Over and Under

Above: Downwind spinnaker sailing off of Viti Levu, Fiji

We recently purchased an "over-and-under" port for our water housing from Taro Pascual of Water Housing Hawaii.  Tor had already done a considerable amount of underwater photography, but over-and-under photography was a whole new challenge.  For one thing, the port is unwieldy, as seen in the photo below:

Above: Tor getting ready to jump in the water with his over-and-under water housing.

In addition to the port being large and heavy, its curved surface does not allow water to bead off of it very easily.  This requires a photographer to lick (yes, lick!) the entire surface of the dome to facilitate the water-beading process. Then there are the usual challenges that accompany water housings, such as fogging of the lens from condensation, and having to dunk the housing repeatedly into the water to avoid water spots.

Above: Snorkeling off of Namotu Island, Fiji

Above: Anchoring near Qamea Island, Fiji

After capturing some standard over-and-under subject matter such as snorkeling and the boat at anchor, Tor decided to shoot his 47-foot sailboat Kahea under full sail.  In order to get the shot, crew members Nick and Kyoko sailed the boat while Tor motored several hundred feet ahead on a dinghy.  He then jumped into the water and got his camera and housing ready, as Nick and Kyoko steered the boat toward Tor.

Above: Yacht Kahea sailing at a speed of several knots! 

Because the water level is constantly going up and down, it isn't easy to get the right composition when using an over-and-under port. With his boundless energy, Tor jumped back in the dinghy and repeated the process over and over again until he was satisfied that he got at least one good shot. Check out the video below to see how Tor got the sailing shots:

Above: Video clip of Tor blasting ahead on the dinghy to get the sailing shot.

Above: Our trustworthy Canon 5D Mark II and water housing.

Above: Yacht Kahea under full sail

Taking the Plunge

Robin and Reena are great friends of ours. They have a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy so we thought this would be a perfect way to shoot them, in celebration of their marriage. "Jump Rock" at Waimea Bay has long been a favorite place for local kids to do a bit of "thrill seeking." I'd shot the local kids jumping there before, and the images I liked the most showed the entire bay and the beach, with that amazing aquamarine water, so for this shoot I decided on that same angle.

Below: Tor shooting the couple jumping off, as curious locals check out the scene.

In the last few days I'd noticed there weren't many kids jumping, and when we arrived I discovered the reason: big swells had undermined the sand, so that just getting to the rock required a swim and a rock-climb, all of which had to be timed between waves. Luckily I brought a waterproof backpack for my camera (Patagonia makes an incredible one). Reena had quite an experience, getting pulled slightly out to sea in her wedding dress while trying to reach the rock. She handled it perfectly though.

When the couple jumped, I was surprised to hear the beach full of people erupt into applause and shouts of approval. Many people had their cameras out for the big event. They must have thought that this was their actual marriage ceremony. On the second and third jumps the applause dwindled considerably.

For Robin, Reena, Kyoko (my wife and business manager) and myself it was great fun. This is one of the best things about wedding photography - sharing the joy of one of the happiest times in life with true friends.

Naturally

What is it about plumerias? They are just the most beautiful flowers. I never seem to get tired of shooting them in all sorts of surroundings. Recently I've been floating them in water and experimenting with shooting them in a well lit area with lots of windows.



The green leaves here are the new banana leaves, which emerge furled perfectly into a tube. They unroll within a day, and I even notice that they change shape while shooting them. The lighting is a bit of a trick- it's a remote flash at the base of the leaf.

Night in Waikiki

I recently did a shoot for my close friend, surfboard shaper Matt Yerxa, in Waikiki, with one of his team riders, Japanese pro surfer Shuji Kasuya. This kind of shoot can be a lot of fun because there isn't a lot of pressure, and I am free to experiment with different camera settings and angles, without worrying about results all the time - just play around and see what happens. The first shots are Shuji in Waikiki. I was using a slow shutter speeds to blur the lights.


Zooming the lens with the shutter open made some interesting light trails, as did spinning the camera. The flash kept Shuji acceptably sharp. At one point a tourist trolley swept past just at the right time, making an interesting blur. There's a street performer all dressed in gold in the background of many of the shots - a free extra.



We also did some cool night shots with a camera mounted on our Mini Cooper. I got a new camera support called a Bogen Magic Arm ($200 at Lighthaus Camera) and clamped it to the surfboard racks. I triggered the camera from the passenger side with a wired remote, and had a hand held flash inside triggered by a Pocket Wizard radio trigger.


This was a lot of fun, even though Matt was a bit nervous about pulling in to the famous strip club "Femme Nu" with his boards and a camera rigged on top of the Mini. I think it turned out to be one of the best images because of all the neon. The bouncers didn't even seem to notice us, which was a good thing.