Why does the water in ships’ wakes look much lighter blue than the surrounding ocean?
Asked 10/5/2020
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In a photo of several naval ships underway, the water directly behind the ships appears a neat, pale blue compared with the darker ocean around it. The sky does not show a similar shift, so I’m wondering whether this is a photographic effect such as HDR or heavy post-processing, or whether the wake really can look this way in real life.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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Is this an effect like HDR or plain photoshop (post processing)?
I'd say neither. The effect is natural. The ships' propellors churn the water quite a bit, causing the wake to become aerated. This is obvious from the white caps on the surface. But the aeration also extends below the surface. Aerated water like that tends to appear lighter shades of blue and blue-green.
The description of the file at Wikimedia Commons states that it was taken in late 2005 by US Navy Chief Photographer's Mate Todd Cichonowicz. While there might have been some post-processing, it was probably very little, considering the year the image was produced. Any HDR processing or other unconventional tricks would be required to be disclosed in the image's credit line per U.S. Department of Defense policy.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
5y ago
0
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This is most likely a real effect, not HDR or heavy Photoshop work. A ship’s propellers churn and aerate the water, filling the wake with many tiny air bubbles. That aerated water reflects/scatters light differently than the surrounding sea, so it appears lighter—often pale blue or blue-green—than the darker ocean nearby.
In naval vessels, the effect can be even stronger because some ships use systems that inject air into the wake, which can help reduce or mask sonar signature. Those very small bubbles can persist for a while, making the wake stay visibly lighter behind the ship.
So the unusual color is mainly explained by aeration and microbubbles in the wake, not by special image processing.
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