Taking and sharing photos of certain moments and occasions is now a norm. Both amateurs and professionals share their videos and photos on various video and photo sharing platforms, including social media.
Like above water photography, underwater photography now attracts a lot of interest. Due to this reason, underwater camera brands have made their way to the market, making it easy for anyone to access underwater photography gear.
You can hone and improve your underwater photography skills with the tips below. Moreover, you will learn to make the most out of your underwater action camera. Without wasting time, let's jump into it!
A) Must-Have Items
Starting on the journey to sharpening your underwater photography skills will require you to have certain gear. The following are some of the gears you will require:
1. HD Easy-to-Use Action Camera
An underwater camera is more than just a simple waterproof camera. It needs to have good image stabilization features, white balance options, and a good battery for filming clear footage.
It also needs to be easy to use to avoid spending countless light-years figuring out how to operate it.
There are a lot of brands selling underwater action cameras with great features. One of the top-choice cameras is the AKASO Brave 8.
The Brave 8 shoots 4K60fps videos and 48 MP photos. It has dual-color screens. It also has an 8K time-lapse, 16x slo-mo, and AI Face Metering.
Another popular option is the AKASO Brave 7LE. This model shoots 4K30 videos and 20 MP photos. Moreover, it has an electronic image stabilization 2.0, dual screens, and is waterproof.
But, before you settle, check if your underwater action camera can shoot in low light conditions and if it makes it easy to focus on an object. It will help you take quality photos you can share with your circle.
2. Dive Camera Case
A dive case or camera housing is essentially a camera case for your top camera. It protects your camera from sand and other objects while giving you full control of the camera. It also protects your camera from water pressure.
So, if you want perfect and uninterrupted shots, a dive case should be one of your accessories.
3. Diffusers/Lighting Equipment
It's well known that good lighting is essential when capturing moments on camera. But uninterrupted lighting is not always easy to come by underwater. To have good footage, consider carrying diffusers or lighting equipment.
External lighting equipment doesn't come cheap, but the final product is worth it. You are bound to come up with clips and images that are sharp and vivid.
Tips For Underwater Photography
There are several tips that you can follow to improve your underwater photography skills, below are some;
1. Pay Attention to Resolution, Aperture, and Shutter Speed
Capturing high-quality footage is the goal of any amateur or professional photographer. The resolution, aperture, and shutter speed play an ultimate role in shooting high-quality footage.
Consider investing in 4K and 5K resolution cameras if you want crispy shots. The same applies to aperture. When we say aperture, we mean the hole in the camera through which light passes. If you want your shots to be bright, go for a bigger aperture.
Shutter speed will also help your photos look bright. Shutter speed means how long your aperture hole stays open when you press the shutter. The logic is simple, the longer your aperture stays open, the brighter the clips and images.
So, if you want to capture footage that captures those beautiful bright colors, reduce your shutter speed to slow.
2. Master Buoyancy and Forget About Blurry Images
Buoyancy is something you should master if you plan on shooting clips and images underwater. The mastery in buoyancy will increase the likelihood of your footage turning out sharp.
If you don't want to find yourself filtering out dozens of images only to find a few good ones left, the ability to float with ease is a must.
Granted, it isn't as easy as it sounds, but the determination to learn and improve will get you there in no time.
3. Prioritize Shorter Clips
To keep your audience engaged, make sure your clips are as short as possible. That's because the human attention span is no more than 8 seconds.
Yet, this doesn't mean all your clips should be short. You can shoot longer videos if you want to capture certain moments that short clips won't capture properly, such as a school of fish floating, etc.
4. Shoot As Steady As Possible
Have you ever shot a gazillion images and found out there are only a few of them you can share because the rest weren't of good quality? How did that make you feel?
There's nothing as disappointing as a bunch of blurry clips or photos after a shoot. It's even more disappointing if the clips were the best of the best moments and you can't use them because they aren't clear enough. That is why steady hands are a must.
Try your best not to shake your hands or your body. Well, keeping hands steady may not be easy. But, it may not be impossible either. With determination, one can master the art of shooting with steady hands.
Self-cultivation of Underwater Photographers
Have you ever visited someone's home? Did you make your own rules when you were there?
When we visit someone else's home, we do not bring our own rules or impose our way of life on them. Think of diving in the same way. You are visiting; as such, you should not disturb marine species in any way.
Do not touch any marine species that you come across underwater. You could cause damage and possibly hurt yourself too.
You should admire all species you come across and take pictures from a distance. Remember, it is the responsibility of every diver to conserve the environment.
Final Thoughts!
Photography is a big deal in today's world. Many young and older people have taken it up as a hobby or profession.
The rise in internet usage in recent years has given a lot of people a chance to share video clips and photos of amazing experiences. People share photos of simple things like a walk in the park or a nice breakfast on Instagram, Facebook, etc.
Divers now also have a lot of platforms to share the amazing videos and photos they take using their underwater action cameras.
Also, remember to perfect your editing skills. You will need them to produce your final video copies. The good thing is you do not have to take a gazillion courses to learn how to edit your underwater pictures. A simple YouTube editing tutorial video may do the trick.
Whether you are an amateur or professional underwater photographer, remember to enjoy the moments as much as you love sharing them.
If you are a diver, continue sharing those amazing experiences with the world. And remember, your camera is your greatest weapon. If your camera is bad, so will your footage be.
Thus, take your time choosing your gadgets, and remember to pay attention to quality. Don't forget to buy accessories for your camera too. You can consider buying AKASO brave 7 LE or AKASO brave 8 for underwater photography.
