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After three years, I’ve released a followup to my most popular YouTube video with “Underwater Photography Basics Part 2”. We pick up where we left off, looking at wide-angle vs. macro photography, composition, and strobes — all packed with examples of tons of great encounters with the ocean’s magnificent creatures.
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The latest video and second in the Extreme Snorkel Series is live on YouTube. Our first extreme snorkel adventure was a spirited swim with Atlantic spotted dolphins, but this time we turn up the heat and get into the water with the American Crocodile! We’ll travel to a remote atoll off the Yucatan peninsula and spend three days living in a stilt house with no electricity or running water. Dozens of hungry crocs live in the surrounding mangroves and we’ll get within inches of those famous teeth. Join me in this thrilling adventure, and don’t tell your insurance broker! Click the image below or go directly from here.
At least one of us was smiling
The next video in the Extreme Snorkel Series is in production and I’m excited to share a sneak preview of the subject: we’ll get up close to photograph crocodiles in the wild. That’s right, we’ll travel to a remote lagoon off the Costa Maya in eastern Mexico to encounter the American crocodile (not to be confused with the American Alligator of the southern United States). This is no luxury safari with five star accommodations and comforts — we’ll be roughing it in a stilt house with no electricity, running water, or internet service; just raw nature and tropical beauty. Make sure you are subscribed to the BDPhotographs YouTube Channel so you don’t miss it!
COMING SOON!
One of the common myths that I like to dispel in my role as a diving evangelist (yes, I preach to anyone who will listen, and many who won’t) is that there aren’t many opportunities for snorkelers to have amazing underwater encounters and photo opportunities. People typically limit their perception of snorkeling to a lazy glide over a tropical reef, but there’s so much more… In the first of the Extreme Snorkel Series, we travel to the Bahamas to share the ocean with the fast and playful Atlantic Spotted Dolphin. This is no gentle swim — the dolphins give us quite a workout as they interact with us and easily out-swim even the fittest of freedivers. Check out my tips and recommendations for dolphin photography in this episode.
And one more thing: although these awesome dolphin encounters are condensed into a fun 6-minute video, this was not an easy expedition. Photographing animals in the wild is nothing like going to an aquarium with guaranteed close-up sightings on demand. It took two visits to the Bahamas to obtain these images — the first time we got completely skunked due to high winds and choppy seas. I vowed to return a few months later and while we did get out to sea, one of the two days was nearly called off again due to winds. In any case, many photographers only showcase their successes, but behind every portfolio shot are numerous failures due to logistics, weather, bad lighting, or human error. No one likes going home empty handed with greater wisdom. We shouldn’t dwell on the negative, but we should acknowledge the difficulty, learn from mistakes, and savor the triumphs. So grab your sunscreen and let’s meet some wild dolphins!
We’re going back into the water in the latest episode, this time to explore what lurks in the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ off the coast of North Carolina. We’ll photograph a true ghost of war: one of Hitler’s infamous U-boats that went down with over a dozen men still inside. We’ll also have intimate encounters with the sharks that patrol these shipwrecks and we’ll bring home some of their fallen teeth. (And this time no sharks attempted to eat my camera.) Join me 100 feet below to see what lies at the bottom of the ocean.
This video was a challenge to put together because of the low light levels during these deep dives. All of the underwater footage was filmed on GoPro cameras using natural light which meant really pushing the capabilities of the cameras. Nonetheless, the experience of the dives and the photos themselves come across, so forgive the grainy footage and enjoy the adventure.
Most of the footage was filmed in July 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. While diving was affected by some of the anxieties felt everywhere, with necessary precautions implemented, it was an amazing return to normalcy the second everyone hit the water. Below the surface, everything was exactly as it had always been: no hand sanitizer, social distancing, or worries about illness. It was a welcome glimpse of the past and the future during a very difficult and unusual present.
Lots more underwater content here if you want to see more sharks, mantas, turtles, and reefs.
The U-352, one of Hitler’s infamous U-boats in the Second World War. The submarine was sunk after firing a torpedo at — and missing — the US Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. Not the most photogenic wreck I’ve visited, but easily the most meaningful.
A sand tiger shark cruising inside the wreck of the USS Aeolus. Despite their fearsome appearance, sand tigers are laid back and tolerant of divers. This one swam just a couple feet in front of me and posed for a photo.
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It’s been a year since I launched the BDPHOTOGRAPHS YouTube channel, with the goal of sharing the experience of photography, providing photo tips, and including filmmaking in my book of work. A year ago we kicked off with an adrenaline-packed shark photography adventure, and in this episode we return to the water to look at the fundamentals of underwater photography. We’ll meet giant mantas, big sharks, friendly turtles, and a variety of photogenic sea life. We’ll check out shallow sandbars, deep shipwrecks, and learn about the different gear needed to make it all happen — see below for some recommended items. Almost all of the footage is original and behind the scenes of real dive trips I have taken so I hope you’ll enjoy spending some time in the water with me. Once again, thanks for watching, and please subscribe!
We go back into the water to photograph giant mantas, big sharks, friendly turtles, and haunting shipwrecks. In this video we'll learn the basics of underwat...
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Some links to underwater photo gear are below. It’s best to talk to a professional who has experience in the water with camera gear, not just a sales rep who knows the equipment.
Waterproof case for iPhone
ProShot Case for iPhone XR & iPhone 11 https://amzn.to/2KqEulz
ProShot Case for iPhone X & XS https://amzn.to/2VqRr57
ProShot Case for iPhone 8 Plus, 7 Plus, and 6 Plus https://amzn.to/2RWFLVM
Action Camera
Paralenz https://adorama.rfvk.net/odWjO
GoPro Hero 8 Black Edition https://adorama.rfvk.net/xdPA1
Compact Consumer Camera
SeaLife https://adorama.rfvk.net/OAJ6W
Pro Gear
Professional level gear is almost exclusively camera specific — housings are designed with controls aligned to the buttons and switches of individual camera models. Nauticam, Aquatica, Ikelite, and SeaCam are well-known manufacturers that offer custom underwater housings for popular DSLR and mirrorless cameras. They also offer strobes and related accessories. Once you invest in pro quality camera gear, I highly recommend insuring your gear — and make sure your policy includes an underwater rider; standard policies usually don’t cover taking your camera into the ocean!
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They appear in Coca Cola ads every year as the holiday season approaches. They are a symbol of the arctic and a poster child for climate change campaigns. They are magnificent animals, formidable predators, and incredibly well-equipped to survive in the most unforgiving latitudes of the planet. Join me in this video blog to photograph the undisputed king of the north: the polar bear.
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There are definitely subtle nods to urban exploration (urbex — or more accurately, rural exploration i.e. rurex) in my portfolio. The use of abandoned homesteads, shipwrecks, and railroads makes for great mood and compelling subjects. The center image of an abandoned mountain railway, taken in Taiwan, is one of my most popular.
Abandoned and macabre places have long been a source of fascination to me, especially as someone who grew up a fan of horror thrillers from Hitchcock, Stephen King, and just about anything from the ‘80s. In the latest behind-the-scenes video I’m going to share some images not typically showcased in my portfolio — images that are grittier and outside my normal color palette.
We’ll photograph inside an abandoned theater, visit a creepy graveyard, and check out Stephen King’s house.
We’ll also discover the best lens for photographing abandoned places and learn the importance of applying contrast to grayscale images. As always the video is short, densely packed with content, and relatively non-technical. Enjoy!
Explore different ways to make haunting images in this episode. We'll visit an abandoned theater, forgotten railroads, creepy cemeteries, and even photograph Stephen King's house. We'll take long exposures in near darkness, apply creative techniques, and just have a wickedly good time.
If you watched “The Amazing Milky Way” we travel together to the California desert to photograph the Milky Way in the late night hours. My videos are focused on the “experience” of photography and deliberately are not technical … so if you find yourself here it’s probably because I promised in the video to give you more details about gear and technique. I’ll offer one caveat before I make your head spin: astrophotography is its own beast, and there is an entire community of enthusiasts — some might say fanatics — with strong opinions. There’s no way to cover everything and every exception to the rule in a single blog post so I’ll offer the basics and some advice: there is a ton of information out there about photographing the night sky. Read, watch, practice, and discover what works best for you. Better yet, join me on an upcoming photoshoot. Ok, here we go:
GEAR
The Milky Way is big — very big — and you’ll need a wide frame of view to capture it. Most astrophotographers prefer a full frame DSLR/mirrorless camera body over a crop-sensor both for the superior low light performance and the wider field of view. The Sony A7RIII is arguably the champion in this area, followed by the Nikon D850 and Canon 5D Mark IV. The hardcore will have their cameras modified for astrophotography, though doing so instantly voids the manufacturer warranty and necessitates the use of an additional filter for daytime shooting. If you’re just starting out I don’t recommend having your camera astro-modified — it seems to be something people do with a second (usually older) camera.
Wide angle primes are the favorites for milky way photographers because they are sharper and faster than most zoom lenses. The Sigma 14mm F1.8 is a standout in my opinion, though I have had very fine results using a more standard EF 24-70mm F2.8L. I have tried using a slower F4 lens and find that it just doesn’t perform well enough for astrophotography — you’ll need to shoot wide open and it still doesn’t compete with faster glass. The beauty of an F1.4 lens is that you can stop down to 2.0 for a sharper and plenty-wide aperture. Astrophotography is one of those niche art forms so you’ll need to decide whether your more general lenses will suffice for the occasional astro shot, or if you need a specialty lens for nighttime shooting. Either way, I recommend something with a wide end near 16mm and F2.8 or faster.
Tripods seem to be the place where photographers get cheap and I’ve heard more than one cautionary tale about skimping on quality. I understand the desire to pour most of your hard-earned dollars into good glass, but if that investment is not resting on something firm and dependable, you could end up spending much more than you want to. I have never been disappointed by the Gitzo Systematic system, and am also quite happy with the more affordable Sirui EN 2204.
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Two different techniques. The left is a single shot image — I hitched a ride on my friends dinghy to get out to this lighthouse and had fifteen minutes to shoot. The right image is a time blend, where the foreground was shot during blue hour and the night sky several hours later. Both were shot with a 24-70mm lens at 24mm.
TECHNIQUES
Single Shot: The simplest and easiest method in which the sky and foreground are captured in a single exposure. This is how most people start in astrophotography and is the one to use if conditions change rapidly (e.g. partly cloudy night with changing visibility) or if you are in a hurry.
Panorama/Vertorama: just like the daytime use of this technique, several overlapping shots are taken to capture a broader scene, and then the exposures are stitched together in post-processing. This is a good alternative to the single shot if a) your lens isn’t wide enough to capture the scene, or b) you want a higher-resolution image.
This image is a 7-shot panorama of vertical (portrait-oriented) images. I used a medium-wide 28mm prime lens.
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There are several methods of multi-shot astrophotography but they’re all meant to accomplish the same goal: to increase the signal to noise ratio in the shots. Because night photography is shot in low light, we typically need to raise the ISO (i.e. sensor sensitivity) which results in greater image noise. To compensate for the greater noise, astrophotographers use different techniques:
Stacking: The same shot is taken multiple times in immediate succession. The images are “stacked” in a post-processing software application like Starry Landscape Stacker. Because noise is slightly different in each exposure, the software uses statistics to retain the consistent pixels (signal) while discarding a lot of the noise. Stacking is my preferred method of image-making, but it requires advance planning and significant work in post.
Tracking: The camera is mounted on a tracker (sometimes called a “star tracker”) which is a device that moves in counter-rotation to the earth’s natural spin. This permits longer exposures (where a longer shutter means a lower ISO) without the appearance of star trails*. Some photographers combine tracking with stacking. Unless the image is of the sky only, tracking necessarily requires blending with separate shot(s) (in which the tracker is turned off) for the foreground. Once again, this technique requires a lot of work in post.
Time Blending: In this method the foreground is photographed while there is still some available natural light, such as during blue hour. This permits a lower ISO shot to be blended with sky images shot later in the night. The classic time blend requires leaving the tripod — unmoved — in the exact same spot for both shots. A more liberal version of this would be to return to the same spot for the later shot. Purists will consider this a composite image — not necessarily a bad thing, but something that could be disqualifying for photo contests or publication.
Compositing: Just as the name implies, a foreground and sky — which may be from different locations at different times — are combined into a single image in post. I am not opposed to compositing as a technique to achieve a realistic outcome, but I don’t care for impossible shots. Humor the rest of us and make it seem real. When a photographer was published in National Geographic with obvious fakes, the astrophotography community went ballistic. I’ve seen too many ridiculous images of the Milky Way arching over Manhattan (light pollution makes this impossible) — made even more absurd by the fact that the camera is looking up Broadway (i.e. facing north, where the Milky Way would never be). To me these types of images belong next to posters of unicorns and dragons at the mall fantasy shop.
I use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to process all my images. Try them for free using this link.
My preferred technique: this image is stacked, 6 shots for the sky, and a single image (with flash) for the foreground. In some instances I also stack the foreground, especially when using natural light only.
SETTINGS
This is the question I get more than any other: what were your settings? Usually the answer is “I don’t remember but it was something around …” Settings really depend on the specific shot and the light in a particular scene. The rule of 500 is a good guideline: divide the focal length of the lens into 500 for the maximum shooting time to avoid star trails*. For example, with a 24mm lens: 500/24 = 20.83, so you wouldn’t want to shoot for more than 20 seconds. Use this as a boundary more than prescription — I find that pulling back from that limit is a good idea if you want the shot viewed in any decent resolution. A typical setting for my astrophotography is Aperture 2.0-2.8, Shutter 15-20 seconds, and ISO 5000-6400.
*Star trails: in a long exposure, the rotation of the earth relative to those stars makes them appear as streaks or lines rather than dots.
BDPhotographs is now live on YouTube! If you enjoy the content here, I’d encourage you to subscribe, like, and share, tell your neighbors, all that jazz… The channel will add a video dimension to the photography techniques and tips that I use in my images (without being long-winded and technical, I promise!) Often there are interesting stories behind the images — challenges, surprises, successes, and failures. Videos will also take viewers behind-the-scenes to see where, when, and how images are captured. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this new channel than to take viewers underwater with me to get up close and personal with my favorite animals — sharks! See a great hammerhead shark bite (and spit out) my camera in distaste. Come for the sharks, stay for the photos, and subscribe for the next video. Thank you!