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Getting the Shot

by Ethan Gordon

I've been taking underwater photographs professionally for eight years now. If there's one thing I've learned, there's no second chance at a truly great shot. Not only is your subject moving, but so are you, your camera, the focus, and exposure. With only seconds, or fractions thereof, to catch the perfect shot, it's imperative to set up properly in advance, and to envision your shot before it happens.

I am sent on assignment for a magazine, I am often given only a week to shoot an entire story. Just like recreational photographers who want to get the most from their underwater photo trip, I feel a certain pressure to take as many photographs as possible. But, quantity isn't everything, quantity of quality is much more important. What I mean by that is: any magazine editor (or my friends) would be ecstatic to see 20 fantastic images over 200 mediocre ones. So it is not the number of frames I shoot, but the number of truly great frames that matters. Although I am a believer in shooting as much film as possible, it must be shot in a controlled manner. To reign in my shooting finger, I typically write down a "shot list" of images that I want to capture on a particular trip. Of course, subjects of opportunity will present themselves, but if I stick to attaining my original goals, my trip will be a success.

Although it is usually easy enough to find and shoot the macro subjects on my list (with the help of a local dive guide), it is often much more difficult with larger, faster creatures, such as fish and pelagics. This is where familiarity with my camera system, setting a goal for each dive, and sticking to that plan is crucial. Before each dive I evaluate what my intended subjects will be at that particular dive site. Talking with the dive guides in advance is often the best way to plan this.

Let's say that I am going to a site that's known to have many Queen Angelfish. My next step is to set the camera up with my chosen goal in mind. Do I want wide-angle shots that show the Queen Angel in her environment, or do I want close-up portraits of those brilliant colors? Let's say I decide on close-up portraits - I select my 60mm macro lens and set up my housing with the appropriate lens port. Next, I select my strobe arrangement. Single verses dual strobes? I choose a single strobe because when the subject is far enough from the camera, a single strobe should be able to evenly light the scene when used with a close-up lens, such as the 60mm. Finally, I try to set as many settings as I can on the camera in advance, anticipating my subject. Light metering mode, predicted aperture and shutter speed are among some of the settings that I try to get ready in advance. My last step in pre-dive preparation is to envision the exact shot that I want. This is probably the most difficult step that I can't give anyone advice on. This is what makes each photographer different.

Reviewing my camera settings and testing the system before I jump in can be a life saver when that perfect shot arrives - too many times I have skipped this step only to discover that something had been inadvertently set wrong, or not connected properly. Similarly, resetting my camera frequently during the dive to accommodate a wide variety of subjects is also a bad idea. It is easy to forget what settings I changed, and when the perfect shot comes along . . .

Once in the water I try to stick to my plan. I look for the particular subject that I have set up to shoot. Now this doesn't mean that I am not an opportunist. If a subject of a similar nature presents itself (colorful fish in the 6 inch to 2 foot range), I won't turn it down, but halfway through the dive it would be a bad idea to drastically switch gears and try to shoot one-to-one close-ups of a cleaner shrimp when I am set up for larger fish portraits. Yes, this means on occasion I will have the wrong lens on when that whale shark passes overhead, but there's nothing I can do about that - except maybe shoot a close-up portrait of its eye?!

Finally, I must be patient during the dive. The perfect shot may not present itself right away, but with enough patience, it will be there. On occasion I have the opposite problem. My intended subject shows up in abundance and within the first few minutes I am out of film. Although this can also be frustrating - swimming around for another half hour without any film - this is a good problem to have. When a cooperative subject is in front of my lens, I don't hold back on the film. Hopefully I have the correct camera, lens, and settings to capture it perfectly. If I accomplish my goal and come up with a few stellar images of my intended subject, I have succeeded.

Think about this for a moment: Even if I were to only capture two great images per dive, I typically do 20 dives in a week. This translates to a minimum of 40 images, more than enough for an editor to choose from. So I don't pressure myself by trying to capture as many different subjects as possible, my goal is to capture fewer subjects well.

People often ask me what kind of camera I use, thinking that if they purchase the same system, they'll be able to capture the same images. Well, the truth of the matter is: purchase the best system within your means, after that it's up to you. Most cameras, even today's simple point-and-shoot cameras, are capable of capturing exceptional images. The difference between most professionals and amateurs is often the familiarity with their camera system, their goals, and their ability to envision the shot before it happens.