The Ultimate Guide to Underwater Photography & Videography
Shooting in the water can be one of the most rewarding mediums to shoot in however, it can also be one of the most frustrating and disheartening as a creative. There are so many different variables that are constantly changing that can impact your shoot. However, it is these variables that also create some of the most stunning imagery and moments that you can capture if you know how to use them to your advantage.
These tips listed below will help you to avoid some of the common mistakes made by those starting out with shooting in aquatic environments.
Check the seals and closing mechanisms before every session
This sounds way too simple, and it is but if your housing isn’t watertight you won’t be shooting for very long. When you initially get your water housing, (even if it is a brand new housing) and regularly before shooting, always make sure to test it out in a bath or body of water that it can be fully submerged in without your camera inside of it. This is the best way to ensure that all of the seals, pins and mechanisms in your housing are functioning correctly. It is always important as well to lubricate your seals to prevent them from deteriorating and compromising the quality of your seal.
Always use fresh Moisture Absorbers/Desiccants/Silica Gel Absorbers
You may be asking yourself “What on earth are you talking about?”. Well, that’s a great question and they will soon become your best friend when shooting in the water. These are small items that I put into my water housing before every session and are designed to absorb moisture that may develop inside the housing during your shoot. Now, these aren’t designed to save your water housing if a leak occurs but are more in place to stop the development of fog on the inside of your port.
Bonus Tip: If you run out or forget your absorbers and can’t get any more in time for your shoot a recent hack I thought of when I was in a similar situation is to make a quick stop in to a grocery store and buy a few bags of Beef Jerky. These usually contain at least two of the slimline moisture absorbers in each packet which are perfect for putting into your water housing. You'll also have a snack for afterwards.
Have Your Camera Set To Automatically Sleep and Prepare your housing in a cool environment
Preventing temperature change as much as possible inside your housing is crucial to ensuring that your lens port or lens doesn't develop fog or condensation. Having your camera's LCD screen or external monitor running constantly causes considerable heat build-up within the water housing. The heat build-up within the enclosed environment that is your water housing, when placed in an environment of considerable temperature difference ie. the ocean, will create a change in pressure causing condensation in the form of fog to build up on your port. This is especially important in cameras that don’t have a fan to circulate air within the housing itself. It is also important to assemble your water housing in a cool room/car prior to shooting and keep it out of direct sunlight to prevent temperature change. Try wrapping it in damp towels if there is considerable time between assembly and shooting, especially on hot days.
Preventing Water Droplets On Your Lens Port
Along with fogging this is the other major occurrence that will ruin your images when shooting in the water. If you are shooting underwater this will not be a problem as your port is entirely surrounded by water but as soon as you remove your port from the water to point at a subject the water will run off leaving droplets stuck to your port that will ruin your image. What I have found most effective at almost entirely eliminating this problem is to cover your entire lens port with saliva approximately 5 minutes before entering the water. Don't use your hands to spread the saliva as this will place unwanted oils, sunscreen and dirt from your skin onto the port causing breaks in the layer you have created which will attract droplets once in the water. Try eating a few chips or a starchy food to help aid in saliva creation. The scratch also helps create a stronger well bound layer. You want this layer to be semi-dry before entering the water.
When you enter the water wash the saliva off without touching the port with your hands or face. You will notice that when your port is removed from the water the majority of liquid will drain off but a thin layer of water will cover the entire surface. This means that you are ready to shoot. If your layer begins to break up during your shoot you can provide temporary relief by licking it in the water. It is important to keep your lens under the water when not in use. This method is known as a “wet port” however there are numerous other methods used by professionals, notably the dry port which involves the use of a squeegee in the water. For more information on this alternate method have a look at this Salty Surf Housings article. We have been using their housings to keep our Red cameras safe in some of the most testing conditions.
Where To Focus When Shooting Under Water
Knowing where to focus sounds very simple in principle, surely you just point at your subject and let autofocus do the rest? Well not exactly, due to the unpredictable nature of the ocean, chances are that your camera will autofocus on a stray piece of water or someone may paddle in front of you and your subject.
The technique that I use is perhaps a little odd but I have used it to great effect netting me numerous photos in magazines and even the cover of Australian Surfing World. I prefer to shoot on manual in the water and focus on where I think my subject will be performing their actions. This is where a lot of practice, knowing your conditions and establishing good communication and relationship with your subjects is so important.
For surfing, this is where shooting a Reef can be a great way to learn as the wave's main action occurs in the same spot almost every time. I also shoot on the highest F stop possible to create the greatest range of image sharpness possible. You wouldn't usually be able to shoot on such a high aperture but due to the reflectiveness and glare of the ocean these often harsh lighting conditions can be your friend.
When shooting manual it’s important to turn on peaking to ensure that your target area is as sharp as possible. Peaking is a setting in your camera that will highlight and create a contrasting coloured line around the areas of your shot that are in focus. This can be particularly useful when viewing your LCD screen can be hard due to the varied lighting conditions of shooting in the water. It’s also important to continually monitor your settings and focus as you only have one opportunity to capture your subject. I generally hit record as soon as I see movement in the ocean as this will give me sufficient time to make sure its recording in case the trigger doesn't fire the first time.
Use One Lens When Starting Out
Housings, Ports and lenses are all very expensive pieces of equipment so I would recommend when starting out to use one lens and master that before adding additional lenses and ports to your kit. Doing this it will allow you to perfect your positioning, framing and knowledge of your camera settings. I started out taking photos with a 50mm, which gives the perspective of the human eye and is a great lens to help your understanding of what types of lenses you will need depending on what you typically shoot. For example, I use a Sigma 17-35mm art lens in the water which allows me to change focal lengths in the water depending on my positioning and what type of image I am trying to create. If I find myself to far away from the action I can quickly zoom in or if I am caught too close to my subject i can quickly pull back to a relatively wide angle. This is also another reason why using a higher aperture is important, to allow quick changes and remain in focus.
Summary
Everyone who shoots professionally tends to have different methods that they swear by. There is no right or wrong as long as they are helping you to achieve your desired outcome. They may not have you shooting world-class imagery instantly but these tricks will have you spending more time in the water shooting and practising your skills and less time swimming back to land with a fogged-up lens port or worse yet a flooded water housing.
There is a lot to unpack here but the best advice I can give is simply putting in time in the ocean and practising in a variety of conditions. Over time you will establish your own set of methods and practices that work best for you as you develop your own unique style.
