How Water Clarity Impacts Underwater Photography

Taking photos and videos underwater has become increasingly accessible thanks to modern advances like dive cases that enable divers and snorkellers to capture content without expensive equipment. However, water conditions can significantly impact the quality of underwater photos and videos, regardless of the equipment you have.

After an underwater adventure, there is nothing quite like sitting down to look through the images and videos you captured with your underwater camera or smartphone. But we’ve all had the crushing disappointment of realizing our pictures don’t quite reflect our real-life experiences, and water clarity is often the number one culprit.

Understanding this crucial factor is essential for any underwater photographer seeking to capture quality shots. In this article, we will explore the challenges of navigating underwater clarity when taking photos or videos, with tips and tricks for how to overcome them.

Factors that Influence Water Clarity 

To better understand how water clarity relates to underwater photography, it helps to consider what makes water cloudy in the first place:

Presence of particles and plankton

Underwater clarity is heavily influenced by the presence of minuscule particles and plankton – often so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. These include:

• Tiny particles of rock, soil, and organic matter enter the water through runoff from land, clouding the water and significantly reducing clarity.

• Microscopic algae blooms, while beneficial for the ecosystem, can turn water cloudy and greenish, limiting light penetration.

• Decomposing organic materials such as plants and leaves releases humic and tannic acids into the water, giving it a brownish tint and diminishing clarity.

• Microscopic aquatic animals, particularly those feeding on phytoplankton, cause increased levels of particles in the water.

Weather conditions

Water clarity is also hugely affected by the weather conditions. Strong winds and waves churn up sediment from deeper water, resulting in murky water with poor light penetration, even in shallow water. Heavy rainfall can also wash significant amounts of sediment and debris from land into the water, causing cloudiness and reducing clarity.

Depth

The depth of the water plays a crucial role in determining its clarity. As you dive down into deeper waters, the natural absorption and scattering of light by water molecules become more pronounced. Red and orange light are absorbed, which is why the underwater world appears blue-green. In terms of photography, low light levels in deeper water can make it difficult to capture clear and vividly colored images.

Impact of Water Clarity on Underwater Photography

Clear water can greatly enhance the clarity and sharpness of the images you capture, making the underwater world seem even more magical. Natural light will accentuate shapes and textures in clear water, lending a dynamic quality to your images. In addition, colors appear bolder and more vibrant, creating stunning contrasts between various elements in the underwater scene. 

Conversely, cloudy water significantly diminishes visibility, obscuring details and reducing contrast between different elements in the scene. Images will lack depth and definition, colors will appear muted, and fine details and textures will be lost. 

Clear Water

Clear water provides the ideal conditions for vibrant colors to shine through, creating captivating underwater scenes filled with vivid hues. Enhanced visibility enables fine details and textures to be captured with clarity, and high light levels help to enhance the overall brightness of the scene. In addition, the clarity of the water allows you to experiment with various lighting techniques, including backlighting, side lighting, and dappled light effects, adding depth and drama to your compositions.

However, there are some challenges to underwater photography in clear water. Bright sunlight can pose a risk of overexposure, particularly in close-up shots or in shallow water where the intensity of light is magnified. Careful exposure control is essential to prevent washed-out highlights and maintain the integrity of the image.

Here are some of our favorite shots to capture in clear water conditions:

• Fish

Photographing fish in clear water is ideal, as their vibrant colors and intricate patterns will show up beautifully against the backdrop of the blue water. With crystal-clear water, you can capture an entire school of fish swimming together, which can result in high-quality, engaging images filled with energy and movement.

• Reefs

Clear water offers the perfect opportunity to photograph coral reefs. The intricate textures, rich colors, and diverse marine life inhabiting them can be captured with the highest level of detail when the water is clear and calm. As always, we urge you to behave responsibly when snorkeling near these fragile underwater ecosystems.

• Wrecks

Exploring underwater wrecks in clear water provides photographers with the optimal chance to document the beauty of these submerged artifacts. The play of light and shadow, along with the rusted remains and marine life that inhabit wreck sites, offers unique opportunities for creative expression and storytelling through photography.

Moderately Clear Water

In moderately clear water, reduced clarity serves as a natural light diffuser, softening harsh sunlight and creating a more forgiving lighting environment for photography. This diffused light can enhance the overall aesthetic of underwater images, giving them a soft, ethereal quality.

However, even low levels of particles can result in some loss of color saturation and natural tones, affecting the vibrancy and richness of underwater scenes. This reduction in color intensity can pose a challenge for photographers seeking to capture an authentic representation of marine environments in wide scenic shots.

When taking photographs and videos in moderately clear water, focus on capturing closer subjects where the loss of detail is less noticeable. Macro photography can still yield stunning results in moderately clear water, allowing the beauty of small marine creatures and intricate underwater landscapes to shine.

For example, slightly diffused light levels lend a soft, dreamy quality to close-up shots of colorful nudibranchs, accentuating their vibrant hues and intricate details. Schools of small fish can appear to shimmer and sway gracefully, with the slight haze adding a sense of movement and dynamism to the scene.

To compensate for the reduced clarity and color saturation in moderately clear water, we recommend that photographers use external strobes or underwater lights to illuminate subjects and enhance contrast. Additionally, color filters can help restore natural tones and enhance vibrancy in underwater images.

Murky or Low Visibility Water

If you unexpectedly encounter murky water, don’t despair! You can still capture some great underwater shots in cloudy water, where the filtered light can be used to create strong silhouettes of divers or larger marine animals. Avoid any close-up detail or wide-angle scenic shots in murky water. Instead, leverage the limited light penetration and blue-green tones for more creative, atmospheric shots.

This is the ideal time to play about with composition, incorporating elements such as leading lines and foreground objects to add depth and interest. Utilize different angles and perspectives to make the most of limited visibility and embrace the unique aesthetic of murky water by focusing on silhouettes and shapes.

Low visibility light also allows for the creative use of dive lighting to create dramatic effects, capturing the contrast between light and shadow to craft visually striking compositions. To counteract the dominant blue or green tones in murky water, consider using color filters to restore natural colors and enhance color vibrancy in your images.

Accessories to Enhance Underwater Photography

If underwater photography is becoming more than an occasional hobby, you might consider investing in some accessories to enhance the images you produce. Many of these are particularly beneficial if you’re frequently faced with less-than-ideal water conditions.

• Colored filters

Colored filters are invaluable for correcting color distortion caused by poor water clarity or increased depth. Available in various hues such as red, magenta, or orange, these filters help restore natural colors and enhance color vibrancy in underwater images. 

• Dive lights

Underwater dive lights help illuminate underwater scenes and subjects, particularly in low light or murky conditions. Available in different types, such as LED lights, strobes, or continuous lights, dive lights enhance visibility and add depth to underwater images and can also create dramatic effects in murky water.

• Pole mounts

Pole mounts extend the reach and stability of your camera setup, allowing you to capture unique angles and perspectives with ease. By attaching your camera to a pole mount, you can explore creative compositions, capture immersive underwater landscapes, and photograph elusive marine life from a safe distance.

• Lens cleaners

Lens cleaners are specially designed to remove contaminants from camera lenses and ports, ensuring that your images remain sharp and clear.

Navigating the Challenges of Water Clarity

In the realm of underwater photography, the clarity of the water profoundly influences the vibrancy of colors, sharpness of details, and overall atmosphere captured in underwater images. Whether diving in crystal-clear waters teeming with life or navigating murky conditions where visibility is limited, understanding and adapting to water clarity is essential for photographers seeking to unlock the full potential of their underwater captures.

As you embark on capturing images of the underwater world, equip yourself with the right tools and accessories to elevate your underwater photography experience. ProShot housings and accessories offer solutions to enhance your creativity and overcome the challenges posed by varying water conditions.