Shooting better pictures

• visualize
  
  • set goals for your pictures
    
    • exposure
      
    • lighting = color and detail
      
    • focus (the eyes/head have to be razor sharp)
      
    • composition
      
    • good negative space
      
    • personality (portraits)
      
    • beauty (scenic, individual)
      
    • mass appeal (puppy dog eyes)
      
    • etc.
      
  • take notes
    
    • record good ideas and use them for future pictures
      
    • record your past mistakes/flubs/etc. _AND_ fix them in future pictures
      
  • draw little sketches
    
    • practice compositions (see handout: 35mm viewfinder)
      
  • look at other people’s UW photos for ideas
    
• scout
  
  • research the critters you want to shoot
    
  • talk to local divers to see if they know where to find them
    
  • dive with a camera
    
  • dive without a camera
    
    • you’ll see more
      
    • use a frenzel magnifier to look at small stuff
      
    • take the your wide angle view finder for a dive
      
  • log what you saw and where (even if you didn’t shoot it)
    
  • use a hand held gps and depth finder to log locations for boat diving
    
  • write down directions off the beach (depth, direction, time of year)
    
• setup
  
  • choose the camera gear that suits what you are attempting to shoot (or change what you are trying to shoot to fit the camera gear you have.)
    
  • test your gear before loading film/entering the water
    
  • set all the camera & strobe settings before entering the water (check them before taking the first picture)
    
• shoot what you visualized
  
• evaluate your shots
  
  • be critical
    
  • concentrate on fixing your most common mistakes
    
• practice on dry land
  
  • know your lenses and what they are capable of shooting
    
  • if you’re shooting macro/closeup with framers, use card board cut outs the same size as the framed image area to experiment with composition.
    
  • Try to visualize how you would light your subject. (Then ask yourself, could you light your subject the way you want to? Given obstructions, the subject swimming away, etc.)