Underwater Photography

1. Beginner’s Guide to Underwater Photography Beginner’s Guide to Underwater Photography Social media, movies and infomercial channels have made underwater photography and videography look like a monumental effort. Thinking of which, even if we attempt getting such pictures and clips, we stand kilometers away from matching those standards. All we end up with, are some images that are blurred and foggy which hardly makes up to our expectations. Well, let us bring you the good news! Getting fabulous images like these is no big game! The real magic lies in some tricks that hacks that makes everything look stunning! Want to know how? To get started with this charming expedition, all you have to do is keep some important pointers ready in your mind that’ll help you get the ‘cinema like’ underwater photography: 1. Becoming a skilled diver: First things first, to pro underwater photography you need to be comfortable in the marine environment. Be well versed with the rules of diving so that you’re in a position to communicate with your buddies and take necessary steps when needed. Consider enrolling yourself to a scuba diving school like West Coast Adventures that proffers certifications in different sections, by PADI or SSI which are recognised globally. 2. Be aware of the aquatic life: Knowing where you’re going to dive in, and the marine life you’re most likely to see, can be a big-big help! This awareness can let you be comfortable with the aquatic animals that are friendly, and be at bay with those who aren’t! Also, being aware of your activity underwater and not causing any kind of harm to the aquatic life is very important! You see the human race has already done enough to destroy it… So the better your knowledge and awareness, the more seamless and butter smooth your photography session will be! 3. Getting the perfect camera: Selecting an underwater camera is not an easy task! If you’re a beginner then there are two wide options for you. Either you can get acquainted with a point & shoot camera (also known as a compact camera) that offers ease of use, price and versatility or you can go the DSLR way that gives you high quality images, but is bound to be a little over the budget. But don’t you forget that it’s all about the skill of the photographer and NOT mostly about the equipment. Equipment alone will not help you produce spectacular images.

2. For when you’re looking to buy a new underwater camera, consider this three main factors: •Features •Budget •Size and weight 
 Finding the perfect combination of these three aspect depends mostly on your personal preferences and photographic intentions. The first step lies in prioritizing the features that are most important to you. It may be that you have strict size, or more often, budget requirements that will limit which features you can have in your camera. So do your permutations & combinations and get yourself a perfect underwater camera gear! 4. Get to know some rules: After you’re ready with your camera gear, knowing some tips and suggestions to how to click some good images is a must. Because there’s a huge difference in clicking pictures outside and inside water, these tips would help you have a crazy image deck! a. Be close to your subject: It’s all happy and jolly when you’re outside water and capturing your subject becomes a cake walk. The rules of photography just like light, bend under the water. And what seems clear and lovely on the land, looks foggy and blurry inside it. So, getting close to the subject to avoid fogginess and eliminate scattering of light, is a good idea! Also, it’s this technique that helps you get a clear and focused picture, like the ones that mesmerised you. b. Use your flash: Not unless you are confident enough to play with the camera’s white balance, you must opt to click pictures using flash. This will help you get rid of the blue saturation effect of water and present you

3. with picture rich in colour vibrancy, improved contrast, reduced motion blur, and crisp focus. Try using red filter or magic filter to restrain blue and/or green light underwater. This tricks shall work wonders while you go on and capture images of large reefs, wrecks, and amongst large schools of fish as well as in clear and shallow water. c. Shoot from below the subject: Ever seen those pictures of a stingray against the light that looks ethereal? The secret of such images lies below the subject (fish, school of fish or any other marine life), quite literally! Shooting from below gives you an amazing contrast, while also capturing the light source. This method creates stunning images; but as creativity knows no rules, this one can always be broken too. Nevertheless, this rule makes sure of you getting one amazing shot. 5. Patience is the key: Everything is gliding underwater, flowing and sliding away! And capturing fantastic pictures in this environment can be quite a task. But you shouldn’t lose your heart. You must remind yourself why you’re there and what kind of shot is your motive. Remind yourself of some tips and suggestions and try getting them until you get that ‘One Shot’. It is not possible to perfect underwater photography at one go, so be patient and keep practicing till you see improvement yourself. Learn from your mistakes and you’ll be surprised to see your progress. With West Coast Adventures, your photography session will not only turnout to be adventurous, but fruitful and mind blowing too. Our internationally certified instructors at Goa, Mumbai, Kapu and Murdeshwar shall guide you thoroughly to make your underwater photography session, a great success. Not only that, you can even enroll yourself to be a certified diver by PADI and SSI certifications. Get in touch with us! Log onto http://westcoastadventures.in/ and follow us Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for any enquiries, further information and to avail our numerous discounts and offers!