 |
kodak.com
presents
Rick Sammon
Underwater Photography
June 27, 2001
|
Page 4 of 8
Trim:
How much does the depth affect your photos?
Rick Sammon:
The depth doesn't affect the photos. What happens is as you go deeper, you not only lose light, but you lose color. So if you're at 60 ft and photographing someone in a red wetsuit and red fish are swimming around them, it will probably look black to you. However, when you use a flash and you know what you're doing, you'll get the two colors.
Sharp:
What kind of yield do you get from a roll of film? Are most to your liking when they get developed?
Rick Sammon:
I get about one great shot per roll but that's because I'm fine-tuning the exposure. Plus the fish is moving, I'm moving, there are so many variables, but you have to take a lot of pictures. Just like a fashion photographer will take thousands of pictures of a pretty girl to get one great shot.
Something cool is happening right now in the Lodge. One of the dive masters, Mike Smith, who took those pictures of me earlier today, is taking some of the guests out on a night dive. On their first night dive. I've done night dives from the Lodge, and this is totally cool. It's very comfortable because you're not on a coral reef where there are more variables. It's a secluded lagoon here. I have some nice pictures. They have cameras here. So someone who is logged on right now and hasn't done a night dive and might be intimidated by it, the Jules' Undersea Lodge would be a very good place to do it. Plus when you come back, you can have hot chocolate to warm up or a cold soda or anything you want.
Tech Wish:
Do you use any digital cameras?
Rick Sammon:
I use a lot of digital cameras and equipment for my topside photography, and I've been called everything from the digital daddy to the digital dude. But I have not used digital cameras underwater. However, I've scanned all of my favorite underwater pictures into Photoshop and have enhanced them and now have them stored on CDs and disks.
Shimmer:
How difficult is it to develop the shots? Do you do your own stuff?
Rick Sammon:
No. I send my pictures and slides to Kodak and the prints.
Xavier 1968:
It takes a lot of time to develop E-6 film. Do you use tungsten balanced film, or does it really matter? Why is it important, anyway?
Rick Sammon:
E-6 film doesn't really take that long to develop. On dive boats all around the world, you give you film to the dive master and a few hours later you have them back mounted or unmounted. So E-6 is very easy. Because you're shooting in natural light and because the flashes or strobes are balanced for natural light, you want to use daylight balanced film, not Tungsten film.
Megan:
For a snorkelers only, what do you think of the new Minolta Vectis camera (auto focus w/telephoto lens equal to 38 - 63 mm in 35mm format) and submersible to 33 feet?
Rick Sammon:
I'd have to say I'm not familiar with that camera. But if you follow the manufacturer's guidelines carefully, it should do a good job.
Dean:
With wide angle photography, what is the most common error people make?
Rick Sammon:
The most common error with wide angle photography is this. People hold their flashes or position of flashes too close to the camera. So subsequently you could either see the flash in the picture or you could see the light reflecting off the particles in the water very clearly, so the idea is to hold the flashes or position the flashes as far away from the camera as possible, maybe 3 feet to the left and right if you're using two strobes. Another mistake is not looking at the bottom of the viewfinder because sometimes the fins get in the picture.
Page 4 of 8
|
