Just Add Water to Your Photos (Part II)

Last month, I wrote about my underwater photography adventures.  The story focused on shallow water. You can read the story here.

This is the second part, which explores deep-water photography. By deep water, I mean places you can only reach with scuba gear and special camera equipment.

Underwater photography is one of the most rewarding creative pursuits. It's one of the most technically challenging, especially in deep water.

Two key factors in underwater photography are you and your gear.

It is not like you walk up to a fish and say, “Stay there while I adjust the light and the ISO and get you in focus.”  In many situations, it is snap and go, and that is the best you can do.

The rewards are great. For example, the two images below that I have used for calendars, placemats, and wall photos.

Problem number 1 – Your body

Anyone who has taken photos, even with a simple "point and shoot" camera, knows you need to stay still for any photo.  Underwater, that is easier said than done.

Mastering your buoyancy is key. It keeps you from bobbing up and down when not set right.  Failing to do so leads to blurry shots or, even worse, that feeling of: "Where did that fish go?”

New photographers often deal with problems like floating too much, sinking quickly, or kicking up sand. These problems can ruin their shots.  I’ve done them all.  It is also not easy to stop and critically analyse a photo you have just taken.

Problem number 2 – Your Equipment

The camera housing is vital for deep underwater photography; probably, more so than the camera.

You can expect to pay more than three times as much for a good camera housing. This is true, especially if you have strobes to boost the light or other features mounted on the housing.

I distinctly remember my first camera and housing.  The camera was one I already had, and I bought what I thought was reasonable housing for it. It worked well at first. Then, on one dive, after capturing great shots of turtles and manta rays, it flooded.  The whole lot was ruined.

Two lessons I learned.  Don’t scrimp on your housing and take very good care of it, especially the seals.  Below the water, pressure increases, and even a small leak in the seal, such as a hair or a piece of dirt, will breach it.

I had my diving ritual when we went on holiday. The bath was my space. My camera and housing floated there for a while. If we had a pool, I'd use that too. I made sure to check for leaks before heading out to dive.

I soon realised I had to make a compromise in deep water. I didn't have the time to depend on downloading every weekend to master all the required diving skills. I also lacked the patience to study the dynamics of photography to the nth degree. I wanted some memories of a time that I enjoyed.

Most photographers in deeper water are after sharks or large marine life like manta rays, eagle rays or wrasse and groupers. It is also challenging to get close to these creatures.

The other big problem is that the deeper you go, the light penetration changes. As you descend, water acts as a filter, absorbing colours quickly. Red is lost within the first 15 feet (5 meters), followed by orange, yellow, and green, leaving images overwhelmingly blue or green at greater depths.

Backscatter can ruin what seems like a perfectly good image. Suspended particles in the water (plankton, sand, debris), create "backscatter" (white specks) in photos. This is more pronounced in deep or murky water (for example, after a storm or in areas with strong currents), and it requires careful strobe positioning to minimise it.

The bottom line is that sharpness and clarity fade with distance. To get clear, colourful photos, you must get as close to your subject. It can be challenging with skittish marine life and requires excellent diving skills.

My solution became simple. So, the best you can do is take as many photos as you can. I call it “photos by number.” The more photos you take, the more likely it is that at least some will turn out.

I must have taken 100’s of thousands of photos to produce maybe a thousand decent images. I was never a good photographer, but sometimes I got lucky, and I had fun doing it.

Till next time,

Calvin