You’re underwater and you want to take a picture. You press the button and hope for the best, right? Well, if underwater photography is something you are interested in or do on a regular basis, then there are some simple things you can do to improve your underwater photography skills. In this blog post we will discuss 7 simple ways that will help improve your underwater photography today!
Table of Contents
Take Care of Equipment
It’s important to take care of your underwater photography equipment.
There are some simple steps that will help you keep your underwater camera in tip-top shape and perform well for years to come: * Keep it out of the water when not using it; don’t let sand or dirt get on it, inspect carefully before each use; store underwater photography equipment in a dry environment.
Keep underwater camera gear clean and store it to prevent corrosion; keep the lens cap on when not underwater, wipe off excess water after use.
Protect your underwater photography equipment from getting knocked or dropped with an underwater housing for cameras that is well-suited to its needs; invest in some underwater accessories such as Waterproof camera tripod, extension tubes, macro lenses, light sources (such as strobes), filters and diopters if you’re using an SLR type of underwater camera. * Use a heavy-duty waterproof case for electronics like laptop computers–just make sure they don’t get wet inside!
Dry out any items with moving parts before storing them away for long periods of time: this includes motors, underwater camera housings, underwater strobes and video lights.
Keep a spare set of underwater photography equipment in case something happens to the first one; have at least two sets if you’re using an advanced system that needs more than just a waterproof housing.
Protect from extreme temperatures by storing underwater photography equipment away when not in use or during long periods where it will be exposed to temperature changes: this is easy for those living near water but may require special consideration elsewhere.
The above tips are important because they help keep your underwater camera gear functioning properly–it protects them against corrosion as well as damage caused by drops and knocks!
Flash, Sped and Aperture Matter
Underwater photography is about more than getting the underwater camera housing wet, and underwater photographers need to understand that.
Use a flash when shooting–it can help with underwater colors as well as underwater portrait shots; it’s especially important for macro photos of small subjects like plants or animals in the water. You may want to use natural light instead if you’re taking pictures outside on a sunny day (or days) but be aware that there are tradeoffs: increased contrast and reduced color saturation come with this option!
Shoot at an aperture wide open when possible so your images will have less diffraction problems caused by waves: smaller f-stops work better here because they allow you to take advantage of things such as backscatter, which is underwater in-water light that reflects off of the sand or silt on the bottom.
Shoot at a higher shutter speed when you’re underwater because lower speeds tend to blur your images due to container currents; use an external strobe underwater if possible and point it towards where you want it–avoid using fill flash as much as possible underwater for natural reasons! It’s best not to shoot with flash only, but rather rely on ambient lighting (such as from sunlight) whenever this option is available: there are tradeoffs here too though such as increased background exposure which can be undesirable.
Wide-Angle Photography
Underwater photographers should know that underwater wide-angle photography is more challenging than shooting with a long lens when it comes to controlling depth of field and perspective distortion.
You can use an underwater extension tube which will make the underwater camera housing closer to your subject: this way you don’t have to worry about getting too close (a downside of using underwater macro lenses).
Shoot at faster shutter speeds if possible, or experiment with different f-stops such as f/11 or even higher; remember not every shot needs a large aperture though! Experimenting underwater may take longer but it’s worth it in the end because you’ll find what works best for you – you might just need some practice before mastering things like underwater exposure compensation.
Use Natural Lights
Underwater photographers often use underwater strobes and underwater video lights, but these are not the only options!
Shoot with natural light whenever possible: it’s free of charge and comes without any technical difficulties.
Use a waterproof case for electronics to store underwater photography equipment while you’re taking pictures around water; avoid submerging the device in deep water if at all possible or else there may be problems.
Respect the Environment
Underwater photographers should be aware that underwater environments are fragile and need to be respected.
Underwater photography sites can’t handle a lot of people at once, so make sure you don’t go overboard with the number of shots you take underwater; remember not every shot needs an underwater video light or strobe! You may want to use natural light instead if you’re taking pictures outside on a sunny day (or days) but be aware there are tradeoffs: increased contrast and reduced color saturation come with this option.
Be mindful where in the water your shooting site is located–avoid photographing places like coral reefs from lower depths as long as possible because this will cause more stress for these delicate ecosystems. If you’ve already crossed limits then it’s best to avoid underwater photography all together.
Use an underwater extension tube which will make the underwater camera housing closer to your subject: this way you don’t have to worry about getting too close (a downside of using underwater macro lenses).
Respect certain areas; for example, many people agree that wrecks like ships and submarines should not be disturbed by human activity such as diving or snorkeling in order to preserve history. Avoid these locations if possible unless you’re a diver!
You can use natural light underwater instead of video lights or strobes–always balance out the tradeoffs involved though, such as increased background exposure when using ambient lighting with flash only. Keep in mind there are some technical difficulties with things like underwater photography and strobes, such as increased surface exposure for the camera.
Be mindful of depth limits when it comes to underwater photography: some plants can’t handle being underwater from deep depths, so take this into consideration–avoid photographing these areas or if you’ve already crossed a limit then don’t shoot underwater at all!