Color Shots
Except in very clear water, the light that does penetrate is generally strongly scattered, so that it produces a colored haze or cloudiness between the camera and the subject. Therefore, in order to reduce the effects of intervening haze, it is usually desirable to work as close to the subject as possible. This is especially true in color photography, because the color of the haze quickly overcomes other subject colors.
The color of the water varies from one location to another. In fact, even in one location it can change from day to day or even hour to hour as a result of suspended particles of rock or soil and the kind and amount of minute suspended plants and animals. In certain circumstances the over-all tint imparted by the color of the water can be offset to some extent by the use of color-compensating filters. It is usually not possible to make colors reproduce as they would if the subject were above water, but such an effect is not usually desired, anyway.
Artificial Light
The use of underwater flash should be very helpful, not only because it will, more or less independent of depth, supply more dependable illumination than natural light, but also because it will probably give less trouble from the colored scatter haze. Exposure settings for flash shots will depend on the particular equipment used and is best determined by practical experience. The use of artificial lighting is also important because some of the more tempting underwater scenes will often be in darker spots in caves, wrecks and similar locations.
Another reason for the use of flash equipment is that the water at some depth is likely to be less turbid than shallow water, providing a better photographic medium but requiring some source of light for effective photography.
However, there are some limitations on the use of ordinary flash bulbs under water. Since sea water transmits only blue and green, it will tend to damp out the light from a magnesium bulb, which is rich in red and somewhat poor in blue colors. Another problem in underwater photography is the need to rise to the surface to change bulbs after each flash. Both of these problems may be counteracted by the acquisition of a somewhat more expensive electronic flash bulb of the stroboscopic type, which will allow repeated picture taking with no bulb changes. It is also better adapted for rapid action shots without the blurring caused by motion of the subject.
Focal Length
Because of the refraction of light as it passes through water, underwater “feet” are only 9 inches long. This means that a lense of normal focal length will produce a slight telephoto effect when used under water. For this reason it is desirable to use a wide-angle lens if possible. Such a lens has greater depth of field, which is useful when shooting under water where it may be hard to adjust the focus with simple “bag-type” camera enclosures. Some special underwater cameras have focus settings calibrated for underwater distance.
Tags: water sports
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