LIGHTING UNDER WATER
WORDS Katie Kasperson
Underwater cinematographers and gaffers share insider tips for mastering lighting and color accuracy in the depths
A bout two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is water, yet most stories are told on dry land. For filmmakers daring enough to brave the sea (or, in many cases, the swimming pool), the underwater world poses its fair share of obstacles – namely, that the laws of physics differ from those up above. When it comes time to light, there are a few tricks of the trade worth knowing; we hear from three underwater insiders on how it’s done, plus other challenges involved. NEW RULES Water distorts light and consequently colour, leaving gaffers and DOPs with two choices when out at sea. They can either maintain authenticity by using ambient light – which can result in a desaturated image – or employ techniques like manipulating white balance, adding light sources and using filters to emulate their subjects’ true hues.
Underwater DOP Florian Fischer generally takes the latter approach. A founding member of creator community Behind the Mask, Fischer’s clientele spans luxury and lifestyle brands, tourism departments and travel agencies. He mostly makes documentaries and commercial content, working in ‘uncontrolled environments’ rather than studio builds or swimming pools. “Nobody really knows how things should look underwater,” Fischer admits. “I think there’s a huge misconception, in underwater filming in general, that light brings colour. This is a problem.” Under water, the quality of light can change metre to metre, the further you swim from the surface. Often, it’s a real- time guessing game when it comes to the camera’s white balance. “It’s not so easy to measure colour temperature under water – and do it precisely,” explains Fischer. He generally adds red tones in post-production to offset the ocean’s greyish blue.
400 FEET DEEP Fischer’s recent work includes freediver documentary The Deepest Breath
Ian Seabrook ( Wednesday , Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ), also an underwater DOP, takes a slightly different approach. He uses a spectrometer in a custom waterproof housing to measure the spectral components of light. This helps him maintain colour accuracy whether shooting in a tank or in the wild. Camera choice also comes into play, and Fischer always shoots in Raw format.
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