Trying to capture the beautiful aquatic beauties can be an incredible experience. If scuba diving is something you enjoy, combining this with photography is a match made in heaven.
To capture the best underwater photographs, a combination of diving skills and diving photography skills are definitely required.
Because of the challenges of photographing underwater – shooting in low light, managing your buoyancy with a camera in your hands, and so forth – the sea might seem like your equipment’s worst nightmare. But as with everything, practice makes perfect and, with the right gear, you can get some amazing images of sea life and sea landscapes.
Dive skills are fundamental. It’s pointless having the best equipment in the world if you cannot dive properly. Once you’ve reached a good level of scuba diving proficiency, you can perfect your underwater photography. Camera equipment is relatively sophisticated, but good underwater photography involves getting close, being patient, and remaining undisturbed around your subjects. You might have to shoot three or five times to get the right shot – but when you do, it might just be the best.
Getting Started with Underwater Photography
Make no mistake: it takes specific gear, shooting techniques and diving skills to create images that do justice to the underwater world.
The first step is to divide this into two components: your camera setup and essential shooting gear, as well as on-the-water essentials (the practical diving skills required to get the shots).
Websites like Balazs Fodor are great starting places to learn about ocean photography, if you want to skip ahead and get learning quicker.
Choosing the Right Camera Equipment
If you are planning to buy an underwater camera, the two big types you can go for are compact cameras and DSLRs. The compact camera is much more userfriendly and cheaper, therefore it is a good choice for beginners as it has usually pre-programmed underwater modes and is generally much easier to use whilst diving.
DSLRs are better quality and more controllable cameras, but they do require an underwater housing and that can be expensive, too (though, if you are serious about underwater photography, you need to invest in a DSLR and a good housing).
Consider these factors when choosing:
- Budget
- Ease of use
- Image quality
- Available lens options
A macro lens for lenses is good for small subjects, while a wide-angle lens captures large reef scenes.
Understanding Essential Gear
Beyond your camera, you’ll need some key accessories:
- Underwater housing: Protects your camera from water damage
- External strobe: Provides additional light for clearer, more colorful shots
- Red filters: Restore colors lost at depth
Get some decent quality housing that is compatible for your camera model. Use strobes underwater to help boost colours as there can be a lack of natural light.
Red filters are important to reintroduce the reds and oranges that disappear from the. Never forget them when you dive in blue water environments, such as the Maldives or the Red Sea.
Practical Tips for Diving Scenarios
Controlling buoyancy is the keystone skill for every underwater photographer. Before trying anything else, take a moment to practise hovering still and taking sharp pictures without disturbing your subject.
When diving, be as close to your subject as possible. The more water between your camera and the subject, the more the clarity and colour are lost. Use a wide-angle lens for large scenes and a macro lens for small animals.
For night diving, illuminate your subjects with your strobe or a dive light to achieve dramatic lighting effects and reveal the colourful nocturnal marine life.
Keep patience and respect for the environment. Don’t rush the shots and don’t touch or disturb for a photo marine animals.
Mastering the Art of Underwater Shots
Underwater photography is partly a matter of technique, but it is also an artistic expression that brings the beauty of the oceans to the rest of us. There is a science to taking a great picture underwater, and equipment plays an important part.
Mastering Light and Composition
Your best friend underwater is natural light; use the sun as much as possible, especially during golden hours. Let light hit your subject from the side or from behind, for a more dramatic effect.
Follow the rule of thirds for a more harmonious composition. Place your subject at the side of the frame for a more interesting snap. Try shooting from an angle – point upwards to catch the sunbeams or get low for the unusual perspective of marine creatures.
Think about using a wide-angle lens for a wide landscape and a macro lens for close-ups of small creatures. Keep your buoyancy under control so as not to stir up sediment and disturb the scene, which could make it harder to keep your camera steady to ensure a sharp image.
Post-Processing Techniques
Post-processing is one of the most important steps. No matter how good or bad you are, any image shot underwater will look better after going through Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to bring back colour and contrast lost at depth.
Correct for the blue-green tint often caused by underwater shots by adjusting the white balance. Tinker with clarity and vibrance to make colours pop without looking fake.
Eliminate backscatter – those pesky little waterborne particles that often adhere to the face and body – with spot healing tools. Resist the temptation to over-edit; the image should appear natural and underwater.
Capturing Diverse Marine Life
For photographing sea life, patience is the name of the game. Remember that sea life is sensitive to fast movements or noises, so move slowly, speak quietly to your subjects and guests, and tread softly on the seafloor. If there are marine species that you want to photograph in the water, learn about their behaviours to anticipate how they will move.
When shooting animals, especially really large ones like whale sharks, it helps to use a wide-angle lens to get as much of the animal in the shot as possible, and adding divers for scale can really work. Capturing images of coral reefs, I’m always looking for interesting patterns and textures.
Use macro photography to reveal the intricate details of smaller marine life. Shoot in manual mode or aperture priority to control depth of field. Most importantly remember that you are a visitor in a marine habitat and must practise responsible diving when taking your shots.