Photo blues
By David Caravias
Backscatter is when the internal flash or strobe of your camera underwater highlights particles in the water between the lens and the subject. This may even happen in seemingly clear water with good visibility. Many particles are not visible to the naked eye, and when using a flash/strobe the photographer must always bear in mind where the strobes are pointing.
backscatter Battling E 60
ven if the visibility is fairly poor, a good photographer should be able to take stunning
photographs using the right lenses and careful strobe positioning. The key is to light up the subject without forcing particles around and in front of this to reflect. Unfortunately the bulk of the compact cameras on the market use the standard built- in flash when underwater. The flash is normally directly above the lens, in line with the point of view, so all photographs taken with the flash will light up everything between the lens and the subject. Camera manufacturers
supply diffusers to attach to the housing to help soften and spread the flash to prevent backscatter and these tend to
work fairly well, but definitely do not eliminate backscatter completely. The answer is to use
external strobes which can be positioned in a way to light up the subject indirectly. There are dozens of positions to choose from depending on what type of lens and picture you are after. Below are the most commonly used strobe positions for the type of shot required.
TAKING WIDE PHOTOGRPHS The ideal position when using a fish eye lens/wide angle lens is slightly behind the camera and facing slightly outwards. Fish eye lenses capture 180°, so if the light from the strobe is pointing forwards or inwards then the edges of the picture may show scatter. If you want
September/October 2011
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