Underwater photography is more than just taking pictures below water. It is considered harder than landscape photography for a number of reasons. For starters, there is very little light below the surface of the water. The deeper you want to dive and take photos, the harder it will be to use light to your advantage. Even shallow depths of water can absorb a huge quantity of light.
Furthermore, red wavelengths of light almost disappear at around 5 meters of depth. Orange disappears at 10 meters, yellow follows, and green light disappears at 30 meters. The loss of colors underwater and the lack of light are two of the biggest challenges to underwater photography and require a great deal of compensation and other adjustments.
Techniques for Underwater Photographers: The Basic Principles
The light underwater is affected by three factors
- Subject distance
- Depth
- Surface and weather conditions.
The best way to compensate for the light loss is to use artificial lights underwater, also known as underwater strobes. But there are other methods of taking control of your photography below the surface of the water.
Here are five tried and tested underwater photography tips to capture stunning images.
Make Yourself Comfortable With the Underwater Environment
Getting professional at taking underwater shots means that you must accommodate yourself to the underwater environment. This means dealing with the challenges head-on and navigating your way around them. Jump in a swimming pool or the sea and try to calm yourself, focusing less on how you are breathing and how strong the waves are and more on what’s in front of you.
Once you are comfortable swimming for the sake of capturing photographs, you will start practicing well and experimenting around with different angles and perspectives.
But first, you should learn about the underwater environment and how to balance your personal safety with grabbing every photograph opportunity you are receiving underwater.
Water Clarity Is the Key to Capturing Scenic Photographs
Water clarity can help marine photographers, especially those at beginner levels, capture unique scenes underwater. For example, high tides mean more water and clearer conditions. And shallow waters can display a lot of sediments and sand, making your subject look less focused.
You can also take the liberty of working with the best sunlight conditions that are available between 10 am and 12 pm. You can also lower your camera’s aperture, which is a perfect setting for low-light conditions. A low aperture means more light is entering your camera.
But Do Not Be Afraid to Experiment With Turbulent Waters
Sometimes, it is fun to be creative with turbulent waves to take your dull photographs to another level. Shoot with higher shutter speeds that are responsible for freezing the action underwater.
This setting is perfect for capturing the fast movement of your subject, such as a fish or a surfer. You can also choose to dive to just a few meters rather than great depths so that you can capture better images.
Camera Settings for Underwater Photography
A manual mode is the perfect go-to setting for underwater photography from a DSLR. Here are the best settings for underwater photography.
ISO: ISO 160 for sunny diving, and ISO400 when you are diving deeper in cloudy waters or during overcast weather.
Aperture: Shoot at F8 in order to capture maximum sharpness, particularly when you don’t care about the background or the depth of field.
Shutter Speed: The best shutter speeds for underwater photography are 1/125 to 1/160th of a second. These shutter speeds work almost every time and prevent any motion blurriness, and capture the movements of most underwater animals in a relaxed state.
Other video settings: Some suitable underwater video settings include a resolution of 4K, 60 frames per second, a wide lens, and a lens capable of close focus. Single-shot autofocus is also ideal for wide-angle subjects and underwater macro shots where the subject doesn’t move around much.
Other General Tips and Techniques
Here are some unique techniques for underwater photographers to take your photography to the next level.
- As water can reduce the contrast, sharpness, and colors in your photos, try getting close to your subject to preserve these qualities.
- Use a forced flash mode on your camera, as it will work best underwater.
- Try to capture the eyes of your subject with maximum clarity.
- The best composition for the perfect underwater shot is getting low, shooting with an upwards angle, and using the rule of thirds, which means that the subject must not fill the entirety of your frame and especially the central areas.
- Work on your diving skills first before practicing your underwater photography.
- You can buy an external flash or strobe to capture better photographs underwater.
- The best camera settings for underwater photography are the highest resolution and lowest ISO possible.
- A manual mode or aperture priority mode is the best control setting on your camera for underwater photography.
- When using natural light for underwater photography, do not dive deeper, but a depth of 20 feet or less is enough for sunlight to work in your favor.
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