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Who
needs to get wet?
An
alternative view of underwater photography
by
Hazel Breach
Reproduced
from in focus 18 (Oct.
1986)
The
nearest I've come to being underwater is taking a deep breath,
duckdiving and swimming five feet with my eyes tightly screwed
up. The closest I've been to photography is with an idiot
proof, point and press camera. Producing such memorable shots
as a view of the beach from the hotel; a view of the hotel
from the beach; a view of the beach with the hotel In the
foreground. Yet I know everything there is to know about underwater
photography. Believe me I do. You see I'm the wife of a BSoUP
member!
For
example, the care and maintainance of equipment: I can strip
down and re-assemble an Ikelite housing along with the most
assured professional. The correct amount of silicone grease
on the O-ring seals is an important consideration. However,
any residue is easily removed using a T-shirt or shirt sleeve.
(Does anyone know how to get those stains out-). It is essential
that the flash unit is fully charged before each photographic
session. A simple way to do this is by sweeping all the cosmetics
from the bathroom shelf, placing the unit in their place and
plugging it into the shaving socket, This does mean, of course
that plugging in the Ladyshave and removing six months growth
of hair from your legs is now impossible.
A
dome-port is easily scratched, so some form of protection
is needed. Wrapping it in the best hand-towel in the house
is ideal, If this is not available a suitable alternative
is kitchen-towels. Preferably the last dozen sheets on the
roll. With most hobbies the equipment required can be expensive,
Photographic and diving gear is no exception. So, to make
it affordable, little personal sacrifices may be necessary.
("Of course I can wait another month for my new reading
glasses, dear. Your new macro lens is much more important.")
I
know and have felt the anguish of decision making. Should
one use the wide-angle or the macro lens- Should the film
be 200 ASA or 400 ASA, 24 or 36 exposures- Whatever one decides
it will probably be wrong. The amount of developed film that
ends up in the bin indicates that the chance of making the
correct decision is very slim indeed. One thing is for certain,
always start with a new roll of film, even though the previous
film may have had only six out of the thirty six shots exposed.
One
of the toughest decisions of all to make is choosing the best
shots for a competition, I have devised the perfect solution
for this. Every month this little ritual takes place:-
"What
shots shall I put in for Focus On - It's macro this mouth.",
I'm asked.
"How
about the pretty pink cup-coral and the blenny-"
"I
don't know which one you mean."
As
quick as a shutter opening and closing, the dining room is
turned into a cinema. Up goes the screen and out comes the
projector, The table is strewn with slides, slide-holders
and miles and miles of unmounted transparencies. One then
views the entire repertoire of macro shots at least three
times. The evening is finally rounded of with dinner an a
tray (because the table has disappeared under a mountain of
memories). I must admit it is a lengthy process, but it guarantees
that two shots will eventually he chosen.
The
build up to a major competition is much more tense, The planning
for the Annual Splash-in, for example, can take up to a year.
Eleven months trying to think of an idea for a contrived shot
and one month to make the props. I have advised and supervised
the making of plaster-of-paris crabs' claws, treasure chests,
octopus arms and a giant oyster full of pearls (so that's
where my string of pearls went! ) Then, like the dedicated
BSoUP wife I am. I pose In the garden (like a lemon) with
the said props, so that preparation photographs can be taken.
I
know what your thinking - "How can she know about underwater
photography- She has never been fifty feet down amongst the
fish and corals". Yell until recently that would have
been true. In Grand Cayman, BVI, there is a small submarine
which takes the unknowing down into the unknown. So, eager
to learn, I grasped the opportunity. Sat in front of a huge
viewing part, field guides to corals and fish in front of
me, Iprepared myself to be educated. But, not entirely to
my surprise, I don't know it all!
A
deflated puffer fish swam past. Iknew it was a puffer fish
because weeks ago Itrod an one very similar (a slide had been
left on the lounge carpet). Ireadily identified Squirrel Fish
and Queen Angels. Only recently I had written out labels with
competitor's and subject details and stuck them on the reverse
side of prints of these species. I knew all about the difficulties
of colours being filtered out at depth and I knew about the
problem caused by plankton (there is a gallery of photographs
in our house depicting fish and divers battling their way
through Arctic snowstorms.)
So
you see I do know it all! Being a spouse of an avid underwater
photographer is like being a well used crutch that gives support
to a patient who's only ailment is an ingrowing toenail. You
learn to say 'yes' and 'no' in the right pfaces and always
look enthusiastic, even though you have seen the same slide
ten times (in the same evening).
Now
where did I put that carousel of wreck slides- (In the dustbin!!!
.... Who me??) |
