Just joined NPN so here goes.
I do primarily underwater and mainly around the UK. Lots of diver photographers ignore our own waters but that's a mistake in my view. Yes it is cold and murky but there is lots to see. This is one of our more photogenic fish which grows to over a metre. The scars around its chops are due to diet - it feeds on crunchy things like crabs, lobsters, sea urchins and gets nipped pretty regularly. Taken last summer at St. Abbs Marine Reserve, Berwickshire.
Canon 5D, 2 flashes, Canon 100mm macro, ISO 200, f16 @ 1/100, Raw and converted in ACR. Minor crop plus removal of backscatter (the bane of any underwater photographer's life!!) with clone tool.
Jim Greenfield
www.oceaneyephoto.com
As a long time wreck diver (but not that frequent at the mo - land locked), a X-uw-wreck-Photog, I have to say that I love these images and totally understand how hard they are to get. Someday I might put the camera back in a housing ... but I won't be soon.
The rendition if the skin colour is excellent. How deep - 7m?
PS Love the Ballan Wrasse
Posted by David Kjaer on February 8, 2007 at 7:48 AM
Hi Jim
Welcome to the forum, it will be good to see the work of another underwater photographer especially as you specialise in natiive species. I have little idea of what marine life we have in UK waters and if your opening shot is anything to go by we are all in for a treat!
David
Posted by Tim Munsey on February 8, 2007 at 7:55 AM
Hi Jim,
Great clarity, interesting to meet a wolf fish, do they hunt in packs? Good stuff on your site.
Absolutely great, a pleasure to see... A short while back I had to photograph the skull of one of these from our collections here at the NHM, fascinating, they have rows of teeth actually in the pallate, for crunching up their prey.
Great eyes there as well...
Posted by Philip Kirkham on February 8, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Hello Jim
I used to dive a lot too, and also dabbled in U/W photography several years ago. It is a combination of many skills which I ,sadly, never quite mastered, but you certainly have.
Excellent image, and welcome to the forum.
Best wishes
Phil
Posted by Mark Sisson on February 8, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Cracking image - it's another world down there for sure.
My daughter has just learned to dive (deep into chasing PADI qualifications galore now) - now I need to teach her to photograph!!
Look forward to seeing some more of your stuff on here in the future.
Mark
Posted by Sean Bolton on February 8, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Hi Jim
Welcome to the forum
It's great to have an underwater photographer on the forum again as I always enjoy these shots. This is excellent, very well lit with great detail.
I also had a look at your website which is very good too. Nicely laid out with great photography.
cheers
Sean
Posted by Vincent Jones on February 8, 2007 at 1:57 PM
What an amazing underwater shot Thought I was looking in the mirror for a second lol.
Welcome to the forum Jim
Look forward to seeing more of your amazing work
Vince
Posted by David Taylor on February 8, 2007 at 2:17 PM
well, your dea right about that, spent far too much time doing underwater photography from foreign climes. we're just about to have our first baby so have come back to the uk for a year
to get setttled into the baby routine so will give me a chance to get some uk underwater images done, which i'm really looking forward to.
i like this image, a great first post and really good example of what can be done close to home. did you do any others of the same scene? i'd maybe like a more environmental shot showing more of the surroundings as it looks interestingly jammed into whatever it's jammed into and i think this might add to the image to give it a sense of meaning.
look forward to seeing some more, i'll take a look at your site soon, if you're in the south, let me know if you'd like to show me some uk dive sites this year.
Thanks for the comments. No, sorry, don't have a more environmental view as I was kitted up with a 100mm macro. Pulling further back would have introduced an unacceptable amount of water between lens and subject. Even really clear water degrades the image and murky UK seawater does so big time. Need to find one like this when I have my wide angle on.
Mark - I am based in the north and do nearly all my diving in Scotland - cold but good up there!
Tom
I use Aquatica which is built like a tank and absolutely bomb proof. Ergonomics of the 5D housing are not too brill as it is a two handed job to change aperture and/or shutter speed. Previously used that make for film (still do for that matter with some underwater portrait work I do) and just had to buy the basic body when I bought the 5D last year. All the ports and arms just transferred across which made a very expensive job...well just expensive! Also use the same flashes (Nikon SB105) but lost TTL which was a culure shock but have pretty well got used to doing everything in manual now.
Jim
Discussion
16 repliesI do primarily underwater and mainly around the UK. Lots of diver photographers ignore our own waters but that's a mistake in my view. Yes it is cold and murky but there is lots to see. This is one of our more photogenic fish which grows to over a metre. The scars around its chops are due to diet - it feeds on crunchy things like crabs, lobsters, sea urchins and gets nipped pretty regularly. Taken last summer at St. Abbs Marine Reserve, Berwickshire.
Canon 5D, 2 flashes, Canon 100mm macro, ISO 200, f16 @ 1/100, Raw and converted in ACR. Minor crop plus removal of backscatter (the bane of any underwater photographer's life!!) with clone tool.
Jim Greenfield
www.oceaneyephoto.com
As a long time wreck diver (but not that frequent at the mo - land locked), a X-uw-wreck-Photog, I have to say that I love these images and totally understand how hard they are to get. Someday I might put the camera back in a housing ... but I won't be soon.
The rendition if the skin colour is excellent. How deep - 7m?
PS Love the Ballan Wrasse
Welcome to the forum, it will be good to see the work of another underwater photographer especially as you specialise in natiive species. I have little idea of what marine life we have in UK waters and if your opening shot is anything to go by we are all in for a treat!
David
Great clarity, interesting to meet a wolf fish, do they hunt in packs? Good stuff on your site.
Tim
Phillip.
Welcome.
Well this is different
He looks like a nasty brute.Cracking shot aswell
Look forward to seeing more of your shots in the future
Great eyes there as well...
I used to dive a lot too, and also dabbled in U/W photography several years ago. It is a combination of many skills which I ,sadly, never quite mastered, but you certainly have.
Excellent image, and welcome to the forum.
Best wishes
Phil
My daughter has just learned to dive (deep into chasing PADI qualifications galore now) - now I need to teach her to photograph!!
Look forward to seeing some more of your stuff on here in the future.
Mark
Welcome to the forum
It's great to have an underwater photographer on the forum again as I always enjoy these shots. This is excellent, very well lit with great detail.
I also had a look at your website which is very good too. Nicely laid out with great photography.
cheers
Sean
Welcome to the forum Jim
Look forward to seeing more of your amazing work
Vince
hi jim,
well, your dea right about that, spent far too much time doing underwater photography from foreign climes. we're just about to have our first baby so have come back to the uk for a year
to get setttled into the baby routine so will give me a chance to get some uk underwater images done, which i'm really looking forward to.
i like this image, a great first post and really good example of what can be done close to home. did you do any others of the same scene? i'd maybe like a more environmental shot showing more of the surroundings as it looks interestingly jammed into whatever it's jammed into and i think this might add to the image to give it a sense of meaning.
look forward to seeing some more, i'll take a look at your site soon, if you're in the south, let me know if you'd like to show me some uk dive sites this year.
mark
Mark - I am based in the north and do nearly all my diving in Scotland - cold but good up there!
What camera housing do you use?
T
I use Aquatica which is built like a tank and absolutely bomb proof. Ergonomics of the 5D housing are not too brill as it is a two handed job to change aperture and/or shutter speed. Previously used that make for film (still do for that matter with some underwater portrait work I do) and just had to buy the basic body when I bought the 5D last year. All the ports and arms just transferred across which made a very expensive job...well just expensive! Also use the same flashes (Nikon SB105) but lost TTL which was a culure shock but have pretty well got used to doing everything in manual now.
Jim