what's up everyone? I'm Khail Anonymous here
and welcome back to Kingston's indieHack!
On today's episode we're getting our feet wet literally
and showing you how to take
better underwater photos with your GoPro.
we'll be bringing back some classic
GoPro hacks and showing you some new
tricks to get that awesome underwater shot.
So, grab your bathing suit, slather on some sunscreen
and let's go take some photos.
The good news about underwater photography
is that you really don't need much to get a decent photo.
All need is a swimming pool, a GoPro with a hand grip,
a strobe or two for lighting,
and someone willing to get what for your photos.
Ha! Who would be foolish enough to that?
Oh that would be me.
Now before we start make sure you're packing reliable memory
like this Kingston gold microSD card to ensure your photos get captured.
And, to avoid having your GoPro fall to the bottom of the pool
check out this classic pool noodle hack from one of our previous episode
Alright, so what about those of us that want to get different shots using a selfie stick?
Well the selfie sticks a bit more heavy so you need more buoyancy.
The thing to secure your rig is get a simple swim noodle.
These cost about a dollar at any random store like Walmart.
Cut it to size and just pop it on there.
And if you're just somewhere like a swimming pool where it's not too turbulent
That alone is a good enough fix. But if you're like river kayaking or jet skiing in the ocean
or even just surfing in the ocean you can use velcro straps or even duct tape just to secure it on the rig.
I'm not cool enough to do any of that stuff but this is perfect for summer.
let's first talk about lighting.
We all know that good lighting is the key to great photography.
And underwater photography is no different.
When shooting underwater make sure to consider what your lighting conditions will be.
Are you shooting outside in daylight? At an indoor pool or at night
Ambient lighting creates dramatic photos that look most natural.
When shooting at night use remote strobes as your main light source.
The strokes can be mounted on a tripod in the pool or secured directly above the water
by placing a weight on top of the strobe arm.
Play around the lighting positions.
Place them behind your subject for a mesmerizing backlight
or off to the side to get dramatic shadows.
Ooooh! Eerie!
A cool photo trick you can try is the water in the reflection photo.
It's an easy way to create unusual and stunning imagery.
To get these shots have your subject be at or above water level
and take a photo of the reflection on the water surface.
Once you master this technique try out these tricks for taking better reflection photos.
Make sure the water is calm and flat to ensure the sharpest and most defined reflection.
You can also experiment with poses close to the surface to add interesting artistic elements.
Our final underwater photo trick is the over/under or split shot photo.
It's a type of underwater photography where half of the photo is above the water.
The shot can be quite tricky since you need to have your lens half in the water and half out of the water.
Here are some tips to help you master this shot.
Make sure the water is calm to better position your lens right at the surface.
Focus on the underwater portion of your photo.
You can also try this technique using your phone.
Just grab a tall clear glass and place your phone inside.
Then, submerge the glass into the water deep enough to take a photo without getting your phone wet.
Now let's just hope Snapchat doesn't develop a merman filter. Yikes!
And that's it! You're now a bona fide underwater photographer
So grab your GoPro put on your speedos or bikini or whatever,
and take your summer vacation photos to the next level!
And make sure to like this video and subscribe to our channel to catch more indieHack episodes.
I'm Khail Anonymous and I'll see you guys underwater.
Pepperonis!
You should blow this one up more! It's just sinking!