Taking video footage underwater is probably one of the hardest and most complicated things to do in videography. It doesn’t matter if you have a killer camera to boot. If you don’t have an inkling of idea about the accessories to bring and how to shoot, you will just end up with bad videos all the same.
Contrary to popular belief, however, you don’t need to be a professional or take lessons just to take decent underwater footages. Here, we’ll give you a crash course on how to get great videos using your handy action camera.
All about Accessories:
Lens
Unlike in other sports where accessories don’t really matter much, using the right extras can make a world of difference when you are filming underwater. When filming submerged, for example, it is recommended to use the standard or flat lens because it makes the pictures come out in livelier colors. Using a lens cover can also help since it makes the footage more in focus and sharper in resolution.
Filters
Take note that when you are underwater, the colors are more skewed and unbalanced than when you’re filming above ground. To correct this, you can use a red filter to balance out the green and blue bias in the color scheme. This will make the normal water color lighter and help the objects being filmed appear truer in hue. These extra filters are normally placed on the standard housing.
Housing
Though most action cameras already come with a waterproof feature, it is still wise to add an extra underwater housing just in case. Different action cameras can accommodate different depths like the GoPro whose housing can last up to 200 feet without leaking and Contour Roam 2 which is a whole lot tamer with its 3 feet maximum. Depending on how deep you are planning to go, go for a housing that can protect your camera from leaks and pressure.
Tips to Get Killer Underwater Videos:
• Bringing an artificial light source while filming underwater is not really recommended. Instead, make sure that the sun is behind you when taking footages unless you want to get silhouette shots.
• Use the manual focus for long and medium shots and use auto focus for close-ups.
• If your subject is a little too far from you, focus on it while using corals as foregrounds. This will make the colors of your subject livelier and stronger.
• Stay steady as much as possible. There is a term in filming underwater called “jogging” which is a result of too much camera movement due to the person swimming. Instead of doing this, try to float and stay still while you are recording.
With the help of these basic tips, you can now take underwater footages like a pro. So what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and try your luck in the waters. There’s a whole new world waiting for you to be filmed there.