Filters!

[blacknet]

Hello,

Filters make for some very creative effects in any image. However since we take our cameras into hostile environments where they was never intended to function and we lose light by the inch it's a very complicated uphill battle with filters. Remember we have the filter factor, which simply states we decrease the available light by X stops. All in all filters poses no practical value to underwater photography.

Ed

 

[Jack R]

Blacknet,
I have to disagree with

"All in all filters poses no practical value to underwater photography."

1) Creativitiy is practical in photography.
2) At certain depths a particular filter will bring the filtered out colors back. For example an orange filter with natural light at 25 to 30 feet may work just right.
3) for certain critters, unconventional lighting may work just right.

Here is a prime example. If have you ever seen a red anemone, they are a bit rare, and tried to photograph it they always come out brown or greenish. Here are some example taken in 74 feet of water. There has been no photoshop touch ups in these other then cropping them and making the file size smaller for the web.

Here is the Red Anemone without a filter.
The clown fish came out just right but the anemone colors are way off.

Here is on with the filter and natural light
The Clown fish colors are now off but the anemone looks pretty close to the real color although a bit dark.

Here is one with the filter and the strobe
The anemone looks pretty good and the clown fish is just a little too bright but fairly close to correct.