I just returned from a fantastic weekend shooting with one of my teachers, Les Saucier (Master in the Arcanum) http://www.lessaucier.com/, and fellow members of the Arcanum.  We had a Photowalk that had a home base of Brevard, NC.  Much of our time was spent on and near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Fall colors can be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway, in different locations, for several weeks.  There are reports which tell you where to find the best colors on the dates you will be travelling to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This weekend, we found some places were past peak and a few at peak.  Regardless of the stages of the colors, a great time was had by all.  It is amazing what you can learn shooting alongside fellow photographers.  I am always amazed at the different images that are seen by different participants from the same exact spots.

Since I knew we would all be shooting the same things, I wanted to try to find something really different while on the Photowalk.  I knew one of the locations we would be visiting.  I thought I would pack my underwater camera and see what I could see with the underwater camera.

I did use my “big girl camera” to get most of the things I shot during the weekend.  For instance, the shot above was taken with my Nikon D800.

But, when the group went to a stream to photograph the cascades and fall leaves, I decided to try something different.  I placed my Canon G11 in its underwater housing.  The G11 is a camera I keep with me at all times.  I bought the housing for it several years ago so I could take pictures while on vacation.

I wasn’t quite sure what I would come up with using the camera underwater in the streams.  First, I tried to take a picture with the camera half in and half out of the water.  This was unsuccessful as the sky was much too bright to create a pleasing image.   I was also working with a fixed shutter speed and no tripod.  Slowing down and blurring the water was not going to work, either.

I began just taking pictures completely under the water.  I took pictures of the rocks on the bottom of the water.  It took pictures of the tree roots underwater lining the banks.  After a while, I began to try to capture the leaves as they travelled downstream.

About an hour or so after beginning this experiment, I left the stream, cold and tired, but hopeful.  I wasn’t sure if I had captured something fun, but I was hopeful that with the amount of shots I took, I would have at least one keeper.

I ended up with two shots I would like to share with you.  I like one image much more than the other.  Can you guess which is my favorite?   Which is your favourite?

 

So, the next time you are out with a group of photographers sharing the same location, find a way to make creative images that will not resemble any one else’s who was shooting at the same location.