AD 2017 Q4

IMAGING
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
really open up the space. When shafts of light run
close to the edges of a fisheye shot, however, they
will bend. Careful composition keeps the bending to
a minimum, and you can also straighten the lines in
postproduction using lens correction.
Although the sun most easily penetrates a pool of
water in the middle of the day when it is highest in the
sky, the complex shapes of cenote openings mean that
the best beams come at very specific times of day, which
shift over the year. All the good operators know when
the beams are at their best in each cenote and will plan
your diving accordingly at your request. You should also
pay attention to the weather forecast and focus on beams
during sunny periods and speleothems on cloudy days.
DIVERS IN DARK PLACES
Cenote scenery is captivating, but 90 percent of
the time it looks better with a diver in the frame to
provide a sense of scale and a compositional focal
point. Many serious photographers will dive with a
private guide and ask him or her to model. Few divers
have the precise buoyancy control and maneuverability
of a professional cave diver. Some guides dive with
twin tanks on their backs, while others dive with
sidemounts and a helmet. If you prefer a particular
look, choose a guide that uses that configuration.
When photographing people underwater, details
matter. Gear should be correctly configured and trim,
and buoyancy and respect for the environment should
be exemplary (these should be a given when the model
is a guide). To ensure illumination of the eyes, the
model should face toward the camera but not stare
right into the lens. If a subject is between the camera
and model, the model should look at it. Otherwise, the
model should look in the direction he or she is moving,
the direction the torch is pointing or slightly above the
camera’s lens. I aim my focus torch toward myself so my
model can follow my hand signals in the dark.
Whether your guide dives sidemount or twin set, the
one thing you can guarantee is that the equipment will
be almost totally black, which means the guide will be
easily lost in the background in a dark cavern. When
possible, position the diver in front of light coming in
from an opening. You might be able to occasionally
position the model near a white limestone backdrop,
but deeper inside caves you will usually need an offcamera
light source behind the diver. Although this
greatly increases the workload, it has several significant
advantages: It helps the diver stand out, it creates
greater depth in your composition, and light framed by
a darker foreground creates a very pleasing atmosphere.
OFF-CAMERA LIGHTING
Like any craft, photography requires the right tools for
the job. This is especially true when using off-camera
lighting, which is difficult even with proper gear and
massively frustrating when the equipment is imperfect.
Practice with your remote strobe before you dive, and
triple check that the system is working. Using offcamera
strobes is time- and attention-consuming, and
time and attention are vital resources in a dark overhead
environment. Remember that safe diving always comes
before photography. It’s smart to make a few cenote
dives before you take a remote strobe with you. Being in
a cavern you’ve dived before is a handy advantage.
The basic setup is a strobe that has a separate slave
sensor trigger so the remote strobe can be hidden from
the camera. You’ll also need a mount such as a plastic
GorillaPod for positioning and aiming the strobe.
Alternatively, you can ask models to hold the strobe
(aimed away from the camera) or attach it to their
scuba tank to illuminate the cave behind them. Many
photographers make the mistake of using a small spare
strobe for off-camera work. In fact, the best off-camera
strobe is your most powerful, widest-angle strobe.
When setting up a shot, start with the remote strobe
on high power and your on-camera strobes on low
power. Then adjust your aperture to correctly expose the
off-camera strobe, which will prevent you from having to
swim back and forth to adjust it. Then you can turn up
your on-camera strobes to light the foreground if desired.
Finally, adjust your shutter speed to control any ambient
light in the scene or to make the beam from the diver’s
torch weaker or stronger. Remember that the diver’s
torch is another form of ambient light, and shutter speed
controls how bright it appears at a given aperture.
When working with a GorillaPod strobe, it’s best to
place it on the floor of the cave hidden behind the model.
Aim it either at the features behind the diver, if they are
near and interesting, or toward the camera. You can also
hide the strobe behind a feature such as a stalagmite
to better illuminate the background. If a cave feature
completely hides the slaved strobe, you may need a pigtail
slave sensor on a cord pointing toward the on-camera
strobe to ensure the slaved strobe fires. If only the sensor
is in front of the feature, it may not be noticed, or it can
easily be cloned away in postproduction.
A diver who is holding the off-camera strobe should
hold it in the hand that’s farthest from the lens,
pointed behind him or her. If you have two buddies
willing to help, one can be the model, and the other
can hold the off-camera strobe. Instruct the diver with
the strobe to always keep the model between him
104 | FALL 2017