Not getting close enough to the subject is one of the most common mistakes we see people making when taking pictures underwater. Someone once said that "If you think you are close enough, halve it and you will be about right". This is very simple advice and really works.
The problem with taking pictures underwater is, well, the water itself! The more water between you and your subject the worse your end result will be. The reason we like to get very close underwater is because water is a lot denser than air and even very clear water loses a lot of its clarity and visibility within a few metres. Using a wide-angle or fisheye lens is a great way to encourage you to get close enough to maintain crystal clear clarity and contrast. Getting close is vital if you are using a wide-angle or fisheye lens, this way you can feature something prominent in the foreground and have a sweeping reef vista in the background.
Getting very very close to your subject is another popular area of underwater photography. We give this the term Macro photography. This allows us to shoot some of the smaller reef creatures, Nudibranchs, Shrimps and the like. To access this function on your camera you need to look for the small flower symbol (right), and when activated this will reduce your camera's normal focussing range to allow you to shoot as close as possible, normally only a couple of centimetres.
To get close with ease you need to brush up on your diving skills and in particular your buoyancy control, so that you can move freely and smoothly in the water, enabling you to get close and stay motionless in position. You don't want to be crashing into the reef or kicking up a sandstorm in your wake! Good diving habits account for a lot when taking pictures underwater, you could be the most adept and able photographer on land but if you have problems maintaining good buoyancy you will struggle to get good shots underwater.
Remember that if you are used to diving in the UK or maybe even if you only dive on holiday, when you get to a resort, you will most likely be diving with different tanks, (aluminium as opposed to steel) the salinity of the water may be higher, and you may be using rental equipment, all of these factors will change your buoyancy control. It is really worth doing regular buoyancy checks, you may find as your dive trip progresses you might need less lead than when you started, and when you get your weight trimmed perfectly, your buoyancy skills will be better, you will be more comfortable, and hopefully this will mean you get a longer dive with more time to take pictures.
Hint: Macro photography is something that is easy to practice on land, with hundreds of subjects in your garden or the local park, so get out there and get snapping. The more practised you are with your equipment, the less task loading you will suffer from when you are underwater.
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