Underwater Photography

Nature has always been a favorite subject for a lot of photographers. It is instinctive for us humans to be fascinated with the diverse species that coexist with us in this planet. There are those who prefer shooting sceneries like land and water forms. The more adventurous ones are more likely to be inclined in taking photographs of the animals. For years, there have been several renowned nature photographers like Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, and Galen Rowell. Their works have been featured in various magazines like the infamous National Geographic Magazine. Photography may have started as a mere hobby for them and somewhere along the way, it became their passion to open windows of new experiences to those who can’t physically be there to witness the wonders of nature as they did. They’ve brought us spectacular views of the different wildlife species through their lenses.

The same principle applies to underwater photography. Since we’ve been living on land for practically the whole of our lives, it is inevitable for us to wonder what lies beneath the deep blue colours of the ocean. Because of underwater photography, we are now more familiar with the different life forms that breed in the ocean floor. Our knowledge about certain parts of history is relived through the photos of shipwrecks and the like. A lot of licensed scuba divers have turned into professional underwater photographers since they have already become familiar with the marine life.

To be able to produce nicely framed underwater images, underwater photographers have to be in major stealth mode so as not to alarm the species that they are taking photos of. Documenting life under the sea level in the most accurate way possible through the use of photographs is both exciting and draining especially when certain situations like heavy currents and tidal flow present themselves at your feet.

Underwater photography is more demanding and tricky than any other type of nature photography that’s why it calls for the need of specialized photography tools and an expert performance when shooting. When shooting on land, the amount of light is sufficient that even an average point-and-shoot digital camera is capable of producing photos with bright colours and well-adjusted contrast. On the contrary, in the case of underwater photography, it often poses as a challenge to come up with images that are clear and vibrant in colour. When you are submerged in water, the whole lot of what you see is in the shades of blue and green. The colours around you are washed out because there is very little light source that can permeate from the surface of the ocean.

Underwater photographers have come up with different ways to address this kind of problem but eventually, they’ve settled on using specialized wide-angle lenses to cover “underwater landscapes” and of course, macro lenses for extreme close up shots. They were able to discern that the trick is to get as close as possible to your subjects to reduce the risk of suffering the loss of colours and contrast when shooting.

The other technique is to employ the use of flash. Seeing that light is a major issue in underwater photography, the most obvious solution is to make use of an alternative light source to help in correcting the colour quality of underwater images. As early as the year 1923, W.H. Longley and Charles Martin solved the puzzle when they produced the first ever coloured underwater photos with the help of a magnesium-powered flash. Most photographers said that as much as it helps with the colour quality of underwater images, the complications of underwater photography lie primarily in the use of flash (also known as strobes). The more recent digital camera models like the Canon EOS 40D (which you can use with the Sealux CC40) that make use of the through-the-lens (TTL) metering system that can provide assistance in underwater scenarios with low visibility.

These two techniques have been proven to be very efficient but needless to say, your capability to produce lifelike underwater images relies primarily on your camera. Investing on state-of-the-art camera equipment would probably cost you an arm and leg so it does not help that scuba diving in itself is a very costly hobby. This is what probably makes underwater photography more out of the ordinary since not everybody can practice it. But if you’ll look back to the year 1856 when a man who goes by the name of William Thompson took the earliest set of underwater photos with his pole-mounted camera, you’d get the idea that the comprehensive features equipped in modern digital underwater cameras like the SeaLife DC1000 series can justify their rather heavy price tags. Nikon used to carry the Nikonos, an underwater camera line patterned after Jean De Wouters’ Calypso Phot that was released in 1957. Both make use of 35mm films so it was only expected that Nikon stopped producing the Nikonos in the year 2001 although some photographers opt to use this brand even now when shooting.

To provide more options to underwater photographers and those aspiring to be one, manufacturers like Canon and Olympus has produced a line of specialized underwater housing that you can use together with your favorite digital cameras coming from their various series. For instance, the Canon WP-DC22 will work well with the Canon Digital Ixus 80 IS point-and-shoot camera. For higher image definition, you can make use of the DSLR-ish Olympus SP-560 UZ and pair it with the Olympus PT-037. It is advisable to use the same brand of digital camera and underwater housing but since these leading manufacturers don’t provide casings for each and every camera model, the Ewa-Marine, Fantasea, and Ikelite has made available generic underwater housing lines to suit most camera models. This is good news especially to Sony camera users because they can continue to enjoy their camera even if Sony decided to discontinue its underwater housing line. These generic underwater housing lines (which are relatively cheaper by the way) can offer you new shooting experiences whether you decide on going professional or when you simply want to bring your cameras with you for snorkeling and beach trips.