Underwater Photography as Art

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Worth having a look I would say, not just because he is a friend of mine.

http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_424389069_523620_gregor-torzs.jpg
(c) Gregor Törzs

Gregor Törzs Underwater Photography "Ciel Lourd" (http://www.persiehl-heine.de/ceemes/page/show/ph_gregor_toerzs_ciel_lourd)

HERE (https://files.me.com/mr.gregor/y204ro.mov) is a short "making of" film (flash) showing his technique

(sorry for the german site text only...but the pictures need no words and
the film is w/o words anyway)

[Brian C. Miller]

Interesting! An underwater Hasselblad rig to photograph an image on Plexiglas!

I always thought that underwater photography with a LF camera would be quite a challenge. You'd have to use something like a Hobo camera (http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/cart/product.php?productid=680&cat=237&page=) in a watertight box, with a magnetically-tripped shutter release.

[AgentX]

I don't know if they're wirklich shoen or vraiment beau...

[Robert Oliver]

from... http://files.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/ls07.shtml#water_box

The Water Box

By 1937, Doc's reputation as a surf photographer was well established. That year, he built his first waterproof camera housing. The watertight "shoots box" housed Doc's replacement for the Kodak folding Autographic - a stripped down Series D Graflex. Not only could he get closer to his wave sliding buddies, but the images were clearer.

"By that time," Doc told me, "I made a water box. I got a stripped down Graflex Series D Graflex camera -- 3 ¼ x 4 ¼ -- and put a water box around it. So, that way, you could open it up and make your shot and then shut it up real quick and it didn't get all wet." Doc laughed. "That thing really did work. I got some terrific shots with it."

Doc's water box had a large brass handle attached so that when he was caught inside, large sets would not wrest it from his grasp. Although the Graflex was big and bulky compared to today's camera bodies used for surf photography, it used large format cut sheet film - 3 ¼ X 4 ¼ -- which made for sharp enlargements. "I traded the chief of photography in the Los Angeles fire department arson squad for one of my Graflex cameras," Doc told Gary. "I made him a three-unit gold inlaid bridge."


I would love to recreate something like this for actual use.

Then there is Bruce Mozert who shot with a speed graphic underwater... cool pictures and info on him with his rigs on his website

http://www.mozertstudio.com/

would love to build one of these... just need the time.

[Robert Oliver]

time and money....

[Lynn Jones]

One of my graduates, Ric Frazier, who went on to Brooks, did much in beautiful underwater photographic art but furthermore, has a studio specializing on underwater advertising illustration!

Lynn

[Andy Eads]

I remember reading about a LF camera built by Kodak to make an underwater "Colorama" for Times Square, NY. Kodak was picky about the quality standards for Coloramas. Does anyone remember more?

Andy

[Scott Davis]

If you do a LOT of digging around, you can find an underwater housing for a Hasselblad superwide, or a Rollei TLR. Be prepared to spend some SERIOUS cash for one. Although it would weigh a ton, it could be interesting to adapt one of those aerial combat cameras that take 5" roll film and have a motorized transport.

[bob carnie]

Images are outstanding.

[John Schneider]

Although it would weigh a ton, it could be interesting to adapt one of those aerial combat cameras that take 5" roll film and have a motorized transport.

I had planned to do just that, bought a Fairchild F-56 5x7 aerial camera and all. It never progressed, because there were lots of issues to solve, and I found a factory housing for a Pentax 6x7 (close enough to 5x7, right?)

[Ash]

underwater Hasse SWC.... mmmmm....