Brightly distort landscapes , intriguing sea life large and modest , and the shadowy heavyweight of rusting shipwreck are only some of the photographic subjects that await you and your submersed television camera . There are few places more beautiful to shoot but , like scuba diving , submerged photography requires an savvy of this foreign but intriguing environment .
Equipment alternative is , of course of instruction , an all important part of submerged photography . Beyond that , however , it ’s significant to understand some of the challenge you ’ll chance under the sea .
Let there be light and color (or not)
Perhaps one of the most critical lesson to con is that water is almost 800 times denser than air . In and of itself , that fact may seem like an irrelevant second of trifle , but it has a profound gist on subaquatic picture taking .
piddle absorb calorie-free , which mean thatindividual colors(each represented by a dissimilar wavelength ) vanish as their various swooning waves are absorbed . Red is the first to go and altogether disappear by a depth of about 15 to 20 feet . Orange is next , followed by yellowish , which is why pictures take without a flash expression either risque or green . The only room to bring back color while you ’re underwater is to use a flash or other unreal lighting author .
If you ’re using the camera ’s build - in flash , it should be set to forced on , and the housing ’s plastic flash diffuser should be put in piazza ( if available ) when the tv camera - to - content distance is no more than 3 to 4 foot ( the flash has to go from camera - to - subject and back again , no well-fixed feat ) . When shooting at a distance of 4 feet or more , the flash should be turned off . It wo n’t be efficacious and , more significantly , the illumination will bound off the ever - present particulates in the water and create backscatter — an effect that look like the photo was taken in a snowstorm .
Macro photography, like this shot of an anemone fish, is a favorite among underwater photographers. (c) 2011 Bradley Sheard
One or two international strobes , on adjustable arms , can be added to some lodging , cater broader and more powerful coverage . Strobes can be angled so that the lighter does n’t hit the particulate direct on . That way , you’re able to better light up the subject and avoid backscatter .
When shooting with news bulletin , you’re able to pose clean balance to auto , daylight ( commend ) , or blink . Without flash , white balance choices let in : underwater ( useable on some heavyset example ) , mirky , or usage . subaquatic and nebulous setting will help correct for the overpowering blue cast of characters . For usance , use a white diver ’s ticket to register manual white balance and be certain to change it every 10 to 20 feet , or as the light changes . Shooting in RAW or RAW+JPEG is another option , although you should be comfortable using Adobe Camera RAW or a similar program that add up with your television camera for post - processing .
Distance and exposure
Water concentration , along with H2O lucidity , also affects contrast , sharpness , and other image attribute , so it ’s important to get as close to the subject as potential . That ’s why blanket - angle and macro instruction are the two most appropriate focal lengths for submersed picture taking . Even without a flash , shoot through big spans of H2O is somewhat like shooting through a muddied window .
The best meter of sidereal day to inject underwater is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is mellow in the sky . Keep your ISO as low-toned as possible to keep off image dissonance , but be certain it ’s gamy enough that your shutter f number is at least 1/125th of a second when fritter without flare . For macro gibe , adjust the aperture whenever you may to a high number ( small aperture ) for the majuscule depth of field . If your photographic camera does n’t have manual photo ascendancy , correct the ISO until the desired shutter pep pill or aperture has been reach ( the configurations should appear on the LCD when you half - press the shutter ) .
Focusing and metering
As long as there is sufficient contrast , autofocus should run just fine — spot nidus or midway focusing setting work well . you may always attach a small dive luminousness to the housing as a modeling light to assist with AF if necessary . It ’s probably best to debar continuous AF though , since it can be easily fool and will put an redundant drainpipe on the battery .
If your camera has a manual stress option , learn how to use it . Just keep in head that if you assess direction by a length scale , everything looks 25 percent nigher underwater than it really is .
Like autofocus , spot or centre - angle are the good pick for metering . And it ’s always a sound estimate to sate the frame with your subject whenever possible .
Simple concepts
Underwater picture taking can be show - and - dart simple but these tips will avail you captivate effective - than - snap exposure . Get comfortable with your camera and lodging and practice as much as possible .
Just remember to work in wide slant or macro , get snug to your topic , be mindful of when to apply news bulletin and adjust your white balance accordingly , and you ’ll be on the road to bringing home capital photos of your underwater dangerous undertaking .
Macro photography , like this shot of an sea anemone Pisces , is a ducky among underwater photographers . ( ampere-second ) 2011 Bradley Sheard
Tips for selecting an underwater digital camera
While you already knew what you wanted when you chose your current camera , the focus is somewhat dissimilar when selecting a digital photographic camera for the aquatic surround . Here are some of the major items to look for . Be sure to check with your camera vendor to see if it extend an underwater trapping for the mannequin you already have .
[ Theano Nikitas , a full - time free lance writer and lensman , has been write about photography for the past 19 years . Her digital imaging reviews , feature film , how - to article , and images have appear in a wide miscellanea of publications and websites . Her first underwater photos were shot with a Nikonos IV . ]
Note : This is the second of a two - part series on underwater picture taking . Part one , which ran yesterday , talk about how to choose an underwater living accommodations for your photographic camera .
