News
Underwater Photography Essentials: Part 3
Tips, ideas and advice for budding underwater photographers
by Nick Robertson-Brown FRPS
Part 3: Getting to grips with your camera settings – ISO
Read Part 1 of Underwater Photography Essentials here.
Read Part 2 here.
The third element in controlling the exposure value is the ISO. The term ISO is an acronym for the International Standards Organisation which prescribed a common standard for the sensitivity of a film many years ago. The higher the ISO number, the greater the sensitivity to light; but it came at a price. As the sensitivity to light improves and the ISO number on the film gets higher, the lower the quality of the image becomes. With a high ISO film, the image looks grainy and hence the resolution is reduced. The same standard has been maintained in digital imagery, whereby the exposure value of a digital image will be the same as it is on a film camera, as long as all the settings are the same. There are, however, still penalties as you increase the ISO value. In much the same way as it did on film cameras, the image becomes grainy, but we refer to this as noise – and a noisy image has very restricted uses.
On the face of it, it would appear that increasing the ISO is a great way to increase the exposure value of your image with no major side-effects. Only a few years ago, using the ISO as part of the exposure triangle was restricted to changes between ISO 100 and ISO 800 (at best). Modern technology has come a long way in the last 4 to 5 years and on some cameras, mostly expensive ones, ISO values of 2500 can produce images with very little noise.
With the introduction of modern technology, the ISO setting is now a serious tool to be exploited underwater, as high ISOs are ideal for working in low light conditions. The ability of an individual camera at different ISOs will vary between manufacturers and camera models and it is important that you understand the limitations of your own camera so you know how far you can push the limits of the ISO setting. You can test this limit by taking a sequence of images into shadow and increasing the ISO on each shot. The low ISO image should look clean and black, whereas the high ISO image will look really noisy with hundreds of tiny red or blue dots which become clearly apparent when you zoom in. By taking a sequence of images, you can look at the effect as you increase the ISO, and you can decide how high an ISO value you are happy with. There is a certain amount of subjectivity in this, but it is what you think that is important.
Having the ISO set to the right value is still important, despite the advances in technology. Ideally, the default setting should be at your lowest ISO setting, which is usually 100 and this means your images will give the best resolution of your camera can produce. Whilst an image which you have taken at ISO 400 for example, may look as good as the one you took at 100, when you zoom in, and look really closely at it, you will appreciate the higher resolution of ISO 100.
One point I should make about using the ISO at high values, is that on certain images, the noise can actually work, possibly even enhancing the result. However, this is unusual, and increasing the ISO level should really only be used if reducing the shutter speed would induce motion blur or shake, and opening the f-stop would reduce your depth of field beyond the level you are comfortable with.
Now that we have discussed all three factors that affect exposure control, pick up your camera, put it into manual, and start to experiment.
Whilst we are dedicated Nikon camera users, we found this useful tool on the Canon website and thought it was worth posting. You do not even need to get your camera out to see how ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed interact – as you can give it a go on this handy web tool whilst sat at your computer:
www.canonoutsideofauto.ca/play
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Do you want to learn more? You can pick up a copy of Nick’s book “Underwater Photography Art & Techniques” by clicking here. For a signed copy, click here.
Underwater Photography Courses
Contact Nick for information on the Frogfish Photography Complete Underwater Photography Award, designed for 1:1 and small group sessions to improve your underwater photography at your pace.
www.frogfishphotography.com | frogfishphotos@gmail.com | +44 (0)161 9177101
News
Spooktacular Underwater Adventure: Oyster Diving’s First Halloween Scuba Party at Mercers Lake
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
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