Mastering Creative Backgrounds in Underwater Macro Photography

When you are learning underwater macro photography, the holy grail seems to be achieving a black background, but once you can achieve this with ease then macro portfolios can become stale and all of your images will begin to look the same. Today, I rarely shoot black backgrounds and instead prefer the color and depth that creative backgrounds bring.

There are a few ways to make this work using artificial methods which we will cover in this article, however before moving to bringing additional items underwater, I would strongly recommend looking at how you can incorporate natural backgrounds into your images before you start to take down a multitude of gadgets and gizmos on every dive.

One of the first objectives you’ll want to master in taking images with creative background's is to create “Bokeh”. Bokeh is a term derived from the Japanese word "boke," which means "blur" or "haze." In photography, it refers to the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image, particularly how background elements are rendered. Bokeh is often characterized by its pleasing, soft, and visually appealing blur, which helps to emphasize the subject in sharp focus by reducing the distraction of background elements.

In underwater photography, bokeh serves the same purpose as it does in terrestrial photography: it enhances the visual appeal of an image by creating a beautiful, smooth background blur that isolates the main subject. This technique is particularly useful in underwater settings, where backgrounds can often be cluttered or distracting.

Key Characteristics of Underwater Bokeh:

1. Smooth and Creamy Backgrounds: Underwater bokeh typically manifests as soft, rounded, and diffused light spots in the background, contributing to a dreamy and ethereal atmosphere.

2. Enhanced Subject Isolation: By blurring the background, bokeh draws the viewer’s attention to the subject, making it the focal point of the image.

3. Depth and Dimension: Bokeh adds a sense of depth and three-dimensionality to underwater photographs, enhancing the overall composition.

What natural backgrounds can I use?

When muck diving there are often subjects all around you in the muck, but less frequently will you find a colorful background. Therefore when I see something colorful and pleasant underwater such as an orange sea sponge I will seek out a foreground subject close by. Once you stop moving and begin to observe, you will be surprised at how many things that are moving that can be used as the foreground subject; things such as shrimps for example are all over the seabed.

When you are shooting macro on a reef for things such as fish portraits almost the entire reef is bursting with color, and using these corals, sea fans and sponges can create wonderful backgrounds for fish rather than just black or blue from shooting into the water column.

Many animals we shoot in macro are found by our guides because they live in symbiosis with things like anemones and sea sponges. By finding particularly interesting and unusually colored examples of this you can use them to great effect as backgrounds. For example, every time I see a purple barrel sponge in Indonesia I will check it out and look for examples of hairy squat lobsters and use the sponge as an eye popping background.

Unusual color variations of anemones such as bright red can also make for great natural backgrounds for macro shots of sexy shrimp or clownfish.

What can I use as artificial backgrounds?

For artificial backgrounds the list is literally unlimited, it is all down to the creativity of the photographer. One thing I like to recommend to my students when they come on macro workshops is to go to the local Dollar Store before the trip and bring anything they like that is shiny or reflective and with colors that are of appeal. You can also use plain silver things (such as steel wool or silver tinsel) and then use separate lighting of any color you wish to color them with light.

In addition to these shiny and reflective items you can also use plain items for a cleaner background look; you can use any type of card you want as long as you laminate it and attach it to something hard like a clipboard, or also any colored plastics work.

Here are a few examples of items I have used:

• Marbles, colored ones of all different types

• Multi colored pipe cleaners

• Steel wool, the type used to clean dirty pots and pans

• Holographic paper

• Glitter. Glue glitter works well as you can combine colors and make custom designs

What settings should I use?

When using these backgrounds you will usually need to ensure you still manage to separate your subject from the background. You can do this both with lighting and with use of camera settings.

By using a shallow depth of field, you can take ordinary items and make them completely out of focus so it is no longer apparent to the viewer what the item might be. Instead it will have a soft dreamy feel to it and will gently blend into the foreground rather than being obvious. This is how we achieve these “Bokeh” backgrounds we discussed at the start of the article.

In order to get a very shallow depth of field we need to use an open aperture (small number). The larger the aperture becomes (the smaller the f-stop) the less in focus the background will be. Many of the shots I have taken have also been taken using the smallest aperture of f/2.8.

Once you have set your camera to f/2.8 you will then need to consider your focus. I recommend using single spot focus and moving the focus point over the eye of the subject. This will ensure the viewer gets an instant connection with the subject and that everything in the foreground and background will fall out of focus creating an interesting shot. When using this method, you will get many shots where you have the focus wrong. Do not expect to get as many successful images with this technique as you would using f/16 as this technique is far less forgiving.

In addition to the smaller F-stop, I would use a pretty fast shutter speed of say 1/200 and a low ISO setting. This is because we don’t really need any ambient light in the shot, so we can have a nice fast shutter speed. Also when using f/2.8 you will be letting a lot of both ambient and strobe light in so you need to compensate for this by using a low ISO (ISO for etc.)

What if the image is over exposed?

If you are still finding that even at your lowest ISO settings the images are still overexposed then you have a few options. Firstly and most simply, stick to trying this in either deeper water, or at times of day where the light is lower such as on cloudy days or early morning and later in the afternoon.

My preferred method though is to use a 4-stop ND filter in a 67mm thread setting. I can use this glass filter and add it to the front of my macro port whilst underwater. It will reduce the brightness of the whole image by 4-stops giving me much more flexibility to shoot in all conditions. Once the filter is applied, control the exposure by using the ISO and your strobe settings.

How to light the photo

When using artificial backgrounds there are two different ways to light things. The first and easiest is to just use your two strobes pulled in nice and close to the macro port and pretty much pointing straight forward. This is the most simple and convenient way to shoot and makes things nice and easy. By changing your strobe power you will naturally change the whole exposure. This works very well with plain background's especially.

But when using backgrounds that are more about creating bokeh in the background then you will likely need to use a snoot for the foreground (read all about snoots here) and then supplemental lighting for the background. For example when using steel wool, I may choose to use a snoot for the foreground and then additional colored lighting to light the background with colors that blend well with the subject.

How to set up the background

When setting the background up I would recommend a distance of around 12 inches behind for a reflective bokeh style background. When shooting this type of background the closer the background is to the subject the more in focus the background will be and the smaller the bokeh bubbles will be. So, for a smoother, dreamier background with larger bokeh you will need to move the background further away. Feel free to play with this and fine tune your image exactly how you would like it.

When using plain backgrounds such as colored card or plastic you can have the background a little closer to the subject as you will not be trying to get any bokeh and there is no texture that you need to blur.

Conclusion

Incorporating creative backgrounds into underwater macro photography opens up a world of artistic possibilities. While achieving a black background is a valuable skill, diversifying your approach can significantly enhance your portfolio. By exploring both natural and artificial backgrounds, you can add color, depth, and a touch of magic to your images.

Natural backgrounds, such as vibrant sea sponges, colorful corals, and anemone’s, provide dynamic and contextually rich settings for your subjects. These elements not only add visual interest but also highlight the intricate beauty of underwater ecosystems.

Artificial backgrounds offer limitless creativity. Items like marbles, holographic paper, and colored cards can introduce unique textures and patterns, creating captivating bokeh effects that draw the viewer’s eye to your subject. Using the right camera settings and lighting techniques further refines these effects, ensuring your images stand out.

Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the visual appeal of your photographs by thoughtfully choosing and setting up backgrounds. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced underwater photographer, experimenting with these techniques will lead to more compelling and diverse images. Dive into the creative process, and let your underwater macro photography evolve beyond the black background, capturing the vibrant and intricate world you see on every dive.