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We get this question from time to time from people starting out in underwater photography. It’s a pretty broad question, but, in short, yes. It is certainly more difficult to use a camera underwater than it is above water – with some caveats.
Understanding your camera
Underwater, you have to also be thinking about dive safety and your environment, and this multi-tasking inherently makes using your camera a bit more of a challenge.
However, in many ways, using your camera underwater is exactly like using it above water. And, perhaps more importantly: if you understand your camera very well above water, you will have a much easier time adjusting to underwater photography.
This is the main reason I encourage people to buy their camera and lenses before they buy their underwater equipment, even if just a little while before. Familiarizing yourself with the controls of your camera until they become muscle memory will let you react faster underwater, and think more about more important things like capturing the action or framing the shot, as opposed to which buttons do what.
Controlling light underwater
Many outstanding terrestrial photographers never have to worry about artificial light. Indeed, natural light photography above water is how most of us get started in photography, and we may or may not use flashes or other artificial sources to create photos. However, underwater, creating and controlling artificial light becomes extremely important.
Yes, there are certain types of underwater photography that do not require external light – anything very close to the surface in bright clear water may not require strobes or lights, sometimes in very murky water strobes may just hurt us and not help, and sometimes in different types of videography we may not benefit as much from extra lighting.
As a general rule, strobe technique is what will set your underwater photography apart. For me, this is the most important topic for beginning or intermediate underwater photographers, and the subject that is the greatest departure from terrestrial photography.
Similarities
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your camera’s controls, perfected your buoyancy and trim, and learned how to control strobes, photography underwater is not so different from photography on the surface. The same principals (like rule of thirds, exposure triangle, etc.) largely apply, there’s just a few extra bits (like usually shooting upwards underwater). In fact, a lot of people are surprised by how quickly they make the transition from above water photographer to underwater photographer. Don’t fear it – go for it!
- Choosing Your First Underwater Camera in 2026 – May 15, 2026
- Strobes or video lights? A head-to-head comparison for the underwater photographer – October 23, 2023
- Shooting Video AND Stills on the Same Dive [Guide] – April 6, 2023