rules to play underwater photography

There are some does and donts to using a strobe. While the strobe will produce a powerful burst of light, its energy will still be absorbed by water. So get as close as you can to your subject, when you think you cant possibly get any closer, get closer still. This will reduce the amount of water between you and the subject, and so allow as much light as possible to reach it from your strobe. You should also place the strobe light on an arm, so the light comes in from a different angle, this will reduce the amount of back scatter, caused by light hitting particulate in the water between you and your subject.

Also, have a thought for the sensitivity of the creature you are blinding with flashes. The majority of marine animals dont have eyelids, or any way of protecting their eyes from bright light. A half hour photo session in the midst of a group of over zealous divers probably wont do their nerves any favours.

Proper lighting makes or breaks images. Think twice about entering over or under exposed images. Exposure does not need to be absolutely perfect if the image is still striking

With so many underwater images being created every year, there are a lot of great images out there. Good composition is the key to a pleasing image. Think about image flow

What makes a winning image is very subjective and each judge will have a different thought process depending on who they are. Professional photographers will be more critical of the finer technical details, while non photographers, even magazine editors are simply looking for striking images regardless of the technical aspects of the shot. Knowing ahead of time who the judges are can help you refine your selection of images to enter.

With the advent of digital technology, film has slid into relic status. That does not mean it is obsoletewith appropriate housing for a film camera one can capture impressive imagesbut it is not as easy as shooting with a digital camera.

The number of water resistant cameras available to consumers has increased exponentially in the 21st Century. It is possible to produce quality images with almost any model. A point and shoot gets the job done, but flexibility and quality are sacrificed a little. Digital Single Lens Reflex DSLR cameras will produce the best results, at a slightly higher cost. There is no right camera, just the camera that fits your budget and underwater activity.

Without getting too technical,it is important to know the three things that happen when light hits water refraction, reflection, and absorption.Refraction is the bending of light rays, reflection sends them back in to the atmosphere, and specific wavelengths colors in the visible spectrum are fully absorbed by incremental depths Red is only visible at shallow depths; blue much deeper.Light intensity and individual colors diminish, which forces the underwater photographer to take action in these low light situations.