Why Does My Camera’s Color Change Underwater?

Water does not absorb light at a consistent rate across the color spectrum.  Red is the first to be absorbed, followed by orange & yellow.  Water filters out colors in the same order they appear in the color spectrum.  Longer wavelengths are absorbed first.  

Approximate distance colors are filtered out at.  Don’t forget to add the distance to the camera to the depth.  The light travels down to the object then to the camera.   For example if you were standing on a dock in 5 feet of clear water objects on the bottom would have almost all the red removed, the light will have traveled 10 feet through the water.

Red – 15ft

Orange – 25ft

Yellow – 35-45ft

Green – 70-75ft

The tendency for the picture to go green in that 5-25’ range is  compounded by algae or anything else in the water that is already green.

Related Articles