B A S I C S O F B E T T E R U N D E R W AT E R P H O T O G R A P H Y

PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS
CAPTURE THE Mysterious underwater creatures exist.
Capturing these interactions fuels the
BEAUTY AND WONDERMENT imagination and inspires creativity.
WIDE ANGLE ‣ Wide angle is best for big animals, groups of fish, animal
interaction and the larger animal in its environment.
AND MACRO ‣ Macro is for details or close-ups and little creatures.
PHOTOGRAPH
ANIMALS UNDERWATER

Four things come into play:

‣ LUCK
‣ KNOWLEDGE
‣ PATIENCE
‣ SKILL
LUCK &
KNOWLEDGE
‣ Many times it is sheer luck when you find
the animals you want to see…

‣ But also, to improve your chance of good

luck, you need the knowledge of where
specific animals are likely to be.
HAVING LUCK So, in general the whole “being lucky” thing is
out of your control, it is being in the “right
FINDING ANIMALS place at the right time”, right? Not exactly…
TRY IMPROVING
YOUR LUCK

‣ Stay aware of your surroundings.

‣ Keep your eyes open – not only
looking at the small part of reef
you are next to, but look around
regularly.

• Where other divers are

• Over peaks and valleys
• In cracks and under ledges
• Don’t forget to look out into
the blue

You never know what you

might find!
KNOWLEDGE Preparing yourself with as much knowledge as
possible before jumping in the water can help you
A N D B E I N G P R E PA R E D to “be in the right place at the right time”.
DO RESEARCH
TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE

Look into the types of animals that you would

like to see the most.

‣ What do they feed on

‣ When are they the most active
‣ How do they mate
‣ What is their habitat
‣ Usual depth they are at
‣ Best time of year

There is a lot of information that is readily

available, so take advantage of it.
GET HELP Using a dive guide that is very familiar with the area is also
a good idea. Let him or her know what you want to see
KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDE ahead of time and many times they can make it happen.
PAT I E N C E
&SKILL
‣ Many situations or types of creatures
where you need quite a bit of patience
like waiting for shy animals to emerge
or big animals to swim by.

‣ Once you have those things, you need

the photography and diving skill to be
able get a great shot.
PAT I E N C E Patience and an easy-going attitude are extremely
important when it comes to photographing
E A S Y- G O I N G A T T I T U D E underwater creatures.
MORE
PAT I E N C E
CALM & COLLECTED

Not only do you need to have patience with

the animals you wish to photograph, you need
to have patience with other divers that might
be around. Remaining calm and collected will
get you the best results in both cases.
EVEN MORE
PAT I E N C E
WAIT & OBSERVE

This is also where your newly acquired animal

behavior knowledge comes in. Animals will
often repeat behaviors, so spend some time
watching.

‣ Does it repeat a pattern?

‣ Does it open its mouth?
‣ Is it territorial?
‣ Does it have a mate?

If you know the behaviors you’d like to see, or

know that there is a shy animal hiding from
you, sometimes you have to just hunker down,
wait and observe.
ARE YOU READY Be relaxed. Move in slowly to keep from
spooking the animal. Breath calmly and
TO MOVE IN CLOSER? approach with your camera up and ready.
SHOOT LOTS Shooting underwater is much more challenging than
shooting on land, especially at first. Then add animal
AND LOTS OF PHOTOS! behavior and motion – you have lots of challenges.

Taking a large volume of

images also allows you to
experiment with your lighting,
composition and camera
settings.
#1 SKILL
DIVING ABILITY

Your first priority for underwater

photography is obtaining excellent
in-water skills.

‣ Buoyancy needs to be mastered in

order to get nicely composed images.
Also, more importantly, if you are not in
control of your body, you pose a threat
to the environment or yourself.

‣ Technical skills of your diving need to

be completely comfortable and well
tuned, so you do not experience a loss
of time. Underwater photography is
exciting, so it’s very easy to lose track of
time—which can be very hazardous.
#2 SKILL
PHOTOGRAPHY

Practice Above Water: Learn your camera

before you get in the water, so that you don’t
end up fumbling around trying to figure it out
and miss that huge manta ray that just swam by!
Remember, you can’t get the manual out at 80’!

‣ Try all the settings & modes

‣ Try macro & wide angle
‣ Learn buttons by feel & placement
‣ How long does the battery last?
‣ What type of memory card will work best?

Then put the camera in the housing and try

some more shots, learning what controls are
placed where. This all will make you more
comfortable underwater and save time.
A N T I C I PAT E Observe where the animals are moving, then try getting
ahead of where you think they might come. Get set up
THE ACTION and let the animal move into your composition to shoot.
GET CLOSE Whether you are doing macro or wide angle – you
need to get closer than you might think – then
THEN GET CLOSER maybe a little closer.
USE DISCRETION General etiquette is to take a few
shots, then let others take their turn.
AND BE POLITE TO FELLOW DIVERS

After you get your

shot, be very careful
not to disturb the
bottom or animal as
you move away. Also
be aware that sensitive
animals like seahorses
can be harmed by
repeated strobe firings.
 STROBES When using your strobes to shoot wide angle, you need to be
careful to avoid backscatter and blowing out the highlights of
AND LIGHTING animals like sharks, barracuda or other silvery fish.

Careful strobe placement and use of

strobe power settings will enhance
the quality of your images.

‣ Point your strobes outward and use the

edge of their beam to avoid
backscatter.

‣ Turn off your strobes if your subject is

further away.

‣ Choose a shutter speed that will give

you a good “blue” or “green” water.

‣ Adjust your aperture and ISO for good

exposure.

‣ Adjust strobe power to light the animal

SEE OUR HANDBOOK:
“STROBE POSITIONING” without blowing out the highlights.
FOR MORE TIPS.
ANGLES
FOR SHOOTING

Shoot "upwards" for a brighter

background, letting the ambient light work
for you.

Every once in a while – don't be afraid to

shoot "blind" if necessary by bringing the
camera to the ground and just pressing the
shutter without looking through the
viewfinder, sometimes that is the only way
to get close shots of certain animals.
 COMPOSITION Offset the placement of the animal in your
photo. Focus on the eye, then recompose
USE THE RULE OF THIRDS by moving it to one of the outside points.

SEE OUR HANDBOOK:

“COMPOSITION”
FOR MORE TIPS.
GOT DOWN
THE BASICS?
NOW EXPERIMENT

‣ Small depth of field to get a blurred

background
‣ Panning the camera to show motion
‣ Different or unusual compositions or
angles of view
‣ Extreme close-up of the eye, or a
pattern on its body
‣ Creative lighting
PRACTICE In underwater photography - like anything else,
it comes down to practice, practice, practice.
DOES MAKE PERFECT!

Shoot lots of photos, be creative... and have fun!

 Part of the “Basics of UW Photography” Series

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