Scuba Diving And Underwater Photography

Just as it has for surface cameras and would be photographers advances in digital photography are making underwater photography easier, less expensive and the amateur shoot like a pro. The advantages of digital underwater camera over film are the same as with a surface counter part. No need to worry about running out or replacing film, no processing charges or waiting for processing, and easier manipulation and duplication of underwater digital photos with your computer. Still there are some tips that can really hello you take home some special memories form your scuba diving adventure.

Digital underwater cameras have made good results possible with "point and click" for the scuba diving picture taker. A few simple pointers will help you get the most out of your marine models. Get as close as possible to your subject and always shoot form underneath. The unearthly formation beneath the waves and the magnifying effect of water make scale sometimes difficult to comprehend in an underwater photo - which in some ways leads to there magic, but if you are taking a picture of an eel or fish and want to achieve a real sense of scale try to also catch a recognizable object in the frame. Always use your flash and try to shoot at an upward angle. While newer high tech cameras are making underwater photography easier for divers, mastery of some basic Scuba skills is still important in taking great underwater snaps. Primarily if you want to take good underwater pictures you need to master controlling buoyancy. This means no flailing about with your hands as this will not only potentially stir up silt and debris and mare your picture, but those hands will be holding a camera. With proper breathing techniques a diver will learn how to stay buoyant with minimal body movements - which will not only let you take better pictures, you will be able to get more of them by staying under longer as you consume les air.

A word about subject matter, while it is potentially impossible to take bad pictures during a reef dive, or feeding stingrays, it is a good idea to try to take photos that tell a story. A series of photos that document your dive experience, will be far more interesting then just a series of random albeit beautiful images of sea life. Remember with a digital camera there is no cost of film and you usually have 100's of pictures available on a chip or card, so take your camera with you everywhere and don't be afraid to snap everything and document your whole trip, you probably spent thousands to get to that resort, include it, and pictures of the airport, your dive boat and dive master too. Once you are underwater don't get hung up on just getting close-ups of the animals, or the reefs, while these will make great screen savers, broaden your horizons a bit, take pictures entering the water, descending, and returning to the dive boat. Take some wider angle pictures that show the true scope of the whole environment you were in, too many scuba divers say "wow you should have seen the rest of it" while showing friends and family a great close-up of that Clown fish that looked "just like the on in that movie"