How to shoot under blues?
- Thread starter RDrink25
- Start date
Ian Eisenberg
Member
You dont. At least not exclusively.
You want to have a balance of light with the actinics just adding accent and a bit of glow to your corals. If you try to shoot under strictly blue you are just going to get a blown out blue mess. Camera sensors aren't made to deal with that end of the spectrum exclusively.
There are some of my pictures in my thread starting here.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...121-ians-jumping-feet-first-rsm-250-a-20.html
You want to have a balance of light with the actinics just adding accent and a bit of glow to your corals. If you try to shoot under strictly blue you are just going to get a blown out blue mess. Camera sensors aren't made to deal with that end of the spectrum exclusively.
There are some of my pictures in my thread starting here.
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...121-ians-jumping-feet-first-rsm-250-a-20.html
wscttwolfe
Active Member
Respectfully disagreeing with Ian here
Use a tripod, and absolutely shoot in RAW..
Then in post processing... you have to really push the yellow white balance WAY up. The following pictures were shot under 100% Deep Blue LED light
Here is straight out of the camera:
Here is after massive white balance adjustment. This is what it looks like in real life too..
Use a tripod, and absolutely shoot in RAW..
Then in post processing... you have to really push the yellow white balance WAY up. The following pictures were shot under 100% Deep Blue LED light
Here is straight out of the camera:
Here is after massive white balance adjustment. This is what it looks like in real life too..
Ian Eisenberg
Member
No question you should shoot on a tripod, i just hate the all blue look. Corals have some really subtle coloration and I prefer that to seeing something that looks like it has been spray painted for a funhouse.
I used a grey target in different sections of my tank to have wb reference.
I have too many devices with Tapatalk!
I used a grey target in different sections of my tank to have wb reference.
I have too many devices with Tapatalk!
wscttwolfe
Active Member
yup, totally agree. no matter what you do its probably going to look harsh. i'm interested in the planted WB targets.... homemade or purchased? what material? just 18% grey plastic?
Ian Eisenberg
Member
I used my pro targets wrapped in ziplock bags. I shot at different locations and depths and i keep them online in Capture One to sample from.
I will need to do it all over again for my new tank. I also did targets for new bulbs, six months and also one year.
There is a Baer paint that is exactly the right 18% but i pit of the country right mow and i don't have access to my computer.
I will need to do it all over again for my new tank. I also did targets for new bulbs, six months and also one year.
There is a Baer paint that is exactly the right 18% but i pit of the country right mow and i don't have access to my computer.
marcgrantphoto
Member
I agree with you too on hating the all blue look. It's not natural. The only reason they appear blue in real life is because the blue light is the last to be filtered out by water depth. Could you imagine ordering a book called Coral Reefs of the World and every photo in it was blue? Bummer!
marcgrantphoto
Member
Respectfully disagreeing with Ian here
Use a tripod, and absolutely shoot in RAW..
Then in post processing... you have to really push the yellow white balance WAY up. The following pictures were shot under 100% Deep Blue LED light
Here is straight out of the camera:
Here is after massive white balance adjustment. This is what it looks like in real life too..
What kind of coral is this?
marcgrantphoto
Member
Thanks Mayja. I wanted to do some research because I didn't think it was as blue as what is shown in the photo that has had the "massive white balance" adjustment. If that were true that the shot showed it's natural color then that would mean the substrate was a highly saturated blue color and not very likely. I stand behind Ian's explanation.
Personally, I don't find anything attractive about an all blue photo. There is a time to shoot that type of shot, for example if you wanted to show what a real reef looks like at depth with no introduced lighting, but to show the true beauty of the corals, it doesn't work. You may not be able to remove enough blue light with WB adjustments but you can certainly get it a lot closer and then tweak it in Photoshop. When shot with no regards to WB, it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove enough blue light to show the coral in it's natural beautiful colors.
This is my opinion for what it's worth.
Ricordia in nature:
Personally, I don't find anything attractive about an all blue photo. There is a time to shoot that type of shot, for example if you wanted to show what a real reef looks like at depth with no introduced lighting, but to show the true beauty of the corals, it doesn't work. You may not be able to remove enough blue light with WB adjustments but you can certainly get it a lot closer and then tweak it in Photoshop. When shot with no regards to WB, it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove enough blue light to show the coral in it's natural beautiful colors.
This is my opinion for what it's worth.
Ricordia in nature:
lbiminiblue
Well-Known Member
not that it deals with the camera shooting or anything, i don't know much about that, but keep in mind that ricordea has a dive lamp shining on it and is most likely hidden away in a rock/ crevice so they do look much dimmer in waters 25+ feet deep, in my experience.This is my opinion for what it's worth.
Ricordia in nature:
marcgrantphoto
Member
Very true lbiminiblue. And that dive light is showing the true color of the coral. I'm guessing you're a diver too.
lbiminiblue
Well-Known Member
yep. I've posted a few videos, they should be under recently started threads.Very true lbiminiblue. And that dive light is showing the true color of the coral. I'm guessing you're a diver too.