Underwater Photography for Beginners

If you are a good photographer (come on, don’t be that modest), then there has to be a point in your life when clicking photos on land becomes just too mundane. A new adventure and a new challenge is what you need, and underwater photography provides you with exactly that.

Ever seen those amazing photos of sea life and underwater activities in magazines or on websites and wished how you can click such awesome photos?

If you have indeed made up your mind to try your hand at underwater photography, then all you need is a camera, it’s housing and a sea beach. And of course, these five tips, which would prove very helpful:

1.  It is important to familiarize yourself with all the camera functions that you will use underwater. The best way is to practice as much as possible on land as this will help you concentrate on other aspects of taking photos such as composition and allows you to make adjustments quickly underwater.

2. Another important point which you should not ignore is to practice good buoyancy control. You should be a good scuba diver. Be respectful of the underwater environment, other divers and do not ignore even a single thing you learned in your diving classes.

3. A good tip is to inhale before you move in for your shot and then exhale after taking your shot when moving away from your subject.  Remember, exhaling right before clicking the photo is likely to scare you subject away.

4. Beginner underwater photographers may find that shooting down feels natural but as a general rule, it’s not an effective angle. Try to find an angle in which your camera is facing upwards.

5. Turn your internal flash on if you are within 2-3ft of a subject. Get up close and use the flash, otherwise your photo will look blue. Use auto-white balance when you are using your internal flash.