Drew Fulton

Thanks Everybody. It was a lot of fun. As far as equipment goes, we had some trouble with that. Originally, I wanted to use my D3 and 16mm fisheye but we couldn't find the funds to house it for the project. Then I was supposed to be using a D70 in Subal housing that the project owned but there were a bunch of problems with it and we never got it working while I was there. I ended up borrowing a D200 with 10.5 fisheye in a Sea&Sea housing from one of the other photographers there. I made my own little panorama head and used a giant fixed tripod type thing that the site used for marking survey points as a tripod. The pictures themselves are 6-8 pictures around horizontally and a couple up and a couple down. Topside with a precise head its 6+1+1 but underwater I took more to ensure better overlap. I also did a couple of them hand held. I'd really like to do it again and will do it a little bit differently, mainly having my own camera and taking a real tripod down. However, working at such a remote site you make do with what is at hand. Hope that answers your questions. Best, Drew

Hey Everyone, I'm not normally an UW photo guy but have been lurking here for some time asking some technical questions over in the other forums. I still don't own a housing but borrowed one this summer for use on an underwater archaeological excavation off the coast of Turkey. As there were other photographers on the site, my main focus was to create interactive panoramas of the site. You can't see a whole lot of the site because this was the final field season and most of the artifacts had been removed, but if you ever wanted to see what an underwater excavation looks like, check out the posts on my blog. Unfortunately, I can't post them directly here as they take a complex Flash player to view them. Sorry! Oh yeah, did I mention it was a Roman ship from the 1st Century BC and in 150 feet of water? Anyway, just wanted to share... Here's the link! http://www.wanderersapprentice.com/kizilib...underwater.html Best, Drew

Thanks so much Ellen. Thats not exactly what I wanted to hear as it complicates things but good to know while I am still here. Best, Drew

Ellen, Thanks so much. I'm just looking for a rough measurement. I can do all the precise stuff once I arrive on site but I need to be sure I have enough material. Thanks! Drew

I have a bit of a strange question but hopefully it will be quite easy to answer. I am arriving in the field next week to work on a project using a Subal D70 housing and FE-2/3 (not sure) dome. In order to do this I essentially have to attach the camera to a complex tripod head. What I need to know is the following two questions. THere may be more later but this is where I am starting. 1) If you place assembled the housing and dome on a table, will it sit flat or does the dome extend below the bottom of the housing? 2) With dome attached, what is the approximate depth of the entire rig from front of dome to back of housing? I know these are fairly strange questions but as I am building the tripod head I don't have the camera in hand. Thanks! Drew

The dome will be used on a daily basis all summer but the project hasn't begun yet. I will see if he can get it fixed prior to the project beginning. Drew

I was sent this image by a friend wondering what I thought about this crack. Not being an UW Photog (yet) I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It is a Subal Dome for a fisheye and they want to know if it needs to be replaced or if it is functional. It looks to me that this crack just effects the lens hood and not the dome itself. Having never held a Subal Dome, I'm not sure how it seals on the back but wanted to get a feeling from you guys. Whatcha think? Would you put your camera in this or would you get a whole new dome or is there something in between? Image Link: http://www.drewfulton.com/files/brkn_fisheye.jpg Thanks for your help! Drew

Scott, Thats what I was afraid of. I remember it was the little things that killed me when I switched to digital... Trying to stay ahead of the surprises this time. Thanks! Drew

Alex and Steve, Thanks for the help. I should mention that photography is my profession topside so I have all that goes with that. Its just the UW side I am new to. I look forward to it as it has been a dream for some time. Alex, to answer your question. I have a project coming up that will be a lot of WA and diver portrait work but for my personal future work I will also include more macro stuff. Best, Drew

I am working on assembling my first UW kit and want to make sure I am not forgetting anything as I lay out a budget... Here's what I have so far... DSLR Body (Nikon D3) WA Lenses (14-24mm (not ideal, i know), 24-70, 16mm Fisheye) Macro Lens (105mm (not VR)) Housing Domes Strobes x 2 Focus Light Strobe Arms Case to hold it all... What am I missing? I feel like there is probably some stuff missing but don't know what. I am after a complete list. Small stuff included. I need to get a total budget worked up. Thanks! Best, Drew

I am a topside photographer that has always wanted to take my gear down with me. I finally have a great opportunity to justify purchasing a system as I will be joining an excavation of a 2nd century BC (yes, 2000 years old) wreck of a marble carrier ship off Turkey at 150 feet. My primary role will be to photograph the excavation's progress at depth as well as any artifacts that are discovered during the dig. Most of the images I take will be either diver portraits or wide angles of the entire site including the raising of 6 ton marble drums to the surface. I am currently shooting topside with a Nikon D3 with 14-24, 16 Fisheye, 24-70, and own the 12-24 from my DX days (with a D2xs as well). I am currently looking at a Subal housing and am trying to figure out the strobe setup. The previous photographer at the site uses a pair of large dive lights to light his images but I believe I will feel more comfortable shooting with a pair of strobes though hope to take advantage of those lights as well. While I am using this project as an excuse to get into the UW scene, I hope to also be able to use the strobes in the future for more personal work including WA and Macros. I am trying to figure out what pair of strobes I should be looking at as well as whether I should go the TTL route or not. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Drew

This is disappointing to hear as I am just in the market for sending my D3 and 14-24 down. Guess I will have to rethink my WA options. Drew