Taking Photos Underwater
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 @ 02:00
Underwater photography looks beautiful when we view it, and many of us dream of being able to take such wonderful photographs of such naturally beautiful vistas as what can be found undersea. We can only imagine what the cost of such a system that could shoot underwater photographs would be.
Actually, it doesn't have to be an expensive proposition and some very simple cameras (preferably digital), combined with a hard shell casing, and a possibly a light strobe (depending upon depth at which you'll be shooting) are all that is really necessary to get some perfectly acceptable underwater photographs that will have all your friends ooohing and ahhhing.
The real cost of underwater photography does not lie in the gear, but rather your training and suitability for the genre. Underwater photography is definitely not as easy as it may look. There are many factors you will encounter beneath the ocean blue that you don't have to worry about on land. A few of these are natural light absorption, diffraction from particulates in the water, lack of a stable platform upon which to shoot due to fast moving currents, and other restrictions.
But the greatest factor the underwater photographer will have to grapple with is his underwater diving skills. If he is not comfortable in the water under a wide variety of conditions, then he shouldn't be distracting himself trying to take pictures. The undersea world is a beautiful one, but it can also be a highly dangerous one. Equipment can fail, and a diver can panic. Before even considering taking photographs underwater, the diver should have experience under various sea conditions and depths. I have heard stories about some of the most experienced divers, one of them my own SCUBA instructor, who ran out of air because they became distracted trying to get just the right shot, and failed to check their gauges on a regular basis. As my instructor told the story, by the time he realized his mistake, it was almost too late. Thankfully, he had a buddy nearby who was able to come to his aid.
The moral of this story, I guess, would be that no picture ... regardless of how breathtaking ... is worth your life. Make sure you have a solid knowledge of diving principles, as well as experience with various conditions, before making the decision to embark on a hobby in underwater photography.
