almity1

Hello Simon

Hopefully by giving my slant on things it will provoke some thought.

Even though I have 2 strobes, I am starting to warm to using available light as one of my techniques

I do all my processing or most of it at least in the water.

I set my set up in Manual, and go to 400ASA.  Then I use manual WB by setting it that way, pointing at the subject and then setting the WB manually there and then.

There is hardly any post-processing at all.

Here are 2 shots from Sydney Australia

One is a Frog Fish



400 ASA, 1/100 f3.2 @ 5m with 3m viz

And a Red Indian Fish



400 ASA, 1/100 f3.2 @ 15m with 10m viz

In the first case I couldn't get the strobes in close enough in the second case the hotshoe attachment became loose.

Using Natural Light and Manual WB does force you to get in close.

Cheers

almity1
http://www.almity1.com
Almity Web Page

I agree with Mike "Crop with your Fins", Get It right the first time or at least make the attempt to do this.

Here is my spin on it.

Cropping is one of the traditional darkroom functions that is now emulated through software.

Coming from a background of having worked in a Commercial Darkroom and having one at home developing transparencies and cibachrome, back in the now "monolithic" period of Photography.

I was forever enlarging to 20 x 24 inch paper to crop to 10 x 12 inch size to cater for customers in a particular area they requested. Whether it was to form a potrait or to seperate the bride and groom from the Bridal Party. (This point supports cropping)

You could argue the point of why didn't they ask for that shot to be done that way in the first place. It would have been much easier and less expensive. (This point supports NO cropping)

Sometimes in an attempt to compose a picture you are limited by the surrounding physical environment, it may be best to give the subject the priority rather than composition, (This point supports Cropping).

In the case where you have time and no physical limitations, "Crop with your fins" and try a few more angles. (This point supports NO cropping).

I like to plan my dives to allow the time for good composition of a subject, and this is my aim. Once I achieve that, I do look at what I have done and have another go, if I need to before moving on.

At the end of the dive, you are the one who makes a decision on the display of each of your pictures, if it feels right to crop on a particular picture, DO IT!!!.

I have cropped as much as I haven't cropped, I would say less cropping.

I let the picture talk to me. Let your pictures talk to you.

almity1
http://www.almity1.com