Image Processing

[mccabejc]

Since depth causes loss of color, can Photoshop adjustments (saturation, RGB, etc.) be used to put the color back?

 

[Dee]

No, not if it wasn't there to start with.

 

[orangeBloke]

It can be used to correct the contrast and brightness of individual colours and so give them better balance. The most commonly corrected colour is red as it decreases with depth so needs a bit of a boost.

If you're adjusting colours do it by creating an Adjustment Layer over the original layer. This will allow you to make changes without impacting the original and give you more scope to play around

 

[mccabejc]

No, not if it wasn't there to start with.

Uh, yeah, thanks. What I meant was something along the lines of is loss of color at depth less of an issue with digital photography because you can often tweak saturation, for example, to compensate?

Do most professional UW photographers use these tools to color compensate, or is that the exception rather than the rule?

 

[TheNitroxinator]

I can't speak to what professionals do, but I've looked at the histograms on some pictures taken below 60 feet. There isn't much red in them; saturation adjustment or not, you're not going to get a colorful picture without a strobe. Past a certain point, you're probably best off just swicthing the camera into a black and white mode, setting a low shutter speed, and saying you did it for artistic effect. The other alternative is to pull out your tracing projector, point it at a canvas, get a good sketch, pull out the airbrush, and make it as colorful as you want (I'll get a picture of an example of that posted in my gallery one of these days - I ain't no Christian Lassen yet, but I'll get there).

 

[Gilligan]

Since depth causes loss of color, can Photoshop adjustments (saturation, RGB, etc.) be used to put the color back?

I'm not so sure I agree with the previous responses. Some divers use a red filter to compensate for the loss of red at depth on non-strobe shots. I use manual white balance then "Auto Levels" in Photoshop to bring out the colors.
I did an amateur comparison between using the filter and not using the filter at 70 feet in clear ocean waters then adjusted both photos in PS7.
I didn't think the photo with the red filter was all that much better than the one without.
You be the judge.
The results are HERE

I think you can put the red back in photos taken without a strobe.. The "Mandrake Process" does just that in Photoshop, especially for the photos that were not taken using manual white balance. There are those that argue that a program like Photoshop can accomplish after the fact the same as a filter can before the fact.

 

[alcina]

What I meant was something along the lines of is loss of color at depth less of an issue with digital photography because you can often tweak saturation, for example, to compensate?

It is not less of an issue with digital. Digital simply allows you to tweak things that might otherwise be tweaked at a lab in film/slide processing. If it isn't there to begin with there is nothing to tweak.

Light loss is light loss. Better lenses - digital or film - will help. Working with manual white balance, adding strobes, getting closer, experimenting with apertures & shutter speeds & ISO settings will all have an impact on how much colour is there. Go RAW if you can, if not, shoot at the highest quality setting possible.

Do most professional UW photographers use these tools to color compensate, or is that the exception rather than the rule?

I'm not a professional but those that I know use their tools to the best of their ability and to the best limits of those tools. That starts with excellent pre-photo planning, good equipment, multiple trials and errors and post-processing for best results...again film (selecting a professional lab and talking to them about what you need etc) or digital (a pro lab or learning the software yourself etc), the image must be good in the first place.

Gilligan also raises some good points above, too.

On a side note: Ultimately, you can have the "best" camera setup in the world and not get great results...or you can give a great photographer some low-end disposable and they'll bring back something amazing. It's not the tools, it's the artist.

 

[ewong]

I just started using this service that fixes underwater digital pictures:

www.divepix.com

The process is pretty automated and easy to use.
You be the judge, before and after.



Eddy.

 

[alcina]

Looks very like the Mandrake Process. This is a pretty simple fix in Elements or PS or other software.

Good idea for those who don't want to deal with it!