How to Photograph Underwater

Underwater photography is open to the casual snorkeler and the experienced diver alike.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Camera Accessories
• Dive Masks
• Wide-angle Lens
• Camera Filters
• Diving Gloves
• Film
• Wet Suits
• Underwater Camera Flashes
• Snorkeling Gear
• Camera Bags
• Flash Polarizer Filters
• Swimming Fins
• telephoto or long lens

1. Get a camera system tough enough to weather inevitable knocks. Although cameras from Instamatics on up can produce decent results, the Nikonos system, designed to operate to depths of 165 feet, provides the greatest latitude for the serious underwater photographer.

2. Select a housing to seal the camera from the water.

3. Attach a flash unit (also sealed in a housing) to the camera.

4. Assess conditions underwater before diving and set aperture and shutter speed before entering the water.

5. Use flash fill-in to brighten underwater subjects at close range. Even with large flash units, light does not extend beyond 12 feet.

6. Use a red filter to correct the color balance underwater. Choose a filter density according to the depth at which you will be photographing. The general rule is to add 12 color units for every 3 feet.

7. Wedge your camera between rocks to keep it steady for longer exposure times in low-visibility conditions.

8. Use a flash gun with a polarizer filter and a polarizer filter on your camera lens to neutralize light-reflecting particles in the water.

9. Use slow film (25 to 64 ISO for color and 125 ISO for black and white) for close-ups and fast film for shots taken using available light or at a distance using flash lighting.

Tips & Warnings

• Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is overhead, is the best time to take pictures without using a flash gun.
• Photographing your subject with your back to the sun will make it appear relatively light against a darker background of deep blue water. To capture sun rays with the subject in silhouette, face the sun.
• Underwater life abounds in shallow water near steep rocky shorelines, coral reefs and atolls and areas near tidal streams.
• Shipwrecks are an ideal place to find and photograph fish.
• Shoot in a cave using a flash to add background to your subjects.
• Close-up shots of fish are best taken at night when fish are drowsy and less mobile.
• Use a wide-angle lens and get close to the subject in low visibility.
• Magenta filters restore color balance in murky, greenish water.
• To take close-up shots of timid or dangerous underwater life, use a telephoto lens.
• Remember to watch your time when diving to avoid decompression problems.
• Keep an eye out for hazards such as sharks, jellyfish and octopi.
• Be careful not to scratch your hands on rocks and coral if you decide to remove your gloves for greater ease in using your camera.