JasonBoone

Holy Wolf Eel that is amazing. Almost looks like a Jim Henson creation.

Oh and by the way, here is a pic of my setup if you were wondering. It's a Canon T2i in an Ikelite housing with an 8" dome port. I am using a Tokina 10-16mm lens with a redfilter. You can also see my nifty tripod setup, which I did not use at all while shooting the Duane.

I had my second dive on the Duane in Key Largo last month, and success! My focus was pretty sharp. I used the red filter once again, and I must say that the red color in my mid tones, especially in the blue water and on the edges is really bothering me. I am going to experiment without the red filter on this wreck next time and see what kind of results I get. I did once again white balance on a large dive slate. I will also experiment with balancing on the hand and sand. My hand is pretty small though, and I can't see filling the entire screen with my hand. So... instead of posting more screen shots from my second dive, I figured I would post the video! This is a rough cut and I would really love to hear all opinions and suggestions on how to make it better. To put this in context, let me first explain that I am a grad student and I am creating a video travel guide website for scuba spots in Key Largo, and this is one of the short-form documentary videos that I just finished and will be included in my travel guide. I am interested to hear if my colors are acceptable for the underwater footage. I also would like to hear how you liked the video as a whole. If it provided useful information, if it inspires you to dive this spot, etc. Also, is there any information missing that you would like me to include? Please give me feedback!! The USCG Duane https://vimeo.com/57187154 password: dive The video is password protected, and the password is dive. - Jason

Wow thanks for all of the info Nick. It is REALLY helpful. That Underwater Realm color grade was extremely cool. I especially loved how they made the light rays pop in the background. Way cool. And its good to hear that I am in the ballpark with my colors. I assumed that if this footage was properly in focus that I could've salvaged it with a color grade. Anyways, I've concluded that I just need more time underwater with my new camera setup to get experience and practice. On the next dive I am going to try some experimentation with white balancing on the sun. It looked to provide good results from your tests. I am a little curious if this will be possible at 100ft with low visibility. Thanks again Nick. And by the way, I love Bubble Vision! Big fan.

OK! So......epic fail for me last month. Haha. I even had two dives on the Duane, and I blew it! I used the red filter that is recommended to only 70ft, and white balanced on a large white card at 100ft, which is where most of the shooting took place. The only problem was...my focus was off the entire time! Oops. My eyes are so bad that I didn't even notice on my tiny LCD screen. Take a look at some screen shots from both dives: Nevertheless, I still have some questions. I notice on almost all of my video that I occasionally get red fringing around the edges. Usually on the top edges of the screen. It is like red vignetting. The second photo that I posted above is REALLY bad in the upper left hand corner. Any way to avoid this aside from totally ditching the red filter? I get this even in shallower waters, such as the 30-40ft range. I am also not very happy with the lack of blues in the water. I want my blues to POP! So to conclude, do my colors even look accurate? Am I at least in the ballpark and (if the footage was in focus) would I be able to salvage this footage with some color correction? I think that the colors are accurate, I just need to figure out the issue with the red fringing and the lack of blues. Any and all suggestions/advice are welcome. I am heading back to the Duane next week, and I am going to get some nice footage, come hell or high Key Largo water. Should I use the same red filter setup with a white balance at 100ft? But only this time get the focus correct....haha Thanks for any help guys and gals.

Wow thanks for all of the great info guys. Looks like I will go with the filter and start saving for some lights! I am diving the Duane (100ft) this Monday, so I will for sure post some screen grabs from the video so you can take a look. I am also diving the Benwood, which is a WWII wreck sitting in about 25ft - 45ft of water, and I am sure the red filter will rock and roll on that dive. I am really excited! Thanks again. - Jason

Oh ok I know exactly what you're talking about. Wow that would be convenient. I will look into that. By the way, love your work! That shot of the four whalesharks in Cendrawasih Bay was amazing! Looks like that dive was a crazy fun time.

Ok cool. Yeah I understand that you can't really light for a wide shot of a huge wreck, but I was just worried that having the red filter on there might make it worse. Looks like I am going to keep the red on there and shoot away. If I remember I will post some screen grabs or maybe even a clip. Thanks again guys. - Jason

No it doesn't have a flip. What exactly IS a flip? Mine is just a thread mounted filter, fixed to the lens. Again, here is the one I am using. Yeah I plan on just getting wide establishing shots, and I will most likely steer clear of any close ups. Stinks because I've heard that the Duane is covered in beautiful, colorful coral. But just curious, what will it look like if I get super close with just a red filter and no lights? I know that without the red filter and no lights that it will be cyan. So what is cyan plus a little red? hmm I don't know... I guess I could look into light rentals, if they are in my price range.

So I am guessing the best bet would be for me to just keep the red filter on there? And save money for some lights...

So I need some advice here. Not really sure what to do. I am shooting video of a ship wreck next week (The Duane in Key Largo). Most of the shooting will take place at around 100ft. Here is my underwater video setup: - Canon T2i - Ikelite housing - 8 inch dome - Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 - Equinox Red Filter Now for my question. If you take a look at the red filter that I am using, in the description on B&H it states that it will work in "up to 70ft of water." So what happens to your colors after you pass 70ft? I am not using a light, so I am wondering if I should just shoot the Duane without this red filter and without a light. I mean, what are my options? And what is the smartest way to go? I've been shooting on the shallow reefs of Key Largo, and I must say the red filter (with no lights) does do the job well, giving me nice color. I just don't have any experience shooting in the depths below 70ft. And I really want to know why this filter says it's only good for 70ft... Thanks for any help. - Jason

Hello! My name is Jason, and I am from Florida's Space Coast. I have been in documentary video production for years, and recently I've taken on a project that has sent me underwater! I am currently in grad school, and for my final project I am working to create a scuba diver's travel guide to Key Largo. I am currently producing a bunch of short form documentaries profiling dive locations in the Key Largo area. These documentaries will go on a database driven website that will serve as a visually intense travel guide for scuba divers! If all goes good I would also like to create a mobile app version of the site. Anyways, enough blabber about that. If you would like to know more about the project and how it is going, check out my blog! My primary underwater rig is a Canon T2i with an Ikelite housing. I am using a Tokina 11-16mm 2.8, and I would eventually like to get into some macro down the line. I hope to be all finished with my Key Largo travel guide near the end of 2013. And if all goes well, I would like to expand my travel guide to cover all of the Florida Keys! I joined WetPixel because I am entirely new to the underwater videography game, and would like to soak up the knowledge from the experts, both photographers and videographers! Nice to meet you all. - Jason Boone