Another Newbie question

[ddub23]

I've just started in the great world of UW photography. I can capture all the vibrant colors of my dive as long as I like green! All my photos have a very green tint to it. Of course, I could cheat and use Photoshop to "clean it up", but does anyone have any suggestions? I have been experimenting with the Auto mode and Manual mode and the results are the same.

My camera: Canon S400, WP-DC800 housing.
Usual location: Monterey, Breakwater, depth ~50ft, vis 15ft

I will post one of my green photos if I can find one that's not blurry

 

[Titletowndiver]

You may find this link useful...

http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/uwphoto/index-e.html

Tim

 

[ddub23]

Thanks for the info Tim. Now, if I can only find more time to dive...

 

[cdiver2]

When you get your film developed ask them to give you + 1 red + 1 yellow - 1 green , it will help a little.

 

[chippy]

You didn't mention whether you used flash or not - I'm presuming that you didn't, which may be the root of the problem.

As daylight passes through the water coloumn, the colour spectrum is gradually filtered out, so that at depth almost all of the colours have disappeared. Using artifical light, such as a flash, will inject the colours back into your photographs.

Using a flash will also enable you to use a higher shutter speed, so you should be able to use a smaller apperture for greater depth of field, or use the extra light to obtain a higher shutter speed.

Hope that helps

 

[James connell]

add a Magenta 30 filter to the lens (a gel works) if you use a strobe cover the strobe with a Cyan 30 gel. you loose a stop through the lens and a stop off the strobe.
if your shooting digital take a white card and set the white balance at depth.

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Don't use filters underwater, they are a waste of time, money and film.

Filters cause viewfinder problems, increased need for light (like we don't have enough as it is) and throws many other factors into the picture. All in all they are just not worth it.

Ed

 

[TheAvatar]

Color correcting filters are silly underwater... you can get the color balance right for a certain depth.... but you go down frome 15 down to 30 feet a different filter. Like blacknet said, filters cut out light and there already isn't enough. Find a lab that will do what cdiver2 suggested or consider using a strobe.

 

[James connell]

filters do indeed eat available light. and above ~ 5 ft the magenta30 will give a color cast. but the change from there is minimal down to about 50 ft all you need to get a good kelp forest shot in the green pacific water. if you want to add a fill strobe you Must color correct it for the M30 with a C30 or the forground will be red.
the combo gives you a nice blue tint to openwater ( in place of the pee green) and still gives you good natural color in the forground. if you try for the same affect in processing you get light green water and a pink tink.

Mod edited for content.

 

[TheAvatar]

DDub32

I've just started in the great world of UW photography.

James:

if you can't handle the added complexities you shouldn't use them - leave the real pix to the prosut:

Clearly, as the title states, ddub23 is a newbie and is trying out things and trying to learn. So why must you belittle DDub and others like them who are just starting out? Once upon a time, James, you were not a pro. Nobody is born a professional photographer. Why are you afraid of people trying out things? Are you afraid they will become a professional and compete with you? Also... you profess to hate smileys... why then do you yourself use them?

you going to lite a kelp forest out to >40 ft with that stobe??

Well... considering I don't dive in CA... and that ddub23 said that visibility was usually only 15ft... wait... what exactly is your point?

"consider using a strobe." that's rich!

You chide me and yet in your own advice you give reccomendations for using a strobe.

if you use a strobe cover the strobe with a Cyan 30 gel

I don't see you saying "use a strobe my way or not at all" untill I reccomended it. I don't see you screaming at chippy for saying

You didn't mention whether you used flash or not - I'm presuming that you didn't, which may be the root of the problem.

Could it be you have a personal problem with me because of the exchange on another post?

or can't you take ambient with fill pix yet?

Did I say "stop your lens down and use the strobe as your primary light source?" no... I did not say that... I was implying it be used for fill... I don't know what you were thinking. I almost never use my flash as the primary lightsource above or below water (except for UW macro sometimes and at night UW). Perhaps you should keep your attacks on the X-ray post or is it your intent to personally attack me on every post I make that happens to disagree with your own?