.

Overall, a good shot
ALso

[mattdiver]

I agree with Mike. First thing I did was tilt my head to the side... also maybe a tad more of the reef would have been nice...

Mat

[yahsemtough]

Yep I have to agree with the above. I would prefer the fish to have been more cooperative and maybe faced you a little more too.

[Giles]

Agree with everyone maybe in a different or similar way.

I think the problem is you were looking too upwards which created too much diver and not enough reef and the bellies of all the fish. Good job on not getting too many bubbles if any of your own in the shot.

I know one of those golden rules is shoot upwards .. and i love shooting upwards and sometimes too upwards .. but it just doesn't work for me on this shot. ... however as everyone else says colour wise it's very nice .. good lighting for the most part.

[Kelpfish]

I still like total upward shots, but there is a lettle too much water for me. Exposure wise, it's nice. Bubbles are distracting a bit and I'd like a pinch of more coral wall, a slightly tilted diver coming more into the camera at one of the third grids. But it is still nothing to throw out.

Joe

[Painted Frogfish]

Thanks guys, for all the helpful comments. I agree, I had difficulty trying to decide whether this should be a portrait orientation or not, because the diver is at right angles. As Mike says, it would be better if the diver was more at a 30 degree angle so the composition is less rigid and more dynamic. It never occurred to me!

[Photobeat]

All of the guys nailed the critique part - Check our Howard Hall's successful UW photography book for great CFWA shots. Having more reef in the pic shooting more gradual upward rather than direct is what makes his shots so cool. The look like straight on but they are upward just not extreme upward. Anyway here is a 10 min hack photoshop job on your pic changing the compostion a bit.

[Painted Frogfish]

Hey cool!! How did you do that?