Underwater Photography Stuff: So you want to be an Underwater Photographer

Well that's easier said than done, underwater photography is considered an especially challenging area of photography, since it requires very specialized equipment and techniques to be successful. Despite the challenges it offers many exciting and rare photographic opportunities. There are many things to photograph underwater fish and mammals are the most common, but photographers also like to pursue cave systems, shipwrecks, landscapes and even other divers.

The primary obstacle underwater photographers face is the extreme loss of color and contrast when submerged to any significant depth. The longer wavelengths of sunlight are absorbed by the surrounding water, so even without the camera everything appears blue-green in color. Some subjects further away from the camera will also appear colorless and indistinct, This effect can happen even in apparently clear water.

Underwater photographers solve this problem by combining two techniques. The first is to get the camera as close to the photographic subject as possible, This is best achieved by using wide-angle lenses, which allow very close focus, or macro lenses, where the subject is often only inches away from the camera. In practical terms, serious underwater photographers consider any more than about 3 ft/1 m of water between camera and subject to be unacceptable. The second technique is the use of flash to restore any color lost. Fill-flash, used effectively, will "paint" in any missing colors by providing full-spectrum visible light to the overall exposure.

Since underwater photography is often performed while scuba diving, it is important that the diver-photographer be skilled so that it remains a reasonably safe activity. Good scuba technique also has an impact on the quality of images, since marine life is less likely to be scared away by a calm diver, and the environment is less likely to be damaged or disturbed. There is the possibility of encountering poor conditions, such as heavy currents, tidal flow, or poor visibility. You want to try to avoid these conditions. With the right skills, equipment and a good deal of patience you too can be a successful underwater photographer.

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