Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
I love a photography challenge and underwater photography has a way multiplying complexities.
But like most challenges, it is the preparations that you make before diving in that will help your photography sink or swim (I’m sorry – I couldn’t resist).
In this article, I will take you through a recent underwater photography session I did with three triathletes currently training for the Ironman Triathlon.
If you have ever wanted to try your hand at underwater photography, the first challenge you are going to face is how exactly are you going to get your camera underwater? If you are looking for a high quality, simple and affordable underwater camera housing, you are really going to want to check out the underwater camera housings offered by EWA Marine. For details, please read on for our complete hands on review of the EWA Marine U-BXP 100 underwater camera housing. [Read More…]
After discovering each other through Instagram, underwater photographer, Pip Summerville, and model/self proclaimed mermaid, Meaghan Kausman, decided to take on a personal project together. Summerville wanted to take photos of Kausman posing in a swimming pool and when Fella Swim heard about the pairing, they were nice enough to offer up some free swimwear for the model to use in the photoshoot. According to a statement made by Kausman, the entire shoot was a collaboration and no payment ever changed hands.[Read More…]
While on a holiday in Portugal to accept a Best Timelapse award for his incomparably brilliant Moscow Night Timelapse/Hyperlapse, Kirill Neiezhmakov, like any good photographer, seized the opportunity to create his next treasure, Portugal Hyperlapse/Timelapse. Neiezhmakov is making a name for himself among timelapse and hyperlapse photography enthusiasts as one of the art forms leading filmmakers, and rightfully so. He has the uncanny ability to create his new magnum opus with every timelapse he puts out. This Lisbon and Sesimbra, Portugal are no exception.
Upon arriving in Lisbon from his home in Ukraine, Neiezhmakov, contacted Portugal based image maker, Francesco Cerruti for a helping hand in the making of the timelapse. The team traveled to multiple points of interest to make the film, capturing landmarks such as Eduardo VII Park (1:12), Arrábida Sesimbra (0:15) Rossio (1:02), and my personal favorite part of the timelapse, inside and underwater at The Oceanarium in Park of The Nations (1:33). Take a look:
A warning: this video might cost you tonight’s sleep
Do you remember Jaws? One of the reasons Spielberg’s film was as terrifying as it was is because of how little we see of the beast itself; the suspense was carried by the silence before the attack.
When you watch this video, check out how the sharks approach the vessel and keep that in mind. They stay below, utilizing the deepness of the water to sneak up on it. They stay hidden; they don’t let you see them until they’ve already sunk their teeth in. And you’re able to watch it unfold face-to-face because of how far photography’s come today.
About a month back, we featured an immersive and exhilarating underwater project done by photographer Von Wong. For those that never looked into it, Von Wong was the man behind a photoshoot done completely underwater – and it wasn’t anything I’d ever seen before. Before his work caught my eye, no photographic work done near at a shipwreck was quite as captivating at all. And if you haven’t seen it by now, you’re about to.
Back when we first posted about it, we featured a video that Von Wong uploaded to accompany his work, detailing the introductory basics of what it took to execute a project like that. It’s a privilege for me to introduce his next part in the making of this project: the second part to his video series, giving you an in-depth look behind the scenes at exactly how this photoshoot was executed.
With the increasing popularity and availability of waterproof point and shoot cameras, waterproof action cameras (like GoPro) and even waterproof camera phones (like the Sony Xperia), we’re seeing more and more underwater photography.
Concurrently, the style of underwater photography that we’re seeing is evolving from the more traditional scuba diving sea-life photos, to more everyday fun-in-the-water lifestyle shots.
But, taking really good underwater photos is a little trickier than it may seem – so I thought I’d share some of my top underwater photography tips.
It is reported that Navy SEALS commonly use two condoms to seal firing assemblies for their underwater explosives, having thus coined the term: “Dual Waterproof Firing Assemblies”. This article is a tribute to their ingenuity, and it expands on the concept of the waterproof condom, in order to make a waterproof housing for my digital camera (and other consumer electronics).
(OK, OK, the original title was “Dual Waterproof Consumer Electronics – the condom housing”)[Read More…]
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
His videos have over a hundred million views, have been extensively published by news outlets, and has even received recognition from a few film festivals, such as International Ocean Festival
