Intova Shooting Tips – Part 3 – Colour Loss

Courtesy of Intova  www.intova.net

Underwater photography is much different than land photography. Light and color loss, water clarity, currents and housing condensation are all elements that affect underwater photography. The large Dive Certification organizations have complete classes dedicated to Digital Underwater photography. Digital cameras are complex and need to be understood and set properly to obtain best results.

COLOR LOSS: Color Loss is tied to absorption. When water turns light into heat it absorbs the lowest energy levels first. This means that Reds, Oranges and Yellows are absorbed before Greens and Blues. This why many underwater photos appear greenish blue. It is important to remember that color loss is affected by total water distance light passes through. This means both depth from the surface AND distance between camera and subject. The greater the TOTAL distance, the greater color loss.

NEXT WEEK’S SHOOTING TIP: BLUE OR GREEN PHOTOS