Guidelines for at-home learning on capturing stunning underwater photography
In the world of underwater photography, there's always room for improvement. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginner, the Underwater Photography Guide offers a wealth of artisinally crafted techniques, tips, and tutorials to help you capture stunning images.
Removing Backscatter from Underwater Photos
One common challenge in underwater photography is dealing with backscatter, those pesky particles that can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. Mike Bartick and Jenna Szerlag, both experts in the field, explain their top techniques and settings for removing backscatter using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
In Lightroom, you can start by using the Spot Removal Tool (Healing/Clone) to target visible backscatter particles manually. Then, apply Selective Brush Adjustments to reduce highlights and clarity in areas with dense backscatter, softening their appearance without affecting the whole image. Employing Noise Reduction selectively on smoother areas like water and backgrounds can also help reduce grain that worsens backscatter visibility.
Moving on to Photoshop, more advanced cleaning is possible with the Frequency Separation technique, which separates texture from color/tone, allowing cleaning of backscatter spots in the texture layer without damaging fine details. Using the Healing Brush and Clone Stamp tools carefully to erase or paint over backscatter spots, and applying advanced masking to isolate clean parts of the photo and work specifically on areas of backscatter, are other techniques that can be employed.
For those seeking an efficient and precise solution, specialized software/plugins like the RC-Astro Backscatter Eliminator can automate backscatter removal with AI-driven precision, preserving the natural appearance better than generic healing tools.
Capturing Ambient Underwater Photos
Jason Washington, an ambient underwater photo pro, shares some of his best techniques for taking stunning ambient light underwater photos. Mastering these techniques can help you capture the most natural and breathtaking underwater scenes.
The Underwater Photography Guide: Your One-Stop Resource
With tutorials on preparing photos for print, wide angle photography in low light conditions, shifting your mindset to significantly improve underwater photography, capturing nice underwater bokeh, and top settings for the GoPro Hero 7 and 8 for underwater photography, the Underwater Photography Guide is your one-stop resource for all things underwater photography.
Editor Bryan Chu also provides time-saving tips for managing photos using Adobe Lightroom, and understanding color profiles and color space will help you learn to better manage your colors and get the results you need for online or print publication.
For the full list of tutorials, check out the tutorials section on the Underwater Photography Guide website. With over ten years of experience in providing the best techniques, tips, and tutorials on underwater photography, the Underwater Photography Guide is the perfect resource for photographers of all levels.
[1] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Removing Backscatter from Underwater Photos Using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/backscatter-removal
[2] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Top GoPro Hero 7 and 8 Underwater Settings. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/gopro-settings
[3] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Ambient Photography: An Artist's Pursuit for the Most Natural Underwater Photography. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/ambient-photography
[4] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Wide angle photography can be particularly tricky in low light situations or with limited visibility. Underwater Photography Guide Editor-in-Chief, Nirupam Nigam, goes over some of the best techniques for taking wide angle photos in this particular situation. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/wide-angle-low-light
[5] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). How shifting your mindset can significantly improve your underwater photography. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/mindset-improvement
[6] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Underwater Strobe Positioning. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/strobe-positioning
[7] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Capturing Nice Underwater Bokeh. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/underwater-bokeh
[8] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Converting Images to Black and White in Photoshop, Lightroom, and Silver Efex Pro. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/black-and-white-conversion
[9] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Lightroom's Custom White Balance Tool is Great for Editing RAW Files to Get Accurate White Balance in the Finished Product. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/custom-white-balance
[10] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Editor Bryan Chu has a Lightroom tutorial on time-saving tips for managing photos. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/lightroom-tips
[11] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Adobe Lightroom Classic is often preferred over Lightroom CC for underwater photography. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/lightroom-classic
[12] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). There are secret tips about how to cull your photos from the Underwater Photography Guide. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/photo-culling
[13] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). The Underwater Photography Guide has a wide range of tutorials beyond post-processing and camera settings. For the full list, check out the tutorials section. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/tutorials
[14] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). There is an article about underwater strobe techniques in different underwater photography situations. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/strobe-techniques
[15] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). There is a tutorial on preparing photos for print. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/print-preparation
[16] Underwater Photography Guide (2021). Now is a great time to learn how to get rid of backscatter from underwater photography using a computer. Retrieved from www.uwphotographyguide.com/backscatter-removal
- One common challenge in underwater photography is dealing with backscatter, which can ruin an image.
- Mike Bartick and Jenna Szerlag provide techniques for removing backscatter using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
- In Lightroom, the Spot Removal Tool can be used to target visible backscatter particles manually.
- Brush Adjustments should be applied to reduce highlights and clarity in areas with dense backscatter.
- Noise Reduction can be applied selectively on smoother areas to help reduce grain that worsens backscatter visibility.
- In Photoshop, the Frequency Separation technique can be used for more advanced cleaning of backscatter spots.
- Specialized software like the RC-Astro Backscatter Eliminator can automate backscatter removal with AI-driven precision.
- Jason Washington shares techniques for taking stunning ambient light underwater photos.
- The Underwater Photography Guide offers a wealth of artisinally crafted techniques, tips, and tutorials for underwater photography. It serves as a one-stop resource for all levels of photographers, featuring tutorials on topics such as preparing photos for print, wide angle photography in low light conditions, capturing nice underwater bokeh, and top settings for the GoPro Hero 7 and 8 for underwater photography. Additionally, the Guide provides time-saving tips for managing photos using Adobe Lightroom, and tutorials on topics such as underwater strobe positioning and converting images to black and white in Photoshop, Lightroom, and Silver Efex Pro. Other tutorials cover topics like custom white balance, photo culling, and printing preparations. The Guide also has articles about underwater strobe techniques and secret tips about how to cull your photos effectively. Overall, it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in underwater photography.
