Page 250 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 8: Field Photography 229
phy as they may be co-opted at times into the photograph to act as a scale or to hold an artifact. For example, there is a need to understand composi- tion and that an object should be held close to the face when being pho- tographed; otherwise, there will be two opposing centers of interest, the face and the object, on either side of the frame. It is useful to experiment with different configurations (on land) of a model and the object using a wide- angle lens. In this way, it is possible to work out standard arrangements: object in front of face or at one side or the other. Inevitably, one will find that the most pleasing composition will be with an object held a few cen- timeters from the face. It is necessary to be cautious when using the very wide angle lenses because of the effects of perspective distortions. It is also worth remembering, that when photographing work under water, it is not particularly interesting to see divers with their heads down and their back- sides up. It is more engaging to have them doing something while facing the camera. Each dive will have a general photographic objective which will be fairly obvious in terms of what is happening within the work pattern of the day. If, for example, the job for the dive of the day is surveying a single object, then the photographer will have to try and cover the whole operation from beginning to end. If a repetitive job is the order of the day, then it will be necessary to try and cover the work at various points in the operation.
On sites where visibility is reduced, it may be necessary to arrange special photographic dives. It is particularly difficult to photograph in these conditions because other divers inevitably stir up sediment as they work. The slightest movement of a fin on a site where there is fine silt, coupled with no current, can destroy a whole photographic session. It is therefore advisable to arrange photographic dives to coincide with the period when the water is the clearest, or to ensure that if others are to work during a photographic dive they are experienced and are aware of the problems. It may also be that there are certain times over a number of days when the water can become very clear like during a high-water spring tide. It is impor- tant to plan extensive coverage during these periods because the improved water clarity will provide better quality photography and help in the interpretation.
Many archaeologists face a moral dilemma in considering “staged” pho- tographs of artifacts under water. The purists hold that a photograph must illustrate the true world and that to fake a shot is misleading. Provided that there is no danger to the artifact (and in many cases there is none), it is often more efficient to take a group of objects back down onto the site in controlled conditions where a better coverage can be made than at the time of discovery. Taking into consideration the conservation problems, a time may be selected when the water clarity is good, work can be stopped so that the sediments are not disturbed, and divers can be posed to re-enact the