Underwater photography is growing every year, those who go diving wish to bring the diving world visible to those who do not dive. We have always been fascinated with the oceans and bays of the world as an unknown world. Bringing vacation pictures home to your friends or selling them as professionals has been a time honored tradition and now we can bring the underwater world home through the use of digital photography.
Underwater photography can be very fun and interesting. It is not everyday that people get to go under water and take pictures of the wildlife that exists there. There are many different types of wildlife underwater including the living and moving ones such as fish and sharks, and the non-moving ones such as coral. Underwater photography has become a huge sport because of the different kinds of things that one finds to photograph underwater.
Many digital cameras today are underwater cameras. More and more pictures are popping up all over the internet from underwater sources. This is because of the availability of taking cameras underwater and taking pictures of everything there.
An underwater digital camera is not just used to capture underwater memories; some professional marine photographers also use underwater digital cameras in their business. Even marine biologists and scientists use underwater digital cameras to capture marine life and thus be able to study the life and properties of the marine life. But I think it is safe to assume that you, my reader, are neither a marine scientist nor a professional photographer. Like me, you are just some photo junkie who wants to capture underwater moments and just cant figure out how without ruining your cameras.
Please listen to me when I say that even waterproof cameras cannot withstand underwater photography. To be waterproof is to resist the water in certain levels, submerging in under the water to get the perfect shot is like throwing it out of the window expecting a pick-up truck to pass by and run over it.
Now if you’re really serious about using an underwater digital camera to capture those wacky and funny moments underwater, I suggest that you buy specialty cameras.
There are rarely underwater digital cameras, as cameras are electronic and cannot withstand water and water pressure. The closest electronics has ever got to producing underwater digital cameras are producing underwater casings for digital cameras. These casing will turn your conventional digital camera into an underwater digital camera.
If you are shooting with your underwater digital camera, you need to take note of a few things to help you come up with the best images underwater.
Remember that as you farther under water, light diffuses. This means that your underwater digital camera will produce images darker than those images you took while on land – this is because of the light diffusion the red spectrum seems darker. To avoid this, use white balance come up with natural colors. Also, pictures taken underwater will come up larger than pictures taken on land with the same zoom effect. Be sure to check your underwater digital camera’s viewfinder to check the right picture angle and size that you want.
An underwater digital camera with its built-in flash will produce marine show phenomenon. It is a phenomenon wherein your pictures come out as blurry and with white particles floating above it, to avoid this phenomenon it is advisable to use external flash for your underwater digital camera.
Before using your underwater digital camera, submerge the camera in the water first for several seconds then check if there are leaks through the case. Make sure that no grain of sand or piece of hair is stuck in between the seal to make sure that water will not permeate the case and thus wet your camera in the process. It is also advisable to put silica gel or two inside the case of your underwater digital camera as long as they don’t disturb the camera’s operation. (Silica gel will keep the moisture from forming inside your camera case.)
Most underwater digital cameras come with optional lenses. Don’t be afraid to add these lenses to your underwater digital camera kit. Macro lenses will help you capture small things without getting too close and startling your subject.
Also, remember to always wash of salt when you’ve used it under salt water. If the salts are not washed off, in time they will crystallize; act as sands and cause leaks for your camera case. In cases when sands seem to get into the case, they are better washed off with streams of water.
Check out Sony, Nikon and Canon’s website for available underwater cases for your digital cameras.
Amazon Camera Supplies
