Basic underwater photography is a little more complicated than simple surface photography but you don’t have to buy a whole new camera to give it a try. Waterproof camera housings are available for most popular digital camera models. One of these will let you shoot underwater without getting moisture into the camera. You’ll still be able to use all (or at least most) normal camera functions. A good housing should allow you to zoom as you would on the surface, for example, and change flash settings.
Photo By Philippe Guillaume
Cheap waterproof disposable cameras are available too. They’re usually film rather than digital so you will have to get the photos processed rather than just uploading them, and these cameras will only deliver moderate photo quality at best but if you just want to take a few holiday snaps it is possible to get reasonable results.
Photo by Joshua Nguyen
If you’re using a disposable, one of the many underwater photography tips is to stick to shallow water that’s clear and well lit. You’ll only get a limited number of shots but it might still be worth taking a couple on dry land to make sure the camera is working correctly. Otherwise it’s all too easy to waste time and film underwater.
In fact, surface practice is a good idea no matter what setup you have. It takes a little while to get accustomed to shooting through a camera housing, even if you use the same camera all the time. Practice using the different camera functions and make sure the housing is correctly aligned. It pays to make doubly sure that you can comfortably access and use macro mode with the housing in place- Macro or close-up shots are the easiest to get right underwater.
The more water in between you and your subject, the more difficult getting the perfect image becomes. A couple of yards of water will tend to wash the colors out of your pictures even if it looks perfectly clear to you. Colors can be improved by using an artificial light source (a flash or a strobe) but that introduces another problem.
When shooting on land, light travels from the flash to the subject without interruption. Underwater, the light from a camera flash will hit tiny, scarcely visible particles suspended in the water and bounce back to hit the lens. The result is a white peppering on the final image. This is called backscatter.
To get rid of it you can turn the flash off altogether, move closer to the subject (reducing the amount of water and hence the quantity of reflected light), or change the angle between the camera and the flash so more of the reflected light bounces harmlessly away from the lens.
Unless you’ve got plenty of light and the water is shallow, changing the angle is usually the best course of action. If you’re serious about underwater photography this means picking up an external underwater strobe. Most good underwater camera housings allow for them. If you’re not so serious yet you can always get a buddy to shine a strong dive torch on your subject from off to one side. Lighting from the side is a great way to bring out the textures of corals, so this can be worth a try anyway.
As with surface photography, the secret to getting great underwater images is experimentation. Take plenty of shots, varying distance, lighting, and camera settings. You’ll soon get a feel for what underwater photography tips work and what doesn’t.
