Advanced Strobe Techniques - Backlighting

Make Your Subjects POP Using Backlighting!

By Ridlon Kiphart

We all remember what we were taught in Underwater Photography 101 - if you use one strobe, put it off to the side at a 45 degree angle to the subject (to reduce particle reflection) and if using two strobes, place them off to the sides of the camera facing straight ahead or slightly toed out. The closer your subject is to the lens, the closer you need to bring your strobe(s). There are more iterations to this basic rule, but I’ve watched a LOT of people shoot underwater over the years and most underwater photographers use the same lighting configurations, and predictably, get the same results.

Ever since I took sketching, art and architecture classes in college, I have been fascinated by light. Why? Because form is only revealed through the presence of light. And how you use light to reveal form completely changes how that form is perceived. This holds as true in underwater photography as in drawing. So I am always testing interesting ways to use light to reveal form underwater and one of the things I do is put my strobes in different positions. Doing so creates an image with a different look, feel and texture. It tells a different story.

Using Backlighting

Recently, I was on a 1 1/2 month assignment in Thailand and the Philippines which gave me a generous amount of time to play with my latest favorite technique - backlighting.

Backlighting isn’t a new idea. It is used extensively in movies and on-stage theatrical performances. It reveals the subject in a very different, often dramatic way and that is what I was looking for.

Specifically, I was interested in using it in two roles. The first was to separate a subject from its’ background and make it “pop.”  I was shooting a lot of Ornate Ghost Pipefishes (Solenostomus paradoxus) that were usually camouflaged in matching crinoids (as they are evolved to do) and the fish were getting lost in the cluttered background of the images. This gave me the idea to use backlighting. The second role was in seeing how it affected fish that were semi-transparent or translucent. The results were dramatic in both cases.

In the first role, I was able to get the Ornate Ghost Pipefishes to pop from their cluttered and camouflaged backgrounds.

In the second role, I was able to produce some images where the fish seem electric. They look like they are plugged in to a neon sign and have a fantastic, luminescent quality to them.

The actual position of the strobes varies depending on the shot.  I used one strobe to illuminate the front of the subject and the rear strobe was usually to the back and off to the side. The strobe needed to be off to the side so it didn’t appear in the image and also to prevent the illumination of backscatter. In some of my first shots, I got a lot of backscatter until I moved it to the side a bit and angled it across the subject from behind. Some of the images were almost side lit, creating some dramatic shadows.

Next up? Using 3 and even 4 strobes. Our current underwater paradigm is 1 or 2 strobes because that is what everyone does and that is how most rigs come setup. But for different wide-angle situations, I can see where having more strobes would be very advantageous. Also, I am interested in backlighting from two different directions and seeing what results. I’ll let you know!

All Images: f16 1/125 ISO200 strobes STTL

Nikon D7000, Nauticam housing, dual Inon Z240 strobes, Nikkor 60mm f2.8G ED

About the Author

Sharkman (aka Ridlon Kiphart) is a Travel Editor for UWPG, founder of Global Diving Adventures and three time semi-finalist for the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. This fall, he will be leading a bucket list UWPG adventure to photograph and film the great white sharks of Guadalupe. Click for more details or to join him.

Further Reading

• Creative Underwater Shooting Techniques

• Basic Underwater Strobe Positions

• The Complete Underwater Strobe Guide

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Composition: Fill the Frame

Part III in a series of underwater composition tutorials

By Scott Gietler

No matter how long you have been doing underwater photography, composition is always something than can improved upon. In my previous two articles focusing on underwater composition, I featured the techniques of face-on composition, and diagonal composition. Today we look at a simple yet effective technique that I call "fill the frame".

In "fill the frame", we aim to get all or the majority of the subject within the frame of the photo. This can be very difficult for new photographers, as they generally do not get close enough to the subject, or leave distracting backgrounds in the corners. When trying this technique, carefully check the corners of your photo to make sure that you are filling the frame as much as humanly possible.

In the example photo above, the underwater photographer gets very close to a group of small soft corals to "fill the frame" with the subject, creating a beautifully artistic shot. Here are some more situations where "filling the frame" creates a dynamic composition and interesting image:

Close up of a large anemone, taken from directly above, taken in Lembeh, Indonesia. When there is symmetry like this, take advantage of it by allowing the leading lines to lead to the center of the image.

Close up of gorgonian polyps, taken at Catalina Island. I stopped down to F29 to get enough depth of field to get most of the polyps in focus.

Moon snail closeup, taken in Southern California.

Crocodile fish eyes, taken while diving Bali. The rule "get low, get close" works well here.

Schooling juvenile catfish, taken with the Nikon 105mm VR lens, Anilao, Philippines. I took dozens of shots until I took one that had fish completely fill the frame. These fish will feed and swim slowly in a dependable direction.

"Fill the frame" - final thoughts

As you can see, "fill the frame" can work well with a diverse range of photography subjects. The key is not to have too much, if any, of the distracting background in the photo, which is always easier said than done. Once you find the right subject, incorporate other techniques like golden spiral, rule of thirds, "face-on", leading lines, and diagonal lines for a great composition!

About the Author

Scott is the creator of the Underwater Photography Guide and owner of Bluewater Photo Store. An avid marine naturalist, Scott is the author of the Field Guide to Southern California Marine Life. He was the LAUPS photographer of the year for 2009, and his photos have appeared in magazines, coffee table & marine life books, museums, galleries and aquariums throughout California. He enjoys teaching underwater photography locally on a regular basis.

Further Reading

• COMPOSITION IN UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

• FACE-ON SUBJECT COMPOSITION

• DIAGONAL UNDERWATER COMPOSITION

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Olympus PEN and OM-D underwater settings

A look at the best settings for macro and wide-angle underwater photography

By Kelli Dickinson

The Olympus PEN camera (E-PL5, E-PL3, E-PM1, E-PL2, E-PL1) and the Olympus OM-D have become by far the most popular mirrorless cameras used in underwater photography. In this article we discuss our recommended settings for getting the most out of these excellent cameras.

The OM-D surpassed my expectations with upgrades from my old E-PL1 camera. The image quality, small size, super fast focusing and ease of use had made it one of the most popular cameras for underwater shooting. The new PEN models, like the E-PL5, have also come along way with many improved features.

Below I've compiled several good starting camera settings for different shooting situations. Next is a list of the most important, or required, settings that are crucial to change in your PEN or OM-D system when shooting underwater. In addition I take an in depth look at all the menus on the camera so you can fine tune your camera for the best underwater shooting experience.

Olympus PEN and OM-D Underwater Settings

Actual settings will vary based on your diving location and conditions. Take a look at the following suggestions below as a great starting point for shooting with your Olympus PEN or OM-D cameras.

Settings for Macro with the 45mm or 60mm Macro Lens:

• Manual mode, F22, 1/160th*, ISO 200;
  • for the OM-D use 1/250th shutter speed  
• Auto white balance, flash on fill in flash,  Strobe on TTL, or set it to manual power and adjust strobe power as needed
  • For manual power set the camera flash to manual (see below for instructions) 
• TIP: Shoot at lower F stops like F5.6 or F2.8 to try to get some better bokeh and a blurred background
• TIP: You'll need to open up your aperture to around F8 when shooting fish; at F22, your strobes won't "reach" very far and the photo will look black

Shallow Focus achieved with low F-stop - Octopus, OM-D w/ 45mm, ISO 200, F2/8, 1/250

Settings for Macro using the kit lens with a wet diopter:

• Manual mode, F22, 1/160th, ISO 200
  • For the OM-D use 1/250th 
• Auto White Balance, flash on fill in flash  Strobe on TTL, or set it to manual power; adjust strobe power as needed
  • For manual power set the camera flash to manual (see below for instructions)
• Zoom all the way in
• Shoot at lower F stops like F8-F11 to try to get some better bokeh and a blurred background, you can open up to F2.8, but will have a very small depth of field

Tritonia festiva on Red Gorgonian, OMD, 14-42mm w/ Dyron +7, ISO 200, F22, 1/250

Christmas tree worm, photo by Jim Lyle. F14, 1/250th, ISO 200, 45mm macro lens

Settings for Wide Angle with 8mm Fisheye or 9-18mm lens:

• Manual mode, F8, 1/160th, ISO 200 
• Auto White Balance, flash on fill in flash  Strobe on TTL, or set it to manual power; adjust strobe power as needed
  • for manual power set the camera flash to manual (see below for instructions) 
• Important: use the shutter speed to control your ambient light (background exposure). A slower shutter speed (e.g. - 1/60th will let in light when shooting in darker waters, a faster shutter speed will allow less light in when shooting in bright conditions).
• TIP - when the sun is in the photo, set the shutter as fast as possible (1/160th or1/250th on the OM-D), and you'll need to stop down your aperture to F16 or F22 to avoid blowing out the highlights
• TIP - for ambient light photography, you may need to open your aperture to F5.6 or F4 and increase the ISO to ISO 400, 800 or 1600 to let in more light.

Note: These settings also are great for starting points for shooting with the kit lens on, and for fish portraits with the 60mm macro lens.

Sheephead & Oil Rigs, Olympus OMD, 8mm Fisheye ISO 200, F5, 1/80

Olympus Camera Set up for Underwater Use

The OM-D and PEN cameras work well straight out of the box, however there are some important menu and setting changes that you will want to make sure to do for the best shooting experience.

Most Important Settings for Underwater Use:

1) Custom Menu Options - On the PEN cameras the Custom Menu is usually not turned "on" There are many important features (such as Live View Boost) that you can only access in the custom menus.

Menu -> Set Up Menu (Wrench icon) -> Menu Display and click OK. The Custom Menu is the small cogs icon, hit the right button, and then the down button followed by ok to activate this menu.

2) Live View Boost - this is very important so that you can see your LCD underwater. This mode disables the live view of exposure settings, since underwater shooting with a strobe, usually results in dark settings in the camera. This function will brighten your LCD so it is always at a good viewing brightness. Note: the LCD does not accurately reflect the exposure settings for the camera.

Custom Menu -> D: Disp/PC -> Live View Boost -> On

3) EVF Auto Switch -  **OM-D Only** The OM-D has an electronic viewfinder. In order to use the LCD screen underwater you need to turn off the Auto Switch.

Custom Menu -> J: Built-In EVF -> EVF Auto Switch -> OFF.

Note: You lose the ability to display the Super Control Panel in the LCD when using the viewfinder when the "Auto Switch" is turned off. The default is Live Control, which is the same quick menu as previous PEN models. If you prefer the look of the Super Control Panel you can gain access to it by turning off the Live Control and turning on the SCP through the Custom Menu.

Custom Menu -> D: Disp/PC -> Control Settings -> P/A/S/M -> Live Control OFF -> Live SCP ON

The Super Control Panel on the left, and the Live Control View on the right.

4) Flash modes - if you are using a strobe with TTL you will use the single lightning bolt "Fill in Flash mode" however, if you are planning to use the strobe in manual mode you can save battery life change the flash mode to "Manual Value" through the quick menu. This is also beneficial because using the internal camera flash at a lower power means less recycle time and helps eliminate any delay on being able to take a picture.

OK -> scroll to flash icon -> scroll over to select "Manual Value Flash" -> Press Info to change flash power -> scroll to 1/64th power -> OK to confirm

5) Rear Control Buttons - **OM-D Only** - the default setting on the OM-D rear buttons controls only the focus point. You can customize three of the buttons instead to gain quick, one-touch access to important features.

Custom Menu -> B: Button/ Dial -> Button Function -> Key Function (6th option with the four arrow key icon) -> Direct Function -> OK

Now you have access to change the right and down arrow key controls on the back of the camera. (Up gives control of Aperture / Shutter Speed without the dials and Left gives control over the focus point, these are NOT customizable). You have the same options for both customizable buttons, I suggest reviewing each and picking the ones that best suit your needs. For example, I set my camera to have direct access to the flash mode via the right arrow key and direct access to the sequential shot/ timer mode for the down key. (The sequential shot is not something used much underwater but I find i use it alot topside, so it was important to have direct access for me.)

6) Rec View - this sets the length of time an image review is displayed after taking the picture. Default is 0.5 seconds. For underwater use, 2 seconds is usually recommended so you have a chance to quickly gauge that exposure and focus look good before taking another picture. If 2 seconds is too long, set it to what you desire, or simply press the shutter halfway down to cancel the review.

7) Picture Mode - the default is natural, but jpeg shooters may prefer Vivid; this does not affect RAW files

OM-D, F16, 1/100th, ISO 200

OM-D Auto Focus Set Up:

The OM-D comes set up with defaults that work well on land, but might not give you the best possible results underwater. If you have set the options as outlined above, this section will help you streamline the camera for quick and accurate auto focus underwater.

AEL/AFL -  You can assign this to one of the Fn buttons or ever the record button. This can be helpful to separate the focus lock from the Shutter Release. Often underwater it is hard to lock focus and with the camera re-focusing everytime you press the shutter half way it might move that focus just enough to mess up your image. Separating these allows you to focus the camera, then take the picture and take multiple pictures without the camera refocusing. This is very helpful for lenses like the 60mm and 45mm Macro lenses that tend to focus hunt often.

Here is how I have my camera buttons assigned, I find this the best set up for quick changes to focus mode, so that focus can be achieved quickly and accurately with any situation.

Button Functions ( Custom Menu -> B: Button/Dial -> Button Function)

Fn1 - One Touch White Balance (not related to focus, but it is only available to this button and it is very useful feature when shooting ambient or video).

Fn2 - MF - this allows you to switch quickly between MF and your default focus mode (S-AF is recommended). This is great for using the AEL/AFL feature.

Rec - AEL/AFL

AEL/AFL Settings (Custom Menu -> A: AF/MF -> AEL/AFL)

S-AF - Mode 1 - this will basically keep the camera as standard, half shutter focuses, full shutter takes the picture

C-AF - Mode 3 - this will separate the shutter release from the auto focus, so you can re-focus the camera from the Rec button and not risk taking a picture

MF - Mode 3 - this separates the shutter release from the auto focus, so you can lock focus and then take as many images as you like without affecting your focus. In addition this gives you an autofocus option while in manual focus mode, so if you have a focus gear on the lens you can use both that focus and auto focus quickly and easily without changing any modes.

Shutter Release (Custom Menu -> C: Release -> Rls Priority S)

Rls Priority S - OFF - this allows half shutter focus press when in S-AF mode.

Now once you have set all of these, you can shoot a picture as standard (half shutter to focus) when in S-AF mode. Simply press the Fn2 button to switch to Manual Mode and now the Rec button controls auto focus and the shutter release takes the picture.

NOTE: I use all of these settings with the camera in Manual Mode, so I have full control over my exposure settings.

Queen Angelfish, OM-D, photo by Jim Lyle, F11, 1/250th, ISO 200

Important Olympus Housing Information:

Nauticam: The OM-D camera and Nauticam housing requires no changes, however the metal strap triangles can cause the camera to stick and not go in smoothly. Make sure these are flipped up and out of the way of the housing when you slide the camera tray into place, or for best results just remove them.

Olympus: The OM-D camera and Olympus housing requires two modifications in order to work together. 

1) Remove the rubber grommet from around the Electronic Viewfinder.

To do this make sure the accessory flash is off the camera, and then simply slide the piece up and off the camera. Remember to replace the flash before putting the camera in the housing.

2) Change the Flash Mode so that the flash will fire even when flipped down.

The PT-EP08 housing was designed to house the camera and flash with the flash flipped down in order to be slightly smaller in size. In order to use the flash you have to activate the "Underwater Mode" on the camera. This mode acts as an "Auto" mode designed for good settings underwater. It also allows the camera flash to fire when "closed"

Custom Menu -> B: Button/ Dial -> Button Function -> either Fn1 or Fn2 can be assigned this function. I recommend Fn2. -> Underwater Mode (fish icons).

Note: if you keep it in the UW Mode while shooting, you are limited in control of the camera. To exit out of the UW Mode simply hold down the Fn button for a couple seconds. As long as that mode is assigned to an Fn button the flash will fire when closed, so you can go back to Manual Mode and still get access to your flash in the housing.

The PEN cameras and Olympus housings are fully functional with no physical changes to the camera. Simply slide the camera into place with the flash attached and popped open and you are good to go.

OM-D & PEN Menu Settings

This info is helpful for fine tuning your camera for the best underwater settings. If a menu item is not listed that is because it does either does not affect shooting pictures or does not affect a setting that would be used underwater.

Shooting Menus

These set your cameras defaults, general settings that it will revert to after shutoff.  

Shooting Menu #1 

Picture Mode  - This menu sets the look of your pictures, it is completely a personal choice to change, I prefer the default, Natural, then fine tuning the image on the computer afterwards.  Some users prefer Vivid, especially if they are shooting jpeg, because it enhances reds & oranges.

Picture Quality (pixel icon)  - Sets the default quality mode for the camera. Set this to RAW for still images, default for video is FullHD Fine, leave it there unless you know you want a lower quality. 

*Note: if you do not have software on your computer that can read and edit RAW files then leave it set to .jpg (LF). I highly recommend shooting RAW for the most flexibility with in computer editing. 

Image Aspect - Leave at the default standard image aspect ratio of 4:3 unless otherwise desired.

Digital Teleconverter  Leave at default of OFF.  

Shooting Menu #2 

Burst/ Time Mode - Leave at default of Single Shot Mode, you can change this from the quick menu later for specific shooting instances. 

Image stabilizer - Leave at default of IS1 - this engages full stabilization in all directions   

Exposure Compensation - Leave set at default of 0 

Flash RC Mode - Leave at default of OFF 

Custom Menu Options

The custom menu offers more detailed camera adjustments, however, these can get overwhelming. When in doubt leave it at the default, unless otherwise noted in the Important Settings section above.

Menu A: AF/MF

AF Mode - I recommend setting this to S-AF (single AF). This is default for still images but not for video. C-AF, continuous auto focus, I find is too slow to accurately catch moving subjects and often hunts more frequently in the low light underwater conditions. You can halfway press the shutter during video to refocus when needed.

Full-time AF - OFF

AEL/AFL -  This is a very handy feature, especially for underwater as it allows you to set focus lock separately from the shutter button, so that you can lock focus and then take several images without refocusing. See the Focus Settings section above for full details. Here are the settings I would pick, however these are only effective if you have assigned AEL/AFL to one of the customizable buttons through the B Custom Menu.

S-AF - Mode 1 - this will basically keep the camera as standard, half shutter focuses, full shutter press takes the picture

C-AF - Mode 3 - this will separate the shutter release from the auto focus, so you can re-focus the camera from the Rec button and not risk taking a picture

MF - Mode 3 - this separates the shutter release from the auto focus, so you can lock focus and then take as many images as you like without affecting your focus. In addition this gives you an autofocus option while in manual focus mode, so if you have a focus gear on the lens you can use both that focus and auto focus quickly and easily without changing any modes.

Reset Lens - OFF - leaving this ON resets the lens focus of the lens to infinity after the camera is powered off. For most shooting situations this is not a big deal, though when using specific lenses, like the 60mm macro, it can cause initial focus hunting in the beginning. Turning it off will save the last focus distance used in the camera.

MF Assist - ON - very useful with macro - magnifies center of image 10x to aid in focusing 

AF Set Home - SINGLE- this sets the "home" position for the AF target for each AF mode. It will return to the position selected after power down. Default is full matrix, change this to Single Auto Focus Point for more control. 

AF Illuminator - OFF - this is the small red AF assist light on the camera. It won't shine through the black housing so turn it off to save battery life. If you use the camera both topside and underwater and don't want to hassle with constantly changing it then leave it on, it will not affect picture taking. 

Face Priority - OFF - this automatically focuses the camera when it detects a "face" however underwater it can mis-detect and cause issues, will not detect faces in masks so it is not needed.  

Menu B: Button / Dial 

Button Function - PEN Cameras - Older versions may not have an Fn button, the EPL5 does and the button can be customized for quick access to a variety of features. I prefer setting it for "One touch WB". This takes the lengthy process from the "quick" menu down to a very quick and easy two step operation. 

Other settings in Button Function menu allow you to modify the action of the keys listed. Note: L-FN refers to the button available on some lenses.  

Button Function - OMD - There are 2 Fn buttons on the OMD and each has a variety of functions you can set. You can also customize the Rec button and assign its own function. Other settings in the Button Function menu allow you to modify the action of that key listed. To gain customization of the up and down arrows you need to change the setting of the four arrows option just below them. I recommend:

Fn1 - One Touch WB

Fn2 - MF

Rec - AEL/AFL (especially with the Nauticam Housing which has a nice lever for Rec)

Arrow Keys - Direct Function

Right Arrow - Flash Mode

Down Arrow - ISO

Check out the Important Settings and Focus Settings Sections above for more detailed information on why I've set these options and how to use them.

Dial Function - This menu allows you to set the functions of the control dials for the camera. Functions are set per shooting mode indivually.

PEN cameras - this is the control wheel on the back of the camera (E-PL3 and E-PL5 only). For the PEN cameras, this function is moot because the Olympus housings do not have a wheel on the back.

OMD this is the two control wheels on the top of the camera. For the OMD in manual mode you can select which button controls Aperature and which controls Shutter Speed, set to your preference for ease of use. 

Dial Direction - can be set to change which way you turn the dial to increase shutter or F stop. Set to personal preference or leave at default  

Menu C: Release 

Rls Priority S / C - this option allows you to set whether the shutter can be released even when the camera is not in focus. I recommend leaving it at the default of OFF for S-AF to help limit out of focus pictures. (can be set individually for S-AF and C-AF modes) 

Burst FPS H / L - leave a default - this sets the frame rate for each burst mode option 

Burst + IS Off - OFF - allows for image stabilization during sequential shooting when turned OFF  

Halfway Rls with IS - ON - this allows for Image Stabilization to begin when the shutter is pressed halfway.

Menu D: Disp / Beep / PC 

This menu customizes display and sound options. Set these to your preference, they don't affect picture taking, except for a select few.

Camera Control Settings - this gives you options for the display of the quick menus. When the EVF Auto switch is turned off you can only access one of these. Default is the Live Control, Olympus' standard type menu. The other option is the Super Control Panel, the new style for the OM-D that mimics many dSLR cameras. To activate the SCP, turn off the LC and turn on the Live SCP.

Info Settings -  Under this menu is LV-Info. These options allow you to streamline your LCD view information. By turning each on or off you choose which viewing modes you would like to be able to see when you press the INFO button on the camera.

Live View Boost -  This must be turned on to aid in viewing the LCD underwater in dark shooting conditions.

Info Off - The camera automatically hides the basic info from the LCD/ Viewfinder after 10 seconds (half press of the shutter or any button bring it back). This can be changed to be left on all the time by selecting HOLD.

I would also set the SLEEP mode and Auto Power Off modes as desired to save battery life. 

Menu E: Exp / Metering / ISO 

EV Step - leave at Default 1/3EV - this gives access to all "in between" stops, for more fine tuning your picture settings. It controls the size of the increments for shutter speed, aperture, etc. 

**PEN Cameras - leave NOISE / NOISE FILTER / ISO menu options at the defaults 

Metering - Default (Digital ESP Metering) - this evaluates the entire image for the best overall exposure. For more specific metering you can choose center weighted or spot.

AEL Metering - Default (AUTO) - if you use the AEL function leave this at the default and it will automatically choose the same metering you are currently using.

**OM-D Cameras - leave ISO / ISO Step / ISO Auto-Set / ISO-Auto options at default

Bulb / Time Timer, Live Bulb, Live Time - default (this won't be used underwater)

Anti-Shock - Default OFF - this creates a delay between when the shutter is pressed and actually released to aid in limiting camera vibrations. Not needed underwater.

F: Flash Custom

X-Sync - Default (1/250 for OM-D and EPL5, 1/160 for earlier PEN models) this sets the fastest default Shutter Speed at which the flash can fire.

Slow Limit - Default (1/60) - You can adjust this lower as desired.

NOTE: These flash settings do not matter for Manual Mode, the flash fires based on the shutter speed selected when in Manual Mode. However 1/250 is the highest option available for the OM-D and EPL5, 1/160 for earlier PEN's.

Flash Exposure + Exposure - Default (OFF)

G: Pixels / Color / WB

OM-D Cameras - Noise Reduction - only applies to long exposures, leave a default, won't affect your UW photography

OM-D Cameras - Noise Filter - Default - this affects the noise reduction when shooting high ISO

PEN Cameras - Pixel Set / Pixel Count / Shading Comp - leave at Default

WB - Auto (default) - this sets the default WB mode, you can adjust for certain instances through the quick menu

All WB Evaluation - default - this changes the overall WB compensation for all modes except custom WB

WB-Auto Keep Warm Color - default - does not affect UW photography

Flash + WB - default

Color Space - default sRGB (unless you specifically know you want a different color space)

H: Record / Erase

Set these to your preference, they do not affect picture taking

I: Movie

Movie Mode - Default - P - this sets the default mode for movie capture

Movie Mic - Default - ON - turns mic on or off. Turn off if you do not want to record any sound.

Movie Effect - Default - OFF - disables movie effects

Wind Noise Reduction - Default - OFF - reduces wind noise

Recording Volume - Default - Standard

J: Built in EVF (OM-D Cameras)

These do not affect picture setting, adjust as you prefer. The only important setting in this menu is:

EVF Auto Switch - OFF - this disables the automatic switch between the LCD and EVF. This is important for underwater use because the housing will always block the sensor and it will be stuck on the EVF only.

J: Camera Utility (PEN Cameras)
K: Camera Utility (OM-D Cameras)

Set as desired, these do not affect picture settings

Setup Menu

Set Date / Time, LCD brightness, upgrade your firmware, etc. The most important item on this menu is:

Rec View - this sets the amount of time an image is displayed for review after taking it. Default is .5 seconds, which is very fast. 2 seconds is a good average to set this to so that you can check exposure and focus on the LCD before taking another picture. If you need to take the next shot quickly this review disappears with a 1/2 shutter press.

If you have any further questions on setting up your Olympus camera or any issues with camera functionality, please post a question in our forums.

About the Author

Kelli Dickinson is an avid diver, manager of Bluewater Photo Store and an industry expert on mirrorless cameras and housing options. She has over 100 dives with the Olympus OM-D and PEN cameras. You can reach her by email at kelli@bluewaterphotostore.com. 

Further Reading

• Olympus OM-D EM5 Review

• Olympus 60mm macro lens review

• Nauticam OM-D Housing announcement

• Testing the new Olympus OM-D in Cozumel

• Olympus E-PL5 review

• Best mirrorless lenses for underwater photography

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

10 Tips for Fun Beach Diving

A few tips from an experienced California beach diver and underwater photographer

By Brent Durand

Great beach dive conditions in Southern California.

The sun is shining, the surf is small and your next boat trip isn’t for two more weeks… Time to do some beach diving.  A successful beach dive is both safe and fun, and it takes preparation to consistently walk onto the beach smiling.

The tips and tricks to diving from the shore are learned through many dives, common sense, diving with those more experienced, and time spent in and around the ocean regardless of whether you have a tank(s) on your back.  Here are a few tricks to jumpstart that process.

Another great California beach dive.

Check Ocean Conditions

The most basic consideration is determining ocean conditions.  Is there swell in the water?  If so, what is the angle?  The swell period?  What has the wind been up to?  The tides?  Each of these factors has an effect on the waves, surge during the dive and overall visibility.  Different dive spots are affected differently – some may develop a surface current due to wind, some may lose visibility dramatically as the tide drops and some may have excellent vis even though there’s a solid South swell in the water.  The key is to know the ideal conditions for your local beach dive sites.  Many online forecasting tools are available, and they’re getting better every day.

Some swells may trick you into thinking the ocean if flat before showing up in a long procession of waves.

Study the Swell

Once at the beach, a smart diver spends a few minutes watching the ocean, learning the rhythm of the swell sets.  Some swells may have very consistent small waves and some may trick you into thinking the ocean is flat before showing up in a long procession of 6 foot faces.  By watching the sets, divers can time their entry (and exit) immediately after a set of larger waves, making the swim through the impact zone hassle-free.  As photographers, it’s well worth the time in order to avoid battling through surf with a camera rig.  And don’t stop paying attention once submerged – you can often feel the surge from sets rolling along the bottom mid-dive.

A Tip When Descending

Boat divers are often treated to an anchor or stern line to use as an aide in descending.  Beach divers don’t have this luxury and instead will do a free descent.  In poor visibility it’s easy to feel sensations of vertigo, but an easy fix is to focus on your dive computer while descending, or strands of kelp if available.  Just make sure to optimize buoyancy before hitting the bottom – the last thing an underwater photographer wants is to touch the sand or reef and stir things up.

There are many tricks to navigating without a compass while beachdiving.

Navigation Tricks

Compasses are useful for navigation for obvious reasons, however beach divers can also navigate by looking at the ridgelines in the sand.  These ridges form parallel with the shore and will aid in swimming out and back or at a diagonal line from the shore.  Strong surge can cause sand to drift over the ridges but it’s usually possible to find a gap in between surges for reorientation or to find darker-than-sand objects to maintain orientation.  Sand moves much faster in surge than a hovering diver does.

Don't Forget to Rinse!

This is an obvious tip that most don’t think about…. Rinse off!  Some public beaches have showers, but many don’t.  My solution is to bring a small jerry-can filled with hot water.  The jerry-can is wrapped in neoprene and stays as warm as I filled it for hours.  Then I wrap my towel around it.  Nothing beats this warm water flush and a warm towel after exiting from a cold night dive while changing on windy PCH.

A Philidiana hiltoni nudibranch scowls while being swung back and forth in the surge.

Camera Rinse Tank

Along these lines, photographers should try to carry a portable rinse tank.  I keep a large tupperware bin with water in it in my car, and my camera rig goes in there as soon as I open the car up.  This is a great soak for the housing and strobes, and once home I push the buttons and am ready to dry off my gear – no additional time required.  Very helpful after long weeknight dives when it’s already 12am.

Beach Entry with your Camera

There are a few tricks to carrying a heavy underwater camera rig while beach diving.  The first is to attach the rig to your chest for entry and exit.  This allows a diver to keep arms and legs free with a balanced center of gravity.  Check out Michael Ziegler’s article on how to do this here.  I also put my gloves between the back of my housing and my BC to avoid scratching on long walks and hikes up/down cliffs.

Sometimes long hikes and swims are required to access remote beach dive sites.  The reward is often there.

How to Handle Your Rig

The other useful carrying technique is to use a handle on your underwater photo rig.  This is great as a handle for boat dives in position 1, but also turns into a shoulder strap (position 2) in case you have a long walk without your BCD/tank to clip to.  I made my camera handle with fisherman knots and two small caribiners.  Michael Zeigler offers a great tutorial on creating a different handle here. 

Stay Fit

The second-to-last tip is to stay fit.  Beach diving can be strenuous, whether you’re swimming to a deep reef or exiting the water in steep soft sand.  Fitness plays a major role in preventing injury and over-exertion and doesn’t have to be a grueling workout at the gym.  Hiking, riding bikes, swimming, surfing, freediving and other sports are all great cross-training activities to prepare you for a comfortable beach dive.  And dive two.  And dive three.

Start With a Warm Suit!

The last tip for beach diving comes from years of surfing until after dark and paddling back out before sunrise the next morning in the winter.  If you’re ever dreading putting an icy cold and wet wetsuit back on in the morning, turn it inside out and put it on the floor of the passenger seat in your car.  Then crank that heat by your feet on the way to the beach and change into a toasty warm suit.  If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, then get on that next boat asap!

About the Author

Brent Durand is an avid California beach diver, underwater photographer and editor with the Underwater Photography Guide. You can follow UWPG on Facebook, and also read Brent's Story Behind the Shot: Melibe leonina nudibranchs.

Further Reading

• DIY: Make your own Rope Handle

• Shorediving with a DSLR

• Diving Catalina Island

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Top 5 Tips for New Underwater Photographers

Learn from these mistakes to help improve your underwater photography

By Michael Zeigler

We've all done it. We get home after a long trip abroad or after a few dives on a local dive boat. We upload our photos, and... *dang it.* "Had I only been closer and spent more time with that *insert awesome subject*, that shot would have been perfect!" Underwater photography is a journey, and every dive provides a chance for us to learn from our mistakes. Here, I share not only a few of the mistakes I've made along the way, but share tips to help remedy the most common mistakes we've observed by new underwater photographers over the years. 

Firstly, before taking a camera beneath the waves, it is my personal opinion that you have the attributes of a good diver: great buoyancy control, navigation skills, pre-dive planning, and the other aspects you've learned throughout your scuba training. I cannot emphasize this enough.

Top 5 Tips for New Underwater Photographers

#1: Get Close

I would have to say that by far the #1 mistake made by new underwater photographers (and seasoned photographers for that matter) is not getting close enough. You've heard it before. Get close, then get closer. There are several good reasons for this. 

Getting close to your subject minimizes the amount of water you're shooting through, and therefore improves the color, saturation, and contrast of your photos. In addition, your strobes are more effective the closer they are to the subject.

Shooting at 10mm with my Tokina 10-17mm FE, the bottom urchin is about 2 inches from my 6" dome. Getting this close (and moving my strobes in close) allowed me to get the lighting I wanted, and get great color, contrast, and saturation.

#2: Have Patience

It's so easy to see a great subject, focus, fire, and move on. This is often referred to as the "happy snappy" approach. The next time you see a subject with great potential (e.g. sitting proudly on the reef, great negative space, cool behavior, etc.), I would encourage you to take a deep breath, take note of your air supply and remaining bottom time, and take some time shooting the subject.

The place where you first see your subject may not be the best place from which to take the best shot. "Work" your subject. When you think you have "the shot," take one more. There's a reason you have a 16GB card in your camera.

I saw this cool southern sea palm while at 80fsw. With the sunball high above and lots of fish swimming around nearby, I saw the potential for a "keeper." After getting the ambient and strobe light dialed in, I just waited. This was the tenth, and best, frame.

#3: Shoot Up

There are few things that separate a decent photo from a great photo more than by shooting up. Getting down at eye level (or lower) with a subject allows the viewer to get a much better sense of connection with the subject. It also, among other things, helps you separate the subject from some of the distracting background environment. 

Not every subject (read: most) will allow you to get down and shoot up. Be mindful of your surrounding environment when considering to engage a subject. It's often best to move on and search for a subject more suited for shooting up. 

Tip: Seek out reef heads surrounded by *unoccupied* sand, which will allow you search for subjects higher on the reef, while being able to get down low on the sand and shoot up.

Shooting up at this majestic giant sea bass helps give a sense of scale and connection with the subject. In this case, it may have helped by being a less threatening approach than from above.

#4: Move Your Strobes

It's way too easy to set your strobe(s) to one position at the beginning of the dive, and leave them there for the entire dive. Most, if not all arm systems have adjustable segments that allow for easy movement of the strobes. Take advantage of that, as each subject you encounter will likely benefit from different lighting than the previous subject.

I really wanted to accentuate the holes along the top of this gray moon sponge. Had I left my top strobe in its "standard" location, strobe light would have filled the holes and eliminated the effect I was after. A slight adjustment of the strobe to the side did the trick.

#5: Shoot Vertically

No, I don't mean you, I mean your camera's orientation. Just like #4, it's easy to just shoot horizontal photos all day. Ask yourself this question when you're approaching a subject: which camera orientation would best portray this subject/scene? Besides, if you ever have aspirations to get one of your photos on the cover of a magazine, they're all vertical shots!

Reef scenes are often best portrayed vertically (portrait), and most often include the surface of the water. In this case, if I shot this scene horizontally (landscape), I would not have been able to include the towering kelp in background, which leads the viewer's eye to the surface. Next time you shoot a wide-angle reef scene, try both ways, and see which you prefer.

About the Author

Michael Zeigler is editor-at-large of the Underwater Photography Guide, trip leader and instructor for Bluewater Photo, and is an AAUS Scientific Diver. Michael's underwater photography and blog can be seen at SeaInFocus.com.

Join Michael as he leads an amazing underwater photography workshop at the famous Wakatobi Dive Resort 11/21/13 - 12/2/13!

Further Reading

• Top 5 Underwater Cameras for Christmas 2012

• Knowing Your Subject

• Top 10 Tips for Amazing Underwater Portraits

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo and Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!