Underwater photography is an exciting and challenging genre that requires specialized techniques, equipment, and skills. Capturing the vibrant, mysterious world beneath the water’s surface offers a unique perspective that can reveal unseen beauty, wildlife, and landscapes. From coral reefs teeming with marine life to mysterious wrecks and vast blue expanses, underwater photography allows photographers to explore an entirely different world.
However, this type of photography comes with its own set of challenges, including managing light, dealing with water clarity, handling specialized equipment, and mastering the ability to shoot while submerged. In this guide, we’ll explore the essentials of underwater photography, including techniques, gear, and tips for capturing stunning images beneath the waves.
What is Underwater Photography?
Underwater photography refers to the art of taking photographs while submerged in water. It can take place in oceans, lakes, rivers, pools, or even aquariums. Whether you’re a professional diver or an enthusiast who loves snorkeling, capturing life beneath the surface can provide stunning visual results and unique opportunities to document a world that few people get to experience firsthand.
Underwater photography can include a wide range of subjects, such as:
- Marine life: Fish, sharks, whales, dolphins, and other creatures of the sea.
- Coral reefs and aquatic ecosystems: These vibrant environments are rich with colors and textures that make for beautiful photos.
- Wreck photography: Underwater wrecks, such as sunken ships or airplanes, create dramatic, eerie images that intrigue viewers.
- Aquatic sports and swimming: Capturing human subjects in or around the water is another popular sub-genre.
- Abstract imagery: Patterns of light and reflections on the water’s surface, bubbles, or underwater landscapes create opportunities for abstract compositions.
Challenges of Underwater Photography
Before diving into the techniques and equipment, it’s important to understand the unique challenges that come with underwater photography:
1. Light Absorption
Water absorbs light differently than air, which affects the colors and overall brightness of your photos. As you dive deeper, colors begin to disappear. Red is the first to fade, followed by orange, yellow, and eventually green and blue. This means that photos taken at depth can often appear blue or green unless artificial light is introduced.
2. Limited Visibility
Water clarity varies greatly depending on location and conditions. In murky water, particles floating in the water can make your images appear hazy or cloudy. Crystal-clear water, on the other hand, can offer stunning visibility but may still present challenges in controlling light and focus.
3. Movement
Both the photographer and the subject are often in constant motion underwater. Currents, waves, and the buoyancy of your body all contribute to this, making it difficult to keep the camera steady or frame your subject precisely.
4. Equipment Limitations
Underwater cameras and housings are bulkier and more complex than standard photography gear. Managing this equipment while maintaining buoyancy and staying aware of your surroundings requires practice and experience.
Essential Equipment for Underwater Photography
To get started with underwater photography, you need more than just a camera. Specialized equipment ensures that your gear is protected and that you can capture high-quality images in an aquatic environment.
1. Underwater Camera
There are two main types of underwater cameras to consider:
- Compact underwater cameras: These are point-and-shoot cameras designed specifically for underwater use. They are convenient for beginner photographers or those who want a simple setup without needing to handle a lot of extra gear.
- DSLR or mirrorless cameras with underwater housings: Professional underwater photographers often use high-end cameras enclosed in a waterproof housing. This allows for greater control over exposure, focus, and image quality.
2. Underwater Housing
If you’re using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you’ll need a waterproof housing that fits your specific camera model. These housings are designed to keep your camera completely dry, even at significant depths. They typically have external controls that correspond to the buttons and dials on your camera, allowing you to adjust settings while underwater.
3. Lenses
For underwater photography, wide-angle and macro lenses are the most commonly used.
- Wide-angle lenses allow you to capture large subjects like reefs, wrecks, and large marine animals up close, while still fitting everything into the frame.
- Macro lenses are used for photographing small subjects, like tiny fish, crustaceans, or intricate coral details, where fine detail and close-up focus are required.
4. Strobes and Lighting
Since water absorbs natural light and colors at depth, using external strobes or underwater flash units is essential. These powerful lights help restore colors and improve overall image brightness. Many underwater photographers also use video lights, which provide a continuous light source and help with both photos and underwater videography.
5. Fins and Buoyancy Control
As a photographer, controlling your movement in the water is crucial. A well-adjusted buoyancy control device (BCD) and fins allow you to stay at the desired depth and position yourself without disturbing the marine environment or kicking up sand and silt.
Techniques for Stunning Underwater Photography
Underwater photography requires different techniques than shooting on land, given the movement, light, and visibility challenges. Here are some key techniques to improve your underwater shots:
1. Master Buoyancy
One of the most important skills for underwater photographers is controlling buoyancy. When you have good buoyancy control, you can hover in the water without moving up or down, allowing you to stay still while framing your shot. This also helps prevent accidental contact with delicate coral reefs or disturbing marine life.
2. Get Close to Your Subject
Water reduces contrast, color, and sharpness, so the closer you are to your subject, the clearer and more vibrant your photos will be. In most cases, getting within a meter (3 feet) or less of your subject will give you the best results. Use wide-angle lenses to capture large subjects without having to be far away.
3. Use Natural Light in Shallow Water
In shallow waters, you can often rely on natural sunlight for stunning, well-lit images. The key is to position yourself so that the sun is behind you, illuminating your subject. However, be mindful of harsh sunlight causing overexposed areas. Early morning or late afternoon offers softer light that is perfect for underwater shots.
4. Compensate for Color Loss
As mentioned earlier, colors fade as you descend deeper underwater. To restore these colors, you can either:
- Use artificial lighting: Strobes or external flashes help bring back the colors absorbed by the water, particularly reds, oranges, and yellows.
- Adjust white balance: For natural light shots, especially in shallow water, manually adjusting your camera’s white balance setting can help balance the color in your photos.
5. Shoot Upward for Dramatic Shots
Positioning your camera so that you shoot upward toward the water’s surface can create dramatic compositions. This angle captures subjects against the brighter surface light, adding contrast and often showcasing the shimmering effect of sunlight breaking through the water. This technique works especially well with wide-angle shots of large animals or divers.
6. Capture Marine Life Behavior
When photographing marine life, patience is key. It’s not enough to simply capture a fish or turtle swimming by—try to capture interesting behaviors, such as feeding, cleaning, or interacting with other creatures. Approach your subjects slowly and calmly to avoid startling them and allow for more natural behavior.
7. Use Burst Mode
Underwater subjects, especially animals, move quickly and unpredictably. By using your camera’s burst mode, you can capture a series of shots in quick succession. This increases your chances of getting a well-composed, sharp image, even with fast-moving subjects.
Post-Processing Underwater Photos
Editing is an important step in underwater photography, as even the best shots may need some post-processing to fully restore color and clarity. Here are a few key steps in editing underwater photos:
- Color correction: Adjust the white balance to counteract the blue or green tint that is common in underwater images.
- Enhance contrast and clarity: Increasing contrast and clarity can help make details pop and improve the overall sharpness of the image.
- Remove backscatter: Backscatter refers to the small particles in the water that are illuminated by your flash or strobe, often appearing as distracting white spots. These can be removed in post-processing using tools like spot healing or cloning.
Safety Tips for Underwater Photography
Safety should always come first when practicing underwater photography, especially when diving. Here are a few important safety tips:
- Never dive beyond your training and comfort level: If you’re scuba diving, always dive within the limits of your certification and experience.
- Monitor your air and depth: It’s easy to get caught up in taking photos, but always keep an eye on your air supply and depth. Safety stops and ascent rates are critical for safe diving.
- Respect marine life: Never touch or disturb marine animals or coral reefs. As photographers, it’s our responsibility to capture the beauty of nature without causing harm.