Which One Is The Correct One ???

[Erik Il Rosso]

Apart from the fact that I am still learning on how to take UW pics with my Canon S70 I am following these simple rules:

1) Get as close as possible to the subject...
3) If you can use natural light, it will reduce the possibility of backscatter...

Now let's take a look at my 2 pics...

In the first one I used the built in strobe, in the second one I used natural light, which is correct one ???

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[Mike Veitch]

I would say neither....

Looks like you are using a red filter or manual white balance on the first shot, as well as using the flash. THat is why you have such a red photo.

The second photo, manual white balance?

What you want to do is use the Manual white balance on wide angle photos and put the WB back to auto for close up shots when you are using the built in flash.

Using the flash and WB in conjunction tends to over ride one another.

Great find on the scorpion fish!

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

Both pics were taken using automatic white balance...

Once topside the first one was adjusted using the "Eyedropper" and clicking on a white spot the second pic was left untouched...

One thing I still do not understand is, if I use the strobe in macro mode should the image be furtherly adjusted with the "Eyedropper" in order to restore the natural colours ???

If I am not wrong I should leave my macro pics as they are if I use the strobe because I am restoring the "Red" that tends to fade away as I go deeper but I am not sure at all...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[Mike Veitch]

No problem with touching up the WB on the photo in post, but what you need to do is click around a couple of places with the eyedropper. Sometimes it just doesn't get it right if you click on a white spot, your first shot is a good example as it has introduced too much red. Try again with the eyedropper and click on a couple of different places.

When shooting macro with the flash you shouldn't need to do too much WB adjustment. The other thing you can do is set the WB to flash for shots taken with strobe illumination (that is what i usually do) gives a better colour straight out of the camera

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

Thanks for comments, those pics were taken when I was using my S70 for the first time...

The more I shoot and the more I use Zoombrowser (for touching WB) I think thet things are improving (a little) but I am not at all satisfied...

You know, some of my pics look great and when I show them to other people they say "Wow" but I know that sometimes I got a nice shoot by pure luck...

This is what I do not like, luck, I am not sure about my technique and I think that digital photography is helping me a lot, if I were using film instead of digital maybe I would not get a single pic right...

Maybe it is time for a photo workshop before I get too many bad habits that in the future would be difficult to correct, more or less like when you start lo learn how to fin...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[dbh]

IMHO, adding an external strobe is the single thing that you can do that will have the most effect on your photos.


Dave

 

[alcina]

I think the second shot has more potential, but I'd like to see the first one BEFORE you clicked away in photoshop/software.

You should be able to get your photos pretty darned close underwater, even with an onboard flash only, so your post-processing can be minimal. For that scorpionfish, I would have taken at least one shot with the flash.

On the eyedropper thing...so far I've found that a white spot in a photo is the worst place to click as you get that extreme red thing happening. Try finding a nice shadow or something a bit more grey. That seems to work much better for me. I also use the slider bars for temperature etc once I am close with the eyedropper for more control.

Adding light - whether with your camera's flash or with an external strobe - is the very best way to get great colours and vivid photos. Changing the white balance in software after shooting with no extra light will help, but will still lack the impact of a shot done with extra light.

On the S70, I think it has RAW? I would definitely use it. It will give you an incredible amount of control to tweak your image after you get back on land.

I'm not a big Photoshopper, so my theory so far is to get as close as I can underwater to the right exposures! And then in PS, less is more wherever possible. YMMV

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

Alcina, I will post the untouched first pic later, I am currently at work...

Apart from that I learned that sometimes clicking on a white spot adds too much red so in the end it a matter of trial and error, it takes two or three tries before getting the right colours...

I also have to admit that I would prefer to leave my pics "As I took Them" without having to deal with further digital post processing but I think that the only thing I can do is to buy a strobe and a focus light...

I was thinking about the SunPak, strange thing about this strobe is it that I can buy it in the USA for about 180 USD (150 Euro) while in Italy it costs about 300 Euro...

Do you think it could be the right strobe for my S70 ???

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

P.S. All my pics are taken in RAW mode...

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

I'd like to see the first one BEFORE you clicked away in photoshop/software.

Here's the pic before WB adjustment...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso