Scuba Diving Tips
  • Home
  • DIVING COURSES TIPS
    • PADI Open Water Course >
      • PADI Open Water
      • PADI Confined Water Dives >
        • Confined Water Dive 1
        • Confined Water Dive 2
        • Confined Water Dive 3
        • Confined Water Dive 4
        • Confined Water Dive 5
      • PADI Open Water Diver Skill List
      • All Skills >
        • Dive Equipment Set Up
        • Buddy Check - BWRAF
        • Giant Stride Entry
        • BCD Inflate & Deflate at the surface
        • No Mask Breathing at the Surface
        • PADI Buoyancy Check Surface
        • Orally Inflate BCD at the Surface
        • 5 Point Descent Over a Sensitive Bottom
        • Regulator Clearing Two Methods
        • Regulator Recovery and Clearing
        • Partially Flooded Mask
        • Alternate Air Source Breathing Stationary
        • Fully Flooded Mask
        • Mask Removal & Replacement
        • PADI Mask Removal and Replacement 1 Minute
        • Free Flowing Regulator
        • Fin Pivot
        • CESA - Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent
        • Hover and Orally Inflate the BCD
        • Loose Cylinder Band
        • Weight Belt Removal and Replacement Underwater
        • Cramp Release Underwater
    • PADI IDC Course >
      • PADI IDC Skills Circuit
      • Mastery of Learning
  • General Scuba Tips
    • Scuba Hand Signals
    • Neutrally Buoyant VS Kneeling whilst teaching Scuba Diving
    • PADI Medical Form
    • Dive Jobs
  • Snorkeling Tips
    • Snorkeling Tips
  • Underwater Photography Tips
    • Photography Tips for Beginners
  • Get In Touch
  • Home
  • DIVING COURSES TIPS
    • PADI Open Water Course >
      • PADI Open Water
      • PADI Confined Water Dives >
        • Confined Water Dive 1
        • Confined Water Dive 2
        • Confined Water Dive 3
        • Confined Water Dive 4
        • Confined Water Dive 5
      • PADI Open Water Diver Skill List
      • All Skills >
        • Dive Equipment Set Up
        • Buddy Check - BWRAF
        • Giant Stride Entry
        • BCD Inflate & Deflate at the surface
        • No Mask Breathing at the Surface
        • PADI Buoyancy Check Surface
        • Orally Inflate BCD at the Surface
        • 5 Point Descent Over a Sensitive Bottom
        • Regulator Clearing Two Methods
        • Regulator Recovery and Clearing
        • Partially Flooded Mask
        • Alternate Air Source Breathing Stationary
        • Fully Flooded Mask
        • Mask Removal & Replacement
        • PADI Mask Removal and Replacement 1 Minute
        • Free Flowing Regulator
        • Fin Pivot
        • CESA - Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent
        • Hover and Orally Inflate the BCD
        • Loose Cylinder Band
        • Weight Belt Removal and Replacement Underwater
        • Cramp Release Underwater
    • PADI IDC Course >
      • PADI IDC Skills Circuit
      • Mastery of Learning
  • General Scuba Tips
    • Scuba Hand Signals
    • Neutrally Buoyant VS Kneeling whilst teaching Scuba Diving
    • PADI Medical Form
    • Dive Jobs
  • Snorkeling Tips
    • Snorkeling Tips
  • Underwater Photography Tips
    • Photography Tips for Beginners
  • Get In Touch

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Underwater Photography Tips for Beginners

So you have already started to scuba dive and now you want to take it to the next step and try some underwater photography. Here are a few of my top tips to remember before you even get in the water.
Underwater Photography Tips for Beginners
Photo Credit: @peachsnapsphotography

Are you ready to start underwater photography?

You may have passed your open water course but are you ready to add another element to your scuba diving experience? After passing your Open Water course you are ready to scuba dive around the world. But are you truly ready to also master a camera underwater?
For most people, it is unlikely that their buoyancy skills will be good enough to take the best underwater pictures if you just finished your beginner open water diver course. If you are serious about getting into underwater photography. I would advise getting your advanced diver course or at the very least a lot of practice fun diving at the open water level. This will give you time to get comfortable and confident with your movements underwater making it safer and easier to get those amazing shots.

Best camera for underwater photography?

Buying your first underwater camera for underwater photography can be stressful as there are so many to chose from. On top of that, you also need to decide what kind of camera housing you want.
Paddy Peach Steele giving compact camera advice
Paddy Peach Steele giving compact camera advice
​It helps if you are already experienced with photography on land. If you already know how cameras work then go for what you know. If you are new to photography, then I recommend keeping it simple. The best camera for beginner underwater photography is a basic compact model. Basic compact cameras are so advanced these days that you can achieve great shots without breaking the bank.
Best Whale Shark Picture
This picture was taken on a basic compact camera - Photo Credit: peachsnapsphotography

Where are you and what are you doing?

You have done some dives and bought yourself an underwater camera. You feel confident in your buoyancy and general scuba diving skills. You are ready to explore and start your new passion for underwater photography, but where to dive?
To get the best opportunities to practice your first shots we recommend you to research your diving destinations before entering the water. Understanding the dive site, potential currents, and other conditions. Can give you an edge in finding the best spot to take underwater pictures.
Skunk Clown Fish
Skunk Clown Fish - Photo Credit: @peachsnapsphotography
​Even more important is researching the marine life on the dive site before the dive. This can help you to recognize species and where to find them. Once you get more experienced at underwater photography you can learn fish and coral's behaviors and get even better at taking the perfect underwater photo.

Fast track your underwater photography skills

For most of us, diving is a once or twice a year holiday so we don’t get a lot of time to practice these skills and learn all the relevant knowledge. Fast track yourself by booking an underwater photography course with your dive shop. In this Digital Underwater Photography course, they will teach you lots of different underwater photography tips, like your position, the perfect angle depending on the species, dealing with light, flash, editing and so much more.

​The best tip is to experiment a lot, take lots of pictures, bring your underwater camera on every dive and you will be surprised how fast you will improve. As John Wooden famously said:

“The importance of repetition until automaticity cannot be overstated. Repetition is the key to learning.”
Paddy Peach Steele
Author:
Paddy Peach Steele is a passionate underwater photography that has taken award winning marine life pictures. Please check out his portfolio on Instagram: @peachsnapsphotography

What to check out next?

Do you want to learn more about how scuba divers communicate underwater? Then check out our Scuba Diving Hand Signals Blog as your next read.
Picture
Marcel van den Berg
​PADI Platinum Course Director
GET IN TOUCH

SCUBA DIVING TIPS

    JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to Newsletter
Privacy Policy

Disclaimer: Marcel van den Berg is a certified PADI Divemaster (2007), OWSI (2007), MSDT (2007), IDCSI (2008), Master Instructor (2010) and Course Director since 2011. This video and other video’s on any Facebook Page, Group or Personal Profile and on the YouTube Channels: Marcel van den Berg and Scuba Diving Tips are for general informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your Local Law, Scuba Diving Training Organisation, RSTC and/or your scuba diving professional that is legally teaching/guiding you scuba diving whenever you are in doubt, or following a scuba diving course / guide scuba dive under the supervision of a scuba dive professional from any worldwide dive industry recognised scuba dive organisation. Marcel (Mario) van den Berg, IDC Koh Tao Thailand, Scuba Diving Tips and/or any related Website, Facebook Page, Group, or Personal Profile are not liable or responsible for any advice, trading tips or any other information, services or products you obtain through this video or site. Marcel (Mario) van den Berg, IDC Koh Tao Thailand, Scuba Diving Tips and/or any related Facebook Page, Group, or Personal Profile are not liable or responsible for any injury, financial loss, failing a scuba diving course and or loss of certification.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright 2017 - 2020  |   All Rights Reserved