General Tips for Underwater Photography

As divers and snorkelers, words simply can’t do justice to the incredible sights you encounter beneath the waves. And that’s where the ultimate storytellers, photos, come in. From the shallow, vibrant reefs to the depths of the ocean, capturing the underwater landscapes and the creatures that live there will allow you to look back on those memories again and again. And you don't need a boatload of pricey and cumbersome camera gear to dive into underwater photography! All you need is a trusty smartphone, the right equipment, and an unyielding passion for the ocean.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover general tips for underwater photography and techniques that will transform your underwater shots into masterpieces. So let’s plunge into the depths and capture the true essence and beauty of the underwater world.

Choosing the Right Gear

Before you can start capturing photos underwater, you need to have the right gear. Here are some essential elements to consider:

Smartphone with a quality underwater housing

Using a smartphone for underwater photography is convenient, accessible, and budget-friendly. With a high-quality underwater waterproof housing, you can transform your smartphone into a capable underwater camera. Choose an underwater iPhone case with a sufficient depth rating, ensuring it can handle the depths you plan to dive. If you’re planning on staying above 15 meters, then a touch-screen-compatible underwater phone case will do the trick. But for deeper dive down to 40 meters, you’ll need a specific underwater phone case for diving. Additionally, check for a reliable warranty and user reviews to ensure the housing is durable and provides a secure seal.

Choose the Right Diving Mask

A suitable diving mask can greatly enhance your underwater photography experience. Opt for a mask with a black skirt, which helps limit the amount of light entering your field of view and reduces reflections. This allows you to better find focus and review photos on a phone or camera screen. Additionally, select a mask with tempered glass lenses to minimize the likelihood of fogging and ensure clear visibility during your dives.

Colored Filters

Colored filters are valuable tools for improving the quality of your underwater photos. Red, magenta, and pink filters can help restore the saturation and vividness of colors that get lost in different water conditions. By using the appropriate filter based on the water's color and clarity, you can achieve more accurate and vibrant underwater images. Check out this guide to using colored filters for underwater photography to find out more about when to use the different filters.

Underwater Dive Light

An underwater dive light is a valuable accessory that can significantly enhance your underwater photography. As you descend, colors and light gradually disappear, making it important to introduce a form of artificial light to your shots. An underwater dive light allows you to see and capture aquatic life more effectively, bringing out the true colors and details in your photos.

Additional Mounts

Consider utilizing additional mounts to expand your creative possibilities. An extendable pole mount allows you to capture wide-angle shots, giving a unique perspective to your underwater images. A chest mount is another useful accessory that enables hands-free shooting, providing stability and freeing your hands to adjust settings or interact with marine life.

Mastering Underwater Light

Understanding how light behaves underwater is crucial for capturing captivating images. As you descend, the intensity and color of light change, which can create added challenges when you’re taking pictures and videos. Here are some tips to help you make the most of underwater lighting:

a. Timing and Location: Plan your dives during the optimal time of day when the sun is high in the sky. This ensures ample natural light penetration, enhancing the colors and details in your photos.

b. Positioning Yourself: Position yourself carefully to make the most of available light. Avoid shooting directly into the sun to prevent overexposure and lens flare. Instead, position the light behind or above you, allowing it to illuminate your subject effectively.

c. Experiment with Artificial Light: Underwater strobes or dive lights can be valuable tools to enhance lighting and add depth to your images. Experiment with different angles and distances to achieve the desired lighting effects.

Enhancing Color and Contrast

The way we see things with the naked eye underwater isn’t always how they appear in photos. As you descend, reds disappear quite quickly, making photos appear blue and greenish. Our brains will naturally compensate for this, but our cameras don’t. But preserving and enhancing the vibrant colors of the underwater world is essential to create visually striking images. Here are some techniques to help you achieve accurate and vivid colors in your underwater photos:

a. Get Close and Fill the Frame: Getting close to your subject minimizes the distance the light and colors have to travel through water. Filling the frame with your subject will help capture intricate details and vivid colors.

b. White Balance Adjustments: Most cameras, including smartphones, offer white balance adjustments that can help restore natural colors. Experiment with different camera settings or manually adjust the white balance to suit the underwater conditions. C. Use Colored Filters: Colored filters can help you balance out the colors in your underwater photos where white balancing isn’t enough. Red, orange, and pink filters will help put warm tones back into the frame, making your images appear more saturated and vivid.

D. Post-Processing: After capturing your photos, utilize photo editing software or apps to fine-tune color balance, contrast, and vibrancy. However, strive for a natural look rather than oversaturated colors.

Composition and Creativity Tips

Just like taking photos on land, composition plays a vital role in creating quality underwater images. Underwater photography does add a layer of challenge as all shots are action shots, with water, aquatic plants, and marine life constantly in motion. By being mindful of all the elements in your frame and using these basic composition techniques, you can produce visually stunning photographs:

a. Rule of Thirds: Apply the rule of thirds by dividing your frame into nine equal parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Try to position key elements of interest along these lines or where they intersect to create a visually balanced composition.

b. Leading Lines: Utilize natural lines, such as coral formations, marine life, or even sunlight rays, to lead the viewer's eye through the image. This adds depth and visual interest to your underwater photographs.

c. Experiment with Perspectives: Explore different angles and perspectives to bring a fresh and unique interpretation to your underwater photography. Experiment with shooting from below, capturing subjects from eye level, or even shooting upwards toward the water's surface to add drama and intrigue to your compositions.

d. Negative Space: Embrace negative space by allowing areas of your frame to be empty or filled with a simple, uncluttered background. This can emphasize the main subject and create a sense of elegance and tranquility in your underwater photos.

e. Storytelling: Use your underwater photography to tell a story. Look for moments of interaction between marine creatures, capture the beauty of coral reefs, or document the diversity of underwater life. By conveying a narrative through your images, you can evoke emotions and engage viewers on a deeper level.

Safety and Environmental Considerations

While pursuing underwater photography, it's crucial to prioritize safety and environmental responsibility. Treat the underwater world with respect and avoid touching, disturbing, or harassing marine life. Maintain a safe distance and observe the natural behavior of animals without causing harm or stress. Never hold onto the reef, particularly coral reefs, to stabilize yourself for a photo. This can cause significant harm to the delicate ecosystem. Maintain good buoyancy control when scuba diving, and be mindful of your proximity to the reef when snorkeling or swimming.

Familiarize yourself with the diving or snorkeling site and be aware of potential hazards, such as strong currents, sharp coral formations, or marine life with defensive behaviors. Prioritize your safety and the well-being of the underwater environment. Accidental contact with the reef or marine life can cause damage that takes years to recover. Pay attention to the placement of your fins and feet to avoid breaking off coral or disturbing delicate organisms.

Start using these general tips for underwater photography

Armed with the right gear, an understanding of light and color, compositional techniques, and a commitment to safety and environmental responsibility, you can unlock the magic of underwater photography. With these general tips for underwater photography, you can start capturing stunning images and share the wonders of the underwater world with others. So, dive in, embrace the challenges, and let your creativity flourish beneath the waves.