{"id":1180,"date":"2013-12-25T14:44:22","date_gmt":"2013-12-25T14:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/?p=1180"},"modified":"2014-07-29T15:27:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-29T15:27:52","slug":"starting-underwater-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography","title":{"rendered":"Starting out in Underwater Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most divers want to document the underwater world at some point in their careers.\u00a0 Whether the intended subjects include the alien sea life, mountainous terrain or some intriguing find, higher quality photos get more attention.\u00a0 Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing.\u00a0 This article will guide the aspiring photographer through muddled and constantly evolving equipment choices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Carcharhinus<\/a>
Carcharhinus galapagensis – Taken with a Canon A650<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Start small<\/b><\/h3>\n

The choice of cameras available for underwater use today is just staggering.\u00a0 Therefore, it is important to narrow down the options as much as possible.\u00a0 As a beginning photographer, the first slice to take is to limit the options to just compact cameras.\u00a0 This will:<\/p>\n

1. Teach the basic techniques unique to underwater photography<\/strong><\/p>\n

A world in constant movement, particulates, and a near complete loss of any red colors are all problems unique to underwater photography.\u00a0 Add to that the unique approaches to in-water camera angle, zoom length, lens-to-subject distance, and exposure and the beginning underwater shutterbug have their hands full.<\/p>\n

2. Determine what kind of subjects excite you the most<\/strong><\/p>\n

Be it wrecks, sharks, reef-scapes, or video, most underwater photographers tend to gravitate toward a particular niche.\u00a0 Finding your place with a cheap setup will make for better decisions when it comes time to invest in a larger rig.<\/p>\n

3. Give an idea if underwater photography is right for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t uncommon for divers to purchase a camera and find out that they don\u2019t take many pictures.\u00a0 Starting small allows divers to wet their toes and find out if the field is right for them.<\/p>\n

4. Stay out of the way<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smaller cameras can be clipped to the BC where they stay until needed. Larger setups require constant attention and become the purpose of the dive.<\/p>\n

5. Keep it simple<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most compact cameras are designed with the beginning photographer in mind.\u00a0 They tend to include a plethora of automatic functions that suit many circumstances.\u00a0 A word of caution is necessary, however, as many of these automatic functions were designed without considering the underwater environment.<\/p>\n

There are still enough compact cameras to make one\u2019s head spin, and each is designed to fit a certain market.\u00a0 The easiest to use are bare-bones basic cameras with no manual functions whatsoever.\u00a0 Some have a series of specialized functions designed to work with a particular set of circumstances.\u00a0 Others take the intimidation factor out of manual exposure with \u201cpriority\u201d functions that ask the aspiring beginner to set the shutter speed or aperture and let the camera do the rest.\u00a0 The most advanced compact cameras allow for complete manual exposure settings and usually pair with top-notch optics and sensors for the serious enthusiast.\u00a0 A category known as \u201cmicro 4\/3\u2019s\u201d cameras has come on the scene only recently.\u00a0 They usually feature interchangeable lenses and a larger sensor to give the quality of a DSLR without the bulk.\u00a0 Housings are only starting to pop up for micro 4\/3\u2019s setups.<\/p>\n

Some companies offer cameras that are designed for underwater use from the ground up.\u00a0 These sound like a good idea at first as they tend to be cheap and easy to use. While these ideas have worked well in the past (more than a few pros still use Nikonos V\u2019s today), larger companies like Canon, Nikon and Olympus have taken the torch by investing vast resources in superior optics development.\u00a0 Therefore, if outstanding picture quality is the priority, it is usually preferable to invest a little more in the best quality camera in the budget and its associated waterproof housing.<\/p>\n

Select a Compact Camera<\/b><\/h3>\n

To reiterate, the choices available to the beginning underwater photographer in order from most basic to complex are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The made-for-underwater compact (Example: Sealife DC1400)<\/li>\n
  2. Basic big-company compact (Example: Canon S100)<\/li>\n
  3. Complex big-company compact (Example: Canon G15)<\/li>\n
  4. Micro four-thirds cameras (Example: Canon EOS-M)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Select a camera style by first being honest about where your abilities are as a photographer and where your photography will eventually go.\u00a0 People that wish to take a few snapshots to have proof of their shark encounter would probably do best with a camera that does most of the work for them.\u00a0 On the other end of the scale, aspiring pros may wish to start by building a camera setup that will follow them through their career.\u00a0 In that case, a micro 4\/3\u2019s camera would fit the bill nicely.<\/p>\n

    Picking a brand will likely narrow the choices down to just one or two cameras.\u00a0 Brands are a very personal preference.\u00a0 Usually once you start with a brand, you will follow their lineup for years.\u00a0 This article won\u2019t pretend to try to sway your choice here because while I shoot Canons, I know pros that shoot Nikons, Olympus, Sony and even a few friends who get awesome shots with Fuji.\u00a0 The best advice is to find a photographer whose work you like and mimic what he\/she shoots.<\/p>\n

    \"Halgerda<\/a><\/p>\n

    \"Echinometra<\/a>
    Echinometra mathei – Taken with a Canon A650<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

    Selecting a Housing<\/b><\/h3>\n

    The purchasing process is almost over.\u00a0 Except in the case of ready-for-underwater cameras, there is one more important piece of equipment to buy: the housing.\u00a0 And again, this depends on the eventual goals of the photographer.\u00a0 Housings made by camera manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon tend to allow full access to the camera\u2019s functions, almost to a fault.\u00a0 One of my first underwater housings (Canon A650 IS with Canon WP-DC18 housing) even gave me access to the camera\u2019s onboard print function which begged the question, \u201cwho is printing photos underwater?\u201d\u00a0 The manufacturer\u2019s housings also tend to be compact, lightweight, cheaper and fairly rugged.<\/p>\n

    There is some fine print, however that limits the versatility of manufacturer\u2019s housings.\u00a0 The depth rating for these housings is generally a safe and conservative 100-130 feet.\u00a0 This is fine for most recreational users, but rubbish for a tech diver or professional freediver whose hair doesn\u2019t even get wet until 130.\u00a0 And then there is the choice of accessories, or should I say complete lack of accessories. This is where aftermarket housings offer something special for the more advanced photographers.<\/p>\n

    Companies like Fisheye, Sea and Sea, Fantasea, and Ikelite design their housings with a more advanced diver in mind.\u00a0 They generally go deeper with more options than a housing produced by a camera company.\u00a0 What other options?\u00a0 For starters, TTL strobe gun metering provides optimal lighting in most circumstances but requires a specific port and cable connection absent on most manufacturer housings.\u00a0 Also, most aftermarket companies offer wet lenses or ports that increase the versatility of the camera.\u00a0 For shooting sharks and whales, nothing beats a fisheye lens, but for the little joys in life, a diopter is priceless.\u00a0 Both are options offered primarily by aftermarket companies.<\/p>\n

    The process of buying an underwater camera may seem daunting. Start by asking a few basic questions about your abilities and goals and make choices from there.\u00a0 By breaking the system down into its composite parts of camera THEN housing, you can place one foot in front of the other to be more confident in your camera choice.<\/p>\n

    \"The<\/a>
    The top and bottom of the food chain – Taken with Canon G12<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Most divers want to document the underwater world at some point in their careers.\u00a0 Whether the intended subjects include the alien sea life, mountainous terrain or some intriguing find, higher quality photos get more attention.\u00a0 Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing.\u00a0 This article will guide the aspiring<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":1183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[134,1],"tags":[104],"ppma_author":[259],"class_list":["post-1180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-tutorials","category-underwater-photography","tag-beginners"],"yoast_head":"\nStarting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Starting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mozaik Underwater Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Mozaik.Underwater.Cameras\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-12-25T14:44:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-07-29T15:27:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"3143\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jeffrey Milisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jeffrey Milisen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography\",\"name\":\"Starting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-12-25T14:44:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-07-29T15:27:52+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c3a50e89142c2e81078b4329a33e76\"},\"description\":\"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg\",\"width\":3143,\"height\":2355,\"caption\":\"Carcharhinus galapagensis - Taken with a Canon A650\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Mozaik Underwater Blog\",\"description\":\"World of Underwater Photography, Shooting Photo and Video while Diving with the worlds top cameras\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c3a50e89142c2e81078b4329a33e76\",\"name\":\"Jeffrey Milisen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/c8d27d8e0b0f26c5af35e8a2d1a146db\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Jeffrey-Milisen_avatar_1373203883-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Jeffrey-Milisen_avatar_1373203883-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Jeffrey Milisen\"},\"description\":\"Jeffrey is a talented underwater photographer, write and tutor. We are proud to have him as a permanent guest poster on our site. Jeffrey's personal website\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/milisenphotography.yolasite.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/author\/mozaik-jeffrey\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Starting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW","description":"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Starting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW","og_description":"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography","og_site_name":"Mozaik Underwater Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Mozaik.Underwater.Cameras","article_published_time":"2013-12-25T14:44:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-07-29T15:27:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":3143,"height":2355,"url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jeffrey Milisen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jeffrey Milisen","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography","url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography","name":"Starting out in Underwater Photography | Mozaik UW","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg","datePublished":"2013-12-25T14:44:22+00:00","dateModified":"2014-07-29T15:27:52+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c3a50e89142c2e81078b4329a33e76"},"description":"Underwater photography is a specialized skill that many spend lifetimes and life\u2019s earnings pursuing. This article will guide beginners.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/underwater-photography\/starting-underwater-photography#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Carcharhinus-galapagensis-23-small.jpg","width":3143,"height":2355,"caption":"Carcharhinus galapagensis - Taken with a Canon A650"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/","name":"Mozaik Underwater Blog","description":"World of Underwater Photography, Shooting Photo and Video while Diving with the worlds top cameras","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c3a50e89142c2e81078b4329a33e76","name":"Jeffrey Milisen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/c8d27d8e0b0f26c5af35e8a2d1a146db","url":"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Jeffrey-Milisen_avatar_1373203883-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Jeffrey-Milisen_avatar_1373203883-96x96.jpg","caption":"Jeffrey Milisen"},"description":"Jeffrey is a talented underwater photographer, write and tutor. We are proud to have him as a permanent guest poster on our site. Jeffrey's personal website","sameAs":["http:\/\/milisenphotography.yolasite.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/author\/mozaik-jeffrey"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":259,"user_id":38,"is_guest":0,"slug":"mozaik-jeffrey","display_name":"Jeffrey Milisen","avatar_url":"http:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Jeffrey-Milisen_avatar_1373203883-96x96.jpg","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1180"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1180\/revisions\/2587"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1180"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.housingcamera.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}