419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

Photo comments: This photo from Bare Island, Sydney was taken in one metre viz in the worst green brown pea soup water. The Octopus crawled onto my Dome Port and decided to hold on for a free ride. On looking through the viewfinder on my camera housing, I could see a small negative space between its tentacles. I managed to position the diver, Michael, in that space. The reality of backscatter is that there is almostly nothing that you can do about it. Adjusting the flashes helps one or two per cent. The only effective solution is to get closer and closer. The less water between the camera and the subject, the less backscatter. In this case, the diver is less than half a metre from the camera. Nikon D200, Tokina 10 to 17 mm Fish Eye lens and dome port on my old Nexus Housing.

How can I avoid that pesky and annoying error? How can I get more colour? How can I avoid backscatter? The answers are hard won and involve checking the settings and remember the ones that work. Take care with framing and composition. Look at other U/W photographers and try to understand what they do and hot they did it. Then go and emulate it. Get closer to the subject and get more powerful lights and flashes. Critiquing other photographer’s work. Always study other successful photographers. Try to work out how they take shots.

What settings did they use? Notice the composition. Ask your self if there is a better angle or a better lighting technique that might have improved the photo? Study the elements of composition, Foreground, Midground, Background. See how they construct the image. Most of all, be positive and constructive and enjoy other photographers work, as well as your own. At the same time, never forget that all of them have differing levels of scullduggery up their sleeve and hide their mistakes religiously. U/W photography is a dog eat dog world of one upmanship, showmanship and self agrandisement. To mix my metaphors, some adopt a pecking order like Red Rooster and Foghorn Leghorn as if diving is a competitive struggle for dominance?? Something I simply do not understand!

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DIVE LOG Australasia #419 - August ‘26

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