"Capturing the Beauty of Coral Fluorescence"

Have you always wanted to know how to film coral fluorescence?
In this "making-of" / underwater filming tutorial Vanessa Cara-Kerr talks about how our recent coral fluorecence film "WEATHER- a Coral Nightmare" was filmed, what equipment you need and why.

We have been using the wonderful Keldan Lights for several projects and now Keldan has a new blue filter prototype that we have been testing too.

Come and dive into this mysterious and fascinating underwater world with us!

Visite http://www.keldanlights.com for more information on the blue lights.

Filmed & Edited by Vanessa Cara-Kerr

http://www.reefpatrol.com
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#MakingOf #Keldan #Keldanlights #CoralFluorescence #UVDiving #FluoDiving #NightDiving #BlueLights #CoralReef #NightDiving #StoptrickAnimation #Nauticam #GH4


Subtitles:
Capturing the beauty of coral fluorescence with Keldan Lights.
This video explains how to film coral fluorescence.
Recently we made a film called “Weather – a Coral Nightmare”
we will explain how it was filmed during night dives.
Equipment to film coral fluorescence:
camera, macro lens and underwater housing.
The rule for coral fluorescence:
“The closer you are, the nicer it gets!”
First go-to lens: macro lens.
Tripod is essential to film long sequences.
Speed-up sequences in post-production
to reveal movement of coral tentacles.
Corals look static until you speed-up sequences.
To see coral fluorescence during night dives
blue lights are needed.
Wavelength of 450nm is a common standard
for best results.
How does coral fluorescence work?
When you shine blue light at corals
they absorb the blue light and re-emit it in a different wavelength
so that it can be seen as coral fluorescence.
Two blue lights are best for creative flexibility and light power.
We use two Keldan 8M with blue modules.
For Keldan 8M lights
exchange white modules with blue modules.
Dimming option remains.
For Keldan 4X and 8X lights blue filters are available.
Attach to the front of the lights.
These filters convert white light into 450nm blue light.
Blue filters are less effective and powerful as blue modules
it is a cheap alternative and worth trying out
if you are new to coral fluorescence.
How to get the best out of coral fluorescence?
Yellow filter for your lens or port!
Also called a “barrier filter”.
Barrier filters maximize coral fluorescence
and reduce blue light in your image.
Blue light is blocked.
Coral fluorescence can be seen without barrier filter
it will not be as bright and colourful as with a filter.
Barrier filters unleash the real beauty of coral fluorescence.
Yellow filters are available online and in camera stores.
They come in different densities and shades of yellow.
Test different ones, to see which ones work best
for you and your camera.
Yellow mask visor is also needed
to see what the camera is seeing
and to find the fluorescent corals in the reef.
Take off the visor when looking at the LCD-screen
otherwise it also filters the blue colour from the LCD screen
footage will look totally different on the computer than underwater.
There is a whole magical hidden world to explore in the reef.
Not only corals fluoresce!
All kinds of fish, moray eels, crustaceans, fire worms
and many more marine creatures fluoresce.
Keep eyes open at all times
and you will find something exceptional to film.