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Shoot Like a Pro
Education is a wonderful thing, especially when it can help you turn 36 exposures into 36 keepers.
Text and photography by Stephen Frink
http://www.stephenfrink.com/sf-tips/proshoot/
 
Live-aboard Photo Tours with a Pro | Resort-Based Course with the Local Pro | The Nikonos Shootout

Showdown at the Nikonos Shootout

Some photo tours and seminars offer both topside and underwater photo opportunities, particularly in places like the Galapagos Islands.
Today's underwater shooter is lucky--a quick trip to the local dive store or an evening's surf on the internet can unearth books, magazines and web sites devoted to underwater photography. This is a far cry from the days when books on the subject were as rare as the Gutenberg Bible, and the only available seminars were those you held with yourself each morning as you struggled to figure out why most of your slides were going into the trash instead of sleeves.

There's still no substitute for getting in the water and shooting. But today there are ways to accelerate the in-water learning curve and fill far fewer trash cans with overexposed backscatter-laden images along the way.

Croc pot: Exotic destinations like the Solomon Islands provide wonderful photo opportunities for live-aboard expeditions (above).
Shutter clutter: This camera table on the live-aboard Solmar V is typical of the amount of gear enthusiasts take along on photo tours (below).
Live-aboard Photo Tours with a Pro
Most of the best live-aboard dive boats are set up to facilitate underwater photography. Standard equipment usually includes a camera table on the dive deck, freshwater camera rinse, camera and strobe rentals, a crew dedicated to performing camera repairs, E-6 film processing and basic photo courses. Add a well-known underwater photo professional on board who will lead tours and teach underwater photography, and you've got the world's best floating classroom for underwater photography. But you should know what questions to ask before signing up.

  • Is this a photo seminar or a photo tour? The photography seminar should feature regular classroom lectures and daily critique of student film. The pro should be willing to devote much of his time ensuring that the student learns and improves. The pro may be shooting photos as well, but his main duty that particular week should be to conduct the photo class.

    On the other hand, a photo tour provides a less formal educational experience. There may be ample photo opportunities, but the pro will not give formal lectures or guide students under water, and probably won't critique film unless asked. There is plenty of underwater photo education that happens by osmosis, just by watching a successful pro at work and listening to the photographic questions and answers that naturally happen in the course of a week. But the tour format assumes more of a peer relationship rather than that of mentor/student.

  • Is there an additional cost? A photo seminar should logically cost more than a photo tour. Sometimes a "limited-participation" tour may be offered with a smaller than normal guest complement. This too can drive up the cost to participate, but especially with skittish marine life, fewer divers in the water may make it worthwhile. In either case, to determine if you are paying a premium, find out what a trip costs any other time of the year compared to the charter cost with the pro on board. Then decide if you think it's worth it.
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    Resort-Based Course with the Local Pro
    Many dive resorts now offer underwater photo services, under the direction of a resident pro. Just because you may not have seen the published work of the local pro, don't assume she's not a terrific educator. In fact, she will likely have an excellent background in underwater photography and an intimate knowledge of the local reefs. Her ability to direct you to the very best photo opportunities alone may be sufficient incentive to book the course. But there are questions you should ask to optimize your experience with a resort's photo pro:

  • May I see some samples of your work? The images shown by the resident pro should be properly exposed, sharp, and demonstrate a knowledge of close-up/macro, fish photography and wide-angle techniques. The images from any of the established resort photo pros will likely be of publishable quality.

  • Will you be assisting me or shooting under water too? At the most introductory stages of photo instruction it is probably better to have the photo pro dive with you, without a camera in hand, so that fundamentals like distance estimation, strobe placement and subject selection can be addressed in-water, with the complete attention of the instructor. Intermediate and advanced photo instruction can effectively be done via lectures and post-dive film critiques. Still, an understanding of who does what to whom in the water can avoid misunderstandings.

  • Are camera rental and film processing fees included in the course?

  • How many hours of classroom instruction and how many dives are included?

  • Will this course lead to an underwater photo specialty certification?

    Usually a course with the resident photo pro can be booked during the course of your dive holiday with little advance notice. Some dive resorts also feature scheduled seminars from visiting professional photographers, much like those available on live-aboards.

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    The Nikonos Shootout
    There are several underwater photo competitions in Europe, but for North American divers, the Big Kahuna of photo contests is the Nikonos Shootout. Operating now for 13 years, the Shootout formula is to invite photo enthusiasts to a Caribbean island famed for its underwater photo appeal, bring professional photographers to the island to give lectures, do lots of diving, take lots of pictures, have some parties, have some fun and give away lots of prizes. No wonder it's so popular.

    Participants book the event in advance by phoning (800) 272-9122. Once pre-registered, just show up on the island with your cameras. Free film for the competition is provided courtesy of Kodak and you'll get a free T-shirt from Nikon. A professional photographer will be on hand to give lectures on the various competition modules, including macro/close-up and wide-angle photography. While these lectures and the week's photo critiques are designed to be informative, the Shootout is not as educationally intense as a photo seminar might be.

    On the shoot day, everyone is issued one roll of film, and only that roll of film is eligible for the competition. The best shot out of 36 is submitted for each category (wide-angle, close-up, etc.) and the judges then begin the difficult task of trying to decide the winners. First through fourth place, plus numerous honorable mentions are awarded. Prizes include dive equipment, Nikonos cameras and complete dive/lodging packages. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of prizes are awarded each year, including the Grand Prize--a Peter Hughes Dancer Fleet live-aboard dive adventure for two.

    An interesting fish identification element has been added to the past few Shootouts. Laddie Akins, executive director of REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation), will be on hand to give lectures about tropical fish behaviors and identification hints. The next day, contestants will try to photograph as many species as possible from a provided shoot list. This fun and educational underwater photo-scavenger hunt is directed more toward finding the fish than photographic excellence, making for a nice change of pace in the week's activities.

     
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    Showdown at the Nikonos Shootout

    Unlike years past when multiple Shootouts were available, the only Nikonos Shootout in 1998 is scheduled Nov. 7 through 14 on Grand Cayman. Special dive and lodging packages have been negotiated with a number of host hotels, including Sunset House, Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman, Treasure Island Resort and the Tarquynn Manor. For more information, phone WaterHouse Photo Tours at (800) 272-9122, fax (305) 451-5147, or e-mail them at: phototours@aol. com. More information is also available on the web at www.waterhouse tours.com.
    Participating in competitions--such as this Nikonos Shootout held at Cayman Brac--provides camaraderie, instruction and photo opportunities, as well as fun and prizes.
     
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