Behind the Lens: Underwater shots managed with a little ingenuity / LJWorld.com

Archive for Sunday, July 20, 2008

Wave the Wheat swim meet competitors dive into the pool July 11 during a men's 50-meter freestyle heat at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive. Photographer John Henry created a unique setup to get the underwater shot.

By Richard Gwin

July 20, 2008

All the staff photographers at the Journal-World are always trying to make the things we shoot on a daily basis look different.

Last week, there was a swim meet at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, 4700 Overland Drive. We've all seen swimmer photos, but John Henry, our newest photographer, and I started talking about how to make an underwater photo. We came up with a quick and cheap way to make a nice picture.

Most of us have an old fish tank (plastic is best) or have seen one on a curb. Find a bag with sand in it to steady the camera lying on the bottom of the tank. You'll then submerge the tank in the water (but obviously not enough to let water into the tank and get the camera wet).

Next, you have to make sure you don't jerk the camera when you press the shutter. You can either use a time exposure or a remote to set the camera off. Or if you're shooting in a wading pool, you could set the tank on the bottom of the pool.

This like taking pictures through a window, so you have to remember light is the big thing. Outside, the sun if your main light source. If you use a flash, reflection and glare will sometimes happen. Also, keep the camera close to the glass.

Another option is to purchase a waterproof bag from Aquapac (www.aquapac.net). They make bags both for compact cameras and larger cameras, ranging from $25 to $100.