The two worlds and the Barracuda
Overunder image. A great Barracuda entered the frame while I was taking this overunder shot in Bonaire.
Overunder image. A great Barracuda entered the frame while I was taking this overunder shot in Bonaire.
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Dec, 2013Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in The Ocean Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Camouflaged Subjects Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Water World Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Shades Of Blue Photo Contest
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akhtarkhan
January 07, 2014
Like the clouds, water waves, colours and shapes.................cool capture. Congrats on the feature.
Platinum
AlanJakarta
January 07, 2014
Awesome image & good fortune that the barracuda swam along at just the right right time. Congratulations.
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Ultimate
BowmanLifeStudios
January 07, 2014
Very cool Composition... This is a great POV shot very well done... Love the Clouds as well, Great Sky!
feistyvolk
January 08, 2014
Oh my! I would be terrified. That said - excellent photography - I would seriously vote for it in every contest it was in because the technique and artistry is fantastic. Great job!
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barbarabrock
December 11, 2014
I'd like to invite you to enter the "fabulous fish-eye lens" challenge.....
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barbarabrock
December 11, 2014
I'd like to invite you to enter the "fabulous fish-eye lens" challenge.....
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barbarabrock
December 11, 2014
I'd like to invite you to enter the "fabulous fish-eye lens" challenge!
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barbarabrock
December 11, 2014
I'd like to invite you to enter the "fabulous fish-eye lens" challenge!
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JoanLoBo
June 30, 2015
very creative..I can't fathom how you achieved this masterpiece, but it's amazing
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Tanda4bama
August 23, 2016
viewbug.com/challenge/beautiful-beach-sceneryno-people-photo-challenge-by-tanda4bama
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the shallow waters of the south-west coast of the island of Bonaire, Netherland Antilles. Is where I'm based.Time
I took the shot around 10 am. The sun was already high but still I could live it behind me and not frame it.Lighting
The light relfection of the white sands of the bottom made the colour of the water very bright and vibrant. I wanted to bring that feeling in the final image, so I used only natural light, balancing the top-side and the -underwater exposures, to get the optimum in one shot.Equipment
For this particular shot, I used a Nikon D80 with a fisheye Nikon 10,5mm f1.8 in an underwater housing EasyDive Leo2. On the housing I mount a 8" dome port that allows me to make the over-under shots.Inspiration
It was a very clear morning where all the caribbean colours were in a strong contrast, even if the sorrounding where just water and a cloudy sky, I was captured by sense of peace and tranquility and at the same time by the intensity of the Nature. I really wanted to capture the entire scene: above and under the water. What is the best way to represent the above world and the underwater world at the same time if not an over-under shot? The Barracuda was not expected, it just entered into the frame while I was shooting.Editing
I processed the RAW file in Camera Raw balancing shadows, highlights, black and vibrance.In my camera bag
My everyday backpack has a Nikon D800+grip with Tamron 24-70mm and 70-200mm both f2.8. I always bring ND graduated filter, polarizers and remote controller. Also I bring a tripod Gorilla Pod Focus with a Manfrotto head.Feedback
1. Over-under photography it is not an easy task. Many technical issues are involved. The difference between the light over and the light under, the focus, the ability to keep the lens (dome port) half outside while floating with heavy gears in a dynamic matter as the water is and, at last but not least, the water drops on the outside part of the crystal dome which are there to make ephemeral all your efforts. I always dedicate a lot of time to get this kind of shots. The beauty and the challenge of this is that I get unpredictable results. Some of them are simply unseenable, but a few are very captivating. To shoot overunder with a dramatic effect is suggested a fisheye or ultrawide angles (8 or 10mm). Very important is to shoot overunders in calm waters. The wide angle in the dome port will give a nice “bulge” effect exactly at the surface line. Therefore it is necessry to be steady keeping the dome half in and half out of the water. I suggest to use only DSLR with the proper housing for this porpose. Usually I use the natural light as much as is possible, that gives me a more balanced lights in the split images. Be carefull to the sun: shooting against the sun, not only will generate flares and reflections on the drops sticked on your dome, but also will highlight the impurities and the fine scratches of the dome port (especially if this is made by acrylic). In the case of an overu-nder shot, the strobes are mostly used in the “under” part of the image (well positioned underwater) but this can highligt the particles (backscatters) just beneath the surface with uncontrollable and undesirable results. I use strobes with this technique only rarely, only in the dusk with the sunset light, when beneath the surface is darker (3 or 4 stops more compared to the outside) to illuminate eventually a coral or a school of fish, but it is very important that the water has to be clear and not murky. Use of strobes can unbalance the natural light of the final image wich can appear artificial in the submerged part. Something that drives me creazy sometimes are the drops on the upper part (outside of the water) of the dome port. These irregular drops creates a deformation in some parts of the images and are unpredictable. To rid off of them the best way is to “spit”, literally, on the dome and spread it all over it with the fingers, than quickely immerge the dome in the water to wash away the spit and take the shot: after few seconds the drops will appear again! Because of that, it is better to get the correct aperture and try the composition first. For the focus usually, with an ultra wide angle or a fisheye mounted, I use the matrix AF-C and that works fine for me when the subjecs, both outside and/or underwater, are far more then a meter from my lens, otherwise, for closest subjects, I select manually the focus point in AF-C setting where I desire it. Be carefull to do not focus the surface line, because the rest will be blurred. The best is always to calculate the hyperfocal (is a distance beyond which all objects can be brought into an "acceptable" focus). I keep the speed shutter above 1/200 or higher. The preferreble aperture is between f/9 and f/14.
