I have always enjoyed taking photos and continue to take my camera with me most places I go. When I started caving it seemed natural to take my camera into caves as well, where I soon found it difficult to get decent photos. My first shots were on a manual compact camera using it’s built-in flash and displayed the typical cave photo scenario ‐ lots of black spaces, bad focus and, most frustratingly, air moisture filling the entire frame. A good example of one of my very first cave photos follows, and this is of the ones I chose not to delete!:
I have made improvements by taking more lighting equipment underground, using a DSLR camera and transporting it all in waterproof boxes. Nearly all the gear I use for cave photography is second hand and bought cheap. Taking better cave photos does require familiarisation with certain technical aspects associated with flash photography, but for the most part it is relatively straight forward and the biggest difficulties are met in lugging gear around underground and cleaning it all after the trip!
More photos from Pollnagollum (Of the Boats) can be seen here.
Caves Of Ireland 