Improving skills • Underwater photography. Profession: Underwater photographer

08.01.18 14 543 0

Profession: Underwater photographer

Instead of an office to a swimming pool

One day Mikhail Babkin went with his three-month-old daughter to the pool. He enjoyed swimming and photographing children so much that he quit his job as a designer and retrained. Now he is an underwater photographer: he takes pictures of people and things in the water.

Elena Evstratova

talked to the photographer

I asked him about new profession and found out what pleasure it is to sit in the water for 8 hours, how to learn to shoot underwater and how much you can earn.

Why do you need an underwater photographer?

People come to an underwater photographer for unusual photographs for a wedding or family photo shoot. Sometimes, with the help of a photo shoot, people try to fight their fears: they learn to open their eyes in the water, look into the camera, dive to the depths and not be ashamed of their body.

When they talk about photography, everyone thinks about the studio, well-placed lighting and smiles on duty. Mikhail also started with such filming, but quickly switched to underwater. He likes that underwater photography is unconventional. In water it is impossible to repeat the same pose or stretch out a smile on duty. The photographs always produce lively emotions, interesting angles and bright colors.

With this photo in 2016, Mikhail took second place in the Nikon competition.

Water distorts proportions, so girls visually look slimmer than on land - some are especially attracted to this. Entrepreneurs are asking for photographs to advertise waterproof products. Pools order photography when they want to show the depth of the bowl or the purity of the water.

Most often, Mikhail is asked to photograph children in the pool. Parents want to remember how their child swims underwater or dives from the side. It is better to take such pictures at depth: on the surface you will only get splashes and heads.

Education

Mikhail is a design engineer by training. I worked in my specialty for 10 years, and then I decided to change my profession - I bought a camera and started taking pictures of everything. I tried to photograph in studios, outdoors and underwater. It turned out that the competition among photographers in swimming pools is the lowest. Few people like to sit underwater for 8 hours a day, but thanks to swimming lessons with his daughter, Mikhail realized that this is exactly what he likes.

Reportage photography is best suited for shooting in water, where it is impossible to capture the desired pose or emotion, and the correct angle has to be caught in a split second.

The ability to take photographs is more important for an underwater photographer than the ability to swim. Depth children's pool- from 60 to 150 cm, adults are filmed at a depth of up to two meters. The main thing is to learn to dive and feel your body: it happens that you need to lie on the bottom or dive so as not to create waves and splashes. To do this, Mikhail took four freediving training sessions.

Mikhail loves to photograph children, so he studied early swimming techniques and received a certificate as a birthlight instructor. This is a European school that teaches how to work with young children in the water. If you understand the logic of classes and methods of working with a child, it is easier to establish contact and catch a successful shot.

RUB 140,000

Mikhail spent two years on training

In total, Mikhail spent 140,000 rubles on training over 2 years. The studies paid off quickly, because after the courses he moved into the category of highly paid masters and began to earn more.

Equipment

Camera. You don't need the most sophisticated camera to shoot underwater professional camera. Mikhail started with Nikon, the model of which is now completely outdated. It’s more convenient to navigate by price - for starters, a semi-professional camera is enough, which now costs about 30,000 rubles.

RUB 150,000

cost of all the equipment for underwater photography

Lens. You will need it for the camera good lens. Lenses are usually purchased separately from cameras for a specific task - different lenses are needed for portrait and reportage photography. The minimum amount that must be spent on lenses is 20,000 rubles.

Lighting equipment. When it’s dark in the pool, Mikhail puts on the lights. A set of lightboxes cost him 16,000 RUR, a flash - 20,000 RUR.

Case for underwater photography. The main thing in underwater photography is a camera case. There are covers for 4,000 RUR, and there are for 60,000 RUR. Mikhail decided that it was better to take an expensive case than to repair a recessed camera.

Wetsuit. You will need it to avoid freezing if the water is cold and filming is delayed. Costs 3000 RUR.

Glasses and mask. You will need 800 R if your eyes cannot tolerate chlorine.

Equipment bag. Helps to keep everything in one place and not lose anything, 5000 RUR.

Medical book. Needed to work in children's pools. Collect certificates and issue a book - 3000 RUR.

In total, Mikhail spent RUB 150,000 on equipment.

Clients

Mikhail photographed his first clients for free. I learned to dive, feel the models, and got used to the technology. After each shoot, I looked through the shots and selected the best ones. I filmed wherever there was water: in the pool and at sea.

After six months, I gained experience, understood what kind of shots clients liked, and began taking photographs for money.

To collect a customer base, Mikhail sent commercial offers to swimming pools and fitness centers. Pool managers were skeptical about underwater photography: they thought that a photographer was not needed in the pool, and people would not buy such a service. I had to communicate with the directors, show them the presentation and convince them that people like to be photographed underwater.

So that clients would find him themselves, Mikhail launched a website and groups on social networks, organized advertising in search engines by keywords“unusual photography” and “non-standard photography”.

To launch the site and advertising campaign spent 26,000 RUR. Now advertising costs Mikhail 2000 RUR monthly. Another RUR 15,000 was spent on advertising brochures, leaflets and gift certificates. Once a quarter he orders business cards for RUB 3,000: they run out quickly.

Now Mikhail has several dozen regular customers and 12 thousand subscribers on social networks. A month he does 3-4 mass shootings of 10 hours each. During this time he manages to remove 25 people. The rest of the time he communicates with clients and organizes filming for the future.

Difficulties

Mikhail is always ready for something to go wrong during a shoot: a child will cry or the clip on the case will come off and water will flood the camera. You have to prepare for the typical problems of underwater photography in advance.

High shooting speed. A photographer on land looks through the peephole before taking a photo, but in water this won’t work: you’ll miss the shot. I had to learn to feel the direction of the camera and shoot on a whim. Mikhail says that he feels like a cowboy who has no time to take aim, but only a couple of seconds to grab a pistol and shoot. If you hesitate, the model’s hair will cover her face, the child will close her eyes, or the frame will be ruined by bubbles.

Bad light. It is inconvenient to use a flash in a pool: at a depth of more than 20 cm it does not work well. Therefore, Mikhail switched to manual settings on the camera and a fast lens. He uses additional light only for static filming. With children, we had to get used to shooting in general lighting, because little ones are scared of flashes.

Uneven income. Being a photographer is a seasonal job. Wedding photographers work in the summer-autumn period, and an underwater photographer is in demand in the pool from September to May. IN summer period You can work a little at sea, but in general, in the summer the work of an underwater photographer is simple. Therefore, Mikhail rests or studies, and forecasts income and expenses taking into account the summer decline in orders.

Dangerous working conditions. Drowning a camera is a matter of a second and one awkward movement, so every photo shoot begins with an inspection of the protective box and clips. If the pressure spring weakens and the rubber comes off, water may flow into the box and the new DSLR will have to be taken to the trash.

Physical fatigue. Underwater photography - heavy physical process. After 8 hours under water, Mikhail collapses. When I started to get confused in the photos and stopped having time to process them, I hired a couple of assistants and delegated some of the functions.

Beard. In Taiwan, all the children were afraid of Michael. It turned out that it was the beard. It doesn't grow on local men, so Mikhail had to shave it off too. In Russia, only one child in a hundred was afraid of him.

Develop business

Mikhail filmed in Taiwan, Thailand and the UK and saw that the swimming pools in these countries are more convenient than in Russia. Slippers are given out at the entrance and disinfected in special ovens. There are changing tables in the locker rooms, and in the showers there are chairs where you can sit the child while the mother washes herself.

Now Mikhail has found partners and plans to build his own swimming pool in Russia according to world standards: with bowls for small children, a separate bowl for photographing adults and a comfortable common space.

Another area of ​​development is our own courses. Now Mikhail is a “man-product”. If he gets sick or leaves, there is no one to replace him. Finding a partner turned out to be difficult: some don’t like sitting in the pool for hours, others are afraid of children, and still others don’t know how to shoot reportage. To raise a replacement for himself, Mikhail organized underwater photography courses.

100,000 R

On average, an underwater photographer earns per month

One-day express courses from Mikhail are often purchased. They are suitable for those who already know how to shoot on land. On long course for 15,000 RUR for beginners, the group has not yet reached its capacity: they opened recently and work without advertising. Mikhail does not plan to make money from them constantly; it is important for him to find like-minded people.

What does it take to become an underwater photographer?

Now at Mikhail's stable business. He earns an average of RUR 100,000 per month and feels like a happy person doing what he loves. If you also want to become an underwater photographer, here are Mikhail's tips.

1. Only take up underwater photography if you truly love water, photography and people.
2. Take reportage photography and freediving courses. You need to be able to dive quickly and deftly, take an advantageous position and not miss a single good shot.
3. You don’t have to buy the most expensive camera, but it’s better not to skimp on a waterproof case.
4. Learn to negotiate with clients and work with children.
5. If you feel that you don’t have enough strength to do everything, delegate some of the work to assistants.

The underwater world cannot but attract people. But not everyone can scuba dive: some don’t have the time or opportunity, while others think it’s too dangerous. One way or another, this is why underwater photographers are in demand, capable of showing the realities of this mysterious world even to those who will never come close to the ocean shore. In this article, we have selected for you the 15 best underwater photographers in Russia, each of whom has considerable experience and a collection of outstanding photographs that invariably delight the viewer.

Andrey Narchuk, one of the most famous Russian photographers, is firmly convinced that it is very important for society as a whole and for each individual to love nature and observe it. Andrey knows this firsthand, because while still a student, he ended up in the Red Sea with his first camera, where he saw the underwater world for the first time. “It was a shock. And the first thing I did upon my return was buy an underwater housing for my camera. A couple of months later I swam in the Red Sea again, but now I could film all this beauty to bring home to snow-covered Moscow. On that trip I was lucky enough to swim alone with a huge manta ray. We can say that these half an hour spent under water completely changed my life.”

Since then, the sea has become an integral part of the life and work of Andrei Narchuk. He travels a lot, takes a lot of photographs - not only underwater landscapes or macro, but also simply the huge and diverse world around him: “Life does not allow you to get hung up on the daily routine, and in nature there is no pretense and falsehood. Seeing the diversity of species, you begin to believe that there are no limits to creativity. And we always have the opportunity to move on...”

Victor Lyagushkin

Viktor Lyagushkin’s path to underwater photography was by no means straightforward: a graduate of the St. Petersburg Theater Academy, a decorative artist by training, he has worked since 1993 graphic designer. It was only in 1998 that Victor began to truly become interested in photography. His hobby was greatly influenced by a trip to Mexico, where he first became acquainted with underwater caves.

A few years later, shooting in them became his main hobby and favorite job. Today he is an author of books, a winner of many international competitions and a laureate of the national award “Underwater World”, but he is still passionate about underwater caves: “In my photographs I try to reflect the fabulousness and archetypal nature of these places, the magical world that undoubtedly exists. People have lost the key to perceiving nature as something amazing. All that remains is admiration for the technical side of the photographer’s work.”

Dmitry Miroshnikov is one of the famous Russian underwater photographers, whose website is filled with many wonderful pictures. And it’s hard to believe that he started working in the genre of underwater photography only about five years ago! “I discovered the world of photography on one of the trips, the so-called diving safaris, when you live on a ship for one or two weeks and dive every day; I met the famous underwater photographer Alexander Safonov, winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. His passion for this genre literally infected me.”

Today, Dmitry is not just professionally engaged in underwater photography: for him it is both relaxation, a creative challenge, and simply a favorite thing. “I try to show what I call “unreal reality” - a reflection of another, surreal, world that is very close to us, but very different from ours. I really appreciate the artistry of the photo, the color and composition; I value more than the documentary nature of the shot and the biological rarity of what I saw.”

Alexander Safonov

Alexander Safonov was born in Voronezh, but due to his profession and hobbies, he prefers to spend most of his time in Southeast Asia, primarily in Japan and Hong Kong. Most of the time, Alexander works as a programmer, although for more than ten years he has been professionally engaged in diving and underwater photography.

Starting with compact point-and-shoot cameras, he quickly moved on to professional photographic equipment and today is one of the recognized masters of his genre and the winner of various competitions, including the authoritative Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Vitaly Sokol

Vitaly Sokol is not a typical photographer for this review. Underwater photography is not his main focus; moreover, the underwater world for him is more a way to show something completely different against his background, say, fashion photography.

Vitaly started taking pictures in school, with a film camera, and, in his words, tried the entire genre arsenal available to a boy with a developed imagination - “from photomontage and multi-exposure photo illusions on a black background to macro and reporting from boxing competitions.” Perhaps it is precisely because of this that Vitaly has developed an unusual idea of ​​photography - he does not consider it something unique and separate, but considers it only as one of the techniques visual arts generally.

Dmitry Vinogradov

Like many, Dmitry Vinogradov became interested in photography as a child, as a schoolboy. Today he is a professional photographer, deservedly considered one of the best masters in the country, traveler, chairman of the Moscow Open Photo Club, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia, member of the Russian Geographical Society. In addition, since 2003 he has been diving professionally and after his first trip to the Red Sea, in his words, he realized that “diving is a disease, and now he will have to film underwater as well.”

Dmitry conventionally divides all underwater photography into wide-angle and macro. At the same time, he believes that the nature of the shooting largely depends not on the creative ideas of the photographer, but on the dive site: “There are so-called macro sites, where underwater macro life is presented in abundance. We take a camera with a macro lens there. And there are underwater sites with magnificent seascapes, which means you need to put fisheye on your camera.” Well, most of all Dmitry likes to photograph sunken ships.

Andrey Nekrasov

Today Andrey Nekrasov is one of the most passionate and awarded authors on post-Soviet space, despite his youth and not the greatest experience in underwater photography, only a little over ten years. And he started as a teenager, having been fascinated by the sea since childhood. By the way, Andrey graduated from the DOSAAF maritime school with a degree in light diver and has the title of underwater sports instructor.

In underwater photography, Andrei Nekrasov adheres to his own, completely separate, style: “Most underwater photographers avoid shooting while holding their breath, and in vain - I was convinced of this during five days of underwater photography off the coast of Egypt. Holding your breath a little, you can get closer to the most incredulous sea inhabitants, who, frightened by noise and bubbles, remain invisible to most. The sea pike, garfish, is also one of these cautious and timid species. I spent almost an entire film on this rare copy,” says Andrey.

Alexey Zaitsev

Alexey Zaitsev is perhaps the most professional Russian underwater photographer. He not only films, but is also the author famous book“School of underwater photography. Practical guide for Beginners”, was the editor of the magazines “Underwater Club”, “Dive Tech” and “Ultimate Depth”, a mentor to many photographers from this list. He is also a highly accomplished diver, holding a PADI MSDT and CMAS One Star instructor rating.

A blowhole is a hole in the mantle of a mollusk, tridacna. Red Sea, safari to the far south.

It all started a long time ago, back in 1986, when Alexey took his first underwater photographs. Since then, he has become a laureate of many competitions, but still admires the underwater world - and it doesn’t necessarily have to be colorful depth south seas: “I am inspired by the underwater world as such, and I am equally interested in diving and filming both in a lake near Moscow and in the tropics. After all, in almost any body of water you can, unexpectedly, find something amazing, and the best reward for a photographer is interesting pictures", says Alexey.

Olga Kamenskaya

Olga Kamenskaya is a chemistry teacher by training. But it so happened that she became seriously interested in diving and even reached the level of CMAS instructor. This, however, did not become a profession, although it still remains a noticeable part of her life.

And since 2003, Olga Kamenskaya has also been an underwater photographer. And not just a photographer, but a professional and instructor in underwater photography. Over the years, she has visited almost all the major diving regions - the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Olga also does not forget about the underwater world of Russian reservoirs. By the way, she is the author of the wonderful album “Baikal. The Kingdom of Water and Ice", which was presented in Marseille during the World Festival of Underwater Images.

Oksana Istratova

Oksana Istratova is one of the largest experts on sunken ships in Russia. She is the author of the book “Mysteries of Sunken Ships. Black Sea. Crimea". Since 2004, he has been engaged in technical diving, which involves deep-sea and long dives in confined spaces.

And Oksana Istratova almost always takes a camera with her. Over the years, she has created a huge collection of photographs of sunken ships and submarines, but still every dive for her is an event and a surge of emotions. “Going down onto a ship where you know for sure people died is like going to a memorial. I feel a certain respect for the dead. Naturally, there is no question of any search for profit. It’s like you’re coming to pay tribute to the memory of these people,” says Oksana.

Sergey Shanin

Sergey Shanin is one of the most unconventional and talented contemporary Russian photographers. He managed to combine this type of creativity with a technical and even somewhat scientific process.

Sergei has been doing underwater photography for 20 years now and, as he himself assures, he tries to show beauty and diversity in his photographs underwater world. Sergei Shanin is a recognized author, winner and laureate of many competitions, including twice winning the Golden Turtle.

Nadezhda Kulagina

Nadezhda Kulagina has been involved in underwater photography for a very short time, only since 2010, but has already achieved recognition and fame. In her own words, she was always interested in what it was like to dive to considerable depths with scuba gear behind her and try to film something that would be worthy of attention and admiration. However, for her photography is more of a hobby, an addition to her main job as a translator and numerous trips around the world.

The works of Nadezhda Kulagina are always imbued with some kind of optimism and inspire confidence in the inhabitants depths of the sea. Perhaps it’s all about her attitude towards the inhabitants of the sea: “Being among sea inhabitants is not at all scary. At these moments I'm more concerned about choice correct angle, camera settings and flash position. And I’m also afraid that at the most crucial moment, when I press the shutter button, my model will float away.”

Konstantin Novikov

Konstantin Novikov came to underwater photography thanks to his love of nature. By the way, she brought him not only to photography, but also to the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Most of all, Konstantin was interested in biomedicine and immunology, so he even became a lieutenant in the medical service and a candidate biological sciences. After defending his dissertation, Konstantin continued working as a senior research fellow at the same biology department, at the department of physiology of microorganisms.

Konstantin Novikov became interested in underwater photography in 1997, when he first found himself underwater with scuba gear. Today he is a PADI dive instructor and also holds the title of ER Instructor TDI. He also engages in freediving, that is, diving under water without a supply of air, solely at the expense of the body’s capabilities, being an AIDA instructor.

Such a considerable reserve of professionalism allows Konstantin Novikov to take impressive photographs from the depths of the sea. And although photography is just a hobby, the results regularly demonstrated by Konstantin leave no doubt that he takes this activity extremely seriously.

Taras Skidonenko

Taras Skidonenko belongs to that type of underwater photographers who, before their first dives, did not even hold a camera in their hands. And only when they found themselves in the depths, impressed by its landscapes and inhabitants, did they feel the need to somehow record their emotions and convey them to other people.

According to Taras himself, he started diving by accident - in 1995, while on vacation in Turkey, he decided to try amateur scuba diving. What’s interesting is that the first dives in muddy water off the coast of Antalya did not leave any special impressions, but aroused interest. And for almost 20 years now, Taras Skidonenko has been immersing himself in a variety of bodies of water. different regions world, bringing wonderful photographs from everywhere.

Vadim Zverev

Vadim Zverev is an accomplished businessman who has achieved a lot in commerce and prefers to develop new areas of business that would suit his hobbies. As he himself says: “I like photography - I’m opening a professional photo studio; I like diving - I open the Barracuda dive center; I like to travel - I open a travel agency and dive all over the world.”

And even though photography and diving are just hobbies for Vadim, he still achieved a lot in both. His photographs may not carry any philosophy or global idea, but they honestly and enthusiastically show the world hidden from us beneath the surface of the water.

“First of all, I want to show and reveal the images of the “indigenous inhabitants” of the sea, because they are its natural and harmonious component, and we all dive, first of all, to get to know them and get to know them better. And, to be honest, it’s easier for me to come into contact with marine life. I just talk to them in their language,” says Vadim Zverev.

Underwater photography is an art that, with the right approach, is accessible to everyone.

The history of the underwater universe in pictures

If earlier, in order to take a photo, it was necessary to perform a lot of manipulations, set up a bulky camera, and also develop the picture, then we started talking about underwater photography only in the middle of the 20th century. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy for underwater photographers back then. Bulky equipment, a heavy suit, inconvenient camera boxes and a technically complex filming process.

If William Thompson (who was the first to take an underwater photograph in 1856) saw how today our tourists with a camera (weighing 100 g) quickly take stunning pictures of themselves in the Red Sea, he would faint. It's hard to believe, but a lot has changed in 150 years. Today, the simplest “soap box” takes photographs that William Longley and Charles Martin never dreamed of even in their most colorful dreams (in 1923, these two took the first color photographs under water).

What to consider for a beginning underwater photographer

When going diving to warmer climes, it is considered a crime not to bring home photographs. Underwater photographs are photographs of colorful fish, amazing beauty corals, exotic inhabitants of the deep sea, and underwater riches. The photographs are designed to convey at least part of the magic of this underwater universe!

When going on something like this, the main thing to ask yourself is not what swimming trunks and swimsuit to take, but what you will take pictures with. You can't just take your home digital camera and pack it in a plastic bag and hope it doesn't get wet.

How to choose the right camera for underwater photography

Please note, good camera:

Withstands immersion up to 10 m (the lower this parameter, the higher the likelihood that the camera will leak when diving deeper)

It has a sufficiently sized LCD display (it’s better to view the resulting photo on the spot, so as not to cry on the plane, discovering that after the first two frames “something went wrong”)

Has a flash

Provides shutter speeds from 1/125 to 1/500 seconds (the fish doesn’t stand still), as well as an aperture mode of f/11-f/20 (for sharpening objects)

At the same time, you are required to be able to swim, dive and, in fact, use the camera.

Basic camera settings:

The camera understands photography under water as the “scene” mode - in this position the camera compensates for the missing colors, making the pictures less cloudy and with the presence of red tints;

For DSLR (or others that do not have an underwater mode) – set to RAW with the white balance mode “sunlight”;

Lens selection. Luckily for you, there are only two of them: ultra-wide-angle (for shooting underwater landscapes and large objects) and a macro lens (a kind of microscope - allows you to photograph the smallest objects).

Don't forget the waterproof box! It is worth considering that it is better not to skimp on this accessory. Then it will be very sad to pour the water out of the camera and realize that the fish posed for you in vain. Well-established manufacturers: Subal, Nexus, Sea&Sea, Ikelite, Sealux. They have a wide range of boxes for almost all camera models.

And learn how to use the camera in the box before diving, it will be extremely difficult to do this in water. A sea ​​inhabitants It is not necessary to listen to your swearing speech.

“Stop for a moment”: how to take good underwater photos

When diving underwater, turn off your brain. Make a fish swim in the right direction or not move at all - forget it, you’re not in a cartoon, this doesn’t happen.

Remember: even what should, in theory, “grow quietly” is swaying! This is the essence of water, the result of currents, waves and even your presence. Absolutely everything moves here. Therefore, the rules are:

1. Absolute shutter speed – yours and the camera’s
2. Setting the maximum resolution
3. Get as close to the subject as possible - this will increase the chances of getting a colorful photo.
4. Flash – you can’t do without it!

Techniques and tricks

Experienced photographers have been training to take truly talented pictures for years! Yes, yes, including those who work for National Geographic. There is no need to be upset that the first time you turned out “slightly” different photos. Start studying techniques and techniques that will allow you to take good quality pictures, train and gain experience.

If you are bored with banality and mediocre compositions, look for new approaches to the storyboard of your vacation. Try split photography, or shoot night diving. By the way, it will also greatly diversify your vacation. Whether you will be able to take photographs is a question, but the mouth will be imprinted in your memory forever, that’s for sure.

The underwater world is a fairy tale. Give yourself the pleasure of taking with you the most happy moments your journey into it. And share them with others!

11195 Improving your skills 0

How many wonderful and beautiful things on Earth can be photographed, and how many are under the water?! How many animals, fish, colorful reefs are in the kingdom of Neptune! Or perhaps you are interested in shooting nudes underwater? Or do you want to capture your friend as a mermaid? But how to capture all this? What is needed for that? This is exactly what we will talk about in this lesson.

The underwater world is a different habitat, with different laws, because under water you can “float” and “fly”, surrounded by other inhabitants for whom you are a stranger and not at all the King of Nature. In addition, you will get new, incredibly vivid sensations. Underwater photography has two main features, namely: water environment endowed with physical and optical qualities different from the air environment. Secondly, you must be a good swimmer. There are also a number of other nuances that a novice underwater photographer should take into account; they will be discussed further.

In underwater photography, all the same principles and rules apply that apply to outdoor photography. But basic knowledge alone is not enough. If you decide to shoot underwater, you will have to acquire special photographic equipment or buy a waterproof “packaging” for your DSLR - an aquabox, understand the features of underwater photography, and only then go to shoot underwater landscapes.

Of course, an underwater photographer must be able to swim well, since it won’t work out well if it’s yours last pictures. You will have (if you decide to dive deep into the abyss of water) scuba gear, a camera, fins, and maybe a flashlight. And you need to keep track of all this, as well as move around with it in the water. It’s easier if you’re in a pool, preferably with scuba gear, so you don’t constantly have to rise to the surface for a fresh breath of air.

The difficulty of photographing underwater is largely due to the unusual behavior of light. The water itself is a giant refractive lens, so objects appear larger and closer. This reduces the viewing angle of the lens.

Photographic equipment for underwater photography

A professional-grade camera, lenses, and flashes are not cheap and can cost several thousand dollars. Those who are not ready to shell out that amount of money can try their hand at it, armed with an underwater digital point-and-shoot camera. These cameras have a minimum of control buttons and a fixed focal length of the lens. But don’t count on good pictures with such photographic equipment; they will only be suitable for a family album. Therefore, the best option for amateur underwater photography is a mirror or system camera, packed in a waterproof box (very expensive) or an underwater bag (aka a case, cheaper than a box).

Since the water column is replete with billions of different microorganisms and organic suspension, which rises due to the movement of the diver himself, visibility under water is reduced significantly, down to one or two meters, and sometimes reaches zero. In these conditions, the preferred lenses for photographing underwater landscapes are wide-angle lenses, or attachments using powerful underwater flashes. But here you need to remember one rule - no matter how powerful your flash is, the maximum distance between you and the object you are shooting should not exceed one and a half to two meters; its power will still not be enough for more. The optics are fast, preferably a macro lens and a wide-angle one. Macro will give you the opportunity to shoot close-up, wide angle is ideal for photographing people and underwater landscapes.

Every 10 meters of immersion in water depth reduces the visible light spectrum by one color. The spectrum consists of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. That is, after ten meters the red color disappears, after twenty - orange, after thirty - yellow, etc.

Since most underwater photography is practiced at depths of up to 30 meters, you can safely imagine the water as one continuous blue-green filter. It is here that the first serious problem awaits a novice photographer. At this depth, the warmest colors have already been “knocked out” from the color spectrum, but the human brain continues to equalize the color balance, compensating for their loss, as a result of which the photographer sees a full-color picture. A similar analogy can be made with fluorescent light - all objects will be colored green color, but the human eye will still consider them multi-colored.

Since even the most modern cameras are not equipped with such a powerful color compensator, underwater photography uses a compensating tool such as a flash. It solves the following problems: it evens out the color balance and, of course, corrects the problem of lack of lighting.

It’s good if there is bright sunny weather over the water, but if the sky is overcast? The exposure time under water becomes several times longer compared to a similar process on land. Pulsed illuminators can also solve this problem.

Conditions for shooting

There is much less light underwater, so choose a time when the water is clear and calm. Even with a small wave, sand vibrations will reduce visibility and colors will lose their brightness. In general, the deeper, the fewer warm tones, and if you want to get a truly color photograph, then shoot on a great depth, near the surface of the water or illuminate with a flash. The best time For underwater photography at shallow depths, noon is considered, the weather is clear and sunny.

How to shoot underwater

Try to get as close to what you are filming as possible. The less water there is between you and the subject, the more light will hit the matrix, the better the picture will be. If you take pictures from a long distance, you will get a greenish-blue background with a dark spot, which will be the very object that interests you. For regular underwater photography, the distance should not be more than 1-2 meters; for underwater macro photography, literally centimeters.

Catch the play of light and shadow. If there is insufficient lighting, shoot against the light, from bottom to top, exposing to the sun or a light layer of water. Then the picture will turn out to be very contrasting - a dark object and a bright background (silhouette photography). Fellow divers should be photographed in portrait genre, i.e. so that the person can be recognized. The distance is no more than a meter. Or come up with a plot for genre photography and choose a suitable background and surroundings.

Also, nudity looks very impressive underwater. But don’t be deluded by excellent results, since underwater “Nude” is a rather complex genre. At least for the model, because the photographer has a sufficient supply of air with him, while the girl has to pose while holding her breath, and this is fraught with an unambiguous facial expression and a short time interval of being under water. And the insufficiently warm water temperature will play a cruel joke on the model, unprotected by a wetsuit - the “goose” skin certainly doesn’t look so great, coupled with corroded sea ​​salt eyes.

Underwater composition

In order for the pictures to be dynamic and “alive”, in silhouette photography the subject should be located slightly at an angle (consider the rule of thirds). Otherwise, the frame will turn out static, frozen. IN portrait photography The standard frame layout looks like this: in the foreground there are corals, fish, plants, stones and the like. Medium shot- scuba diver, swimmer, diver (don’t look into the lens!). The background is water, algae, etc. Make sure that your hands are not in the foreground - the photo will immediately lose its effectiveness. If you're filming wide angle, keep track of what’s in your frame - since the lens takes a wide view, the likelihood of foreign objects getting into the frame is quite high. You need to photograph fish “from the head”, with maximum close range- the photo will be distorted, but very effective and expressive.

Don’t shoot divers “chasing” and don’t chase the fish swimming away from you - you still won’t get good shots. It’s better to think through the plot in advance, and agree with your colleagues who will pose for you and how. Well, with sea inhabitants, it depends on your luck.

In underwater photography, creativity is encouraged. Try to combine and combine different genres - landscape photography with silhouette photography, portrait photography with landscape photography. And don’t forget that the camera needs to be set up before entering the water; in underwater photography, all preparations end on the shore.

Answers to the most popular questions about underwater photography

Question 1 - Why should you consider a waterproof camera or an expensive aquabox? There are plastic waterproof cases for digital cameras.
There are waterproof cases for digital cameras. They are dense plastic bag, which prevents water from entering the camera. During use, the quality of the covers deteriorates significantly. The image quality suffers and they are not very expensive. Yes, and agree - let your favorite and expensive camera die because of a cheap package? - no, excuse me.

There are strong, durable cases for certain types cameras for underwater photography - aquaboxes. They cost more than the cameras themselves, but provide a very high level of protection and meet the requirements of serious underwater photographers.

Underwater cameras are equipped with a thick, durable casing that not only protects the insides of the camera, but also makes shooting much easier, since the camera is completely submerged under water and does not float to the surface of the water.

Question 2 - Nowadays there is a large selection of cameras, which one is better to choose?
The camera you choose will depend on where you will be using it. Another important criterion when choosing a camera is the budget you have. If you are not limited to a specific amount of funds, then you should decide for what purpose you are purchasing a camera. If you're going to be photographing your kids at the pool or on the beach, you don't need a camera with dive options.
If you are going to take pictures at low temperatures, at great depths, then it will be better for you to buy a camera that will be suitable for such conditions.

Question 3 - Okay, I've narrowed down my choices, which characteristics are critical?
It is necessary to pay attention to the following characteristics:

Maximum depth, in which the camera remains waterproof. Naturally, you need to know how deep you can go with your camera. On average, this depth is 2.5 - 3 meters without a special underwater box. Some more expensive models can dive to a depth of about 10 meters. Such cameras are more reliable and durable. However, do not forget that if you are going to use the camera for hiking, skiing, or in the pool, then a camera with a immersion depth of 3 meters will be more than enough.

Image stabilization. If your camera has an image stabilizing lens, this will help you when shooting underwater or on the move.

Battery capacity. It is likely that your camera will be your constant outdoor companion. Consequently, you won't have an electrical outlet handy to charge your camera. When shooting underwater, you need to use a flash, and this risks draining your camera even faster. Therefore, when choosing a camera, make sure that the battery capacity will be enough for 150-200 shots without recharging. The higher the better.
Focal length and macro photography. When choosing a camera, you need to check how wide its viewing angle is and whether it can focus on individual elements. It is best to purchase a camera with wide angle lens, with a focal length of 24mm or 28mm, but not more than 35mm. When it comes to macro photography, the more detail the camera can focus on, the better. A minimum focusing distance of 3cm to 10cm will be sufficient.

Temperature limit. Choose a camera that will withstand freezing temperatures (0 degrees Celsius). The ideal camera would be one that can withstand temperatures down to -8 degrees Celsius or even lower.

Impact resistance. It will not be difficult to choose a camera that satisfies this characteristic. The cameras are made of durable materials. The internal parts of the camera are made of metal with rubber gaskets. The main thing is to make sure that the camera will not be too heavy for you.

Question 4 - I bought my first waterproof camera. What should I do next?
It's time to shoot! You need to study the user manual in detail and determine which features are most important to you. There's nothing worse than running around adjusting your camera while something extraordinary is happening right in front of you that you really want to capture with your camera.

Question 5 - The quality of pictures taken with my waterproof camera is much worse than those taken with a digital camera. Does this mean my camera is faulty?
In many cases, the shooting quality is indeed inferior to digital analogues. Sensitive electronics and optics require some protection. That's why underwater cameras are equipped with a thick layer of protective glass. Images are not as clear and contrasty as on digital cameras. But they are quite acceptable.

Question 6 - Does my underwater camera have any defects or problems?
Just use it the way you would like. Put the camera under water, for example. The main thing to remember is that you can check for defects in your camera until the warranty period has expired. While the camera is under warranty, you can exchange it for another one. Therefore, it is necessary to detect defects (if any) before the end of the warranty period.

Question 7 - Why do underwater cameras have depth restrictions?
The underwater chamber is equipped with rubber seals and metal locks that keep water out. The deeper you go underwater, the more pressure is put on your camera. Excessive pressure may cause damage. Therefore, it is important not to exceed the permissible depth limit.

Question 8 - What should be done to ensure that the underwater camera lasts as long as possible?
But don’t think that if the camera is made of durable material and is waterproof, then you can throw it away until the next shoot. Remember that sea water, ice, chlorinated water in swimming pools, and dirt have an aggressive effect on your camera. After shooting, you need to wash the camera clean water, and dry thoroughly before storage.

Nevertheless, despite all the difficulties, every photographer should definitely try his hand at underwater photography at least once, and achievements achieved will depend on the degree of preparedness for this new business.

Good luck to you and all your photography!

Underwater photography is fun. This is a great way to combine your passion for diving with your love of photography. Just like learning land-based photography, underwater photography is a journey that involves learning and experimenting. In today's digital world, we have many resources and powerful tools for this genre.

Explore and experiment

There are no shortcuts in underwater photography. You need to commit yourself to the learning process and really put in the time to practice and improve your skills if you want to progress in the direction of underwater photography. It all starts with capturing technically correct images; properly exposed, sharp and with good composition. In addition to technique, you need to learn to express yourself by showing your creative side and how you see the world through.

Composition

Use the good old rule of thirds to achieve balance in your shots, but don't be afraid to try something else. Diagonals are also strong and dynamic! When shooting sea ​​life try to be at eye level with the subject, make the shots most attractive to the viewer. Don't be afraid of negative space, it works well in underwater environments.

Colors

Shooting underwater is challenging when it comes to capturing color. If you only shoot JPEGs, set your camera's white balance correctly initially. If you're shooting RAW, post-processing will give you more freedom to adjust the colors. Distance to your subject kills colors underwater, so get closer! Using your own light source will also help bring all the colors back to life.

Your camera's internal flash is limited in use underwater as it simply isn't powerful enough and the front lighting isn't the best the best option(it flattens the image and introduces backscatter). The position and angle of the light source can reveal various shapes and textures, so if you're not ready to invest in a dedicated flash, you can always just experiment with a flashlight first.

Correct settings cameras, shooting angle and position will allow you to create a black background during the daytime.

Selecting a Subject

The ability to choose your subject is an important skill for a photographer. In addition to searching for an interesting item, you can also choose one that you have access to. The subject of the photograph does not always have to be rare fish to arouse interest; it could even be something very simple, but shown through photography in some interesting way.