What better way to capture and showcase your underwater adventures than by camera? So in this post here are my 5 top tips for using a camera underwater to help you get the most out of your photography and diving.

I love taking my camera underwater, it’s one of the reasons I learned to scuba dive. There are many reasons why divers take cameras underwater, and that camera can take us far in everything from ocean research and science communications to saving memories from a family holiday dive. Personally, I take my camera underwater to try and showcase the beauty of oceans, specifically here in the UK.

All of my camera work has been self-taught so I have picked up many hints and tips along the way, the top 5 I am going to share with you here.

1. Be Confident In Your Diving

It is always recommended to be a confident, comfortable diver before taking a camera underwater. Diving is already a very task-heavy activity so taking a camera on your dives is increasing the task loading you have to do. Making sure your diving is second nature will not only keep you safe it will stop you from damaging the environment you are diving in. Also, the better your diving the better your photos. It gives you the ability to focus more on getting the right lighting as well as keeping your lens focused on the fantastic marine subjects you encounter.

Having top-notch dive skills means you can focus more on taking those top-notch photos!

2. Buoyancy!

One of the most important skills in diving, your buoyancy is absolutely key in underwater photography/videography. By controlling your buoyancy there is less chance of damage to the reefs and wrecks or scaring off any marine life you would like to capture on camera. As well as less chance of kicking up sediment which could cause plenty of the photographer’s nightmare; backscatter.

Another thing to think about with buoyancy is the buoyancy of your camera. Some cameras and their housing may be positively or negatively buoyant. This can make a difference to your position in the water. No one wants a camera that’s too heavy to hold or too buoyant it floats by your head (tangled in your regs!) It’s definitely worth the time to see how your camera acts in the water and if it’s worth trying out floats depending on what you want to achieve.

3. Know Your Camera

Another way to make your life easier is to know your camera well. If you know where everything is there’s less faffing when you’re underwater. This goes for the housing too, knowing the functions and button positions allows you to easily switch between those impactful close-up shot settings and the sweeping landscape settings. Pop your camera in its housing and play around with the buttons making sure all the menus line up and all the functions you need are easily accessible. I’ve spent many hours playing with my setup to get it filming ready meaning I’ll never miss the shot because of my kit set-up!

4. Study Your Subject

As well as knowing your camera well, it can be good to know about the subject you are photographing too. Some species are a bit shier and take that time to come out from their crevices to say hello. Others, a bit like the Tompot Blenny or Grey Seal are more outgoing and curious. Happy to come right up to the camera to pose! When it comes to wrecks, having knowledge of the site and even some of its history can allow you to tell its story through imagery easier. Speaking to other underwater photographers or videographers about the subjects available on a reef or the best way to light up the inside of a wreck they have captured before can give you good inspiration and knowledge for your own work. Don’t forget to be respectful when photographing and have good underwater photographer etiquette.

5. Final Checks

Including your camera set up in your buddy checks before a dive is so important. This way you get that chance to double-check everything is okay before striding into the water. Check the housing is closed properly, lights/strobes have batteries in, your rig is all secure and you didn’t forget the memory card. Doing these final checks, as well as maintaining your camera kit well, will stop terrible accidents to your kit or ruining your dive memories. I am guilty of not checking my kit properly before jumping in and stupidly flooding my housing, ruining my camera. It’s known that the main way to flood a camera is by user error, but trust me when I say you’ll only do it once!

So that’s my top 5 tips for taking your camera underwater. Hopefully, some, if not all, of these tips are helpful or at least remind you of some of the skills you use when taking your camera kit on your dives. It really is fantastic to be able to take cameras underwater giving so many of us the chance to combine our photographic passions with our love for diving. There are so many discoveries and memories now being captured and shared through the use of cameras. No matter your level of photography get out there and give it a go.

My bonus final tip is to ENJOY your underwater photography/videography! It does not matter if your stuff is the best as long as you have fun capturing your dives.