"In-Depth" Video

View sample underwater video shot by the author here.

So you say you have fallen in love with the water. Maybe you just got your first SCUBA certification, or your child has just learned how to swim. Hundreds of wonderful opportunities to document on video are floating around in your head. You have an expensive camera, but get it near the water, let alone near salt water and - yikes - your spouse will turn you into chum and feed you to the fishes. Never fear, all you need is the right equipment and few of my tips, and you will be off and ... err ... swimming.

Plain and simple, no matter how close you get to the water, whether you are by it, on it or in it, you have to protect your camera from the elements. One of the simplest ways is to bag it. If you are only going to be near splashing water, try using a plain old zip-lock-type bag. They now sell all sizes, even XX-large ones that will fit most cameras. Make sure to put the lock on the bottom. There may be times when you will need to reach in to get a tape or battery, and, if the opening is at the bottom, any water still on the plastic will just run off and not get into the camera.

Now, cut a small slit into the end of the bag. Stretch the plastic over the camcorder lens, being careful to not overstretch the hole. You want it very snug. You may also consider putting a small slit on the opposite side of the bag for your eyepiece. Depending on the extent of your splashing and the humidity of the air, this may be necessary to keep the condensation from building up in the bag. If you have a UV filter, put that on the front of the lens. This will protect your expensive lens on the camera should an unanticipated splash hit you, especially if it is salt water. Should any salt water get on your lens, never use a cloth to dry it. Wash it off immediately with fresh water first. Then blow dry. Look for any foggy residue. If there is any residue, wash it with fresh water or isopropyl alcohol again. Only after the lens is clear should you use a very soft cloth to wipe it. ANY sand or salt on the lens when rubbed will scratch it and ruin your lens or filter - permanently. Hopefully, it will be only your filter, which is cheap to replace. Because you did buy a filter, right?

If you're going to want to take your camera "on the water," there are several cheap options that you might try. Many of these were discussed in a previous Basic Training article (Videomaker, June 2007 www.videomaker.com/article/12980). One of these tricks that I have used is placing the camera in a small aquarium on the surface and then lowering the aquarium so that the lens is just below the surface, allowing you to see the action below the water line. Typically this is used in very calm surfaces, like a pool or lake, to prevent water from splashing over the side and sinking it. Some additional weight may be needed to get the tank below the surface. (See our Tips & Tricks vidcast on DIY underwater use here.)

Finally, if it is "in the water" you want to go, then only a complete enclosure or housing will do. A less-expensive enclosure is a super-duty zip-lock enclosure made by companies like EWA Marine (www.ewa-marine.com). This enclosure, which has a glass piece for the lens and viewfinder, works well just below the surface. At anything below 15 feet, the bag crushes in on the camera, and it becomes harder and harder to operate. It is lightweight and easy to handle. So if you are snorkeling, kayaking or swimming, this could be an option for you.

The next best type of housing to get is a plastic, penetrated housing. This type of housing is usually made of a clear plastic material, which, although tough, can still crack or scratch. A big advantage of the hard shell housing over the bag style is the lens. Unlike the bag, both the plastic and the metal housings (which we will discuss in a second) usually use optical-grade glass and, in some cases, actually are the lens you focus with. Many hard housings actually have the camera focus into macro and use the port/lens of the housing as the viewing field. This plastic, penetrated type of housing also controls the camera by a series of several small rods that actually enter through small holes in the side of the housing. These rods allow you to access all the features of the camera, because you can see and reach all the buttons, as well as spotting any water that might seep in before it can cause a problem. The disadvantage to this, however, is that each of these rods keeps water out by using a set of O-rings (small rubber gaskets). Although they have been proven to work well, you must maintain each and every one thoroughly after each use. Each hole is a possible leak point, and, as the saying goes, "Water in - camera out."

My favorite type of housing is the metal kind. Brands like Light & Motion (www.uwimaging.com) are manufactured from a solid piece of aluminum. In addition to the lens port, the housing usually has only one opening for inserting and removing your camera. The opening is controlled by exterior magnetic switches or electrical control units, which do not penetrate the housing. This in turn means that you have only one hole and one set of O-rings to maintain on a regular basis. You also have much safer protection for your camera should it take a hit or fall. Metal housings are much heavier than the plastic or bag enclosures, but underwater they become weightless and a joy to operate. Depending on your price range and experience, you may choose metal housing with controls from the simplest automatic to the fully-functional manual types. The choice is yours, but, whichever you choose, remember that most housings are built for a specific camera. They rarely allow you to change cameras and keep the same housing. So, if you are thinking about doing underwater video work, and you have not bought a camera yet, research the housing first. Find out what you like and can afford and then buy the camera to match. As with all my electronic equipment, I always buy the best that I can afford at the time I am looking. There will always be a newer/next-generation device. Waiting around for a good deal means buying old technology - if you're in the business, you know. Having the newest, at the very least, brings in the business just because of the buzz.

I might also add that, along with a good housing, the best kind of protection is the replacement kind. Problems do happen to the best of us; all it takes is one small leak, and your camera is a boat anchor. So I recommend equipment insurance. One way is to get a separate flyer on your homeowner's policy. If you think your regular homeowner's insurance covers your camera while diving, think again. Most policies don't. Even if they do, they usually do not cover the full value of your camera. Check before you dive. If you're a scuba diver, consider joining DAN (Divers Alert Network) and getting their equipment coverage with your personal insurance. Equipment insurance is a must.

Once you have purchased your housing, one of the first things you may ask yourself is, "Do I need lights?" The real question you should be asking is, "How deep will I be diving?" Light and therefore color quickly disappear as you go deeper in the water. Usually on a clear, bright, sunny day in very clear water, you will be able to see the ocean floor in all its glorious color, but only if it is less than 30 feet deep. However, most days are not that nice, and most water is not that shallow. Lights do two things for you. First, they add luminance. If you can't see in the hole, turn the lights on. If you're entering a wreck, turn them on. They just add light. The second and most important thing they do is add color. Even after 15 feet, turning on your lights will make the colors of fish and coral come alive. After 30 feet, it's a must for any dive. You see, water filters out the reds first and then the brighter colors and eventually the blues, leaving only a dingy grey-and-white image. Lights bring that sunlight/color with you. No matter where you are, click, and there is the color.

The other decision you have to make when buying lights is whether to buy HID- (High Intensity Daylight) balanced lights or standard tungsten bulb lights. Tungsten lights are usually less expensive and work well below 30 feet or on night dives. However, tungsten lights run into problems at shallower depths. When the low 3200K color temperature mixes with the daylight, your image turns more orange. For example, moving from a closeup of a piece of coral to a diver in the open water would cause a shift from orange to blue. Even with auto white balance on your camera, the warm light would overpower the closeup, as your sunlight takes over in the wide shot causing your white balance color to shift . A good rule of thumb is to think how your light would react if you were shooting at night. Wherever your lights would fall off, that is where you lose your color. If you don't think your lights would light the area at night, it probably won't during the day. So shooting closeups is OK, but shooting wide shots or transitions to wide shots is a no-no. On the other hand, you could use HID lights. HIDs are balanced 5600K or bluer to match the sun. They are actually the same type of bulb you see in newer cars. The advantage of HIDs is that you can use them closer to the surface and not worry about color mismatch. A closeup is just as blue as the wide shot. They are more expensive and take longer to come up to full power, but the bulbs last longer, and they are much more energy-efficient than tungsten.

However, if lights of any kind are beyond your budget, or if you plan never to go below 30 feet, then there is another option you might consider: filters. Putting a coral filter in place at the appropriate time can make a major difference in the color underwater. Coral filters add the reds and warmer tones back into the shot without lights. You get the most effect from filters on sunny days, but you can see a major improvement even on overcast days. You can also use them topside during sunsets to create an awesome orange sky.

Here are some hot tips to remember when shooting underwater videography:

Splitsville - The split-screen shot is a favorite of every diver. The ability to show boat and diver beneath the water at the same time is always cool. The hardest thing about getting the shot is keeping the water from spotting or dribbling off the dry part of the lens. Try using a car windshield product called Rain-X on the dome port of your housing. Apply this liquid just before the shot to totally repel the water off the lens/port, allowing a crystal-clean above-water shot and a beautiful bubble-free underwater shot. Keep in mind though, that salt water does eat away quickly at the solution, so wait until the shot is ready before you dunk. You can usually get three or four good tries before reapplying.

Be the Boom - When diving, one of the hardest things to do is get neutral buoyant. This is no exception for shooting. The big difference is that going up and down can be a great thing when shooting (when you are controlling it). By holding your breath to rise and releasing it to sink, you can become a human boom. Keep in mind that, as all certified divers know, it dangerous to hold your breath while ascending to the surface. This is not what we are discussing here. This is merely taking small breaths of air to get you going and then very slowly releasing them when you reach your shot. Continuing to take small breaths will maintain that level, should you need it.

Solid as a Rock - Getting a perfectly stable shot underwater is probably the hardest thing to master. Some underwater camera operators modify their housings so that they mount onto tripods. Then they either fill their tripods with concrete or weight them down with lead to hold them still. Most closeup animal shots and macro images are done this way. But if you're just on a dive and wish to get a static shot, try using many of your land techniques. Remember: current is like wind. Hide from it by using a big rock or boat or whatever. Plant yourself firmly against something or onto the bottom. Lying is better than kneeling, kneeling is better than standing and standing is better than floating. Be environmentally aware, and look for safe and non-sensitive areas to perch on - like dead rocks or a sandy bottom. Not only does this protect the fragile coral, but it protects you from the being burned by fire coral or backing into a lion fish.

Hang in There, Baby - If the boat is rockin', don't let your camera be knockin'. Try tying bungee cords to the handles or to a bag, and lower the camera into the water. The bungees are better than a non-flexible rope for helping to reduce the shock of the jerking boat. After you get into the water, swim around and pick it up. Having no camera on the back of a bouncing boat means you have two hands to help you keep your balance. When you return, do the reverse.

Hook and Tackle It - Heavy-current dives can bring out the big animals, but fighting the current can be exhausting, and fighting it with a camera can be downright painful. To help you hold on and shoot at the same time, try using a reef hook. A reef hook is a small yet strong hook attached to a short piece a rope and tied to your belt. Attach the hook to a rock, and hang on for the pull. It is sort of like tying yourself to a tree during a low-grade hurricane. There you are, standing still as the world whizzes by you. It's quite amazing.

Air to Spare - Here's another trick to help you clean your port/lens when you finish your dive and return to the surface. Buy a quick-release air blower tip and attach it to a spare BCD (buoyance control device ) hose. When you get ready to shoot from the surface, simply blast the air across your lens. By doing this, you not only clean the lens of excess water, but you also dry it off, making it clear and ready to shoot.

Don't Be a Greaser - You may use it thick in your hair, but don't use it on your O-rings. The lighter the silicon grease used to coat the O-rings, the better. Use too much grease, and you could actually cause the O-rings not to seat properly and cause your housing to flood. You should also inspect the grooves and the rings for any debris or hairs, because it takes only a microscopic gap to cause problems when you are under such pressure.

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