Fish for Stamps

Sue Daly · Issue 70, Jan/Feb 2013 · pp. 36–40

Products mentioned: Canon EOS 10D, Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 5D MK11, Sea & Sea housing, Sea & Sea YS120 strobe, Sea & Sea YS110 strobe

Photographing wildlife can be difficult at the best of times but when your chosen subjects live underwater the challenges for the photographer and their equipment are taken to a whole new level. Taking a camera underwater is fraught with difficulties. Sophisticated electronics and water don’t mix and the failure of one tiny rubber seal can write off thousands of pounds worth of equipment. (I should know. I’ve done it!) As we all know, lighting is needed on all but the shallowest, sunniest dives so a flash is essential and two are even better; more equipment to keep watertight. A flat battery or full memory card means the end of your photography for that dive as does the simplest of mistakes, such as leaving the lens cap on the camera once it’s inside the housing. (I’ve done that too!) Then there’s the whole issue of which lens to take down. There’s usually no popping back up to the surfa…