Window To Sea (II.)
From the days long gone; an underwater frame made with Nikonos III and 35mm UW Nikkor on Fujichrome Sensia.
The window was actually an old compu...
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From the days long gone; an underwater frame made with Nikonos III and 35mm UW Nikkor on Fujichrome Sensia.
The window was actually an old computer printer's cover that we have taken along on purpose, so the non-divers could also observe the underwater world.
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(You might've noticed this photo before, but the file has developed an error and had to be removed, complete with the awards and prizes it had won. Now reloaded, it'll have to work again ;)
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The window was actually an old computer printer's cover that we have taken along on purpose, so the non-divers could also observe the underwater world.
*
(You might've noticed this photo before, but the file has developed an error and had to be removed, complete with the awards and prizes it had won. Now reloaded, it'll have to work again ;)
Read less
Jul, 2020Views
625
Likes
Awards
Winner in The Beauty of Women in Water (no nudes) Photo Challenge
Winner in "Girls on Film" Photo Challenge
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Absolute Masterpiece
Genius
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was made in the Lojena Bay on Levrnaka Island in Kornati Archipelago, which is the first Croatian Maritime National Park. The Park in the Adriatic Sea encompasses an area of 156 islands, isles and rocks. Look it up!Time
After so many years it's hard to say, but I'd guess it was about noon on a day in July - August. The place has much light, even more than usual, the large part of it coming from the sand reflection of the shallows (which in this case is behind me).Lighting
All there is was pure daylight, partly from direct sunrays, and part of it reflecting off the incredibly white and large sand granules which are so characteristic for the place. It required a high shutter speed (probably 1/250sec) and stopped-down aperture to f/16... or f/8 in combination with 1/500th of a second. It was as using the reflector or a fill-in flash... except I did not have to use either.Equipment
The camera was a Nikonos III with 35mm UW Nikkor, loaded with a Fujichrome Sensia (100ASA) and the shot was made out of hand with no added gear of any kind.Inspiration
The idea was partly planned when I brought along a "window", which is actually a Plexiglas cover of some defunct computer printer. It was primarily there so our non-divers could observe the underwater world without a mask, by simply wading in the shallows. So it was normal to try it with our companion model[s] as well. And this is one of those attempts. :)Editing
The slide had to be scanned, and the digital image was then tweaked in various ways and programs to make the colors as close to the original as possible, and I think this is very close to the original. It is however a tad cropped and re-framed into 4:3 ratio (from the original 3:2 that was inherent with the 135 film format. Not much else needed to be done, bar the cleaning of some white dots, which came from the whirled-up sand.In my camera bag
The underwater photo equipment of those days was a relatively huge package, compared to what we use nowadays. Add to it the complete E-6 processing equipment; chemical concentrates, processing tank, spirals, water-hardening chemicals (to "normalize" the rainwater that was available on location), an 80 centimeter-long metal tube containing the sensitive thermometer, hundreds of film cartridges, etc. - each one of those expeditions required a lot of gear. That is, aside of all the diving and camping equipment, and of course, whatever was required to sail to the place and back. Too much to go into detail... but A LOT. The photo gear alone traveled in several large Samsonite cases. As to the photo bags, I find it easier to carry a photo vest than any photo bag. So I load my photo vest with whatever I might need for my photo session, walk or trip, while my photo bags usually keep the equipment I'm not using at the moment. The vest's many pockets usually contain two cameras, spare batteries, ND and CPL filters, and one photo clamp standing in for a tripod. Recently I include a small action camera, mainly for its wide field of view and resistance to water and weather. The vest also has large-lens pockets that contain a small water bottle, sandwich, or a bar of chocolate if I plan on being out for the whole day. There is about three meters length of paracord or similar strong, thin rope, one hefty pocket knife, and a lighter. My smartphone comes along too. It has yet another spare camera, but more importantly the Spirit Level App wich I use to make the phone a perfectly horizontal surface under my camera. This is essential for panoramic sweeps. The app is free, and requires no extra permissions whatsoever. The large back pocket of the vest is reserved for a lightweight rain poncho. If the weather suddenly plays up, the poncho neatly covers all. Using the tools mentioned above, much can be improvised along the way, so that's all I need to make photos.Feedback
Yes, I'd advise any creative and adventurous photographer to try and visit the same location; possibly underwater too! There are many cruise opportunities that will carry you there and back, for Kornati National Park is something you have to experience to believe. There are uncount backgrounds for many kinds of photography - from the crystal-clear seas to small rocky bays and huge verticals looming over the deep blue depths... In a way, the place is ideal for so many kinds of photography and video work, it would be well worthy of exploring and planning. The rest is, of course, dependent solely upon your imagination. So... watch for sharks (mainly Carcharias glaucus) - and have a Good Light! ;)
