The 2021 Wildlife Photography of the Year Contest has just announced its results. Notable in this year’s contest is the number of underwater and marine reacted images placed in the rankings, the overall winner being an underwater image and our fellow contributor Alex’s well-deserved win of the Natural Artistry category. In this episode of Wetpixel Live, he and Adam discuss all the marine and underwater-related winners.
The Wetpixel/DPG Masters of Underwater Photography contest is accepting entries and Wetpixel Editor Adam Hanlon provides critical guidance for entrants on Wetpixel Live. One of the most prestigious and significant underwater imaging contests in the world, the contest offers photographers and filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience and win some cool prizes too!
Responding to a discussion on the Wetpixel forums, Alex and Adam discuss, how long underwater strobes can be expected to last. Alex emphasizes that while longevity is one criterion for evaluation when selecting a new strobe, perhaps the quality of lights that it creates should be emphasized.
Converting underwater images to black and white or monochrome is frequently used by underwater image-makers with images that have exposure issues. Alex and Adam discuss how this is perhaps not the best approach to creating stand-out photographs. They go on to discuss some of the tools and techniques they use for shooting and converting images to back and white.
One of the most frequently discussed topics on the Wetpixel forums is the selection of appropriate dome ports. Many topside photographers assume that the dome’s function is simply to provide a waterproof port and tend to be unaware of the fact that it also acts as a critical component in an underwater optical system. Alex and Adam discuss how ports can make or break the quality of imagery that can be produced underwater.
Both Alex and Adam are enthusiastic champions for controlling the light their strobes put out, in order to ensure that their subjects are beautifully lit. One way to help to do so is to reduce the amount of light by switching one strobe off or simply only taking one on the dive. In this episode, they chat through the situations in which they tend to use a single strobe and the advantages of doing so.
Corals provide a habitat for many of the creatures that we seek to photograph. However, like Alex and Adam discuss, they also are a fantastic subject for underwater image-makers. They talk about the equipment and techniques of photographing corals, along with some creative ideas for those seeking to add imagery of these beautiful creatures to their portfolios.
Alex and Adam chat about one of the most crucial wide angle lenses in the underwater image-maker’s lens bag: The fisheye. They discuss why this type of lens is so good for capturing underwater scenes, some tips on how best to use it, and why focal length is not all that it seems when talking about these types of lenses.
Many underwater image makers are still unable to travel to warmer climes. This has led to a resurgence in interest in diving in home waters, which sometimes involves cooler water temperatures than those individuals are used to. Alex and Adam chat about how drysuits can help make image-making enjoyable and pleasant in cooler water, and how to go about choosing the right drysuit can help make photography and videography in cold water productive.