| One of the highlights of scuba diving is | | | | wide-angle lenses. |
| appreciating how amazing and colorful life is | | | | To be a good underwater photographer, you |
| underwater. It is so breathtaking and different | | | | usually have to be quite a proficient scuba diver, |
| that it is often difficult to explain to a non-scuba | | | | and have your buoyancy under control (a skill |
| diver just how pretty it is. The only way people | | | | which comes with diving practice). Snorkelers can |
| who don't dive can understand the marvels of | | | | also take photos underwater, but they are limited |
| underwater marine life, the coral reef and the | | | | in depth and also how long they can spend |
| impressive array of colors is to look at | | | | underwater. |
| underwater photography. | | | | Digital cameras are preferred for underwater |
| Most divers get their first taste of underwater | | | | photography, and many waterproof housing cases |
| photography during their Advanced Open Water | | | | can now be purchased and fitted to your |
| diving certification, when it is offered as one of | | | | everyday land camera. To compensate for the |
| the specialties. It is at this point when they realize | | | | fact that many normal cameras do not have wide |
| and begin to understand the complexities of | | | | enough lenses, some of these casings are |
| snapping photos underwater. | | | | complete with a dome shape in front of the lens |
| Underwater photography is one of the most | | | | to act as a wide-angle lens. |
| complicated and challenging forms of photography. | | | | To compensate for the lack of light and |
| Expensive, specialized equipment and well-honed | | | | consequent lack of colors, divers can use flash or |
| techniques are needed. The major problem with | | | | strobe technology, but it is complicated. Usually, |
| taking photos underwater is the loss of color and | | | | artificial light is combined with natural sunlight to |
| contrast when at significant depths. Some colors, | | | | preserve colors, but in the case of wreck, or |
| particularly red and orange, are the first to be lost | | | | cave diving, this is not possible and flash or strobe |
| underwater, because of their longer wavelengths, | | | | is used alone. |
| so everything appears blue-green. It is also very | | | | Another point to bear in mind is that people |
| difficult to photograph things that are a certain | | | | naturally hold their breath when taking photos. |
| distance away from you. To counteract these | | | | Underwater, holding your breath can be a deadly |
| problems, dive photographers always take photos | | | | mistake, so photographers should consciously |
| from as close up as possible, and use very | | | | breathe throughout the photo-taking process. |