I'm not really that into my gear like I used to be. To me it's about a beautiful image. When I was first starting out in photography, I could tell you the specs of every Pentax camera made. Then, as the years passed and I moved to Nikon, it was either a F2 or F3. Then I got a F4s and that was about the time I started thinking more about images than camera specs.
My transition into digital was much the same as in the Pentax days because I was pushed into digital so early on. Working with a Leaf DCB or LightPhase Phase One back or Carnival system I was introduced to Medium and Large Format Digital very early on.
Next came the start of the DSLR days. I remember renting a Nikon D1 or a Fuji S1. By this time, it was still just a camera and my thoughts leaned to the image rather than mega pixels and camera features. I just wanted to now I could produce a great image.
Well, last week my Nikon D800 arrived and I must say I am exciting about camera specs again! I went from six mega pixels (AKA twelve Fuji mega pixels) to thirty six mega pixels. And exponential leap in resolution.
D800 - Images by Don Couch -
Here are a few images I made over my first weekend with the camera. They are all hand held. The image of the sock monkey is at 1/20th of a second at 200mm with VR turned on. 1/20th of a second hand held at 200mm. I cannot believe how sharp that is! For those who do not know, the rule says I should not be able to hand hold a 200mm lens at a shutter speed less than 1/250th of a second. I'm beginning to think the VR didn't work right with my Fuji S5.
The Auto-Focus in 3D mode is sick! It locks on and tracks the subject around the frame. This thing does HD video in 1080p with stereo sounds. It's got live view with the push of a button, not buried two or three menus deep.
I love that my 14mm is now a 14mm and not a 21mm thanks to the FX format. I love that all my lenses are now Macro lenses with all that resolution. OK OK not really but it is nice to be able to crop in and still be at a higher resolution than I started out with on my Fuji S5. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE(D) my Fuji cameras. All of them but this D800 really is a game changer.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The NEW
Time... I never have enough of that. That and air are the two things I need the most when I'm photographing underwater caves. Wits, that another thing I need, so three things I never seem to have all three at the same time in a cave. That's not entirely true, I have been calm and collected but I think I load myself up so much with "new" that I can't get it all together. I don't have that relaxed feeling underwater just yet. Maybe I never will. My instructor told me she was concerned my dive buddy maybe wasn't aware he SHOULD be a little nervous cave diving. That gave me a great comfort that she felt it was OK to be nervous, if not a requirement. I always said to the guys in Mexico, "I'm not worried, I'm concerned". I think that's more what she means.
As I write this, it's been almost two months since my last cave dives. I still think about how rattled I got, finding my self upside down on the ceiling of that cave. In fact, I think about it all the time time. To this day, I'm not even sure why it rattled my so hard. Hell, I had plenty of gas, I'd been in this cave before, had one of the best cave instructors in the world watching me flounder on the ceiling. So why so worried? I think it was the 'NEW".
Looking back, it is a comfort to see the professionalism in which she got me out of there. Golden Rule of diving, "ANY diver can call ANY dive at ANY time for ANY reason". I called the dive and she was like, "OK... Let's go!" She got my ass off the wall and calmed back down and brought me to my senses. Looking back, I was panicked. I broke MY golden rule which is "Stay calm and breathe... in that order". I did manage to keep breathing WHICH should have been a clue to me that all was well and so I only broke half of my golden rule.
What happened to put me ass-over-tea kettle, was I was diving a drysuit for the first time in my life, a "NEW". As well as diving side-mount, meaning my tanks are to my side and not on my back, again, another "NEW". I was slightly task loaded having to manage the gas in my drysuit as well as my BCD to maintain buoyancy while monitoring the gas I was breathing. Swapping regulators as needed to keep both tanks somewhat equal in the amount of gas they had. And as my instructor told me later, there is a reason there is a class in this. It ain't easy.
So, all this plus I want to drag a camera and five strobes underwater deep into a black hole and make magic!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
It's a constant fight
Yesterday, I was diving on Manchones Reef, just off Isla Mujers, Mexico. Along with me were six beginner divers, really tourists, who were doing their first dive. I was amazed at how careless they were on the reef. One was stung by fire coral right away. In some ways, I guess fire coral is a good thing.
One of the stops along this dive was to view two of Jason Taylor's amazing underwater sculptures. These sculptures purpose is to relive the traffic on the natural reef by becoming an artificial reef. In doing so, the tourists can visit the sculptures and the natural reef can repair itself, hopefully. One problem I saw, the instant one of the beginner divers saw the first sculpture, she swam over to it and wrapped her arms around it, posing for a photo. And in doing so, cleaned off a few months of algae/coral growth.
It made me realize the constant fight the marine life here has with us. I guess in some ways it is good that we "set aside" areas in Manchones for tourists to view (and destroy) and we also try to make a reef out of art for the tourists to view. There must be a balance. Individuals can make a difference. Every individual that thinks their one little kick, touch or break of coral doesn't make a difference doesn't understand the power of an individual.
One of the stops along this dive was to view two of Jason Taylor's amazing underwater sculptures. These sculptures purpose is to relive the traffic on the natural reef by becoming an artificial reef. In doing so, the tourists can visit the sculptures and the natural reef can repair itself, hopefully. One problem I saw, the instant one of the beginner divers saw the first sculpture, she swam over to it and wrapped her arms around it, posing for a photo. And in doing so, cleaned off a few months of algae/coral growth.
It made me realize the constant fight the marine life here has with us. I guess in some ways it is good that we "set aside" areas in Manchones for tourists to view (and destroy) and we also try to make a reef out of art for the tourists to view. There must be a balance. Individuals can make a difference. Every individual that thinks their one little kick, touch or break of coral doesn't make a difference doesn't understand the power of an individual.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Back to Work
Today I am back in Cancun, Mexico following up on a couple of projects I have been working on here in the Yucatan. First, I had a chance to visit Jason de Caires Taylor's studio today. So much has changed in the two months I have been away.
In the morning, I plan to revisited the sculptures that were placed in the water in early December. I want to photograph how much marine life has attached itself to the sculptures in the two months they have been underwater.
It was so nice to see Jason as well as all his staff. They have been very busy working on the second phase of the project. About eighty statues have been produced so far. In all there will be four hundred life size statues placed in the waters off Cancun.
It is exciting to see the progress Jason is making on the epic project. When complete, it will be the world's largest underwater sculpture museum.
In the morning, I plan to revisited the sculptures that were placed in the water in early December. I want to photograph how much marine life has attached itself to the sculptures in the two months they have been underwater.
It was so nice to see Jason as well as all his staff. They have been very busy working on the second phase of the project. About eighty statues have been produced so far. In all there will be four hundred life size statues placed in the waters off Cancun.
It is exciting to see the progress Jason is making on the epic project. When complete, it will be the world's largest underwater sculpture museum.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Work is Hell
As some of you may know, my latest project is "Xibalba - The Mayan Underworld". I am working with Guillermo "Memo" de Anda and Guillermo Pruneda in Mexico University of Yucatan Yucatan
What many of you may not know is that I have somewhat to very serious claustrophobia. So what do I do? I go cave diving! No, not to try to overcome my fear but to get great photos as well as a great story. You may think that I am crazy for cave diving with little to no training. Keep in mind, I am working with one of the world's most experienced cave divers and dive masters. After my first cenote dive, I had a long talk with myself. I realized that if I had ever wanted to be a cave diver, I would want Memo as my instructor. And that is exactly what I have.
Underwater photography presents it’s own set of challenges in open water. These challenges are further compounded by working in the harsh environment of cenotes. Not only am I thinking of f-stops and shutter speeds, I am constantly thinking of the safety of the dive team as well as myself. One of the biggest concerns is silt. The simple act of kicking fins can have dangerous consequences. Without even knowing it, you can kick up silt that will bring the normally crystal clear water to complete blackout. With little to no current flowing it could take days for the water to clear. I stick to my 'ole dive saying’ - "Stay calm and breathe... in that order.” It's just that I’m saying it to myself more often in the cenotes.
Another challenge in cenotes is lighting. More often than not, the water's surface is underground. One of my last dives was eighty feet underground to the surface of the water. We climbed down through a water well opening on forty foot extension ladders roped together. This opening was about 4 by 8 feet. It doesn't let much light in; not that that would have mattered as the sun had set before we began. Rarely, do I get the luxury of the sun's light as fill light.
Work is Hell - Images by Don Couch
Lighting these "black holes" is probably the one thing that calms me. Working this puzzle, I forget about the closed in feeling and go into "shooting mode". Now things like lighting ratios, direction of light, fill, composition all run through my mind. It's the best distraction from the walls closing in on me. The water is so clear that it seems as if I am floating in the air. We "fly" over boulders as big as buses. I look down and Memo is pointing his light at a skull resting on a slab of limestone. The jaw is open as if screaming. A few feet away lies the rest of the skeleton. I make six or eight images and we move on. Memo leads me to see more that the ancient Mayan left for us. Pottery, bones and skulls are scattered about like litter.
Our time is limited to our air supply and there is so much to see, I don't get to spend a lot of time on each artifact. It seems that every time I dive, it is better than the last. Memo's underwater world is filled with rituals of the past - offerings to the gods in the form of crops, animals, pottery and even human sacrifices. To the Mayan, these waters are sacred. Many of the cenotes are still protected by the local Maya people. Often we must ask permission to dive them.
The Maya knew water was sacred. In the Yucatan
Monday, February 1, 2010
Cancun's Subaquatic Sculpture Museum
| Underwater Sculpture Museum | ||
| In 2009 the first steps of a monumental underwater museum were formed in the waters surrounding Cancun. I was fortunate to be able to photograph the beginnings of this museum. Artist Jason deCaires Taylor, will eventually install on the sea floor over 400 permanent life-size sculptures, making one of the largest underwater artificial attractions in the world. The first of 3 sculptures; La Jardinera de la Esperanza, Coleccionista de los Sueños and Hombre en Llamas, were placed in their permanent locations in November 2009. Here are a few images from my time spent with Jason and his amazing works. |
Subaquatic Sculpture Museum - Images by Don Couch
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