Split – Split GoPro Dome Port for Hero Cameras

SplitGadgets Instagram and Featured Over Under Photos

Split — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 19:18:33 +0000

If you want to get your over under photos featured on our Instagram account @splitgadgets follow us, then tag us, DM us, or use #splitgadgets. We prefer to feature photos taken with Split dome port off course.

Learn How To Shoot Better Over Under Photos (Infographic)

Split — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:13:52 +0000

Taking half half photos with Split dome port is really easy, but technical stuff is not everything when it comes to photography. You know the saying: “It’s not the camera, it’s the person behind the lens!” So to help you out, we have put some essential tips that will help you improve your shots and help you learn how to shoot better over under photos into this easy infographic. Water is one of the most difficult and demanding environments when it comes to photography. There are so many variables there and we are not used to it like we are to air. Light just behaves differently underwater. But you don’t have to get all technical and scientific here. All you have to do is to follow these simple 8 tips and you photos will noticeably improve! For a more substantial book on becoming an 50/50 photo pro check out our Ultimate over under photography ebook.

That’s it, there are many more tips when it comes to over under photography that you can find in our ebook, but the essentials on how to shoot better over under photos are here. We hope this helped you improve your shots and we would be happy if you share them with us, just tag us in your photos on Instagram or send them to us some other way.

Gallery: Over Under Photos From a Fun Day at the Fuerteventura Pool

Split — Sun, 21 May 2017 16:31:21 +0000

Even when the swell is small and there are no waves in Fuerteventura, there is always something to do. Like take your Split dome port to the local pool in Corralejo and have a bit of fun with it and take some over under photos.

Swimming pool in Corralejo

Bubbles

Jure standing in the pool

Over under selfie

Just floating in water.

Swimming poll is “piscina” in Spanish:)

Zala trying some underwater meditation.

Split GoPro dome is not only good for over under photos, you can also take it underwater.

Jure swimming

A cool half half photo always has something going on in the top and in the bottom part of the photo.

People jumping into the pool are one of the funnest 50/50 photos that you can take. Use “burst mode” setting on your GoPro and you will catch some amazing bubble art:)

Floating in the poll – point of view:)

You can see the name of the place at the bottom of the pool.

Underwater.

Some photos work better in B&W.

It is usually best if the waterline goes over the middle of the dome.

Swimming and palm trees.

Jure looking for Arsen.

The shallow end of the pool.

Pools are cool for split photos because water is usually really clear!

Fun

Split Photo Tutorial: Number One Tip for Better Over Under Photos!

Split — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 14:24:39 +0000

I have mentioned this before, but I think it needs its own blog post together with some examples, because this is the single most important thing when it comes to over under photography. So what is the single most important tip for better over under photos? The secret is in the water, obviously :)!

The problem and the charm of over under photography is the fact that the photo is created in two different mediums. The upper half is air, which is usually sunny and bright and the lower half is water which absorbs much more light than air and is therefore always at least a little bit darker, not to mention less transparent, muddy, polluted…etc. Shooting 100% above or 100% underwater allows the GoPro camera to automatically adapt to the amount of light that is available. But with over under photos the camera has to consider both – the brighter upper half and the darker lower half. Even with big dynamic range of the new GoPro cameras this can be a problem. Apart from the light problem, to fill the photo with an interesting underwater scene you need the water to be as transparent as possible, so that the subject that you are photographing is clearly visible. If you remember just one tip for better over under photos, this should be it! Find the clearest water possible!

Clear water: No.1 tip for Better Over Under Photos

What’s the perfect water recipe, what kind of water is best for half half photography?

Transparent – no mud, sand, algae…you want the water to be as clear as possible, a lake full of distilled water would be the best
Bright (sea) bottom – even the clearest water becomes darker if it lies over the dark muddy bottom
Shallow water – it is brighter than deep water.

So on one hand we have dark, muddy water on dark bottom and on the other hand we have transparent tropical sea on white sand bottom. Guess which one giver better photos:)?

I think all this is best explained with photo examples. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don’t have examples of really dirty water over really dark bottom, but here we go (all photos are made using our Split dome port and GoPro Hero 4 Silver):

Here the sea bottom was pretty bright, but the water was milky from the nearby factory dumping calcium chloride into the sea. So underwater visibility was zero – you can not see the surfer paddling underwater.

Here we have a combo of not very clear water and sea bottom that has rocks covered with brown algae. Again underwater visibility is very bad.

Usually warm tropical seas have more transparent water but it is not always so. Of course – you can get some sick photos and effects even if the water is not transparent.

That’s me hiding under the surface. Here the water transparency is okayish:) but the bottom is not very bright and the thick dark cloud cover does not give lots of light to begin with.

It is not necessary that cold water is less transparent than warm sea. Here is a shot from an alpine river that was so cold you could feel it in your bones.

Here the water transparency is ok and the bottom not that bad, but note that when the weather is darker, with grey clouds, there will be less color in the water.

Here the conditions are almost ideal. Water is transparent, there is some brighter sand on the bottom and the water is shallow.

Clear blue skies (some clouds are ok, they make the sky much more interesting), transparent water and almost white pebbles on the ground. You can see the difference that the water depth makes – on the left the water is shallow and the photo is much brighter than on the right where the sea gets deeper. In darkness cameras can not capture as much data as they do when there is enough light. Less data, more noise, worse photo.

Sunny sky, transparent water, bright pebbles on the floor reflecting the light back into the water. Almost ideal conditions. A few rocks here and there, even when they are brown, don’t make much of a difference. They even make the photo more interesting.

Here you can see the difference between shallower water with bright stones on the right and deeper water with brown rocks on the left. Also – no matter how clear the water is and how good and bright the bottom – the more water you put between your camera and the subject you are photographing, the more color and clarity will be lost. See next photo ->

Here the distance between the Split dome port + GoPro camera is only about half a meter (20 inches), together with clear water and bright ground the colors underwater really come to life, they are almost the same as above water. With increased distance colors and detail are lost. Check out the rocks in the front and the rocks far in the back and compare.

So an extra tip for this tutorial would be – go close! Try to put less water between your Split dome and the subject you are photographing.

In one of the next tutorials we will take a look at how to improve your over under photos with a few adjustments in Photoshop. If you want to know all the secrets to perfecting your half half photography then you should check out our Ultimate over under photography guide ebook.

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NEW: Split GoPro Dome Compatible With LCD Bacpac

Split — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 13:29:17 +0000

At the moment the only GoPro camera that has built in LCD screen on the back is the GoPro Hero 4 – Silver. All other cameras need a LCD bacpac extension to get the same result. This extension makes the camera wider which means that it will not fit into the regular waterproof housing and – into regular GoPro dome ports. Up until now you could not get a GoPro dome that would fit the camera together with the LCD bacpac but things have just changed.

LCD version with fatter housing that fits the LCD is on the left, regular version is on the right.

We are introducing a Split dome port for GoPro cameras with LCD bacpac. The dome integrates a special wider housing that will fit your camera together with its LCD. Price of the extended version is the same as with regular dome, you just need to choose the LCD version from the drop down menu before you add your Split dome to the cart.

Split dome is modified so that it fits the wider LCD housing.