Photo Editing

Ok, I'm going to try and learn this time. I just shot some pictures and I'd like to know how to make them the best they can be. Some have flash and some don't; I changed the settings in the fear of all of them getting marine snow. So far all I really know is to use autolevels and sometimes it works out and other times it doesn't. Here is one without autolevels and this one has autolevels . It doesn't always look better when I use autolevels though, sometimes it makes it worse. Any tips? Thanks

I’m no expert but I’ll try & offer some help. Your Autolevels doesn’t always work because the software looks at the entire picture, calls the lightest pixels white and the darkest pixels black, then it redistributes the ones in between proportionately. Try looking for a Gamma Correction option and adjust your exposure levels yourself using the slider. Be sure to save the file you are working on as something else so you don’t accidentally over-write the original.

Also, the snow comes from light bouncing off particles between you and your subject, to avoid it, adjust the angle of your to stobe.

I don't have a strobe, and other ideas? Thanks.

The "snow" is backscatter, and it is very difficult to avoid when using a single on-camera flash. The flash so near the lens causes light from particles in the water to be reflected directly back at the camera and lens. This is why most people who spend some time with underwater photography usually get an off-camera strobe to use as their principal light source.

On the subject of auto-levels, if you don't like the effect, try fading it. After you use auto-levels, go to the edit menu and select Fade Auto Levels. You can use the slider to give as much or little of the auto-levels effect as you like. Then you may wish to further adjust the contrast and brightness, color saturation and finally the sharpness to suit your needs. Given that you are probably shooting JPEG images, your adjustment range is a bit limited. That's why it's really key to get the best image possible at the outset.

You can get great shots with the on-camera flash, but choose your subjects and conditions carefully. Get close, to reduce the amount of water between lens and subject. And find the clearest water you can.

Good luck!