Published: 01 Januar 2024
Super-Wide (10-15mm): Capture the vastness with a lens that lets you get up close and personal with the scene.
Macro: It’s all about the little things!
Aperture: Aim for f/2.8 or lower. In the dim underwater world, this is your ticket to clearer, brighter shots.
Mega Ume: More megapixels = more details. Crop to your liking for smaller creatures.
RAW: Choose a Camera that enables RAW functionality
ISO: A camera that keeps it cool (quality-wise) at high ISOs is your best buddy in the low-light depths.
“Diving into underwater photography on a budget, I’ve assembled a trusty, cost-effective kit. My Canon EOS R, paired with a versatile 15-35mm F2.8 lens, captures the wildlife in a lot of details. It’s encased in a durable Seafrog housing (max. 40m), which survived a scare at 20 meters deep without damage. For lighting, two Aliexpress underwater lights dispel the gloom, highlighting the colors and shadows of marine life. To counter the housing’s buoyancy, I added 0.5 kg of weight for slightly negative buoyancy, giving me the stability I need. This setup is my reliable gateway to the mesmerizing underwater world, proving great shots don’t have to drain your wallet.”
Pro Tipp: Put a Tampon in the housing & thank me later.
Editing underwater photos is crucial to bringing out the vivid details and colors often lost beneath the water’s surface. Here’s a streamlined guide to the most important steps in the editing process.
Color Correction: Underwater photos often come with a dominant blue or green tint. Adjusting the white balance is essential to restoring natural colors. Use the temperature and tint sliders in your editing software to add warmth and reduce the overpowering blues.
Contrast and Exposure: Water reduces light and contrast, making photos look flat. Increase the contrast to add depth and adjust the exposure to brighten up the image. Be careful not to overdo it and lose details in the highlights and shadows.
Sharpening and Clarity: Enhance the details in your underwater shots by slightly increasing the sharpening and clarity. This will make the textures and edges more defined, but avoid high amounts to prevent unnatural artifacts.
Noise Reduction: Higher ISOs are often necessary underwater, leading to noisy images. Apply noise reduction to smooth out the grain, especially in the darker areas. Balance is key to retain as much detail as possible.
Color Enhancements: Bring out specific colors using the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) panel. Enhance the reds and oranges that are often lost underwater. Be mindful of keeping the look natural and avoiding oversaturation.
Cropping and Composition: Crop to improve the composition and focus on the subject. Follow guidelines like the rule of thirds to create a balanced and engaging image.
Lens Corrections: Apply lens corrections to counteract any distortion or vignetting caused by your underwater housing or lens.
Final Touches: Add a vignette or slight gradient to focus on the subject, and make final exposure or color adjustments as needed.
