Backscatter

[dogenia]

Anybody have any tips on how to avoid backscatter using the dc600 with two Pro flashes?

Whatever I try it seems to be a recurring problem when you do the nice and wide shots.

Don

 

[SeaLife Bjorn]

Hi Don,

I can see from your picture samples that both flashes are aimed at the center of the image frame. Aim the flash heads to upper, outter edge of the image frame - The left-hand flash should be aimed at the upper, left corner and the right hand flash at the upper right corner. You will still fully illuminate the subject but greatly reduce the backscatter .

Please post an update and let us know how this tip works out for you.

Bjorn

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Thanks, Bjorn. I was going to ask that question, myself.

Any tips when using a single flash with distance shots? I seem to get the "blues"

 

[alcina]

**MOD NOTE**
I've moved this from our new SeaLife dedicated area to the Tips & Techniques area in the main UW Photo forum as backscatter is a very common problem and the solutions aren't limited by manufacturer - everyone can benefit from the so far great advice!

 

[alcina]

Thanks, Bjorn. I was going to ask that question, myself.

Any tips when using a single flash with distance shots? I seem to get the "blues"

You're probably too far away and the light from your strobe simply isn't reaching your subject. Sometimes you can move your strobes forward of your camera so the light source is closer to the subject than your camera is, but you need to double check to make sure the strobes aren't in your shot

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

**MOD NOTE**
I've moved this from our new SeaLife dedicated area to the Tips & Techniques area in the main UW Photo forum as backscatter is a very common problem and the solutions aren't limited by manufacturer - everyone can benefit from the so far great advice!

It might well be, BUT all these questions have been specific to SeaLife cameras... and asked of SeaLife reps... and... specific to the SeaLife DC600 camera...

 

[herman]

Don, my suggestion would be to just turn the strobe off for this type shot. In the above examples, with the exception of the cromas, everything is pretty much out of strobe range anyway. Even the best of strobes are good to maybe 10 ft if your lucky, anything past that is not going to get lit reguardless of the strobe. Back scatter is going to happen with wide shots like this unless the water is free of floating particals. You can reduce it with careful stobe placement but your not going to eliminate it totally...that's what Photoshop is for. Get your strobes as wide apart as possible and shoot inward. Straight out strobe placement should be avoided.

 

[livewire]

I concur with Bjorn's tip, and would like to add that longer strobe arms can also help. Don't know what options there are necessarily with the DC600, since the strobe arm they ship is usually a fixed length, but if you can figure this out somehow, I think it will help reduce your backscatter.

 

[SFLDiver3445]

Don, here's an example of the great advice everyone's been giving you. This picture shows how I've got my strobe arms stretched out wide and how I've pointed each individual strobe away from the subject. With this approach, even in poor visibility, I can make the area of water between the lens and the subject look clear, because I'm lighting the subject with the inside edge of each strobe's light cone and not lighting up any of the particles between the lens and the subject.

 

[SFLDiver3445]

Don, here's an example of the great advice everyone's been giving you. This picture shows how I've got my strobe arms stretched out wide and how I've pointed each individual strobe away from the subject. With this approach, even in poor visibility, I can make the area of water between the lens and the subject look clear, because I'm lighting the subject with the inside edge of each strobes light cone and not lighting up any of the particles between the lens and the subject.

And btw, that picture was taken a couple of weeks ago by a buddy of mine who was using an SLR and only ambient light and no strobes. That adds other challenges to the photography process, but it still serves as a good example for the purposes of this conversation. The visibility on that day was only about 30 to 40 feet, but yet, see how clear it looks - That's because he did not light the particles in the water between me and his lens.