Fools Guide to Photos

[Ben Harris]

Right,
Managed to borrow a camera for my red sea holiday (cheers Timmings)

How do you use them!!!! Only Joking, but can someone give us a basic guide to the top 10 hints n tips for taking alright photos. Its a 35mm camera.
Plan to take shots of fish, reefs and wrecks.

[Tim Ingmire]

Ben, have a ganders at this.

http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk./...esets/faq.html

[JohnK]

Hiya Ben - I assume its a camera without an adjustable strobe so here goes:

1.  Get as close to the subject as you can - this will help get better color definition
2.  Get low and aim up - this will utilise as much natural light as you can
3.  Try and keep still when you press the shutter
4.  Make sure your buoyancy is spot on - its amazing how much this can impact on your pics and avoids multi tasking
5.  Err on the side of bigger aperture (F5.6) and longer shutter speed (1/60) - this will help capture more light
6.  Get your first roll of film developed on hols - this will help with your confidence in the settings used
7.  Expect about 5 decent pics from a roll of film - honest, its that good - even pro-photographers dump most of the pics taken
8.  Dont get too excited and merrily blast away - save a couple of pics for the end of the dive - I didnt do this once and missed out on a manta just as I was getting back in the boat

Ben - what sort of camera is it ?? - If its not autofocus remember that focal distance underwater is what you see plus a third

Best of luck

[Ben Harris]

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Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Quote:
Ben - what sort of camera is it ??

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err, Timmings??? Its Yellow..

[Tim Ingmire]

This'll tell ya all you need to know about the camera.

http://www.reefmaster.com/cameras/sl515.html

[Lawrence Debono]

Got one of them. It's OK but certainly not the best. I found that with it's own flash there's a BIG FAT chance of getting backscatter. This past summer I used it a lot and learned a lot too. It is some thing that you have to get used to as you go. I suggest write on the back of your pictures the different conditions so you can try different things later. &nbsp;I added a strobe to my unit. I didn't spend too much money. I found a used one at the club for &#3620 and I fit an arm and a platform and attached every thing to the reef master. It's great now.

By the way if someone offers you to buy one make sure the price is right. They went down a lot in price since the digital systems are more on demand.

Be cautious if you are snapping pics at an object that's around 10ft away, you might get a solid blue picture. Get closer and illuminate as much as you can. Use a flashlight on the subject if you have to. Some units came with a filter and a close up lens too. I found that some times using the sports finder I wasn't centering the subject in the middle of the picture. But over all I think I had more than half, which were acceptable.

Good luck

Lawrence