Like Fish out of Water
Last summer I undertook a series in which I asked mu subject to act out an everyday scene; up-side down and underwater. This is Luma Jaguar in a very avian fish...
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Last summer I undertook a series in which I asked mu subject to act out an everyday scene; up-side down and underwater. This is Luma Jaguar in a very avian fishing actuvity.
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Aug, 2017Views
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Winner in Underwater Photo Challenge
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
With the years passing, our children use the pool behind our house less frequently, so I wondered if I could put it to better use. This led me to a series of conceptual underwater images.Time
I take most of my underwater photos towards the end of the afternoon because the deep side of the pool is in the shade by then. This produces a more diffused light all around the pool. This image was no exception.Lighting
Since all the lighting comes from above the water surface (this image is captured upside-down), I needed additional lighting from below (or here from above my model). I used a slave speedlight, which I encased into a transparent plastic box attached to a brick. I then submerge this entire apparatus, along with an attached umbrella. When resting on the bottom of the pool, as close as possible to my model. this setup provides a nicely diffused light on her.Equipment
For this photograph, I handheld a Fuji X100S in a waterproof case. The camera has a 35mm equivalent lens, which was perfect for the dimension of the pool. The leaf shutter of the X100S gives me a high sync speed, which allows me to darken the ambient light with a simple speedlight with limited power.Inspiration
I wanted something to different for my underwater work. I also wanted to make use of the reflective surface of the water to produce a surreal ground plane. This led me to the idea of performing everyday activities underwater, upside-down. In this particular image my model Luma Jaguar has fun discovering what can be caught when fishing from below. I explored the subject more thoroughly in a series I named "The Underside": http://www.ericraeber.com/Portfolio/The-Underside/Editing
The scene is mostly captured as-is. In this case the chair was attached to a ladder running across the pool, which allowed my model to get into position. I do, however, often assemble multiple images to get all the pieces of the image properly aligned. In this case I had one image where she was sitting on the chair in a good posture, and another with the plastic bird at the appropriate depth. I then assembled the two images in post. All images are shot in RAW. Underwater images need extensive color corrections to restore normal looking tones.In my camera bag
The equipment I have in my underwater "dry box" is completely different from my kit for above water. The former has my trusted Fuji X100s with an underwater case by Meikon. I have a Yongnuo YN-560 speedlite in a recycled box of mixed nuts from Costco--these lights are cheap enough to take water in. I use nylon tape for water tightness, an S/PDIF optical cable for remote triggering. The equipment of my above water bag, would probably be matter for a different article.Feedback
Underwater conceptual photographs are not easy image to create, but once you succeed, they are so rewarding! My best advice would be to experiment a lot before any actual photo shoot. Invite also an assistant to get wet. Not only for help holding things that tend to drift away, but also for safety reasons and have a second pair of eyes on what is going on. When in the water, with the model, practice yet again. The hardest part is to figure out how to get into position. This is something we practiced 10 to 20 times beforehand, wearing goggles. The actual shot, once we had the technicalities figured out, often happened in 3 to 4 tries.
