BTW, the image in the first post clearly spent some time in post production. Nice work and well done. Like Nemrod, I like bracket shooting. It give you the most usable images.
What's the secret to getting that deep blue color?
- Thread starter H2ODoc
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
RonFrank
Contributor
Another way to think about this is to use the aperture to control the background exposure, and the flash to control the foreground exposure. That assumes wide angle shots. For macro shots, or subjects that fill the frame you can just use flash, or if their is enough light you can try and balance the flash with the ambient light.
These concepts are really not difficult, but it may take some time/experience getting used to the ideas, and putting them into practice. Fortunately with digital, you get instant feedback, so you *should* be able to walk away with reasonable results at least from an exposure perspective.
These concepts are really not difficult, but it may take some time/experience getting used to the ideas, and putting them into practice. Fortunately with digital, you get instant feedback, so you *should* be able to walk away with reasonable results at least from an exposure perspective.
The darker background is normally achieved with higher shutter speeds.
Shutter speed doesn't change the flash exposure, so it is the easiest way to do it.
Can also be achieved using smaller apertures, as long as your flash can cope with it.
All digital cameras have advanced metering system, but even the most advanced ones only gives you a general idea of what the camera thinks it's right for the picture (which is close to 18% grey).
If you shoot something black on AUTO the camera will think "grey" and will overexpose to give you the grey thing.
If you shoot something white, it will also think "grey" and will underexpose to turn your snow white into grey.
Just as you choose the composition, you gotta chose YOUR exposure (not the camera's!) in order to have your name under the photo instead of something like "photo@nikon corp.".
Even when you shoot AUTO or P, you gotta be aware of what the camera is doing. Digital is a lot easier, as you can redo your pics most of the time.
A small tweak in the WB might also help to bring a "bluer blue to your not-bluish" photographs, but be careful not to have wild colors in your foreground subjects.
Other than that just a good image editing software, but I would rather spend my time on the shooting part of it.
Shutter speed doesn't change the flash exposure, so it is the easiest way to do it.
Can also be achieved using smaller apertures, as long as your flash can cope with it.
All digital cameras have advanced metering system, but even the most advanced ones only gives you a general idea of what the camera thinks it's right for the picture (which is close to 18% grey).
If you shoot something black on AUTO the camera will think "grey" and will overexpose to give you the grey thing.
If you shoot something white, it will also think "grey" and will underexpose to turn your snow white into grey.
Just as you choose the composition, you gotta chose YOUR exposure (not the camera's!) in order to have your name under the photo instead of something like "photo@nikon corp.".
Even when you shoot AUTO or P, you gotta be aware of what the camera is doing. Digital is a lot easier, as you can redo your pics most of the time.
A small tweak in the WB might also help to bring a "bluer blue to your not-bluish" photographs, but be careful not to have wild colors in your foreground subjects.
Other than that just a good image editing software, but I would rather spend my time on the shooting part of it.
olyvtx
Contributor
The A620 has manual mode.
Set the exposure for 1/60th sec. Find out what f-stop gives you the water exposure you like (this properly exposes the 'ambient' light). If you run out of f-stop, say f2.3, and your water is still too dark you have to slow your shutter speed down, ie.1/20th sec. If you run out of f-stop, say f8, and your water is still too bright then you have to shorten your shutter speed, ie. 1/160th sec.
Once you've found your optimum 'ambient' light setting manually adj. your flash level to expose your foreground subject.
Set the exposure for 1/60th sec. Find out what f-stop gives you the water exposure you like (this properly exposes the 'ambient' light). If you run out of f-stop, say f2.3, and your water is still too dark you have to slow your shutter speed down, ie.1/20th sec. If you run out of f-stop, say f8, and your water is still too bright then you have to shorten your shutter speed, ie. 1/160th sec.
Once you've found your optimum 'ambient' light setting manually adj. your flash level to expose your foreground subject.
I'll chime in since I do use the Canon A series cameras 
Use your shutter speed, not your aperture, to control the blue of your background. The higher your shutter (1/500 is faster than 1/100, for instance), the darker blue your water will be. I have found that 1/160 in relatively blue water is not a bad place to start with the Canon A series and apertures of about f 4.5 or smaller (5.6, 6.3, 7.1, 8). You will need to experiment in the water you are in to dial in what works for you.
Your flash - either internal or external - will light your subject. It's easier with an external strobe, but it's totally possible with your internal. You just have to spend a little time practicing to get the balance right and figure out your framing.
Also note, with the Canon A series, I often find it is necessary to drop the flash intensity down by one click for getting close to things underwater. If you are trying to shoot from a tad bit further away, then click the flash back up - but don't forget to drop it down again or you may find you are blowing your subject out.
I'm sorry I don't have any examples to post, but they are on the other hard drive and I'm too lazy to dig it out of the closet
Use your shutter speed, not your aperture, to control the blue of your background. The higher your shutter (1/500 is faster than 1/100, for instance), the darker blue your water will be. I have found that 1/160 in relatively blue water is not a bad place to start with the Canon A series and apertures of about f 4.5 or smaller (5.6, 6.3, 7.1, 8). You will need to experiment in the water you are in to dial in what works for you.
Your flash - either internal or external - will light your subject. It's easier with an external strobe, but it's totally possible with your internal. You just have to spend a little time practicing to get the balance right and figure out your framing.
Also note, with the Canon A series, I often find it is necessary to drop the flash intensity down by one click for getting close to things underwater. If you are trying to shoot from a tad bit further away, then click the flash back up - but don't forget to drop it down again or you may find you are blowing your subject out.
I'm sorry I don't have any examples to post, but they are on the other hard drive and I'm too lazy to dig it out of the closet
IMO the color adjust, tone/tint/saturation is one toy that is being used too much. While the thread photo is a nice shot it has been overly saturated. I'm not saying that it has to be natural to be great, but a lot of nice shots seem to be overly manipulated just because they can ??
Reminds me of the old "posterization" of color slides for surreal effects.
Reminds me of the old "posterization" of color slides for surreal effects.
Backscatter::Jim
Registered
Here's a picture I took in Bonaire with a Powershot 570. This was with a Inon 105AD lens and D2000 strobe. ISO 100, 1/60th, F8, on an early morning 2 tank boat dive.
Normally I jump in with ISO 100 F8 1/125 for tropical water conditions, except that in Bonaire in the early morning this will greatly depend on which way you are pointing the camera due to the sun angle and that the reef slopes to the west. Later in the day you'll need to use faster shutter speeds. And if you want to shoot sunballs, you'll really need to speed up that shutter.
If you leave your aperture set at a constant value (i.e. F8), then the strobe controls the foreground exposure and the shutter speed will control the background exposure. Using this technique will allow you to dial in your strobe exposure first, then concentrate on dialing in the background color you want. The only difference in the camera settings is that one photo used a faster shutter speed and the other was slower. Aperture and strobe output are unchanged.
Although I usually shoot an SLR, the exposure technique is exactly the same with a compact.
Hope this helps you in your upcoming trip!
Jim
Normally I jump in with ISO 100 F8 1/125 for tropical water conditions, except that in Bonaire in the early morning this will greatly depend on which way you are pointing the camera due to the sun angle and that the reef slopes to the west. Later in the day you'll need to use faster shutter speeds. And if you want to shoot sunballs, you'll really need to speed up that shutter.
If you leave your aperture set at a constant value (i.e. F8), then the strobe controls the foreground exposure and the shutter speed will control the background exposure. Using this technique will allow you to dial in your strobe exposure first, then concentrate on dialing in the background color you want. The only difference in the camera settings is that one photo used a faster shutter speed and the other was slower. Aperture and strobe output are unchanged.
Although I usually shoot an SLR, the exposure technique is exactly the same with a compact.
Hope this helps you in your upcoming trip!
Jim
RonFrank
Contributor
Yeah, I had my aperture/shutter backwards. Most use shutter to control the background. This is because the shutter setting does effectively nothing when shooing flash, but the aperture will. Why? Because the flash duration is generally faster than any shutter setting one would use UW.
However don't think that aperture will not impact the background. In most PnS camera's this is not possible because the aperture settings are so limited. However try and get that nice blue background shooting at F22.. it will likely be black.
Aperture can impact your background as well as foreground exposure using a flash. It generally does not if shooing with PnS camera's or at larger apertures.
However don't think that aperture will not impact the background. In most PnS camera's this is not possible because the aperture settings are so limited. However try and get that nice blue background shooting at F22.. it will likely be black.
Aperture can impact your background as well as foreground exposure using a flash. It generally does not if shooing with PnS camera's or at larger apertures.
jkling17
Registered
Inon has wet mount wide angle lenses that allow for amazing things. I've got the AD-105 and I'm very pleased with it. They are no longer available here through standard distribution so there's only so much inventory left in the USA. But you can easily get them all via eBay. Just order with extra time to spare - as they will likely have to come straight from Asia.
The great Blue background has a lot more to do with using ISO 50 (or 80 or 100 - whatever is the best available) and proper white balance technique. But the foreground colors ... yeah - that's the flash - at least in this shot.
The great Blue background has a lot more to do with using ISO 50 (or 80 or 100 - whatever is the best available) and proper white balance technique. But the foreground colors ... yeah - that's the flash - at least in this shot.
Similar threads
