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To
most underwater photographers the thought of taking pictures
commercially conJures up visions of tropical locations, glamorous
models and large pay-cheques. However, more often than not
the reality is very different. I have had the dubious pleasure
of earning all or part of my living through underwater photography
on various occasions, either as an inspection diver offshore
or through my business, Photec, and whilst it could never
be construed as glamorous, it can be rewarding in many ways.
For the benefit of those who have perhaps yearned for the
opportunity, I will briefly describe my last assignment, which
is typical, and perhaps expose a few myths.
Late
in the summer I was contacted by Avon International Polymers
Ltd. who had a requirement for some publicity shots of a newly
designed underwater marker panel, which was both fluorescent
and resistant to marine fouling. The photographs were initially
to be displayed at an offshore exhibition in Aberdeen, and
then in promotional literature to market the product. The
panels, which can be manufactured in a host of different shapes
and sizes are designed to be fitted to oil platforms and pipelines
to aid site location for divers and remote control vehicles.
EQUIPMENT
The
first problem was to locate an underwater steel structure,
well covered in marine growth, which would resemble part of
an oil platform in the photographs. A little bit of research
locally revealed some steel piles in Falmouth docks ideal
for our purpose, and permission to conduct the shoot was negotiated
with the Dock Master. A variety of shots were required, and
all had to be acheived in one day, which meant that we had
to take pot luck with the weather and underwater visibility
conditions. A local diving boat, Patrice, was hired for the
day, and it was then down to choosing equipment and film stock.
Avon had decided that the images must be on negative film,
so the speed choice was fairly logical, 100 ASA for flash
lit and balanced light and 200 and 400 ASA for natural light
- yes its murky in the docks!
The
size of the marker to be photographed was approximately 18
x 24 inches and the pile about 6 feet in circumference, so
the choice of equipment was as follows; Nikonos with 28 mm
lens for the general stand-off shots, and with a 20 mm lens
for wide-angle requirements; a Nikon F3 with an 18 mm lens
in an Ikelite housing for diver-with- marker shots; lighting
was to be supplied by a Subatec S100 and a Sea & Sea YS150.
I took two Nikonos bodies and the two flashguns, because on
these occasions Sod's Law inevitably plays a part.
THE
SHOOT
The
day itself was bright and somewhat blustery, with the promise
of rain and hail-showers! We loaded the boat and made our
way to the location. The representative from Avon was to dive
with me, to assist in installing the marker, to ensure that
the site was suitable and to act as a model in some of the
shots. The site chosen was at about 7 M depth, the visibility
approximately 4 M, and the tide falling. I therefore elected
to start with the portrait shots with the 28 mm lens, as light
level would improve as the tide fell. Sod's Law decided to
show its hand at the start by ensuring that the YS150 would
fail to fire. Why is it that equipment checked out only hours
before can let you down so utterly at the critical moment?
Needless to say, it worked perfectly only hours later, and
fortunately the Subatec was behaving itself. From there on
the shoot went well, with the tide falling and sunny intervals
arriving right on cue for the natural light shots, Several
dives, with discussion and film changes between, brought the
water time to 31/2 to 4 hours.
THE
RESULT
The
client was ultimately very pleased with the results, with
only two frames being unsuitable! That sort of result makes
the effort personally satisfying, and I feel sure that the
need to produce consistently acceptable results under pressure
can only improve your work in the long term. But as you can
see, the subjects are not always glamorous or inspiring, and
sadly these sort of opportunities do not arise frequently
enough to make a living from underwater photography. So, for
those who still have visions of commercial success, be prepared
for the less attractive bread and butter assignments.
Reproduced
from in focus 20 (February
1987)
with kind permission of Mark Webster (http://www.photec.co.uk/)
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