The Editor says: A GoPro is probably the first piece of camera gear any new diver wants to buy. Its compact size, impressive performance, and wide range of accessories can meet most divers' needs — and it's an absolute must-have for freedivers at home and on the road. But the nature of seawater causes colors to shift underwater, and if you happen to have forgotten your red filter, what can you do to rescue those photos you love? Underwater photo color correction is your best solution!
When you descend into the ocean, red and yellow light is absorbed by the water, causing images to appear blue or green. To avoid this problem, it's recommended to use GoPro's official dive red filter, which is designed for depths between 5 m and 21 m.
Underwater Photo Color Correction Techniques
If you don't have a red filter, you can still use Photoshop to bring back the colors that have been lost. The sample photo used in this tutorial was shot with Protune enabled.
- Add an Adjustment Layer and select Levels. Hold Alt and click Auto.
- Change the setting to Enhance Per Channel Contrast.
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Switch to the Red, Green, and Blue channels — you'll notice the control points at the bottom have been automatically set within the range of the histogram.
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Add an Adjustment Layer and select Color Balance. Increase the red and yellow values to restore the colors that should be there.
- Add an Adjustment Layer and select Brightness/Contrast. Raise the brightness value. If you only want to brighten the subject's face, you'll need to add a mask layer to define the affected area.
- Compare the colors before and after the adjustments.
The GoPro's slim, lightweight form makes it a perfect companion for divers looking to document their dives, and it's equally at home in a wide variety of extreme sports. If you're interested in GoPro or are already a GoPro enthusiast, feel free to pick up the book "One Rod, All the World — GoPro Action Photography" at your local bookstore and discover even more creative ways to use your GoPro! I also regularly post photos and videos shot with my GoPro on the "One Rod, All the World" Facebook fan page — feel free to check out my other GoPro work there too.
Related links: One Rod, All the World — GoPro Action Photography
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