Training!! I Need Training!!!

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Doing good Video underwater is very hard. I had a hell of an uphill struggle - and still have. I think its the same for everyone and thats why many people give up and just do photo. So much easier! But thats the easy exit route you should not take!

The only way to get better is to just keep trying. I am not sure a course will help. Yes there are some basics you would learn - but much of which you can pick up outside a training:
  • The first being good buoyancy to get footage as stable as possible and not hitting things while filming... You wont learn that in a video-course, really. But as your profile says Scuba pro, not an issue for you for sure.
  • The second is exposure and white balance underwater. (Apart form white balance issues, I noticed a lot of your shots are overexposed and 'blown-out'). Again, there are some theoretic basics that you can read up everywhere on the net, but the crux is that there are many 'insights' that are very specific to a given camera or camcorder. So unless the course trains on exactly the camera you are using, it may be of limited value. Also note that auto-settings that work just fine on land my not cut it underwater.
  • The third is post-production. The leverage you have here really depends on the in-camera-codec and what data-density that is capable to record. Modern pro-sumer camcorders do 100mb/s for 4k stuff. Older may just do 15 or 20 mb/s or less. The more mb/s, the more data and leverage you have in post to fix things. Again, there are so many software solutions that unless the training course is using the same package you use at home, it may be of limited value. It#s an absolute must to understand reading RGB-Parade, Vectorscopes etc to correct exposure and white balance in post. Once you watch a couple how-to-videos for the software package you use - its actually not that hard.
Also have a look at the videography section over at Wetpixel. There are some good general and camera-specific hints that have helped me a lot. I am using a Sony AX100 btw. which has proven to be a pretty capable underwater camcorder for many users.

Keep it up!
bubffm
 
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I am using a Sony AX100 btw. which has proven to be a pretty capable underwater camcorder for many users.

Keep it up!
bubffm

First of all thanks for the message!

Second of all, that is my next camera!!! just need to get a bit higher number in my checkings account heheh
 
Set the camera down or use a tripod. There is enough movement in the water without having to move the camera as well. Any small movement is magnified when viewing your videos later on a screen larger than your camera's monitor. If you must move the camera, try to make the moves as smoothly as possible.
Rather than shoot the entire dive, find a subject and shoot its behavior. Nearly every animal underwater can be fascination to watch.
 
Not fair Max. That is a Howard Hall video.

Just kidding.

Pro videos like this are nice inspiration.

For me, UW video comes down to the quality of the editing and the quality of the footage. Good editing can make up for weak footage and great footage is watchable even with poor editing.
 

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