Top 10 Tips for Underwater Travel Photographers

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They say that the ocean is the last unexplored frontier on Earth, but technology is making it easier for humans to penetrate this mysterious place.

Unlike any other frontier humanity has ever explored, however, we have the benefit of cameras, meaning that we can record our adventures for future generations.

When making your own frontier journeys, consider the following tips:

Get used to water

Take your gear for a test drive in a pool, especially if you are unfamiliar with diving equipment. A pool allows you to practice moving and swimming underwater in a safe environment. Take this opportunity to practice taking pictures underwater. In order to avoid taking blank pictures, ask your family and friends to serve as subjects; this experience will help you become a better underwater photographer and should be a lot of fun.

Keep your gear clean

Good underwater cameras cost a lot of money, and you don’t want to destroy yours the first time you use it. Before entering the water, make sure your o-rings are clear; dust, sand, or even a stray hair can cause a flood.

After each dive, wash your camera gear off with fresh water, making sure none of the electronic components get wet. Never allow salt water to stay on your gear because once it dries, it can become corrosive.

Use light

If you do decide to take your pictures in deeper water, it’s important to have a good secondary light source such as a strobe light. An outside light will keep natural color when you as the water gets deeper and darker.

Close in

A common problem budding underwater photographers have is a bluish hue appearing in their pictures. This color change is due to large amounts of water between the photographer and their subject. Avoid this by getting close to your subject; it may take some time, especially if your are trying to take a picture of a particularly skittish fish, but it’s worth the effort to get an clear photo.

Be shallow

There is enough light in the first five meters underwater to ensure that you get good color shots. You can also get great views of corral reefs from this depth, and there are plenty of fish and other marine life to photograph.

Shoot up

The top of a fish is relatively boring, so make sure to swim below the fish and point your pictures up. You might not get as much of the reef in your shot, but you will get great pictures of marine wildlife.

Practice

Underwater photography is much more difficult than land photography. Before delving into the ocean, make sure to practice taking pictures on land. Play around with different light sources and distances. Things change underwater, but doing a little work on land will help you become a better underwater photographer.

Focus on the eyes

The constant movement of water can make it difficult to keep your picture focused. To make sure you don’t end up with a blurry shot, keep the subjects eyes in your bracket.

Preview

The beauty of a digital camera is that you can preview your shots before moving on. When you take a shot, preview it. If something is wrong, address it and retake the shot.

Have fun!

You are underwater and able to breathe and look around you.This truly is a modern marvel, and you should appreciate it. Put your camera away for a while and observe the wonder of nature. You are one of the few people in history lucky enough to get this view; kick back and enjoy it!

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