Underwater Photography: Getting Started

Capturing the underwater world is one of diving's greatest rewards. Here's how to get started without breaking the bank.

Camera Options

Budget: GoPro or Action Camera ($300-500)

Perfect for beginners. Waterproof to 10m without a housing, small and easy to carry. The GoPro Hero series shoots excellent 4K video and decent stills.

Mid-Range: Compact Camera with Housing ($800-1500)

Cameras like the Olympus TG-7 or Sony RX100 in a dedicated housing offer much better image quality and manual controls.

Advanced: Mirrorless with Housing ($3000+)

For serious underwater photographers. Full manual control, interchangeable lenses, and RAW shooting capability.

Essential Settings

1. Shoot in RAW — Underwater colors are challenging; RAW gives you more editing flexibility
2. Use a wide angle — Water magnifies everything by 25%, so go wider than you think
3. Get close — The less water between you and your subject, the better the colors and sharpness
4. Shoot upward — Use natural light from above for dramatic silhouettes and better colors

Lighting

Water absorbs red light first. Below 5 meters, everything looks blue-green without artificial light.

• Video lights: Good for both video and photo, continuous illumination
• Strobes: More powerful, better for freezing motion, but require more skill

Top Tips

• Master your buoyancy before bringing a camera — you need to be stable
• Start with video, then graduate to stills
• Never chase marine life — let it come to you
• Practice in a pool first
• Back up your photos daily