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Wreck
photography
by
Peter Rowlands
Reproduced
from in focus 32 (May.
1989)
One
of the most difficult underwater subjects to photograph seems
to be a wreck, and yet to obtain the most effective shots
of these large inanimate objects the level of underwater photography
expertise required is surprisingly basic, but It does rely
on equipment to solve most of the problems.
THE
PROBLEMS
When
talking about wrecks, I am going to refer to the virtually
intact type, which usually reside in deeper water rather than
the shore based version which tend to be broken up scrap heaps
of very little photographic Interest.
The
main problem Is that wrecks are comparatively large and the
water clarity surrounding them is far from perfect. In addition,
because we are dealing with intact wrecks, they usually reside
in deeper, comparatively still water where light levels are
much reduced.
Despite
these basic limitations, wrecks are a magnetic subject for
a great many underwater photographers. If not just for the
structures themselves, the prolific marine life they attract.
Equipment
- Lenses
By
far the most important piece of equipment for wreck photography
is the lens fitted to your camera - whether it be an amphibious
camera or a land camera in a housing. However, land cameras
in housings do have an advantage here in that they can use
full frame fisheve lenses, which cover 180°, from corner
to corner. On land, these lenses give a distinct curvature
to straight lines towards the edge of the frame, but luckily
there are very few straight lines underwater and this curvature
is mostly unobtrusive.
For
amphibious cameras, such as the Nikonos or Sea & Sea Motor
Marine 35, there are prime wide-angle lenses which replace
the standard lens or supplementary lenses which fit onto the
front of the standard lens.
Optically the prime lenses such as the Nikonos 15 mm and Sea
& Sea 15 mm are. superior, but the quality of the supplementary
lenses such as the Sea & Sea SWL16 and Subawider are very
good at a fraction of the price. Whichever you use, the maximum
angle of coverage with these lenses is about 94°. This
angle of coverage should be considered as the minimum for
wreck photography.
Equipment
- Cameras
There
is no specific advantage between one camera and another (for
a change) but the most beneficial function is the ability
to give automatic exposures with available light in low light
levels. With these cameras, you set the and the camera
provides the correct Shutter speed. The Nikonos IV and V are
the only amphibious cameras which will do this, but most land
SLR cameras have this ability (known as aperture priority
metering or APM for short).
The
reason that this form of metering is so convenient is that
the most effective shots are taken by available light and
the APM systems cope well with this. The best systems are
the most sensitive (capable of metering very low levels of
light) for they can read light levels in which the human eye
would have difficulty. For, example, the Nikonos V will give
accurate exposure down to around 8 seconds @ f4!
The
reason that aperture priority automation is so convenient
is that wrecks tend to be in deeper water where the ambient
light levels are very low. The ability to use long Shutter speeds in these situations is vital to the production of successful
shots.
If
you don't have an automatic camera, you will have to take
a light reading with a separate meter and then set the Shutter speed and aperture. However, most light meters don't read
very low light levels and most manual cameras such as the
Nikonos III have 1/30th second as the slowest Shutter speed.
For longer speeds you need to use the "B" setting
where the shutter stays open as long as you hold the shutter
button down. This means you have to count the time, which
is far from accurate or use a waterproof stopwatch.
Additional
light from flashguns should only be considered for lighting
foreground detail rather than large areas of wreckage or if
you move In closer for detailed shots of smaller sections.
TECHNIQUES
The
most effective technique for wreck photography is to use the
available light to capture the atmosphere and, if necessary,
add a small amount of flash to give colour and detail to the
foreground. This additional light should not overpower the
available light, otherwise the atmosphere will be upset.
Shooting
by available light is very, very simple with an aperture priority
camera. All you do is set the and the camera does
the rest. What usually happens In dark waters is that the
Shutter speeds are longer than usual. It is possible to hold
a camera steady enough for a 1/30th second exposure, but for
longer speeds than this there is a possibility of camera shake.
The
solution Is to brace the camera on a solid piece of wreckage
during the exposure or you could even use a tripod, but these
tend to be cumbersome and slow down your production. which
is usually already being limited by decompression time. Whichever
method you choose, it is vital that the camera does not move
during the exposure.
To
try to keep the exposure times as short as possible, you might
consider using a faster speed film - even as fast as 1000
ASA - this will give grainier results and more muted colours.
If you want the sharpest results it
is best to use the slowest
Film speed possible.
In
diving terms, you should always work as quickly as possible
without rushing. This Is because you will be stirring up visibility
as you go along and the best shots are taken when the water
is at its clearest. This Is especially true when working under
wreckage, for your exhaust bubbles will dislodge debris and
cause it to rain down into the picture.
Most
shots are enhanced in terms of scale and composition by including
a diver in freed and their presence Is further justified if
they have a torch lighting up a significant piece of wreckage
which gives a focal point to the final shot.
ADDITIONAL
TECHNIQUES
As
well at being large Inanimate objobcts, wrecks are home for
a wide variety of marine life and you should not miss the
opportunity to capture them on film.
Colourful
marine growth thrives on bulkheads in the sheltered areas,
while shoaling fish swarm around the structures. Most nooks
and crannies are home to small marine life and there is usually
a large conger or two, not to mention lobsters and crabs on
each wreck.
For
this sort of marine life a close-up lens is probably the most
versatile and a flashgun must be considered essential to restore
the colour and detail.
CONCLUSION
Wreck
photography, especially in the UK, is a difficult task. but
the structures themselves, combined with the marine life they
attract, provide us with a habitat in which we can capture
a wide variety of good shots.
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