Not long ago underwater photography was practically prohibitive, buying a water chamber (until disposable appliances came out that were pretty good) was something that was within reach of very few fans, times have changed (and many). Now there are even smartphones that you can submerge underwater without fear of damaging it. A blast, isn’t it? And if we have such a wonderful choice, how is it possible that we let it go?
In this article I offered to give you some tips to encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity offered by technology, although this blog is oriented to SLR photography, do not worry, these tips will help you to have the equipment you need. (with their corresponding protection, of course?).
- Before moving on to the photographic theme.
- Let me focus on this (fundamental) aspect of adapting to the aquatic environment.
- And when I talk about adaptation I mean the team and the photographer.
The team. Unless you have an underwater camera (bravo, what luck) or an underwater smartphone, you’ll have to protect it from its fiercest enemy, the water. Obviously, how? There are several ways:
To make sure it works perfectly, as they are not the safest option on the market, before submerging your smartphone or camera under water, fill the case with toilet paper and put it in a bucket of water (cold, eh? During a hour or two). . If the paper comes out completely dry, you can quietly put your equipment underwater, otherwise, would you tell the manufacturer and sniff out relief that you have tried this earlier?
Check out this video, this is a photo shoot in a pool. Okay, they’re not amateurs, but they can give you ideas, right?Yes, it’s also in English, but if you don’t understand it, with the images, can you also learn a lot?
Tu. Si, yes, you. You also need to adapt to the environment, when it comes to taking photos in general you need to be comfortable, relaxed, underwater is not going to be less. The thing is that things get a little complicated here, because we don’t have gills, if you’re a super-skilled diver (now don’t get excited going down several meters deep with the equipment mentioned in the previous point). If not, you’ll have to think about whether you feel as good at sea as you do in the pool, if you swim freely when you’re not standing, if when there are aquatic animals, your whole body stretches. Keep in mind when planning your session. And keep in mind that in a pool the water is much clearer. If you’re looking for sharpness?
Tip: For your comfort and to dispel a concern, wear diving goggles that cover your nose.
If you enter the water with a box or shell, forget about setting the settings easily in place. You’ll have to do it in advance. Anticipate the conditions and settings you need to make and do them before overwhelming your camera. Even if you have a waterproof smartphone, touch screens don’t work underwater.
Water is a medium that intervenes between the subject and your camera, the greater the distance, the more it will be distorted, the colors will fade and the subject will lose its prominence, the closer you get, the more impact your photo will have. Especially under the sea, where the water can be a little cloudy and if you dig deep you lose a lot of light, get as close as possible (as long as the motive is not a dangerous shark-like animal?).
Underwater, light availability is greatly reduced and this reduction is proportional to depth. If you’re in an indoor pool, you’ll need a flash. Outdoors, swimming pool or sea, the more light there is, the better, especially if you want to go down several meters or if the sea water is a little cloudy.
If your lighting is dim, use the flash or stay close to the surface. Getting too close is also a good option, but you’ll also have to stay close to the surface. And, although the midday light is not very suitable for many photographers. cases, this time it will be an excellent ally.
In the case of photographs that include background and surface, it is best to start in the morning, because the water is calmer (from the sea, of course) and the light is similar in and out of the Water.
I have just told you that near the surface you will have much more light, in addition, at a certain depth the colors begin to fade.
Being close to the surface also allows you, among other things, a portrait in which the subject has an open face and can move more comfortably, capture the reflections and rays of the sun, photograph splashes and take photographs like these (all of Elena Kalis).
Put any imaginable object in the water, from the guitar to the swing. Portraits out of water win with accessories like a magnifying glass, a hat . . . imagine this under water, the effect is really impressive. Any object whose usual place is out of the water will make your image spectacular.
When it comes to portraits, in addition to accessories, to create dreamy images, of great beauty, ethereal, impressive . . . take good care of your wardrobe. The vaporous fabrics are the ones that move best in the water and the ones that will create the best effects, also choose the colors depending on what you want to convey, do not leave anything to chance.
Being underwater does not exempt you from making a good composition, you will not need to control settings such as light, shutter speed, etc. , if your composition is not good enough, take care of it (and a lot). There will be the difference between a good photo or a spectacular photo.
As with out-of-water photos, your image will take interest if it tells a story, because yes, you can also tell stories underwater. It is also a good idea to make a series, like Elena Kalis of Alice through the mirror that I showed you in the gallery of point 6.
In addition to everything you can bring with your models, accessories or create a decoration, the underwater world is full of wonderful treasures, and I don’t mean gold-engulfed galleons, but natural treasures, photographing them gives excellent results in itself. even if you also have a chance to combine them?
I advise you to take a look at the galleries or get to know the work of Bruce Mozert, Zena Holloway and Elena Kalis (I used the latter to assemble this article, you’ve probably already fallen in love). You can also visit photos of Adam Opris’ Wedding and Pregnancy.
This is without a doubt one of the most important tips, to take a spectacular underwater photograph plan as much as you can in advance, repeat (if possible) the session, anticipate any inconvenience that may occur and anticipate the needs. Without proper planning, you can get an interesting photo, but it will be more a result of chance than work.
And that’s the star, besides creativity, submersible equipment, sets, etc. , you’re going to need a lot of patience (and lungs) because your photos won’t come out the first or the second. and have fun trying, otherwise you’ll have a frustrated session and little desire to repeat, and after seeing all these photos you don’t want that to happen to you, do you?
I’m not going to tell you to go out and “create” water photographs right away, because as we said before, it requires planning and other things, what I’m going to ask you is that if you found it interesting, that you value this information and that you propose, before getting up from your chair and turning off the computer. , a date for this session. And in the meantime, dedicate yourself to preparation. By the way, if you liked the article share it so that your contacts discover the enormous possibilities of underwater photography. Thank you and soon!