Scuba, Diving, Underwater Video optimalization......? How to

Help/How To
1

Dear All,

please, have you anybody tip for filter settings to best video optimalization underwater ?
The red color missing on deep more than 10 meters.
In 30/40 meters the video colors is very bad…

I am try to use Color Grading ( with Midtones little bit moved to red (up)) + Saturation 200%…

Any ideas from your side is welcomed :slight_smile:

inspiration should be here…: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNckJnSAk3Y
But i am have no idea how to process in shotcut :frowning:

Jan

2

Gopro Studio looks like a nice free video editor for Windoze. In Shotcut you should be able to replicate the functionality using some combination of five filters, Brightness, Contrast, White Balance, Saturation and Color Grading. In tough situations I often set color to zero and adjust brightness, contrast and color balance first. Then restore the color and finish from there. I don’t see a gamma adjustment in Shotcut’s filters. Perhaps I missed it somewhere under a different filter function?

-=Ken=-

3

Maybe you could search for an underwater condition LUT and try to apply it.

4

Hi Keno40,
could you little bit explain how to do mean you tip ?
Jan

5

Hi Kenj69,

I am will agree wit you. Some magic tunning using Brightness, Contrast, White Balance , Saturation little bit help.
The idea is, safety steps how to restore red colors in the video…

I am know about red filters to cameras or using good lights, i am know. This do not replace any filters. Do it the video as you need using natural function…

Jan

6

you can look for this> https://vimeo.com/238902814

not looks like sexy :frowning:

Jan

7

It might be simpler just to get the UW photog to simply use UW lights when they film… that’s what we’ve always done…

The water column constrains infrared as you’ve noted. If you use color filters in any video or photo editor you are very likely not to demonstrate the natural color of the object (and that’s why divers carry lights UW in the first place. That is they don’t carry them because it’s dark, except of course when the sun isn’t up.)

Your objective should be natural color of the object.

I’ve been a scuba instructor for a very long time - if that matters…

Best…

8

Dear SoIREI, thank for the reply. About light system i am know, maybee in future i am improve my camera options. Not now, because is not cheeper.

About you reply, could you explain me what you mean “UW photog” , i am can´t translate, sorry :).
Jan

9

UnderWater Photography.

For my advice, the idea was to find a medium correction setting using a LUT (will need a few of them as conditions changes).
Just search on google about Color correction & LUTs and you will find a lot of info.
From a quick search, I could not find a free “underwater LUT”. If you want to create one, you’ll have to pay for a LUT creator. So my conclusion is maybe it was not a good idea…

10

Thank you very much to reply. The lut Filters looks very good. I am try to download free from : https://www.groundcontrolcolor.com/ and the output looks like very good.
The creator should be a way how to generate profile what can help me. (https://3dlutcreator.com/)
Thanks for the tip. I am never hear about this filter. Thanks. Jan

11

Sure. “UW Photog” = the person using the camera underwater to take the pictures.

12

testing one LUT filter with this output: https://vimeo.com/239113858
J.

13

This thread requires a 2020 update given the advances in Shotcut. My own use of Shotcut is predominantly for underwater video color correction. In summary, LUTS are not a great solution due to variability of underwater conditions (even at the same dive site a few hours apart).

Here’s the recipe that I’ve discovered works best::

Import your clip(s) then:

  • Filter -> White Balance (use sand, skin, greys or whites to balance)
  • Filter -> Hue/Lightness/Saturation (small Hue adjustment +/-5%, moderate reduction of Lightness -10%, big saturation adjustment +50%
  • Filter -> Contrast (+5%)
  • Filter -> Sharpness if necessary

See https://youtu.be/9DiJbS1YYiA

I have also used “Filter->Color Grading” to fine tune these levels, but the above is the most efficient recipe I’ve devised so far.

Caution once you dive deeper than 15m then the reds may be too weak to recover - this is a consequence of greater light absorpbtion by the water. You may need to use underwater video lighting unless the underwater visibility is extremely good.

Before you dive, make sure you ‘lock’ your camera’s white balance to avoid color drift. I have produced a document of camera setup tips here - https://barnsleybsacdivers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Underwater-Video-Workshop-v1.pdf

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14

@Jan_Mracek - thanks for checking out the update. If you agree with the technique, I wondered if you might consider tagging it as the “solution” rather than the LUTS technqiue?

I found myself in a similar situation to you after GoPro pulled the studio app. It took me about 18 months of experimentation with different products and techniques before I settled on Shotcut. I have yet to find anything that is as effective.

I’d be interested to see your own results. Let’s stay in touch.

15

wondered ? You ansver 3Years later :slight_smile:

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16

:laughing: Indeed. I thought it might help out our buddies (there is a general absence of underwater video guidance - particularly for green waters).

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17

Yes. Basicaly, where is nothing, nothing to intensify.
I am try you settings. J.

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