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BSoUP Beginners Portfolio Competition 2007

For the DIVER Trophy

Winner - Anna James

Beginners Portfolio Competition 2006 - Winner © Anna James

I got the opportunity to learn to dive in British waters when I was 18. Since qualifying I have never dived without a camera. My father lent me various camera systems over the years and gave me my first film camera and housing, a Nikon F50 – which I still use for some of my work today.

Since then I have bought a Nikon D70 with Sea and Sea housing and also a compact Sony W7 camera. I used the compact camera to back pack around South East Asia last year and currently use it as a back up camera. I am planning to upgrade to a Nikon D300 in the new year.

I have been a member of the Bristol Underwater Photography Group for a couple of years. Attending the group has really encouraged me to develop my skills and try new techniques. 

In addition to photographing fish, I also shoot underwater baby portraits for a company that provides baby swimming lessons. It is a great challenge and the rewards of catching the baby at just the right moment are second to none.
http://www.waterbabies.co.uk/

My current aim is to get back into UK diving. I would like to explore the local waters of West Wales. It seems a shame to travel so far around the world when I haven’t yet explored what is available locally on my doorstep.

To structure my portfolio I was looking for striking images, with lots of contrast, light and colour. I tried to select images that would complement each other by matching and mirroring composition, colour, and subjects together.

1/ Seahorse
Location: Nuweiba, Red Sea
Settings: Iso 200 1/125 shutter, F29, 60mm
Camera: Nikon D70, Sea & Sea Housing, 2 x YS90 Strobes

When I spotted this sea horse I was pleasantly surprised as it was really well camouflaged in sea grass. I knew if I took my eyes off him I wouldn’t be able to find him again.

2/ Diver in Yoga pose
Location: Shark Observatory, Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea.
Settings: Iso 200 1/125 shutter,  F20, 10.5mm
Camera: Nikon D70, Sea & Sea Housing, 2 x YS90 Strobes

I was swimming towards the entrance of a cave and could see that there were already quite a few divers in there. I wanted to take some cave shots with nice clear non stirred up water so I hung back. In doing so I realized the view directly above me was very interesting. As divers approach the cave I photographed them looking straight up towards the sun. One Diver, Mike Green started to do some Yoga style poses for me. I shifted myself so that he was directly in front of the sun and was really please with the impact of the shot created.

3/ Pigmy Seahorse

Location: Mabul, Borneo.
Settings: Iso 200 1/125 shutter, F22, 60mm
Camera: Nikon D70, Sea & Sea Housing, 2 x YS90 Strobes

I love pigmy seahorses, but they are very small, shy and tricky subjects. After many attempts I finally got the shot.

4/ Red Soft Corals on Yolanda Wreck
Location: Yolanda Ship Wreck, Sharm El Sheikh
Settings: Iso 200 1/125 shutter, F22, 10.5mm
Camera: Nikon D70, Sea & Sea Housing, 2 x YS90 Strobes

This dive was very busy, so while all the other divers were looking at a nearby turtle I took advantage of the empty spaces and worked with the interesting shapes provided by the remains of the shipwreck covered in beautiful red and orange soft corals.

5/ Self Portrait

Location: Gilli Isles, Indonesia
Settings: Iso 100, 1/125 shutter, F5.6
Camera: Sony W7 Compact, Sea & Sea Housing, single YS90 Strobe

Often on safety stops I photograph other divers, in this case I experimented with myself

6/ Jackson Reef

Location: Jackson Reef, Tiran, Sharm El Sheikh.
Settings: Iso 200, 1/250, F22, 10.5mm

I wanted to create a shot that looked like it was being lit only by the sunlight. This I have achieved by placing my strobe so that no light falls onto the underside of the coral.