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TIPS FOR UNDERWATER PICTURE-TAKING
Successful underwater photography depends on several factors
which have no effect on landÑclarity of the water, angle of the sun,
etc. But with a little practice and experimentation you can learn to
get good results consistently. The following are some hints
designed to help beginners improve their underwater pictures.
Visibility
Underwater visibilityÑthe distance from a diver at which underwa-
ter objects are no longer discernibleÑvaries depending on sever-
al factors, mainly particles suspended in the water. Visibility
decreases as camera-to-subject distance increases, so move in as
close to your subjects as possible. Shooting at closer distances will
also make colors more lifelike and improve sharpness and con-
trast.
Focusing
Optical distances in air do not correspond to true distances in
water since the refractive index of water differs from that of air. This
has the effect of increasing the focal length of the lens and nar-
rowing the picture angle underwater by a ratio of 4 to 3. For prac-
ti~al purposes, this makes no difference since both the photogra-
pher and his lens are influenced by refraction and will ÒseeÓ alike
underwater. However, when distances are actually
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