underwater photography workshop
Thinking Small
I recently traveled to Philippines to go scuba diving and concentrate on macro underwater photography. In other words I was going critter hunting, looking for animals so small that they could not be seen without a close up diopter. I selected a wet lens made by that flipped in front of the port and added…
Read MoreNature creates the coolest critters.
In nature, animals that have bright markings, loud colors, hide in plain sight, or use anemones as boxing gloves are letting others know that danger exists. This is a boxer crab and is smaller than a nickel and is carrying an anemone in its claws as protection. Some fish develop ornate disguises that enable them…
Read MoreMuck Diving- Whats up with the little critters?
When did diving along the bottom in sand or patch coral become such a popular thing. I remember back in the 90’s that people got excited about the Lembeh strait and Twilight Zone in Indonesia, and years later people were raving about Anilao in the Philippines. Going slow and looking for small things is not…
Read MoreA vignette is an effective element of composition
When creating portraits of people or marine life, a vignette is powerful element of composition. The technique uses a foreground element that is not in focus to draw the viewers eye toward the subject. The Ornate Ghost Pipe fish is the subject, and the blurry section of the Crinoid draws the eye towards the fish…
Read MoreRed Forest – Image of The Week
This portrait was created in Feb of 2022, not long after Fiji re-opened its borders. An 8 mm lens was used in order to create this unique perspective. Purchase this portrait on Metal this week and receive a free upgrade to next bigger size. Contact me for details douglashoffman007@gmial.com. If interested in a underwater photography…
Read MoreLens Choice Controls Perspective
The reef by itself is beautiful. Using a 8 mm lens that shows the reef as a circle is unique. People rarely see an image with this perspective so it ads interest. The same reef shown below is with a 15 mm lens. Notice the different feel and look. If you want to learn how…
Read MorePhotography is an art form
Photography is an art form and allows for personal expression and freedom. As a photographic artist, I decide in my minds eye how I want a finished photograph to look before setting the F-stop, shutter speed, or ISO. When creating land and seascape portraits, I use tools like graduated neutral density filters to help manage…
Read MoreLines of composition guide the viewers eye into and out of the frame
Lines of composition guide the viewers eye into and out of the frame
Read MoreTurtle Soup – Image of the Week
Turtles are called “Honu”, in Hawaii. Turtles like to spend time at the spa. This is an area on the reef where cleaner fish come out and nibble on the algae off the back the turtles shell and neck. Some days, the cleaning station can be so busy it like diving in Turtle Soup This…
Read MoreUsing a Vignette as a foreground element
This post is about one technique photographers use to draw the viewers eye into the portrait. When composing macro images, sometimes the photographer chooses to include an out of focus element in the foreground. This is called a vignette. Notice how the purple coral is out of focus and how that pulls the eye into…
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