I love taking pictures, but it wasn’t until I was sitting on a beach in Hawaii a few weeks ago that I considered experimenting with underwater photography.
A very nice man saw me taking photos of my daughter at the water’s edge and asked if my camera was waterproof. When I answered no he showed me the waterproof rigid plastic case he was carrying his camera in while taking shots of his kids attempting to boogie board for the first time.
I have to admit I was intrigued. My daughter loves the water but at age three she is still a little reluctant to swim on her own so I don’t often get a chance to take underwater shots of her since she is typically clinging to my neck and balancing her and the camera underwater would be next to impossible. However, I am very grateful that my fellow beachgoer approached me because it inspired me to do some research on underwater photography. If I begin experimenting now when my daughter does start swimming on her own I will be able to capture her every move from under the water instead of from the shore.
One of the first things I learned about underwater photography is that it is considered to be the most difficult type of photography out there. Obviously, you are dealing with different environmental pressures than those related with land photography and there is a whole new set of variables to contend with. What’s more, underwater photography is not cheap and it does take a great deal of time and effort to capture a frameworthy shot.
I didn’t realize that there was so much to consider when shooting underwater not the least of which is adjusting to the fact that water magnifies and your shots. This of course means you will need to shoot with a wider-angle lens (a 20mm lens on a traditional digital SLR or 35mm film camera is not especially wide for underwater use) and that’s just the start.
In my next blog I will detail some of the most popular underwater cameras on the market and reveal ways you can rig your own gear to take photos under the sea.
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