Underwater videography is the branch of electronic
underwater photography
Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while diving on surface supply, snorkeling, swimming, from a submersible or remotely operated underwater v ...
concerned with capturing
underwater moving images as a
recreational diving
Recreational diving or sport diving is diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment. The term "recreational diving" may also be used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of ...
, scientific, commercial,
documentary, or
filmmaking
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...
activity.
History
In 1909,
Albert Samama Chikly
Albert Samama Chikly (24 January 1872 – December 28, 1934), was a Tunisian filmmaker and photographer. Considered one of the earliest pillars in World Cinema, Albert was a photographer, filmmaker, technophile, adventurer, cyclist and the pione ...
took the first underwater shot. In 1910, he filmed Tuna fishing in Tunisia under the patronage of
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Albert I (Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi; 13 November 1848 – 26 June 1922) was Prince of Monaco from 10 September 1889 until his death. He devoted much of his life to oceanography, exploration and science. Alongside his expeditions, Albert I ...
.
In 1940
Hans Hass
Hans Hass (23 January 1919 – 16 June 2013) was an Austrian biologist and underwater diving pioneer. He was known mainly for being among the first scientists to popularise coral reefs, stingrays, octopuses and sharks. He pioneered the making o ...
completed ''Pirsch unter Wasser'' (i.e. ''Stalking under Water'') which was published by the
Universum Film AG
UFA GmbH, shortened to UFA (), is a film and television production company that unites all production activities of the media conglomerate Bertelsmann in Germany. Its name derives from Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (normally abbreviated as ...
, lasted originally only 16 minutes and was shown in theatres before the main movie, but would eventually be extended by additional filming done in the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
close to
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
. It premiered in Berlin in 1942.
''Sesto Continente'' directed by Folco Quilici and released in 1954, was the first full-length, full-color underwater documentary. ''
The Silent World
''The Silent World'' (french: Le Monde du silence) is a 1956 French documentary film co-directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle. One of the first films to use underwater cinematography to show the ocean depths in color, its title derives f ...
'' is noted as one of the first films to use
underwater cinematography to show the ocean depths
in color. Its title derives from
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful Aqua-Lung, open-circuit SCUBA ( self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). T ...
's 1953 book ''
The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure''.
Submarine based
The first successful video-recording from a non-military submarine was made in May 1969. The purpose of the recording was to document the inspection and condition of an
offshore oil storage unit located in of water off the
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
coast. During the mid-1960s and early 1970s, there was widespread interest in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the topic of
oceanography
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...
.
Several major firms built small research submarines to explore the oceans. The major subs were ''
Deep Star 4000
''Deepstar 4000'' was a U.S. Navy/civilian deep-submergence vehicle designed by Jacques Cousteau and built by Westinghouse. It was built in 1965 and retired in 1972. Some of the explorations of ''Deepstar 4000'' were shown in the January 1971 ed ...
'', designed by
Jacques Cousteau and built by
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is an American nuclear power company formed in 1999 from the nuclear power division of the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It offers nuclear products and services to utilities internationally, includi ...
; ''
Aluminaut
''Aluminaut'' (built in 1964) was the world's first aluminum submarine. An experimental vessel, the 80-ton, crewed deep-ocean research submersible was built by Reynolds Metals Company, which was seeking to promote the utility of aluminum. ''A ...
'', the first aluminum sub which was built by and operated by
Reynolds Aluminum; ''Beaver'', built by and operated by
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate involved in aircraft, the space industry, defense and commercial electronics, components in the automotive industry, printing presses, avionics and industrial products. R ...
; ''Star III'', owned and operated by
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (sometimes referred to as SIO, Scripps Oceanography, or Scripps) in San Diego, California, US founded in 1903, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and Earth science research, public serv ...
; and ''DOWB'' (Deep Ocean Work Boat), built by and operated by
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
.
As part of their operations all of these subs attempted video-recordings. None were successful prior to 1969. The problem preventing a successful recording was in the output of the DC to AC power converted. This problem was resolved by using a different type of power converter. This new approach was used on the ''Shelf Diver'', owned and operated by
Perry Submarine
Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...
to obtain the successful video-recording of the inspection of
Tenneco
Tenneco (formerly Tenneco Automotive and originally Tennessee Gas Transmission Company) is an American automotive components original equipment manufacturer and an aftermarket ride control and emissions products manufacturer. It is a Fortune 5 ...
’s ''Molly Brown'' 32,500 barrel oil storage unit. The success of this video-recording ignited an immediate interest in the oil field. Two months later the ''Shelf Diver'' was employed by
Humble Oil and Refining Company
Humble Oil and Refining Co. is a defunct American oil company founded in 1911 in Humble, Texas. In 1919, a 50% interest in Humble was acquired by the Standard Oil of New Jersey which acquired the rest of the company in September 1959. The Humble b ...
to make a geological survey of the floor of the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
.
Limitations
The primary difficulty in underwater camera usage is
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
ing the camera from water at high
pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
, while maintaining the ability to operate it.
The
diving mask
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), ...
also inhibits the ability to view the camera image and to see the monitoring screen clearly through the camera housing. Previously the size of the
video camera
A video camera is an optical instrument that captures videos (as opposed to a movie camera, which records images on film). Video cameras were initially developed for the television industry but have since become widely used for a variety of oth ...
was also a limiting factor, necessitating large housings to enclose the separate camera and record deck. This results in a larger volume which creates extra
buoyancy
Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the ...
requiring a corresponding use of heavy weight to keep the housing underwater (about 64 lbs. per cubic foot of displacement or 1.03
kilogram per
litre
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3 ...
in sea water or 63 lbs per cubic foot of displacement (1 kilogram per litre) in fresh water). Early video cameras also needed large
batteries because of the high
power
Power most often refers to:
* Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work"
** Engine power, the power put out by an engine
** Electric power
* Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events
** Abusive power
Power may a ...
consumption of the system. Current
Lithium-ion batteries have long run times with relatively light weight and low volume.
Another problem is the lower level of
light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...
underwater. Early cameras had problems with low light levels, were grainy, and did not record much color underwater without auxiliary lighting. Large unwieldy lighting systems were problematic to early underwater videography. And last, underwater objects viewed from an airspace with a flat window, such as the eye inside a mask or the camera inside a housing, appear to be about 25% larger than they are. The photographer needs to move farther back to get the subject into the field of view. Unfortunately that puts more water between the lens and the subject resulting in less clarity and reduced color and light. This problem is solved by the use of dome ports. Dome ports allow for very close subject distances, decreasing the in-water light path and improving image brightness and color saturation.
Modern improvements
![Sony HDR AS5 Action Cam 2 — Sven Volkens](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Sony_HDR_AS5_Action_Cam_2_%E2%80%94_Sven_Volkens.jpg)
Today, the small size of fully automatic
camcorder
A camcorder is a self-contained portable electronic device with video and recording as its primary function. It is typically equipped with an articulating screen mounted on the left side, a belt to facilitate holding on the right side, hot-swa ...
s with large view screens and long-life rechargeable batteries has reduced the housing size and made underwater
videography
Videography is the process of capturing moving images on electronic media (e.g., videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage) and even streaming media. The term includes methods of video production and post-production. It used ...
an easy, fun activity for the diver. Low-cost
wide-angle lens
In photography and cinematography, a wide-angle lens refers to a lens whose focal length is substantially smaller than the focal length of a normal lens for a given film plane. This type of lens allows more of the scene to be included in the ...
add-ons are available for many cameras and some can even be fitted outside the camera housing for versatile use. This lets the photographer get closer and make the subject clearer and also with fewer
focus
Focus, or its plural form foci may refer to:
Arts
* Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in South Australia Film
*''Focus'', a 1962 TV film starring James Whitmore
* ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based ...
ing and
depth of field problems. Today cameras are more sensitive to low light conditions and make automatic color balancing adjustments. Nevertheless, deeper water videography still needs auxiliary light sources to bring out colors filtered out of
sunlight by the distance it has travelled through water. The longest
wavelengths of light are lost first (
red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
s and
yellow
Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...
s) leaving only a
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
ish or
blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
cast in deep water. Even a hand light will help show off some of the magnificent colors of a
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
C ...
or other
marine life if used during recording.
Modern underwater video lights are now relatively small, have run times of 45–60 minutes and output 600-8000 lumens. These LED lights are powered by
Lithium-ion batteries and usually have a 5600K (daylight)
color temperature
Color temperature is the color of light emitted by an idealized opaque, non-reflective body at a particular temperature measured in kelvins. The color temperature scale is used to categorize the color of light emitted by other light sources ...
.
Video housings
Many modern underwater housing are pressure resistant up to about 330 feet (100M). Typical construction is from moulded polycarbonate plastic, or aluminum for more professional systems. They usually have quick release snaps, an
o-ring
An O-ring, also known as a packing or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; it is a loop of elastomer with a round cross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more par ...
seal, and through housings fittings for several camera controls. A few are generic in nature from several manufacturers (such as
Ikelite), and may be adaptable to several camera sizes. Most housings, however, are specific to the size and controls of a particular camera (such as Amphibico) type and may be marketed by the camera manufacturer or an after-market company.
Housed video cameras now record in
HD (1920X1080) with some cameras operating at
4K (3840 x 2160) resolutions. Recording media may be solid state
Solid-state drives
A solid-state drive (SSD) is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, typically using flash memory, and functioning as secondary storage in the hierarchy of computer storage. It i ...
(SSD),
SXS
SxS (S-by-S) is a flash memory standard compliant to the Sony and SanDisk-created ExpressCard standard. According to Sandisk and Sony, the cards have transfer rates of 800 Mbit/s and burst transfer rate of up to 2.5 Gbit/s over the ExpressCard's ...
cards, professional flash media or SDHC/XC cards. Codecs include
H.264
Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and distr ...
,
XAVC
XAVC is a recording format that was introduced by Sony on October 30, 2012. XAVC is a format that will be licensed to companies that want to make XAVC products.
Technical details
XAVC uses level 5.2 of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, which is the highest leve ...
and others. Small "action" cameras such as the GoPro style cameras have taken diving by storm and create incredible images for relatively little cost, provided that there is sufficient light. These cameras often record on SDXC/HC or MicroSD cards. These cards should have data record rates of at least 45MB/s (Ultra) or faster.
Occasionally housings might be advertised as "waterproof housings" rather than underwater housings. Waterproof housings are not intended for deep water use, but rather are splash protection housings for use around the pool, in rain, or to protect if dropped overboard. At the most they are for very shallow activities - usually not more than about 1 or 2 metres / 3 to 6 feet in depth. One manufacturer offers a plastic bag type housing with a watertight seal, and a glass port front. The flexible bag allows some modest camera control, but when taken deeper the air inside the bag compresses from the pressure and makes the controls nearly impossible to operate. These bags are usually limited to shallow snorkeling activities and damage to the bag may cause irreparable flooding damage.
Still/video combinations
Most current digital still cameras are also capable of capturing professional quality video images. This is usually a variation of the
MPEG
The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) is an alliance of working groups established jointly by International Organization for Standardization, ISO and International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC that sets standards for media coding, includ ...
video standard of digital imaging created as a streaming series of digital images, with some advanced
compression
Compression may refer to:
Physical science
*Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces
*Compression member, a structural element such as a column
*Compressibility, susceptibility to compression
* Gas compression
*Compression ratio, of a ...
techniques.
Codecs
A codec is a device or computer program that encodes or decodes a data stream or signal. ''Codec'' is a portmanteau of coder/decoder.
In electronic communications, an endec is a device that acts as both an encoder and a decoder on a signal or d ...
include
QuickTime Video,
H.264
Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and distr ...
,
WMV
Windows Media Video (WMV) is a series of video codecs and their corresponding video coding formats developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Windows Media framework. WMV consists of three distinct codecs: The original video compression technology ...
or
AVI files.
A dedicated video camera, on the other hand may also have a "still frame" or snapshot capability. This is a better choice if the first intent is to have high quality moving pictures and an occasional still picture. Camera capacity, based on
videotape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasse ...
s, or even
harddrive
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magneti ...
recording is usually at least 2 hours, and necessitates very little opening of the housing during the dive day. Check the Pixel quality (16
megapixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the sm ...
s or above preferred) on the still camera capability if this is of interest. Hi-definition video cameras (
1080i
1080i (also known as Full HD or BT.709) is a combination of frame resolution and scan type. 1080i is used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. The number "1080" refers to the number of horizontal lines on the screen. ...
), like high definition television screens, will provide the best quality and image resolution.
The trend today is toward replaceable memory cards for recording, or internal hard-drives built into the camera. This provides maximum versatility, high recording time options, and few mechanical breakdown possibilities, not to mention minimizing problems with condensation affecting the recording (tape) media of previous generations. The subsequent files may be easily transferred to a computer and edited with low-cost software solutions (and a reasonably high performance computer and video card). The subsequent results may be transferred to a CD, DVD,
Blu-ray Disc
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
or thumbdrive for easy distribution or archiving. Many videographers maintain their own YouTube or Vimeo channel for sharing and showcasing their work.
Risk
The usual hazards of underwater diving are generally not directly affected using video equipment, but the risk associated with these hazards may be increased by
task loading
In underwater diving, task load indicates the degree of difficulty experienced when performing a task, and task loading describes the accumulation of tasks that are necessary to perform an operation. A light task loading can be managed by the opera ...
.
This generally reduces the available attention and situational awareness of the operator, and the additional encumbrance of large video equipment reduces the diver's ability to react swiftly and precisely to rectify problems before they become serious. These issues are generally mitigated by practice, and where appropriate an assistant may be useful. Diving with a skilled and attentive buddy can also reduce the risk of problems getting out of control, but this buddy must be dedicated to monitoring the videographer throughout the dive to be of value.
References
External links
Deep-Sea Documentary Fayetteville Observer
On Location - Blue WorldVideo Produced On “Mardi Gras” Shipwreck Texas A&M Today
{{Underwater diving, prodiv
Photography by genre
Underwater diving procedures