This Researcher Has Come Up With A Way to Take Pictures Underwater As On Land

Oceanographer and engineer Derya Akkaynak has come up with a breakthrough in the world of photography. During her post-doctoral work under Tali Treibitz at the University of Haifa, she developed an algorithm that can more or less "eliminate the water" from a photograph.

1
Dive Dive Dive

The technology, called Sea-thru, could potentially be a massive shakeup in the photography industry, especially in terms of researchers.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
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2
Try Saying That five Times Fast

The work testing the technology was done in the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, after 4 years of work on the project.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
3
Into the Murk

The technology isn't like playing with the levels and contrasts in an image editor like Photoshop. It more or less "removes the water" from the image, allowing for a brilliantly clear and vibrant colors, where such a thing could only be found on land before this.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
4
Presto Changeo

The technology works by removing the color cast, and "backscatter" (the blurriness in the water you see if you try to look far away), that turns every underwater image into some shade of blue / green.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
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5
Nothing to See Here, Literally

In the image, it is clear the interference that the light from the surface is causing underwater. Especially the blue background with the particles causing a sort of haze to form from far away.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
6
And Now For Some Sciencey Stuff

The backscatter is caused by the way light moves and refracts through the water, and the Sea-thru technology was designed after capturing over 1100 images from two different bodies of water, both optically and in location.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
7
Tada! Good as New

They used the photos, along with a color chart, from multiple angles, in order to make sure the picture was captured completely. Though once the camera or system is trained with the algorithm, the color chart becomes irrelevant.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
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8
So Color Much Clear

This is a far cry from Photoshopping an image to look clearer and more colorful. This Derya says, is a "physically accurate correction," that there is no color or blending going on.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA
9
Before and After Montage Goes Underwater

Though the technology was truly designed for scientific purposes, it has any number of potential commercial and private uses, like in National Geographic or Discovery photographers work.

Via This researcher created an algorithm that removes the water from underwater images | SA