Improving my underwater video techniques

I have been shooting underwater video for 3 years, after 25 years of underwater photography. I have had some good results and published 2 DVDs, one of which has sold about 500 copies (good story line). But, I want to continue to improve my underwater video skills and am planning to change some of my technique. I thought that I would write down my "technique improving plan" to solidify my thoughts and to get expert feedback from this forum.

Much of my video work is fine, building on some of the skills from still photography. I can generally manage exposure control and have reasonable skills at framing shots and planning a mixture of LS, MS, CU, CI, etc.

Some of the key technical issues that I have experienced include auto-focus hunting and color balance problems. I have been solving color balance in editing software but feel could do better using a MWB regime.

(I have also experienced some other issues like forgetting to change manual focus settings for a new subject distance and getting out-of-sync with the Start-Stop button. Doubt if I can fix these without major brain surgery... )

I intend to solve the auto-focus hunting problem by more diligently using the Momentary Auto-Focus feature of my L&M Bluefin HC3 housing. I will only use auto-focus when shooting brightly lit macro subjects or shooting pans and trucks (for example, drifting over coral beds) when the subject distance will change during the clip and only then if the water is quite clear. The Momentary Auto-Focus feature on the L&M is so simple and quick that, if I do not use it more often (every shot?), I am an idiot.

The color balance issue is more complex.

Background: The Sony HC3 can do a MWB in the L&M housing but its a bit fiddly (dial - press, dial - press, dial - press). You would not want to be doing it too often during a dive. Also, once in MWB, you can not easily get back to auto-white balance.

1. Following advice from an earlier thread in this forum, I have built a locline arm with a large 25x15cm white plastic slate that I can swing out about 30cm in front of the lens or stow under the battery pods. I plan to do a manual white balance (MWB) on this slate as described below.

2. I plan to insert the red UR filter for all video shot between 10 meters and 20 meters. I will MWB whenever I move the filter into or out-of the light path.

3. For most shallow, sunlit LS and MS reef or open water shots, (typically shallower than 8 to 10 meters), I will normally leave the HID lights off and the red filter out, doing a new MWB for major depth changes. If I do switch on the lights to bring out some color, I will NOT redo the MWB because the unfiltered sunlight and the HID lights should be similar in color temperature.

4. For most not-too-deep, bright LS and MS reef or open water shots, (typically between 10 and 20 meters), I will normally leave the HID lights off and the red filter in, doing a new MWB for major depth changes. If I do switch on the lights to bring out some color, I will flip out the red filter and redo the MWB based on the HID lights, because the effect of the HID lights combined with the red filter will be too red.

5. For most deeper, darker LS and MS reef or open water shots, (typically deeper than 20 meters), I will normally leave the HID lights on and the red filter out, doing a MWB as I pass the 20 meter depth and leaving it on that setting while below 20 meters. I will MWB off the slate with the HIDs pointed away so that they only partly illuminate the edges of the slate, allowing the ambient light to have some influence on the MWB.

6. For all daytime CU macro shots, I will turn on my HID lights, remove the red filter and do a MWB. I will switch to auto-focus.

7. For all night-time shots, I will turn on my HID lights, remove the red filter and use Auto-WB and Auto-Focus for the whole dive.

Obviously, this is only a guide. The depths where I change mode may vary depending on sunlight and water conditions.

I expect that, if I follow the above, the quality of the raw footage going into the editing process will improve.

The downside will be some loss of flexibility and more fiddling with controls. My previous mode of AF and AWB worked under good conditions. I could quickly move from a CU to a LS. I can envisage my new approach pushing me to doing groups of CU shots then groups of LS shots, with some very rapid adjustments required if I am shooting a nudibranch when a manta ray swims past.

How do others deal with this loss of flexibility or do you just live with it to be more certain of better footage?

Is there someway I can simplify my 7 points above to make it less confusing (and less-likely to make a mistake)?

Do others follow a similar set off guidelines? Or do you just make the decisions as you go along?

Should I write a short-hand version of the above on the back of the WB slate so I can look it up underwater?

All suggestions and comments gratefully received.

Regards

Peter

Hey Peter-

All of the things that you mentioned are very important to getting good quality results with your video camera but very few of them are not "fixable" in post-production. With, maybe, the exception of complete over exposure. It's my opinion, for what it's worth, that the way that you handle the camera once it is in the water is far more important (e.g. smooth pans, shake less still shots, and good planning and execution of your shots). When I first started I shot almost exclusively on auto (except focus), and got some killer stuff. And 99% of the viewing audience would never be able to tell the difference.

I also started out as a still photographer and something that took some getting used to is when something starts to happen underwater that you would like to capture, you have to turn yourself into a rock-steady, buoyancy control machine that cannot take time to make any major adjustments from the beginning of the sequence until the end.

For example: You see a tiger shark swimming towards you and you suspect that its going to come right at you, veer off one way or another, and then continue on its way. As a still photographer, you can shoot a couple of LS with the shark on the right and the reef on the left, a couple of LS with the shark on the left and the wreck on the right, then swim like hell, not worrying about how you are holding your camera, re compose and shoot a couple of MS, and then get some CU's as it swims by, all the while bracketing to insure good exposure. However, with video you sort of need to do about a thousand calculations in your head in about a second (sunlight, subject entrance, subject exit, composition, feel of the shot (shooting up/ shoot down), and then throw in unpredictable variables like animal behavior) and then completely commit yourself. And if your elbow happens to bump into a coral head as you are recomposing, the whole sequence is ruined.

Not that that has happened to me.

Think rocking the camera when swimming, use a tripod, act as a tripod, and if you are not using an external monitor, smash the viewfinder against your mask forcefully because it's easier to take the shake out of your whole body than it is to take it out of you hands.

Peter,

I good trick that I learned regarding focus is to follow the below process and the camera will work for most situations except close up's and you will have to re-adjust if you zoom.

1)Put the camera in auto mode and focus on something about 1m away, pick something with good colour def. I will always use my fin.

2) Zoom in 1/3 and switch the camera to manual focus

3) Wind the zoom back to full wide and check how close you can get to the subject without it going out of focus.

Works great for shooting big stuff when there is crap in the water, also for white balancing instead of using a slate which you have to hold with a third hand, I have painted one of my fins white and use that.

Also agree with steady camera work, nothing worse than making everyone feel seasick watching!

Think rocking the camera when swimming, use a tripod, act as a tripod, and if you are not using an external monitor, smash the viewfinder against your mask forcefully because it's easier to take the shake out of your whole body than it is to take it out of you hands.

Thanks for the suggestion. But steadiness is not an issue for me (except in the case of diving in a wild current or accidentally bumping something will panning, as you described).

I've been diving for 30 years and my buoyancy control is automatic. My two primary pastimes, in addition to diving are photography and pistol shooting. Believe me, I can do "steady" better than most.

Primarily I am currently seeking advice on technical mastery of the video capture process so I have better material coming into the editing process.

But, thanks for the response.

Regards

Peter

1)Put the camera in auto mode and focus on something about 1m away, pick something with good colour def. I will always use my fin.

2) Zoom in 1/3 and switch the camera to manual focus

3) Wind the zoom back to full wide and check how close you can get to the subject without it going out of focus.

 

... I have painted one of my fins white and use that.

Thanks for the suggestion.

What is the purpose of step 1? If the camera is in auto-focus, wont the lens focus distance change between step 1 and step 2?

If I understand correctly, step 3 is to check the depth of field so that you know the closest you can shoot and still be in focus. Do you find the viewfinder / monitor is suitably large enough to be able to assess the point where it starts to go out of focus?

What did you use to paint your fin? I use the soft black rubber Apollo Bio Fins and am wondering what kind of paint or tape will stay on, giving the underwater environment.

Regards

Peter

Hi Peter

There is lots that come into it as you are already aware, but I find important first is to...

Be at a stage of diving where you don't worry about anything except the subject you are shooting.

Get to know your subjects.

Know all your controls/features on your housing and how they work.

Know the limitaions in your NLE so you can at least get close to the picture you are after and know you can fix it up later. NLE's cannot fix up way out WB and Exposure shots. Try to get conection shots.

Practise...Practise.....

I think you will find it hard painting your apollo fins, being so soft I dont know what would stick. I use a long pair of omer fins which were easy to paint with a flexible epoxy spray paint. Important thing is that it doesn't all flake off in the ocean.

Regarding depth of field if you do the process on land and then you can get a really good look through the viewfinder and then just note the distance. To be honest I only ever use this for filming bigger stuff, schools etc. When you are a 1m from the subject I switch to auto, normally the auto focus won't hunt at this distance.

I'm sure there is a better way, I'm no pro......

Jon