Underwater started as a randomly generated prompt and became an opportunity to explore how light behaves beneath the surface. This personal study focused on creating a convincing underwater environment in Cinema 4D and Redshift, with particular attention given to caustics, lighting, and the way a camera can shape the final image.

Caustics became a major part of the experiment, using light patterns and reflections to create the shifting illumination associated with an underwater environment. I also explored Redshift’s camera filters and how they could be used to introduce additional depth, softness, and visual character without relying entirely on the scene’s lighting.

The goal wasn’t simply to create an underwater scene, but to use the prompt as a reason to push these techniques and see how they could work together. The turtle, fish, plants, and surrounding environment provided a canvas for testing how light, atmosphere, and camera effects could influence the final look.

The finished image became a study in creating a more convincing underwater experience through lighting and post-processing techniques, while giving me a better understanding of how caustics and camera effects can be used together in a Redshift workflow.