Underwater photography, second try

the photoshoot in Lunteren was a success but the location had its limits, and we started searching for a new location for another underwatershoot. We found a privately owned swimming pool in the south of the Netherlands. The swimming pool is next to a restaurant and a hotel. Cor contacted the owner, and arranged using the pool on a Sunday. 

The pool is relatively large, with a deeper area. Most importantly, the water is very warm: 32 degrees (86 degrees Fahrenheit). 

We planned a test shoot, to explore the possibilities of this location. For this test shoot we invited two models: Artemis and a second model. Cor and Oscar brought their photo and flash equipment, I brought my Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360, Insta360 Ace Pro, GoPro with underwater housing and flood lights.

Cor and Oscar mainly worked in the undeep part of the pool, I worked in the deeper part. 

Cor and Oscar made some great photos of the models, as shown on the Instagram of Cor: https://www.corkuyvenhoven.nl/onderwater-test-fotoshoot/ My aim ewas to rigorously test the possibilities of the 360 and GoPro camera's. In short, the One Inch disappointed and the GoPro provided better quality than expected. The strong lights were useful.

I started with the two models and explored different variations with the OneInch: 1. no extra light/extra light, 2. models moving or floating, 3. photo and video, 4. models backlighted and frontlighted, 5. models close and further away. Five variations gives 2^5 = 32 test instances. With the GoPro we explored filming while one model followed another model and filming from a distance, also with some variations. 

To make a long story short, the OneInch with underwater housing delivered unsharp images. Since the images above water were more detailed than underwater, I assume that the underwaterhousing in combination with water reduces the sharpness. But even abonve water, the limited number of pixels, spread out over 360 degrees, make it impossible to get close to the sharpness of a regular underwater camera. I added some images to this blog as illustration, to show that colors and lightness were OK, but not the sharpness.

Further, I noticed banding when the OneInch had too much direct light while filming.

Lessons learned: the Iinsta360 One Inch with underwaterhousing did not live up to expectations. The GoPro did a bit better.

To do: rethink my choice of hardware Ideas for future shoots: I need to give it another shot, with better equipment.