Tips, Tricks for beginners.

[shamre]

This thread is for advanced underwater cinematographers or advanced aspiring cinematographers
to offer tips and tricks for those of us just getting started taking video or pictures underwater. Personally myself most of my wreck pictures look like they were shot through blue jello. :-\

[freedivernd]

1st off, I'm not an "advanced underwater cinematographers or advanced aspiring cinematographers" but here's what I think would be a good start: get good photo editing software and learn how to use it.
Then you can correct all those things that lenses, lights, settings, and most anything else don't always fix underwater.
Fred

[DanL]

For still photography, GO DIGITAL!!!!
A great reference site:
I'm starting to really like digital U/W photography. Have some pics posted at
if you are interested in looking.
Dan

[LKunze]

I second going Digital. I really like it. I have a pretty low-end digital setup (2 yr. old Sony Cybershot 3.2mp camera w/housing) but PhotoShop really does wonders. I'm a novice but I did take a Photography Specialty with a really good photographer a couple years ago and picked up some good tips. Mostly I've learned through trial and error. For instance one thing I noticed is that shooting into the light or aiming up with digital doesn't work as well as it does with a film camera. At least for me anyway. I have better luck aiming slightly down. The huge advantage with digital is being able to see the picture before you shoot it viewing it on the LCD display. If there is some particulate in the water or the lighting or focus aren't quite right you can move the camera around a little bit until you get it right and then snap the pic. I really like that feature. Another thing I learned is ALWAYS shoot your pics at the highest resolution possible. You can always make the pics smaller later with photo editing software. It makes a huge difference in overall picture quality shooting at the highest resolution as well as processing the picture with PhotoShop at the highest resolution. Typically what I do is shoot my pictures at the highest resolution and then I load them onto my PC. I'll save the originals in a separate folder and process a copy of it with PhotoShop doing color correction. Then I can shrink them down for web viewing or emailing to friends. By keeping the originals you can always go back and make changes to the pictures later. Here are some of my pics from the past couple years.

[shamre]

Did any of you take a class in underwater photography? If not how did you get your pictures to turn out so good? I took pictures of the madeira last year and they look like they were shot through a green filter, everything was green. And it was taken with a 5.0 megapixel digital camera with just flash on camera. Any recommendations for better pictures?

[jleech]

Take LOTS of pictures, they're free. Get photo editing software like Photoshop and learn to use it. The photo editing software can correct for a lot of water conditions. In Caribean diving, the visibility is usually very good, and you have lots of light. On the Maderia, there is often a lot of sediment in the water, and not much light. Unless you are doing closeups, the flash won't help to overcome that. Your pictures will be better if the subject is close. This is especially true in low light.

Jeff Leech

[shamre]

Is that how most of the guys get such great pics of the madeira- photoshop? ???

[LRRP02]

I recommend taking some classes and learn the talent of underwater photography I even recommend taking one of the dive trips that are photgraphy related like with Cathy Church or even hit some semnars with some of the good underwater photographers. Using photoshop to enhance your work to me is just a cop out. Doing this doesn't make you a photographer just a computer nerd. The thing is good photographers create great photgraphs within the camera by using natural and artifical light Start small work into it and get published then you will be where the great photographers and proud to call yourself a photographer. Not a photoshop want to be.

[tpscuba]

I am a videographer and U/W photographer and teach both. I agree some with LRRP02. I would recommend taking some classes. The Cathy Church out of Cayman is great and doing some of these shoot off like we went to in Bonaire last year was great cause you get to mingile with some of the greats they'll share ideas and it doesn't cost you any extras. Seminars are great but they do cost. I have done a lot of them and they are worth the money.
I studied with Wes Skiles out of Florida for video and it was great He does National Geo. Discovery Channel, 911 to name a few and it was worth the cost. We have a great deal on a Hi-8 systrm check out our web page and I'll even through in some training with it.
As for the remark on computers I have to disagree some. While videoing a Lions Main Jellyfish, in BC that was a night dive the Lions Main was 4 to 5 feet across the dome and about 35 feet long and it was rolling and dancing in the water I got it all on tapes up as close as 5 feet my buddy was doing stills (35mm) and got some great ones the best though had one of my video lights in it and with photoshop he removed the light itself, but the back lighting my light gave off also added to the great photograph. Having the lighting to illuminate what is need offen takes a second diver and it is a lot of fun working together to get the great photographs, but also takes a little cash for the equipment. So there is some need to do some correction out of the camera (in my studio that how we get rid of blemishes for clients, but our lighting and posing isn't affected)
The didgital like lonny & leech said is great as you can pratice pratice pratice and delete what isn't needed but also take notes. time of day lighting ie flash, natural, sunny, cloudy, camera angle etc. so when you look back on those good one you keep you know what you did to get it and the bad ones you'll know what to avoid.
My 2 cents GOOD LUCK