How do light and color behave underwater?
Underwater light has characteristics that are quite different from the same light on land. On land, for instance, the color tones we perceive are the result of an interaction in one or more of the three primary colors.
Underwater, however, the deeper you go, the more most light frequencies are diffused so that at 5 meters, you have already lost most of the red spectrum, and at 40 meters, almost all the frequencies are diffused into the water, except for blue light. This is the reason why the seas appear blue when you look at the sky from underwater, only the blue light can penetrate that far.
Because of these adverse lighting conditions underwater, your camera automatic white balance capabilities may occasionally be overwhelmed, resulting with a significant loss of colors. Some cameras will deliver images that have a bluish tint and extremely vapid colors or they may lack blue color whatsoever despite being taken underwater. This abnormality can be dealt with by the following methods-
1. Underwater Flashes- Underwater flashes professionally improve the color in your underwater photographs. Since light and color are absorbed even in a depth of 1 meter, using an external flash is recommended in all depths, during daylight and night dives. In addition to retrieving the colors, underwater flashes also enhance images by producing creative light angles on your objects, assist in reducing the amount of backscatter in your images and prevent the shadowing effect caused by using the camera internal flash when accessory lenses are mounted on the housing. For further information regarding underwater strobes, please Click Here.
2. Red Filters- The best way to enhance your underwater photographs and videos is by using an external light source. However, since underwater strobes and video fill lights are more expensive, you might choose to use a Red Filter in order to enhance the color in your underwater images, especially when photographing in shallow water and when external light sources are not available. For further information regarding the use of lens accessories with your housing, please Click Here.
3. White Balance- When photographing underwater, especially in the absence of an external strobe or red filter, use manual white balance settings rather than automatic settings. The setting you select will depend upon the composition of your image, colors of your subject, distance of your subject, use of red filter or strobe and clarity of the water.
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