under water video

[diveaustin]

Hello fellow divers. I need info on the best way to shoot under water video without any lights. I have always had a hired videographer do this and they never have had any kind of lighting. This year I have a Sony DCR TRV-330 and a Ikelite housing I am going to try and use. I need some pointers on how to make it turn out as good as the hired hands have always done. Shooting will occur in blue water with what I am hoping will be a sunny day. Depth will be 130ft and above. Any pointers will greatly be appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[diverguy]

Ok, here are a few rules I try to stick by:

1. Stay shallow
The deeper you go the less light and the less red you have so if you stay shallow (30ft or so) you will get the best video. Without lights, there's no way around that fact.
2. Get as close as possible to the subject. The less water between the lense and the subject the less blue it will look.
3.Shoot with the sun behind you.
4.Use a red filter when you go below 10 ft.
5.Do some post processing with your favorite NLE program to bring back some of the red. It can actually improve the video quite dramatically.
6.Zoom with your fins if you can.
7.Keep the camera steady.
8.start recording a few seconds before and leave it on for a few seconds after the shot.
9.Please stay off the coral - no shot is worth broken coral... It's easy to get lost in shooting the video that you loose your bouyancy - that's what I have noticed myself anyway...

/Mike

DiverGuy.com

 

[Dee]

Nice website!