the Editor says: After sharing our guides on GoPro underwater photo color grading and GoPro travel shooting quick color correction, many friends have been asking how to restore color in underwater videos. Because GoPro is all about being lightweight and compact, most divers won't bother buying expensive, bulky video lights — but does that mean your footage is doomed to look like a sea of blue? No
NoNo~ This article will turn you into a master in no time!
In this example, the GoPro already has the official red filter installed (always buy the genuine red filter — third-party ones are a disaster), but even so, light underwater still diminishes with depth. To boost the video's saturation, we'll use a LUT for color grading. Let's first take a look at the magical before-and-after effect!
How to Restore True Colors in Underwater Video?
First, you need to have a professional video editing application such as PREMIERE PRO, AFTER EFFECTS, or FINAL CUT PRO X installed. In the following example, we'll use PREMIERE PRO for our walkthrough.
- Open PR or another post-production editing application — they all include a 3D LUT setting. You can find the GC_Protune_to_709 color grading definition online. (Download link)
- Go to Window > Lumetri Scopes. Here we'll use the RGB distribution to guide our color grading.
PS: In general, the color range should ideally fall between 0 and 100 (0–255). It shouldn't exceed the upper limit or fall too short. Looking at the current color distribution, the shadows appear a bit underexposed while the highlights seem slightly overexposed.
- Go to Lumetri Color and load the GC_Protune_to_709 LUT you downloaded.
PS: The shadow area of the color distribution has now been filled in, but it's spilling beyond the shadow region — especially in the blue channel — causing overall oversaturation.
- Lower the Saturation value to adjust the saturation; you can now see the blue channel has been brought back under control.
- You'll now notice that the red and green channels are clipping above 100. Reduce the Whites value to bring the red and green levels back down.
- To add a little more depth to the shadows, increase the Shadows value and slightly lower the Blacks.
- Lumetri Color parameters.
- If you want to experiment with further color variations, head to the Creative tab and choose a Look.
- Compare the difference after color adjustment.
GoPro's compact form factor makes it a perfect companion for divers to document their underwater adventures, and it's just as at home in various extreme sports. If you're interested in GoPro, or are already a GoPro enthusiast, feel free to browse "One Rod, One World — GoPro Action Photography" at your local bookstore to discover even more creative ways to use your GoPro! I also regularly post photos and videos shot with my GoPro on the One Rod, One World Facebook fan page — feel free to check out my other GoPro work there.
Related link: One Rod, One World — GoPro Action Photography
