An Eye for Detail

Mark Webster · Issue 66, May/Jun 2012 · pp. 63–67

Products mentioned: Nikon D200, Nikon D300, Subal ND2 housing, 105mm micro lens, Tokina 10-17mm, Inon Quad flash, Inon Z240 flash gun, Pelican torch, Ikelite ds125

dome ports are nice, they let in more light, but you can also open your aperture more before you start to lose the corners. But the biggest benefit is a stable hand and a lens as wide as you can muster. For the DX shooter, I have found (no surprise here) the Tokina 10-17 is a superb lens for the job. Get up close and use what little light you have to its best possible advantage. I like to shoot available light when possible to capture the vastness of a boiler, or the twisted deck of an old steamer. When you add some artificial light, however, it is amazing how much color presents itself. When shooting with strobes I find I only need a breath of well- placed flash to spread a small amount of even light on my subject. As I swim along I find my excitement building as my eyes tune into what I am actually looking at. Christopher Hamilton Large bollards remain after the deck of The S.S. Bohema…