Recents shots from Bay of Pigs, Cuba

kelpdiver wrote:

if you're going to a contest that is jpeg only (which is mildly ludicrous, but certainly easier to conduct for a one day event), then you're going to have to pick up the techniques around a grey card and custom WB setting.

I really understand the reasons why they accept JPGs only. As you say, it is easier and on the other hand the argument is to "evaluate" your shooting dexterity not your editing one, which is of course valid in a more general context.

IMASUB  is a 4 day event with 2 days of contest shooting with at least 4 or 5 contest dives.  First day there is a dive  for reconnaissance of sites, (you can shoot or not but shots do not count for contest).

In contest dive you shoot the judge in the boat before and after dive. Each day, just out of the boat your SD card is copied to the jury PC under your pseudonym.

After all dives are made and all photos copied, you can access your photos and select your choices under each category and copy them to designated folders.

Fourth day is mostly for fun and prizes are given at night.

But shoot RAW anyway, so you can PP afterwards. While APC and FF sensors can do pretty well with well exposed WA, and let the strobes do it for macro, it's still horribly limiting, or just annoying having to focus on it rather than the photography.

I usually shoot RAW+JPG but for the contest I think Only JPG would be better since JPG can be quality EXTRA FINE while in RAW + JPG is just FINE. I am not sure if that would make a difference but for being "safe" i shoot Extra Fine. Any thoughts about?

One other answer for blue WA shots where there's nothing to eye dropper against - go to black and white. It's the bailout when you didn't capture any color (besides blue).

For some of us, Cuba is now off limits again, it seems, at least until our next election.