Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera: The essential guide to creating engaging photos

311 Pages·2014·17.15 MB·English

by  Paul Colley

Copyright and publication details
ISBN 978-1-909455-04-7 (Paperback) ISBN 978-1-909455-08-5 (EPUB ebook) ISBN 978-1-909455-09-2
(PDF ebook) Cataloguing-In-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the
British Library.
© 2014 Paul Colley. All intellectual property and associated rights are hereby asserted and reserved by the
author in full compliance with UK, European and international law. No part of this book may be copied,
reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, including in hard
copy or via the internet, without the prior written permission of the publishers to whom all such rights have
been assigned worldwide. The Foreword is copyright Alex Mustard, subject to the same conditions.
All photographs are copyright Paul Colley, except: image of Paul Colley which is copyright Niki
Farmer; Alex Mustard which is copyright Chris Gomersall/2020VISION.
Cover Design Copyright 2014 Dived Up.
Printed in China by Imago.
Published 2014 by
Dived Up Publications
41 Oliver Road
Oxford, OX4 2JQ
United Kingdom
Tel [phone]
Email [email protected]
Web www.DivedUp.com

Table of Contents
Copyright and publication details
Foreword by Dr Alexander Mustard
About the author and acknowledgements
How to use this book
Introduction
1. COMPOSITION
1. The Big Picture and Why Composition Matters: Aesthetics and Photographic
Intent
What makes a good picture?
Searching for kingfisher moments
Elements of photographic design
2. Subject Selection: The Right Things in the Right Frame at the Right Time
Before you dive
Observation: interacting thoughtfully with the environment
Skittish subjects
Visualising your image — getting into the zone
Capitalising on chance opportunities
Exploiting the full potential of a subject
3. Light
Why light dominates photography
Properties of light
Natural light
Artificial light
Balanced light
4. Viewpoint
Angle
Viewfinder
Eyes
Distortion
5. Image Depth Perspective
Background fish
Background diver
Layers everywhere
Head-on
Wrecks
6. Background and Space
Boats
Contrast
Context
Space
7. Lines, Shapes and Vectors: Real and Perceived
Gestalt perception
Graphic elements
8. Contrasts
Light and dark
Potential underwater contrasts
9. Colour
Colour systems
Colour spaces
Combining colour in composition
Greyscale
10. Organising the Whole Picture
Reference frames
Organization of objects within an image: position and balance
Composition techniques
Visual weight and balance
Closing thoughts
2. EASY-TO-REMEMBER REFERENCE MODELS FOR UNDERWATER
COMPOSITION
11. The Reference Models
1: Shipwreck in colour
2: Shipwreck in monochrome
3: Silhouette
4: Fish school
5: Frame within a frame
6: Coral reef at dusk
7: Big animal
8: Frame-filling subject
9: Character and behaviour
10: Movement
11: Reflections
12: Forced perspective
3. ADVANCED TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE YOUR COMPOSITION
12. Understanding Dynamic Range
Sensors and pixels
Indications and adjustments
13. Natural Light Photography
The necessary minimum theory
In practice
Sunbeams
Advantages and disadvantages
Caves and swim-throughs
14. Remote Lighting Techniques
Basic equipment
Typical opportunities
15. Split Level Images
Composition and image format
Subject selection and other aspects of composition
Optimum conditions and equipment
Managing the dome, aperture, shutter and ISO
Selected techniques: the importance of the horizon and managing the dynamic range
Post-processing
4. POST-PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES TO FINE TUNE YOUR COMPOSITION
16. Rescuing Composition Errors and Enhancing Good Composition
Example work flow
17. Image Manipulation
Making selections
Layers and blending
Masks
Demonstration projects
Glossary
Index
Foreword by Dr Alexander Mustard
Internationally-acclaimed underwater photographer,
author and photography instructor
Alex Mustard
Underwater photography used to be very difficult. Equipment was unreliable and
photographers would struggle for years just to get images that came out. As a
budding snapper, I wasted an entire trip not taking photos because I didn’t know
how to wind on my film properly. Thinking I had broken my camera, it was a
full twelve months before I would have another chance to take underwater
pictures!
In those days, having a wide angle photo that was reasonably in focus, not
entirely obscured by backscatter and exposed so you could see what was going
on was a real achievement. Only the best could do it reliably and it was often
enough to win major awards.
How times have changed. Underwater camera systems now boast bulletproof
reliability and are hugely capable of taking any image we can imagine. They