Split Photos

Bali School of Underwater Photography Split PhotoOne of the more common questions we get asked photographically is about the Split Photo or Over/Under as it is also known. This type of photo is a lot easier than people think, it is just a question of finding a suitable situation and giving it a try.

Here are a few helpful tips to get you started:

Secure a stable platform in which to shoot; the best split photos are the ones where you can wade into shallow water and stand to take the photo.

Spit on the dome! Yes, spit on the dome and rub it around to keep the water spots off the dome, you need to quickly rinse it before you shoot and you should be able to get 2 or 3 more photos before beading starts. Another great method is to keep half a potato with you and rub it on the lens as it will also keep water off. Try to avoid products such as RainX which can damage your port.

Don’t focus in the middle as this will mean your focus point is the water line and everything else will be out of focus. I prefer to focus on the land portion but you can also try focusing on the reef.

Use a high shutter speed in order to keep the sky from over-exposing, an f-stop such as f11 or higher will help keep everything in focus.

Don’t forget to try vertical as well as horizontal split photos.

Strobes can help illuminate the underwater portion of the photograph.

Try to keep the sun behind you to help illuminate the scene.

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