New Zen 100mm Dome port

Today I was lucky enough to be using the new Zen 100mm dome port today. It is definately softer in the corners than a big dome, but it's small size lets you get real close! Thanks to Alex for all his help with this

I teamed it up with a Tokina 10-17mm lens and a Kenko 1.4 x teleconverter, and could really see the magnification's effect on the subject. Lighting is critical though-my Inon strobes when correctly placed, didn't really leave enough room for my dry gloves!

The ability to get the subject so close is a definate advantage in terms of colour in green water. The subjects are much more vibrant out of the camera than they would be with a bigger dome etc.

While I was shooting, the sun went in, and I found that as I stopped down, the corner sharpness got worse!

Water temp was a cool 4 degrees!

Picture of the day on Flickr Fins Group

This picture was made picture of the day on the Flickr FINS group.



It was shot at Capernwray on a sunny day, with an air temperature of -7 degrees celsius, and a water temperature of 3/4 degrees. There was some ice on the surface!

Gnarly old trout!

Congratulations to Scott Evans for completing his PADI Digital Underwater Photography and EANx specialities yesterday. DUP is of course an excellent excuse for me to get my camera in the water at the same time! I was trying out my "new" Nikkor 60mm f2.8. I got it at the same time as my 105mm VR and it has played second fiddle to the longer lens for a while. I have found that it is a REALLY sharp lens, that focuses fast and is a great length for fish portaits.

While diving with it yesterday here at Capernwray, I found this battered old brown trout. Trout, when they reach a certain age, develop a pronounced hook jaw (when they are called a kype), and in the last stages of their lives, darken in colour.

I've added more pictures from the day to my www site here

Sepia tone in Lightroom

I took some trout pictures in Capernwray yesterday and whilst downloading them, started playing with the greyscale conversion in Lightroom and using the split toning function. One comment I have had about my Capernwray is that the pictures are too blue, so Ithought adding some greenish tint back into the black and white may work.

I'm not sure what do you think?

Fish portait

Diving at Capernwray last Thursday

Dave Morgan and I went for pleasure dive late last Thursday, cameras in hand. I was using my 10-17 with a 1.4 teleconvertor to try and get those up close and personal pictuers of the Sturgeon, but it was not to be! No sturgeon to be found! Still, the trout were on form, and the sun put in a brief appearance! Thank Dave for a nice dive!

Yet more pictures from Capernwray

I was lucky enough to make the most of this lovely weather we are having here and get in for a dive on Wednesday afternoon. The water was gin clear, and the sun was streaming through-lighting everything up. My plan was to find the Sturgeon and try and get some pictures to emulate Dereks and Mark's, but the Sturgeaon had other ideas and wasn't in his normal haunts. I did find the new big black Sturgeon over near the Candida, but he wasn't in a mood to be photogenic! Got some good piocs of the Cndida, and then the helicopter on the way back. Once I got near the slipway, I noticed and old Brown trout that seemed to be shadowing me-so I got a load of pictures of him too!

Trout feeding at Capernwray

While diving today with Ian Smith, Anthony Gattrell and Alf Yates, Guido was stood throwing some bread into the water. The trout are so hungry at present that a feeding frenzy rapidly ensued. It may not be a Sardine baitball on the Wild coast or chumming for Tiger sharks(!) but the action was pretty fast and furious!