On a snorkel excursion in the Riviera Maya I tried out an underwater camera for the first time. It`s kind of a challenge to pay attention to all that beauty that surrounds you, while trying to capture it for later.
As I wasn`t so happy with my photos afterwards, I looked a bit online for some tips (probably should have done that before to be honest), but this is what I came across in a National Geographic article (these are just the headlines and the article is definitely worth the read if you want to get into underwater photography):
- Get comfortable underwater
- Understand marine life
- Choose the right gear
- Be familiar with basic settings
- Use available light
- Complement available light with flash
- Make the swimming pool your testing ground
- Learn and use the rules of composition
- Experiment with macro
- Enjoy the experience
I think the first tip is really a good one. It`s important you know what you`re doing with either your snorkel or your dive gear.
I should have also paid more attention to the settings and the available light, as they`re very different for underwater photography. There is however on an underwater point-and-shoot camera a setting for it which I used. I still think the light could have been better when I saw my photos afterwards.
It`s a good recommendation if you want to make the most out of your photos, to test it in advance like in a swimming pool.
And I couldn`t agree more with enjoy the experience first. I felt like I was missing out on the experience because I was trying so hard to get something on camera.
Here`s a short video I made underwater:
And one of the photos:
I remember seeing the most beautiful underwater world years ago at the Great Barrier Reef. If you want some tips on where to find Nemo and his friends, then check out this article.
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