Every environment that you bring your camera into presents unique challenges, and none is so challenging as underwater photography. Many photographers are surprised to find that their painstakingly acquired underwater photographs just do not turn out the way they expected. Most of the challenges are caused by the way light refracts underwater.
Cameras and even your own eyes just do not see things the same way underwater. As technology advances some of these difficulties are alleviated but many still persist. I have broken down the main challenges in several broad categories: equipment, magnification, focusing, motion, and lighting.
Equipment
When taking underwater photographs you have two main options for camera equipment. First, you may use your existing camera with a housing unit. The housing unit must be enclosed with diving silicon to maintain a water tight seal. This is the best option for those photographers that own a good quality land camera and are unable to afford an expensive underwater camera. The first time you use your land camera with a housing unit make sure you have an expert on hand to verify the water seal as the last thing you want is to not only ruin your camera but also miss out on those beautiful underwater photos.
The second option is a specialized underwater camera. The quality and price varies widely as does the depth at which the camera works optimally. If you plan on purchasing an underwater camera do your research and spend the money required to buy a high quality model.
Magnification
Above the water, the camera sees at the same level of magnification as your eyes. The same cannot be said for underwater photography. Many new underwater photographers are shocked to discover that that huge fish they photographed underwater looks much smaller in their photo. In general the diver’s mask magnifies everything by 25%. In practical terms this means that what you see is not what you get as far as the finished photo is concerned. Experience and practice is the only way to completely overcome this challenge.
Focusing
Because of the distortion cause by the mask and light refraction many cameras will not be able to focus in the same way they do above water. In general, the optimal focal point will be around four feet in front of the camera or about twice the length of your arms.
Motion
As you might expect motion is a major hurdle that must be overcome in underwater photography. Not only will your subjects be moving but so will you. Even the underwater currents will affect your photographs as will the motions of your diving partner. For these reasons I recommend that you start out small, by taking pictures of small stationary subjects like coral or rock formations.
Lighting
As you dive the light levels get progressively dimmer, in addition, the spectrum of light narrows as red light is diminished. To compensate for the changes in the color spectrum many photographers use specific strobe flashers to get professional quality lighting. Different depths will require specific types of strobes. Experimenting with these strobe flashers can greatly enhance the quality and vibrancy of your photos.
The most critical key to great underwater photographs is practice! Look at the unique challenges of underwater photography not as obstacles to overcome but irreplaceable experiences to treasure.
