Underwater Photography

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Gopro Hero 3+ with dive case and red filter. SeaLife SeaDragon double 1200, 2400 lumen video lights. Feels heavy on land, weightless underwater. I also have extension arms for the SeaDragon to have the lighting come from above. Might try using them tomorrow to see if I can get more of a 3D effect.

I use a 2kg weight belt, dive down to the bottom then swim up to the subject. The lights have a tendency to scare the fish, but I can usually get them used to the light when I use scuba and can go much slower than when I snorkel.

I think you are underselling your SeaDragons. They are 2000 lumens each so you dive with 4000, not 2400

They look pretty good units, 2000 lumens, 5700k, 100 degrees beam & $399 each.

I was looking at a video light when I bought my housing, but in that price range in the local stored, the colour temp was always way out. As I would want it to complement my dive strobe, I want the video lights to match and be 5700k. Ikelite makes a similar unit, but more expensive, similar power but only 65 degrees beam. So I did not bother. If they were selling SeaDragons I suspect I might have bought a unit

The SD 2100 dual beam looks perfect as it looks like it can double as a video light and a focus light

Sea Dragon 2100 Photo/Video/Dive Light | Sealife Cameras

[Kenomac]

You're correct about the Seadragons, 2000 lumens each 4000 total.

I purchased mine at Cameta.com (Cameta camera). Buy lots of light, it doesn't go very far down there, get 10 times as much as you'd normally use above water.

Lighting makes a huge difference. Without the light, "The Blob" looked like a beige rock.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Beautiful photo! I have played around with those shots with little real success.

I suspect having a big dome port makes it a lot easier

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You're correct about the Seadragons, 2000 lumens each 4000 total.

I purchased mine at Cameta.com (Cameta camera). Buy lots of light, it doesn't go very far down there, get 10 times as much as you'd normally use above water.

Lighting makes a huge difference. Without the light, "The Blob" looked like a beige rock.

Why the red filter? I though they were only needed to correct blue or green water which was only a natural light issue? I bought both filters for my gopro but never really tried them.

I keep meaning to add a gopro mount on my dive housing to see how it goes.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

It's alive!!! Taken today, 100 meters off the the bow.

That's cool!

I see a horse!

In the middle it looks like a sculpted (petroglyph or bas relief) horse in profile!

Or…a scorpion with stinger at upper left!

Seeing this, and not knowing it was a sponge, someone might suspect an ancient civilization carved it and was submerged (e.g. Atlantis).

Or…just maybe I have spent too much time around Horses and Scorpions in the last few years here in the American West.

It is a very nice and colorful sponge. Thanks for sharing the photos here.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

We saw this gaudy jelly fish near the surface on one of our dives a few days ago. I think it is a Cotylorhiza tuberculata, a type of "fried egg" jellyfish. Confusingly, similar photos on the internet label it a Medusa Cassiopea.

Also confusingly, Wikipedia states it as being both "commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea and Adriatic Sea" and an "endangered species" .

It apparently doesn't have a vicious sting, but I wasn't about to check this out . The image was just darkened a little and cropped:

Following Steady's request, edited to add:
This was taken in the Sporades, NW Aegean Sea, Greece, 30th July 2015

Hi SWL!

Thanks for adding the location.

And that is a BEAUTIFUL Medusa!

I have always been fascinated by jellyfish and the many forms and sizes and WILD looking shapes and colors in which they can be found.

This one is really pretty (to me). Love those little round/dot darker shapes below. Very nice.

[Steadman Uhlich]

SWL.

You posted a nice and interesting photo of the Octopus's Garden.

I suspect the smart Octopus brings things those shells there in order to create an inviting spot for a fish to investigate for food or shelter. Then when the fish looks at the shells (or hole in the middle) as "shelter" from bigger fish….WHAM he is in for a big surprise when the hiding Octopus grabs the little fish!

And, that is where the term "sucker" came from (tentacle suckers). Of course, this is just my own yarn, but I think it rings true and will use it on any unsuspecting…suckers…er...lubbers.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Why the red filter? I though they were only needed to correct blue or green water which was only a natural light issue? I bought both filters for my gopro but never really tried them.

I keep meaning to add a gopro mount on my dive housing to see how it goes.

The red filter gets rid of the excessive green tones. Even more noticeable further down. Your eyes and brain color correct to some degree, but the camera just sees green and blue down there. Just leave the red filter on all the time, it can't hurt and seems to help most images.

[44'cruisingcat]

Some friendly batfish at the Low isles...





They're really quite friendly..

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The red filter gets rid of the excessive green tones. Even more noticeable further down. Your eyes and brain color correct to some degree, but the camera just sees green and blue down there. Just leave the red filter on all the time, it can't hurt and seems to help most images.

For my anchor shots I use my anchor as the "neutral grey" for the WB picker in Lightroom for my colour corrections. When not shooting anchors I'm screwed


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[44'cruisingcat]

Nemo:





These guys are really camera shy..

[daletournier]

Never get tired of seeing turtle's.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[44'cruisingcat]

Bait Reef, Maori wrasse:








Some fish

[44'cruisingcat]

The camera doesn't really capture the markings, which are much more vivid than this.

[Cormorant]

I still get a kick out the look on this puffer fish's face, sharing a hidey hole with a queen angel fish.

(Pic taken near Norman's Cay, Exumas, using a Pentax W80 point-and-shoot)