Underwater photography is absolutely different than snapping a photo on your iPhone. Yes, all the angles and the lights matter but you do need to know the basic skills to even start to understand underwater photography. One of the best ways to learn is to sign up for Photo & Video Speciality. Having this speciality under your belt will give you a big giant step forward to becoming a great underwater photographer. So let’s take a look together.
- The first thing you’d want to think about is having Perfect Buoyancy. This is also a speciality course you can take. Breath controls your buoyancy. And the breath is affected by your mental state and vice versa. So a clear head, calm mental state is just a prerequisite to having a great buoyancy. Another reason why you should have perfect buoyancy is so as not to disturb marine life. If you’re trying to take a photo of an animal, it is essential that you stay still as much as possible to capture that great moment.
- Good equipment is key, but it certainly isn’t everything. Yes, you do need an underwater camera and you do need a dive light. You could go without a light and try under the day light but even under a clear sunny day, you’d notice you need a bit more light underwater. Word of caution, though. It is better to have a good enough camera and light that you know how to use than a brand new, top of the line equipment that you have no clue how to use. If it’s your first camera, just get a good enough one and really get to know how to use it. Many divers have online groups for used equipment at an affordable price.
- Now that we talked about light. Let’s really talk about lighting. In shallow water with good visibility, it is always best to try to incorporate the natural light and play with it . Finding the right position to take the photo by having the sun behind you, illuminating your subject. Of course, it can be quite tricky to find this ideal position in the wild and you most likely would have to adapt as you practice more. You can learn more of these small yet impactful tips by taking our specialty course Photo & Video Specialty
- Always observe. Trying to guess where the fish is headed allows you to move yourself and your camera in the right angle without missing an opportunity. Situating yourself in a spot where the fish may directly move into not only endangers yourself but also interrupts the fish’s natural habitat.
- Composing your photo in your head before you take it is another aspect of great underwater photography. Randomly taking photos hoping for the best would decrease your chances of snapping that perfect photo.
- This is one of the most difficult skills in underwater photography and takes a lot of practice. Don’t be afraid to take many photos. You can always delete the ones you don’t like. The point of focus makes a huge difference. You can see in below photo. It may look like a pretty good photo but the truth is the focus is just above this fish’s tentacles. Had it been possible on an iPhone, it may just be a matter of placing your finger on where you want your focus to be but underwater, you simply must stay still (perfect buoyancy) and take another photo.
- Listen to your diving instructor and do not forget to check your dive computer. Absorbed in your photo taking process and forgetting to check your air is extremely important. That’s why we never dive alone and your instructor can keep an eye on what is happening around you and hopefully keeping you safe, too. Your diving instructor can also tell you if something is happening in your blindspot.
- Especially taking macro photography, it is tempting to zoom in to take the photo. It seems like a no brainer but we all forget that since your camera is already on the macro mode, there is no need to zoom more. You don’t zoom in until AFTER you take the photo.
Post production also has a lot to do with underwater photography. You don’t want to overly edit the photos to the point they don’t look real. The realistic quality cannot be emphasized enough. But there are certain helpful photography settings that are helpful, like White balance. Underwater, the color red disappears at about 6 meters depth (20 feet), orange about 15 meters depth, (50 feet) then yellow about 30 meters depth(100 feet). Using white balance, you can restore some of these colors. So using white balance, you can restore these disappearing colors.
There is so much more to learn but the most important thing is to enjoy it! Don’t aim to become a National Geographic photographer. Enjoy your dive and underwater photography. We will always be happy to share tips and practice photography so let’s go diving!
