Underwater Photography Tips for scuba divers

In this article, I want to share some general underwater photography tips with you that will help you become a better underwater photographer.

Safety first

Underwater safety always comes first. It is easy to get carried away when you have a camera with you, but please keep an eye on your air supply, your depth, and dive time.

Stay within your limits. Also, make sure you don’t lose your dive buddy (I know that can be especially difficult when you are a photographer!).

Don’t touch anything underwater

Remember that we don’t want to be touching anything underwater except yourself and your camera 😉 It is not okay to touch any marine critters or coral, as this would cause them a lot of stress and might even harm them.

Please also pay attention to your fins, “touching” does not only mean touching with your hands but your whole body.

Mind your surroundings when photographing

Good buoyancy skills are essential for us divers, but especially so when you are photographing underwater. If you do not feel comfortable with your buoyancy yet, keep practicing before you bring a camera to your dive.

I am not a fan of lying down underwater, even if it is “just sand”. There are tons of tiny little critters living in the sand that could get harmed if you just sit or lie down on the bottom.

Instead, I encourage you to always photograph while neutrally buoyant. Breathe slowly and steadily to minimize your movement.

Never chase an animal underwater

I know it can be tempting to chase the manta ray that just swam by you. But all you are going to achieve by chasing an animal underwater is that it will feel stressed and get away from you even faster.

If you let the animal come to you instead, you will also notice in your images that the animal is much more relaxed, resulting in better pictures.