critiques, and editing tips

[mpd525]

THese are some pics on my trip to the keys last week. I'm by no means good at this, it was my first attempt at digital U/W photography. So be gentle.

[mpd525]

a few more

[mpd525]

those are just a few that i color corrected wth the oly software. I tried the PS elements, and i couldn't figure it out. I found that i enjoy taking more scene type photos, instead of macro or just single fish. I really like silhoutted type photos, and lots of fish and other things going on. I guess that means i need to buy a wide angle.

All these were taken with no flash, and just an oly FE-280, and oly PT-038 housing. I kept the strobe off almost all the time and used the cameras U/W wide 1 setting. But i forgot to try the different White balance settings that are on it.

So tell me what you think, and what else i can do to make them look better for the next trip to bonaire.

[mpd525]

couple of topside photos.

[mpd525]

this is one of my favorites because of the feeling of motion, problem is it's a fish butt.

[CompuDude]

That's really nicely done for a first effort!

[DevilDiver]

Excellent shots! Very nice for the first time out. I see you like scenery shots. Very cool .... It appears you have a good eye for composition! I do not know what experience you bring from topside photos but the suggestion i would make is to pick up "Jim Church's Guide to Composition".

This is an older book (Deals with film photos) but it is a classic. One of the best books on the subject and applies to all levels. The only other advice would be to practice and try things out one at a time until you are comfortable and then move on to the next....

W/A lens and strobes would be good but skills are as important as equipment.

Great job!

[dbh]

Great job for your first time out!

First....when you think that you are close enough....get closer!

Second.....you need light (a strobe or your internal flash). The first picture on the 2nd row would be really nice if you had lit up the reef and got some color in the foreground.

Dave

[mpd525]

i really don't have any experience, but i've always kinda like taking pics. Like i said i really enjoy the scene photos, so i know i'm gonna have to get a W/A, and a strobe, or even 2. I'm kinda proud of what i did, i definately wish they were better.

One bonus, the wife was so impressed, she said to make them better, she's gonna let me buy my lens and at least one strobe before we go to bonaire in december.

THanks for all the kind remarks.

Devildiver, i was actually looking at that book, and a couple of others on amazon last night.

dbh, i've got one or 2 other's i'll post that i took that are similar to that, where i actually did get a little more light on the reef, after i did the color correction.

Again, thanks for the input guys, makes me feel a little better.

[mpd525]

see what you guys think of these, a couple more scene shots, but with a bit more color. I know these still aren't lit enough dbh, but what else could i do other than an external strobe. Do you think one of the auto-magic filters would work, or just bypass that and buy a strobe.

Again i'm open to all kinds of criticizm. There are some i took, that would look alot better for various reasons, but to me it's like anything else in diving, you figure it out as you go.