Into the deep

Anyone who has ever taken their camera under water can easily attest that taking photos in the deep is no easy feat. In pursuing photography under such conditions, you are likely to encounter cases like backscatter, loss of color, and light reflection on the diver’s mask. The great news is, these can easily be diagnosed.

If you haven’t tried underwater photography, it’s best that you read on.

Underwater Photography Error #1: Loss of color

When shooting 30 feet deep (or deeper) under water, warm colors get filtered out and turn everything into a monochromatic black and blue. This loss of color is often a result of minimal artificial light or too much distance between light and subject. Under water, objects appear 25% closer, so if you think you are close enough to shoot your subject, move 25% closer— but never nearer than the lens’s minimum depth of focus. Always keep in mind that water soaks up a lot of light so a maximum distance of 2 to 4 feet from the subject is most favorable; beyond 8 feet, you’ll have to count on natural light.

Underwater Photography Error #2: Backscatter

Backscatter is the effect of a camera’s strobe illuminating distracting particles that are suspended directly in front of your subject.

The particles take form in small specks or larger white blobs— this depends on the shape and focusing of the lens aperture. This error usually happens when the strobe is too close to the lens or when the water is really dirty.

Backscatter is remedied by moving the strobe away from the lens, ideally at a 45° angle above and to the side of the subject. The strobe must be aimed slightly beyond the visual perception of the subject’s location. If the water is very dirty, resort to close-up shots which lessens the distance (and the amount of water) between light and subject. If you must take wide shots, a distracting background is advised so that the particles will be less apparent.

Underwater Photography Error #3: Light reflection on the Diver’s Mask

The title is pretty self-explanatory, don’t you think? But we shall continue.

The error we are referring to here is the bright reflection on your diver’s mask. This occurs when the strobe is placed close to the lens, shining light directly into the mask, and causing it to reflect back into the camera lens. Like the backscatter, this can be remedied by placing your strobe at a 45° angle to your subject.

Resurfacing

There are a lot of other photography errors that occur underwater, but these 3 have got to be the most common— a shame considering how easy the remedies are. See, when you really think about it, it’s all about distance and angling, not so much on fancy equipment or complicated techniques.

Now aren’t you glad you’ve stumbled upon this?

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