If you’re a keen scuba diver or underwater enthusiast and love taking stunning photographs of landscapes or animals, then underwater photography might be the perfect discipline for you.

What is Underwater Photography?

Underwater photography is, quite simply, the practice of taking photographs underwater. This can be done while you’re scuba diving, swimming, or snorkeling, or if you want to go even deeper underwater, from submersibles or remote underwater vehicles.

What Do I Need for Underwater Photography?

To get started with underwater photography, we recommend you put together a starter kit with an underwater point-and-shoot camera until you get used to the practice and know what equipment to prioritize. GoPro cameras are a great way to get started with underwater photography, but they offer very little functionality aside from capturing images.

Underwater photography professionals use standard DSLR or mirrorless cameras with underwater-grade housing, which has to be made specifically to fit your camera or lens to avoid damage. You’ll also only need a short lens with your camera as there won’t be enough light for a long lens to capture.

Underwater Photography and Lighting

One of the most important things to note with underwater photography is that lighting is notoriously difficult, particularly as you get deeper underwater. Water that’s only 10ft deep absorbs most of the red light wavelengths that you’d normally get from natural sunlight, which can make the shots you take seem faded unless you have additional light apparatus.

Underwater Photography Subjects

Common subjects used in underwater photography are “landscapes”, marine life, shipwrecks, cave systems, and other divers. You can also use your underwater photography skills to create stunning underwater fashion, beauty, or commercial shots. If you’re more scientifically-minded, then these skills are often in demand from underwater survey, construction, or environmental programs. Over/under images, where half of the shot is above water and the other half is below the surface, are also increasingly popular.

See the latest underwater Photography tips, tutorials and news in the articles below.