Adam Gibson - In Focus Underwater Photography Blog

When Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Adam Gibson — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 23:57:06 +0000

When Necessity is the Mother of Invention
– By Erik Lukas

I’ve always been sort of a do-it-myself type of person…and I love the challenge of finding a good solution to a problem. Such was the case recently after a recent macro photo workshop in Anilao, Philippines where I shot extensively with my Reefnet Fiber Optic snoot. I discovered two issues that I felt needed some attention. First, was where and how to carry the second tip while diving. The second issue was losing these snoot tips. Let me explain….

This great light modifier comes with two tips, a large and a small, which are easily changed during a dive by simply screwing it on or off the snoot arm and replacing it with the other one, but only one is used at a time. So the challenge was where to keep the extra snoot tip when it was not being used. I’ve tried tucking it down into the neck of my wetsuit, in the sleeve just above my wrist, in my glove, etc. Which leads me to problem number two; at the end of a dive when I pull the wetsuit off forgetting about the spare snoot tip it generally goes flying into the deep blue, not to mention the simple issue of misplacing the spare tips before or after a dive. There must be a better way.

I should mention I am also sort of a minimalist…my BCD doesn’t have pockets, I don’t like lots of things hanging off of d-rings, and I sort of despise bringing extra ‘stuff’ with me on dives. So I got to thinking about the best way to secure the additional tip and ran through a few iterations before the strobe in my head lit up.

The Reefnet snoot comes with all the parts needed to make a simple yet perfect modification. Anyone who has used or seen this snoot will know that most models allow the attachment of two snoot arms. When only one is used, the second opening is occupied with a plug that would otherwise block the strobe light. It simply screws into place, and it turns out the thread is the same size and pitch as that on the end of the snoot arm that the tips attach too. Perfect!

A few email exchanges with the team at Reefnet and a package arrived containing a few extra tips and ports needed for the modification. A trip to the hardware store for some plastic bonder and I was ready to tackle this project. Please be cautious if you decide to modify your snoot, and use a “plastic safe” adhesive or epoxy, as many of these can adversely react with plastics and cause them to melt. I used J-B Weld, two-part plastic bonder, which worked perfectly. For those of you who are more adventurous, another option would be the use of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), which is a powerful solvent that will actually melt and then fuse the snoot materials together, which will create a fused and welded bond of the components.

All I did was attach a spare port plug to the snoot base facing outward, which could be used to screw the spare tip onto. It functions as a simple screw-on, screw-off holder. Very simple, but perfectly effective. I can now dive with both tips and replace them quickly and easily during a dive, and most importantly I won’t be losing any more tips.

The post When Necessity is the Mother of Invention first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

First look at the Kraken Sports Float Arms

Adam Gibson — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 20:18:00 +0000

Kraken Sports Float Arms – Nick Lawrence

As a underwater photographer, we all struggle with buoyancy on our camera rigs. Lets be honest, we either have it too negative or too positive. It is rare that we get our camera at a complete neutral buoyancy while diving. Well, on my recent dive trip, I finally got the perfect neutral buoyancy. I was using four of the new Kraken carbon fiber float arms. Two 88mm x 180mm Kraken Sports Adjustable Lift Float Arms, and two 53mm x 200mm Kraken Sports Float Arms.

Let’s start with the first two arms of the set up, the 88mm x 180mm adjustable float arms. These arms look chunky but they serve a great purpose. On the back of the arm is a silver button where you can let water into the arm to achieve the amount of buoyancy you desire. This is great because if you’re shooting macro or wide angle with different ports, you can fine tune them to the type of shooting you are doing.

The other two arms are 53mm x 200mm float arms. These are your standard float arms with a set lift. These are thinner than the adjustable ones, so I prefer these as my outer arms so I can maneuver my strobes better. These arms are a little more positive but that does not matter when you use the adjustable arms to fine tune your rig. I do not have any issues with these arms.

When jumping into the water, your rig is positively buoyant. But when you drop down, it takes about 2-3 minutes to get your rig neutrally buoyant. After the dive, all you do is purge the adjustable arm and unscrew the cap to let the water out and you are ready to dive again. These arms are really built to last. I would definitely recommend these arms for anyone who is looking to make their camera rig completely neutral.

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“Snoot is life” – A first time snooters experience

Adam Gibson — Mon, 14 May 2018 17:28:20 +0000

Snoot is life – By Tommy Stylski

My initial experience with a snoot was during our Bluewater Photo workshop in Anilao, Philippines earlier this month. I completely dismissed the idea at first, I thought it was just another gimmick accessory my trusted underwater photo store was trying to sell me on I wanted nothing to do with it. I felt as if I was capable with strobe positions and lighting, but all of a sudden everything changed over night, more specifically over a night dive.

A fellow photographer and I were shooting a pair of emperor shrimps dueling on a sea cucumber, everything was coming together for me: the composition, the lighting, etc. All was looking good until I decided to show off and hand my camera to Erik to show him my spoils, he smiled. I could see his smile even with the reg in his mouth and then he handed me his camera (with a snoot on the strobe) as if he knew something I didn’t. That was it for me, I deleted all my previous photos and now I was ready for the big leagues. I was over the idea of medieval flashes casting obnoxious amounts of light all over subjects, I wanted a snoot!

I sat in on Mike Bartick’s creative lighting presentation, had a quick snoot tutorial and then was sent on my way. I started with the Retra LSD Snoot since it has built in modeling light. I figured I could use all the help I could get. It was frustrating at first, but I enjoyed the challenge and before I could say snooted, the muscle memory kicked in. It became easier to set up shots, make adjustments, ya know that sort of thing. I quickly became obsessed and wanted to snoot anything and everything. I realized not every subject deserved the snoot, but that didn’t matter to me at the time because I would snoot it anyway. I just kept snooting and told myself it was all part of the ‘process’. The fact is a snoot drastically opens up your shot selection, allows you to shoot subjects that otherwise you would pass up. The black backgrounds are no longer limited to critters perched on rocks or super secret strobe positions to pinpoint light on eyeballs of cephalopods and frogfish. The greyish browns and sandy backdrops are a thing of the past, it’s only the beginning of a revolution! Plus, who doesn’t love saying the word ‘snoot’ as many times as possible?

If any of this interests you go check out the Retra LSD or Reefnet snoot.

The Underwater Photography Guide can be a great resource as well for those just getting started. Check out the Tips for shooting with a snoot article as well as Mike Barticks Guide to Snoot Photography.

Lemon Goby in a bottle

Hairy Frogfish (right)

Mantis Shrimp

Wise words from Mike Bartick/Wayne Gretzky

The post “Snoot is life” – A first time snooters experience first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

First look at the KRL-05S Macro Diopter Lens

Adam Gibson — Sat, 12 May 2018 00:36:15 +0000

Diopter impressions – by Erik Lukas

On a recent trip to Anilao in the Philippines to lead the Bluewater Photo Macro workshops I was given the new Kraken KRL-05S macro lens. I was more than excited to give the lens a try while shooting the small stuff, and Anilao is the perfect location.

My macro setup includes the Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 100mm f2.8/L lens. My most commonly used diopter is the Nauticam SMC-1, and occasionally I will reach for the Reefnet SubSee +10. While I am more than happy with the lenses I most commonly use, I was happy to give the new Kraken lens a try specifically for the additional magnification it offers, being a +13.

The lens weighs in at 410g, which is right between the SubSee +10 (370g) and the SMC-1 (456g). As far as the size, it is about the same as both of the others I use.

Getting in the water with the lens is where I noticed the most difference. The working distance for this lens is quite short. I was able to get my lens to less than two inches from many subjects and have the ability to really fill the frame with very small subjects. One of the tests I did was using the native Canon 100mm lens at its closest focus distance, and then flipping the lens down via the Nauticam Flip Adapter for some shots with the KRL-05S (the images of the mating Nembrotha nudibranchs, for example).

My overall impression of this lens is that it is powerful. The ability to bring subjects that range in the 2-10mm size and fill the frame is great. I had the chance to shoot many very small nudibranchs, hairy shrimp and other small subjects on this recent trip and I never felt that the KRL-05S was unable to provide me the magnification I was looking for. It also appears to offer quite good corner to corner sharpness and retains a very realistic color rendition.

I hope to add this lens to my personal collection soon as I know it will be one I would reach for in many locations that I most like to visit. It’s a worthwhile new contender in the diopter world for those of us looking to photograph the smallest of small subjects.

Interested in joining one of my workshop, and improving your macro photography? Check out my Lembeh photo workshop trip coming up this year!

Emperor Shrimp: Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and Kraken KRL-05S ISO 160 f/20 1/160

Purple Hairy Shrimp: Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and Kraken KRL-05S ISO 160 f/18 1/160

White Nudi – Red Rhinophones (Chromodoris rubrocornuta) Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and Kraken KRL-05S ISO 160 f/25 1/160

Mating Nembrotha nudibranchs Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens ISO 320 f/20 1/160

Close up of Mating Nembrotha nudibranchs Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and Kraken KRL-05S ISO 320 f/22 1/160

Lemon Goby Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and Kraken KRL-05S ISO 160 f/9 1/200

The post First look at the KRL-05S Macro Diopter Lens first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Sea & Sea Nikon D850 Quick Review

Adam Gibson — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 23:36:07 +0000

After collecting opinions from a number of underwater photographers/ the sales staff of Bluewater Photo, I’ve composed all of the ‘top benefits’ to the new Sea & Sea Nikon D850 Housing.

Take a look at some of the main points I found to be consistently mentioned:

Overall Design

The housing for the D850 is lighter then it’s predecessor, the Sea & Sea Nikon D810 Housing. (approximately 10% lighter), while still offering all metal parts which ensures sturdiness. It also offers more comfortable grips/handles that more easily cater to anyone with small or medium sized hands, and the handles are quite easy to remove, offering easier transportation when traveling. Last but not least, it offers a new smooth finish on the housing which provides a clean look.

Functionality

The ergonomics throughout the housing are spot-on. Nearly every person reviewing the housing stated that as one of their first review points. Love the buttons, love the locations, etc. Easy to access levers for the buttons on the back, the top clasp has been removed (in comparison to the D810) which ensures a safer closure to the housing, and glow in the dark buttons, are all great pros. The housing also includes a sync cord bulkhead and leak detector system in all standard models.

All in all, everyone was very excited to chat about the housing and all the great features they liked about it. It’s definitely a large contender for being one of the best options for a Nikon D850 housing!

Haven’t bought the camera yet? Check out our full review of the Nikon D850.

Need some other housings to compare this to? Check out some other options below; Nauticam D850 Housing Aquatica D850 Housing Ikelite D850 Housing

Interested in making a purchase? Contact Bluewater Photo at 310-633-5052 or email them at sales@bluewaterphotostore.com.

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