The ten commandments of underwater photography

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The ten commandments of underwater photography

• By Chris Middleton

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1   Get close

• As soon as you want to photograph ordinary
  subjects, you will find that the amount of water
  between them and your lens gives you problems of
  image sharpness, suspended matter intruding, and
  the white light from your flash getting absorbed
  before it has traveled all the way through the
  water to your subject and back to your camera. So
  get rid of as much of the water as you can by
  getting nearer to your subject and retaining the
  image size by using a wide-angle lens. Wide-angle
  lenses are not used underwater to record the
  "big" scene so much as to allow the photographer
  to record an average-sized subject as clearly as
  possible.

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2   Bring your own light

• Light is absorbed selectively by water. Not only
  does it get darker as you go deeper, but only the
  monochromatic blue rays of sunlight penetrate
  more than a few metres through the water. This
  means you need to bring your own source of white
  light with you, and, for still photography, that
  comes in the form of an underwater flashgun.

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3   Start small

• Macro, or close-up, shots are the easiest form of
  photograph to take underwater. Cose-up kits allow
  you to enter the water with your equipment
  preset. Even your flashgun can be pre-positioned
  in relation to the framing device so that your
  results can be predetermined and always
  successful.Placing the framer around the subject
  and releasing the shutter at the right moment is
  all that is necessary for a correctly exposed,
  well-lit, in-focus shot. Even those with more
  expensive cameras in submarine housings can
  pre-position their lighting. For this reason
  alone, many divers new to underwater photography
  start by concentrating on macro subjects.

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4 Compose It

• Have you noticed that many people use a camera as
  if it were a hunting rifle? They position their
  subjects under the central cross in the camera's
  viewfinder, then are surprised to find that their
  photos come back with endless amounts of sky
  above the heads. The same sort of thing happens
  with these photographers underwater. The camera's
  viewfinder should be used like a canvas of a
  painting. Fill the frame, compose your picture.
  Don't just "shoot to kill"!

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5   Don't shake

• Camera-shake is still the most common reason for
  failed photographs.Because you are in a fluid
  environment you could be confused into thinking
  that everything is very smooth. The reality is
  that more often than not your subject is moving.
  You almost certainly are!Modern-thinking
  photographers do not brace themselves by holding
  on to coral. It is important to use a fast
  shutter speed (one that represents only a tiny
  fraction of a second, such as 1/250), be as still
  as you can by controlling your breathing, and
  release the shutter as gently as possible.This
  is easier said than done. Many cameras do not
  synchronise with their flashguns at such fast
  shutter settings. Then again, things often happen
  very quickly underwater, and some of the best
  shots have to be grabbed.

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7    Exploit your buddy

• Your buddy might be called in to play as model,
  lighting rigger, or wild-life herdsperson. People
  who have buddies who intuitively do what they
  want are very lucky. Shots without people usually
  mean nothing to your non-diving audience.

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8    Be selective

• Sadly, we usually have to work within the limits
  of the circumstances in which we find ourselves,
  but as far as possible you should restrict your
  work to dives when conditions are favorable.Even
  Peter Scones, that doyen of marine-life
  cameramen, once said to me that his ideal dive
  site would have gin-clear water, no currents,
  plenty of animal action, and be only a couple of
  meters from the surface. Dream on, Peter!

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10   Shoot lots of film

• Diving can be expensive if you add up the cost of
  each minute under water, but the experience can
  be precious and is usually unrepeatable. Have
  lots of goes at a shot on which you are
  particularly keen. Be prepared to shoot lots of
  film. After all, it is probably the cheapest
  element of your underwater photography costs!

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9    Get pre-set

• Modern single-lens-reflex cameras in submarine
  housings usually have automatic focusing.
  However, this is not usually responsive enough to
  cpture fast-moving subjects like mammals and
  sharks, and you can miss what's happening around
  you if your head is stuck to an eyepiece.
  Pre-focus your SLR, or use a viewfinder camera
  and be ready to shoot from the hip.There is
  enough to think about on a dive. Make all the
  technical decisions you can while on the surface
  and work to a predetermined formula that you
  know.