Beginning Underwater Photography? 3 Top Tips To Help You Get Started

Once you start exploring what our oceans have to offer, admiring the beauty and experiencing the adventure that can be found, there comes a time when you want to capture what you see. Whether it is to save the memories you make or share the wonders of the ocean with the world online, the next step is to get a camera and jump into the world of underwater photography.

Luckily there is a whole range of cameras that you can take underwater with the use of protective waterproof housings. From action cameras to DSLR cameras you can find one that suits your budget, ability and is suitable for the type of underwater photos you want to take. You can even take your phone diving with you! Get yourself a ProShotCase and you easily take photos down to 40m.

So you have your camera in its housing and you're ready to photograph, but where do you go from here? Keep reading for a few top starting points to get you going with your underwater photography. It doesn't matter whether you take your camera snorkeling, freediving or scuba diving, these 3 top tips will help you get the most out of your underwater photos. Finding The Light

Firstly light is such an important factor of underwater photography. As you dive deeper the less light there is as the water absorbs the light rays. Therefore you really think about where the light is hitting the reef; marine life or a fellow diver can make the difference in a good photo vs a bad photo.

Start by taking photos in shallow clear waters, around 5m (10-15 feet) deep, here you will find the most amount of light hitting your subject where you will be able to get the best photos. Try having the light behind or above you so you do not get a ball of white sunlight ruining the top of your photo. Then get close to what you are trying to photograph. The closer you can get the less distance the light has to travel to get to your camera. This will allow more light in your photo and give you a clearer photo.

Thinking About Colour

Another way to take your underwater photography to the next level is to look at colour underwater. When you are snorkeling or diving everywhere you look there is colour, a lot of underwater photos you see will have a blue or green filter to them. This is because colour disappears at depth. The same as the light, colour is absorbed by the water; the first colour to go is red, then orange and yellow, until you are left with just blues/greens. There are a few ways you can bring the rainbow back to your photos.

As mentioned earlier, get closer to your subject, the same as light the colour has to travel further and is more likely to show up in your photo correctly. White balance and colour correcting your photos in an editing app is a great way to restore the colour. After white balancing, add some contrast and up the vibrancy a little on the photo to make the colours pop.

If you are more advanced with your photography, white balancing your camera while underwater will give you the most accurate colours for the depth you are at. Most cameras including phone cameras should have a manual white balance, so target a section of plain sand or a diver buddy’s cylinder to white balance off.

Cameras and Conservation

One of the most important things to think about when diving with your camera is conservation. Underwater photography is an additional task that can distract you from the snorkel, dive or swim you are doing. The key thing here is to make sure you are not accidentally damaging the reefs, wrecks or marine life you are photographing.

Misplacement of fins and feet is easily done but can cause coral to break off which will take many years to grow back. The reefs are full of living organisms, some so tiny they can’t be seen with the naked eye. So a big no-no is to hold onto the reef in order to take your photo, especially if it is a coral reef. If you’re scuba diving, ensure your buoyancy is top-notch before taking underwater photos; when snorkeling and swimming be aware of how close you are getting to the reef and zooming in for your photos will save you from needing to get too close.

However underwater photography is a great tool for ocean conservation. It allows us all to showcase the amazing wonders of the underwater world to those around us! Even if it is just capturing family memories of having fun in the waters, those photographs hold a reason for us all to look after our oceans.

So that is 3 top tips to get you started with your underwater photography. Lighting, colour and conservation. Take these tips as a starting foundation to get the best photos you can. The ocean is full of beauty and exciting memories waiting to be captured on camera. But remember the most important thing with underwater photography is to enjoy it!

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About the Writer:

Guest Writer

Jo's Ocean Media

Jo's Ocean Media is a certified PADI divemaster with a love for the Ocean and photography. Jo decided to combine both and started her scuba diving journey in 2018. With years of knowledge working with cameras, photography, and videography. Jo has started her blog to inspire others to discover our oceans and share the best advice to taking memorable photos and videos.

Read More from Jo.

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