Robert Herb Photography Blog

Capturing Underwater Time Capsules:  Over the course of my 56 years of Scuba Diving and 36 years of Underwater Photography, I have had the chance to dive hundreds of wrecks around the world, both in cold water and tropical locations. I find wreck diving to be one of my top things to do both for the history, challenges, beauty, and a world of opportunity for photography. Beneath the surface of the world's oceans lies a hidden realm of history, mystery, and exploration—shipwrecks. These underwater time capsules tell tales of bygone eras, lost voyages, and maritime tragedies. Wreck diving is a thrilling adventure that allows explorers to immerse themselves in the secrets of the deep. In this blog post, I'll delve into the fascinating world of wreck diving, exploring the specialized training, equipment, preparation, risks, rewards, and techniques for capturing the mystique of shipwrecks through the lens of a camera. Specialized Training: Wreck diving is not your average underwater ...

Introduction: In the vast expanse of career choices, few are as enchanting and immersive as underwater photography. Beyond the surface, a world of breathtaking beauty and mystery awaits those passionate about capturing the mesmerizing scenes beneath the waves. If you've ever dreamt of turning your love for the ocean into a fulfilling career, here are 10 areas of opportunity in underwater photography, the steps, and the approximate time required   to dive into each one. 1. Scuba Diving Instructor with a Focus on Photography: Process: Obtain scuba diving certifications: 3-6 months Basic Open Water Certification Advanced Open Water Certification Rescue Diver Certification Specialty certifications in underwater photography: 6-12 months Underwater Photography Specialty Course Teaching credentials: 6 months to 1 year Instructor Development Course (IDC) Emergency First Response Instructor Course 2. Marine Conservation Photography: Process: Foundation in marine biology or environmenta...

The underwater world has always captivated the human imagination. From vibrant coral reefs to elusive marine life, the depths of the ocean hold a myriad of wonders waiting to be discovered. While daytime diving offers its own enchantments, night diving photography opens up a whole new realm of possibilities, presenting challenges and rewards that are unique to the nocturnal underwater experience. Challenges of Night Diving Photography:   Night diving photography introduces a set of challenges that differ significantly from daytime shooting. The lack of natural light poses one of the most significant hurdles, requiring photographers to rely on artificial light sources. Maneuvering in low visibility conditions, managing buoyancy, and dealing with unpredictable marine life behavior all add to the complexity of the task. 1. Limited Visibility: One of the primary challenges of night diving photography is the reduced visibility. Even with a powerful underwater flashlight, the range of y...

Introduction I thought this might be a good time to review the basics of using Adobe Lightroom to post-process your underwater photos. Many new tools and tricks have been recently added to Lightroom that I consider to be game changers and have greatly improved my own underwater photography, but without knowing how to use the basic controls first, the new AI functions will be of little use to you. Below are some of what I consider to be the basic steps and controls that everyone needs to master in Adobe Lightroom. Underwater photography offers a unique and captivating perspective of the world beneath the waves. However, the real magic often happens during post-processing when you have the opportunity to enhance the beauty of your underwater shots. Adobe Lightroom is a powerful tool that can help you transform your raw underwater images into stunning masterpieces. In this guide, I'll walk you through the step-by-step process of editing your underwater photos using Adobe Lightroom. ...

Last week I did a blog about "Mastering White Balance " but continue to get great questions on how to do it. In this post, I will give more details on how to use Adobe Lightroom to make these adjustments. Keep in mind that white balance is a crucial aspect of post-processing in Adobe Lightroom, especially when working with underwater photography. It is one of the first steps I take in post-processing every photo using Adobe Lightroom. White balance helps you correct the color cast caused by the underwater environment, which is often tinted in blue or green due to the absorption and scattering of light. Here's why and how to adjust the white balance in Adobe Lightroom, along with the pros and cons of this method compared to in-camera adjustments: Why Adjust White Balance in Adobe Lightroom for Underwater Photography: 1. Correcting Color Cast: Underwater photos often appear blue or green due to water's inherent color and the loss of certain wavelengths of light as ...