Comments on: 14 Tips For Cave Photography

By: Joy Watson

Joy Watson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 05:29:10 +0000

Thankyou for sharing these points. I have found them extremely helpful. I was recently given the opportunity to try some cave photography for the first time and appreciated finding your site. I am finding it both challenging and fun. Thanks.

By: Al Del Degan

Al Del Degan — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:50:07 +0000

Great article, thanks for the info. I did a shoot with a model in the "Rat's Nest Cave" in Canmore, Alberta. I brought my Nikon D300 with two off-camera flashes, one SB800 fired remotely via a pocket wizard and the other, an SB900 set up as a slave. We used our head lamps to light the model's face just enough so the camera's auto focus system worked. I try not to shoot manual focus unless it is absolutely necessary. You can see the results here: Rat's Nest Cave Shoot. For the shots with the amazing blue color I used a gel over one of the flashes.

By: Chris Biele

Chris Biele — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:06:22 +0000

I can appreciate the “no flash in caves” mantra. I makes a lot of sense because you can selectively light your scene in a subtle way. I also depends on the cave though. In pitch black environments, light paint away; but if the cave is a commercial-type cave with artificial lighting, long exposure isn’t always an option. I’ve been following the off-camera lighting scene (D.H., McNally, Tejada, Arias) and the work you can do with a flash is quite amazing. It is, however, quite time consuming and has a time and a place.

The strobe is a great tool. Use it wisely, don’t abuse it and always bounce your key or take it off camera. Most of all though, don’t try and add it in when you don’t need it.

By: tchudson

tchudson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:40:41 +0000

Check out these cave photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_cressler/sets/72157600033868033/

By: Muddyfox

Muddyfox — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:40:55 +0000

I shoot underground every weeked.

I used a flash for one shot – about 3 years ago,

Flash is not the way, as Glen says, long exposure and light painting FTW.

OH, and dont forget, using a flash in a cave is 101% a no-no if there are bats (indeed here in the UK if they prosecute you for upsetting bats its £2000 fine PER BAT!

By: Dr Chawngthu Lalhmingliana

Dr Chawngthu Lalhmingliana — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:45:09 +0000

Very interesting article. Thank you so much much Carey ! Please contribute more !

By: Bull Snook

Bull Snook — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:18:59 +0000

cave photography happens to be my passion, and while im still learning, i consider myself experienced enough, to say, yes the above tips are good, I strongly suggest a pelican box, otter box or somthing like, my canon has survived many grueling trips unharmed due to my pelican case,
lighting is definatly an issue, multiple flashes on synced slaves help, but sometimes you have to go big,
when you get a chamber or grotto that ,,,, well seems to suck up all the light, its time to break out the,
“mega flash”, this system will bring sunlight to where pitch black rules the day, ive not had to progress this far yet, but im working towards it,
nice read by the way, great pics as well

By: glenn

glenn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:19:15 +0000

I can’t believe all this talk of flash use. I photograph underground frequently, we never use a flash. Long exposures and light painting give far superior results.

Underground is the perfect environment for this – absoloutly no stray background light.

Similarly long exposure by candlelight or carbide lamp can succesfully light even large underground voids.

Avoid the flash at all costs.

By: Chris Biele

Chris Biele — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:42:31 +0000

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2679189043_19b4c6faa8.jpg

By: Chris Biele

Chris Biele — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:41:35 +0000

Nice. Thanks for the post. Here's one I took in Gibraltar at St. Michael's Cave. My wife and buddy in the shot, about a 5 second exposure (if I remember) and I popped a handheld strobe on full manual. If I were to do it again I'd obviously gel the flash CTO and set WB to tungsten.