How to get half topside/half underwater shots?

[fairybasslet]

Looking at the winners in the Alicina wins Gold thread, I was wondering, how do you get those photos that are half in and half out of water? What do you focus on? The uw image or the topside one? Do you have do use manual focus? I've tried a few of them but they all suck.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Good question FB. I have tried a few but it's not easy and I'd like some tips too...

 

[parabolic]

I had the opportunity to do some experimenting with it when I shot an over/under cover in a pool for Dive Training Magazine a long time ago (May 1993). I got my best results by focusing on the underwater subject and using as small an aperture as I could to maximize depth of field:

 

[Peter_C]

I just snapped away, then when I uploaded them, I found out one came out decent, for a cloudy day Very light Rain-X polished onto the lense will help clear it of water quickly. The stuff is known for leaving a hazy film though. I have only used it when shooting wakeboarders from a tube, where splash is the issue (We also carry a plastic baggy with a dry cloth).

From same day, but taken at the end of our dive. You can see the water drops screwed up the clarity, even though the camera is completly out of the water.

 

[bladephotog]

You need a very wide angle lens, good viz, and the ability to balance out the topside and UW exposure. Sometimes this is done with a split neutral density filter, other times with strobes UW, or if the exposure is close you can balance using RAW and PS techniques. Here is one I shot last year. I kicked in a little fill light with my strobes UW but being overcast that day helped as well.

http://www.andymorrisonphotography.com/photogallery/Best of 2006/submerged.html

 

[Diver Dennis]

I guess having the strobes completely under the water would help.

 

[bladephotog]

I guess having the strobes completely under the water would help.

Yes, unless there is something above water you are trying to light as well.

 

[Cacia]

very cool shots.

I am happy to read this thread, I am shooting my daughter's school water polo team this month. The hardest part for me so far is getting the underwater exposure right.

I think cloudy day might make it easier?

 

[parabolic]

Peter C
I think that first over/under shot is outstanding. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of tweaking it just a little bit in PS to bring out some more detail in the bull kelp. Is this off of Carmel, by the way?

 

[bladephotog]

very cool shots.

I am happy to read this thread, I am shooting my daughter's school water polo team this month. The hardest part for me so far is getting the underwater exposure right.

I think cloudy day might make it easier?

It really depends on what your vision is. But big puffy clouds might be really cool. Being able to shoot RAW is a huge benefit to doing this kind of photo. You can convert two images, one toned for UW, the other for topside, and layer them in PS.