Underwater Photography Basics

Underwater Photography - Equipment Compact – point and shoot Compact – point and shoot D/SLR D/SLR

Compact – Advantages Smaller size for travel Smaller size for travel Less drag underwater Less drag underwater Ability to change lenses underwater (Wet lenses) Ability to change lenses underwater (Wet lenses) Much less cost Much less cost Less weight, easier to carry and beach dive with Less weight, easier to carry and beach dive with With wet lenses, you can shoot macro, Wide- angle, and video all in 1 dive With wet lenses, you can shoot macro, Wide- angle, and video all in 1 dive

Compact - Disadvantages Smaller sensor (more noise, smaller dynamic range, etc.) Smaller sensor (more noise, smaller dynamic range, etc.) Increased shutter delay and focus delay optics are a lesser quality Increased shutter delay and focus delay optics are a lesser quality Less choices for good quality lenses Less choices for good quality lenses Only a couple models can shoot in raw and use a true fisheye lens Only a couple models can shoot in raw and use a true fisheye lens Very slow raw write speeds, if raw is offered Less battery life Very slow raw write speeds, if raw is offered Less battery life Less control over depth of field. A larger-sensor dSLR will have a smaller depth of field at a large aperture, giving a blurred background that is difficult to accomplish with a compact camera. Less control over depth of field. A larger-sensor dSLR will have a smaller depth of field at a large aperture, giving a blurred background that is difficult to accomplish with a compact camera.

D/SLR Advantages Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony and Fuji Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony and Fuji Ability to shoot in RAW Ability to shoot in RAW More camera features available More camera features available –Aperture settings –Shutter speed settings –Depth of field

D/SLR Disadvantages Difficult to access camera features Difficult to access camera features Difficult to remember which button performs which function Difficult to remember which button performs which function Two handed operation needed for accessing most camera features Two handed operation needed for accessing most camera features With housing and lighting set up is very bulky, adds drag and can be difficult to capture fleeting moments With housing and lighting set up is very bulky, adds drag and can be difficult to capture fleeting moments

Underwater Camera Features Full manual mode available Full manual mode available Good quality UW housing available Good quality UW housing available Close macro mode, although this is less important if you are going to use wet lenses Close macro mode, although this is less important if you are going to use wet lenses Ability to take wet lenses, macro & wide angle Ability to take wet lenses, macro & wide angle Ability to take a fisheye lens. Ability to take a fisheye lens. Low shutter lag Low shutter lag

Underwater Camera Features Long battery life Long battery life Ability to view histogram Ability to view histogram Ability to manual white balance Ability to manual white balance Raw mode Raw mode Ability to fire strobes via sync cord Ability to fire strobes via sync cord Good auto focus capability Good auto focus capability It should be easy to adjust the aperture and shutter speed UW It should be easy to adjust the aperture and shutter speed UW

Underwater Camera Choices Waterproof cameras – no housing Waterproof cameras – no housing –10 ft for snorkeling only –33-40 ft for snorkeling and shallow dives (free diving) Housing Housing –Camera specific/Sport –Full, partial or limited use of all control Kits Kits

Camera and Housing Choices Panasonic Panasonic –40 ft no housing –Leica 4.6 WA mm –Fast autofocus –Short shutter lag –$ (B&H) Aqua Tech Sports Housing for Nikon D700 Aqua Tech Sports Housing for Nikon D700 –33 ft –Interchangeable lens ports –TTL flash compatible –Need Lens port –$1,894 (B&H)

Camera and Housing Choices Ikelite Housing Nikon Coolpix S3100 Ikelite Housing Nikon Coolpix S3100 –All controls –WA lens –External Color Filters –200 ft –1.3 lb –$ (B&H) Aquatics Housing for Nikon D700 Aquatics Housing for Nikon D700 –TTL Compatible w/adapter –Moisture alarm –Double Nikonos Bulkheads –All controls –Multiple lens compatible w/lens ports –300ft –7.2 lb –$3,100 (B&H lens not included)

Camera and Housing Choices Bonica Sony DSC-W350 Camera, Housing & Light Kit Bonica Sony DSC-W350 Camera, Housing & Light Kit –Color correcting light –130 ft –14.1 mp Carl Zeiss Lens –$919 Sea&Sea Housing for Nikon D300S Flat Port Pkg w/YS-01 Strobe Sea&Sea Housing for Nikon D300S Flat Port Pkg w/YS-01 Strobe –Double Nikonos bulkheads –200 ft –Leak sensor –All controls –TTL compatible –$4, (B&H)

Underwater Lighting Water absorbs light Water absorbs light –Light levels drop at lower depths –Red is absorbed faster than blue, causes loss of color especially at lower depths Water sucks contrast and sharpness Water sucks contrast and sharpness –Need to get close to subject Four sources for light Four sources for light –Strobes –Dive lights –Focus lights –Sun

Underwater Light Quality Amount of light Amount of light Color of the light Color of the light Direction of the light Direction of the light Amount of diffusion or softness Amount of diffusion or softness

Loss of Color Underwater Water absorbs different light wavelengths to different degrees Water absorbs different light wavelengths to different degrees –Longest wavelengths absorbed first –Colors disappear in order that they appear in the color spectrum, ROY G BIV Color disappears Color disappears –Red 15 ft –Orange 25 ft –Yellow ft –Green ft

Loss of Color Underwater Horizontal distance counts! Horizontal distance counts! –Strobes light subject 5 ft away, light travels total of 10 ft (5 there and 5 back), significant loss of reds –Must get close to subject! Brain compensates for color loss Brain compensates for color loss –Think you see red and orange –In ambient light shot red and orange are gone!

Scrawled File Fish

Coral Formation

Reflected Light Underwater Light penetration depends on surface conditions Light penetration depends on surface conditions –Choppy water reflects more light –Sunlight from horizon reflects more than sunlight from above –Brightest conditions 10AM to 2PM on sunny day –Early morning or late afternoon light has soft quality

Backscatter Caused by strobes or internal flash lighting up particles in the water Caused by strobes or internal flash lighting up particles in the water Point strobes away from subject Point strobes away from subject

Backscatter Take photos away from other people Take photos away from other people Use proper fins and frog-kick, achieve perfect buoyancy Use proper fins and frog-kick, achieve perfect buoyancy Shoot macro only from a few inches Shoot macro only from a few inches Don’t shoot against open water, use the reef Don’t shoot against open water, use the reef Edit in Photoshop if it happens Edit in Photoshop if it happens

Backscatter