9 Tips to Take Amazing Underwater Photos with Your GoPro
The underwater environment is stunning, enchanted, and astounding. And it's definitely worth taking pictures of!
Fortunately, almost anyone can now afford to take underwater photos. You can capture stunning images while scuba diving if you have a GoPro, whether it's a brand-new, expensive one or an outdated, used one.
Do you intend to pursue or have you already begun an underwater photography career? Here are nine suggestions for you on how to enhance the caliber of the photographs.
Keep your GoPro clean and charged
Make sure your GoPro camera is clean, charged, and ready to use before diving underwater. Does this suggestion strike you as being obvious?
You'll be shocked to learn how frequently scuba divers fail to check their equipment beforehand. They discover that GoPro doesn't function properly once they're underwater, but they are powerless to solve the problem. Please verify your camera's settings on the land once more.
Don’t dive too deep
The right lighting is crucial for photography. And because water and air absorb light differently, underwater photography presents a specific challenge to photographers in general and GoPro users in particular.
Lighting is greatly impacted by water: the deeper you go, the less light reaches your subject. The entire red spectrum is filtered by water, which also serves as a natural filter. Why does it mean that? In other words, your GoPro will take bluer pictures the deeper you go.
So don't blame your camera if you can't capture photographs that are vibrant and appealing. That is how the illumination is impacted by water. Keep your shutter speed from being too sluggish and attempt to get as close to the water's surface as you can to increase the quality of your photos.
Use lens filters
Adding color adjusting filters to your photos is another technique to enhance their vibrancy. The diving depth ranges from 3 to 25 meters work well with red, orange, and magenta lenses because they provide color to the washed-out blue-and-green film.
Purchase a few for your GoPro since they are reasonably priced. The filters won't break the bank but will drastically alter the color scheme of the photos you take.
Get a stabilizing tray
Underwater, everything is so unsteady. You cannot simply remain stationary. The item you're attempting to take a picture of is moving, as is your body, your GoPro, and the GoPro itself. Therefore, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that the majority of underwater photos end up blurry.
Use a double-handed GoPro tray if you want to obtain at least some stability. It will give you a point of attachment for lighting equipment and enable you to smooth underwater video.
Find inspiration online
It could be difficult for you to comprehend how to arrange the ideal photograph if you have never taken photos underwater. So look at Instagram or Pinterest if you need some inspiration. Choose three to ten of your favorite photographs, use them as models, and try to meticulously duplicate them.
Let's imagine you like the image below and want to take a similar picture of your friend. Pay attention to the following: the illumination, the distance between you and your model, and the diving depth.
Don’t rush!
For taking quality pictures, how long will you intend to stay underwater? Ten minutes or even a half-hour? The likelihood is that it will take you two or three times as long. Seriously.
Everything is more complicated when it's submerged. You also need additional time for framing and concentration, of course. Therefore, schedule your photo shoot in advance and make a clear estimate of how much time you will spend underwater.
Get the dome for split shots
Have you seen those gorgeous split-level images posted on Instagram or other social media sites? You need a dome for split shots if you want to take photographs that seem comparable. The field of view will be larger because to the dome port's ability to direct water away from the lens. You can use your GoPro to take stunning over-and-under pictures.
Here is some advice for you. Try to keep the dome port's top dry while taking pictures. There is a chance that if the port becomes wet, the water drops will land on the lens and ruin your pictures.
Shoot with the sun behind you
Is it possible to snap photos that are of a high quality when facing the sun? It's challenging, but it is doable.
Deep underwater photography is typically gloomy and underexposed. However, if you try to take pictures with the sun behind you, your GoPro's lens will capture more light and you'll get better pictures.
We strongly advise utilizing flash or at the very least video lighting to brighten the subject in front of you if you must take photos in cloudy conditions.
Improve your diving skills
Gravity, buoyancy, tides, currents, and depth all need to be overcome in order to shoot a clear underwater photograph. Even for an experienced diver, that is a difficult feat!
Therefore, don't get disappointed if your first attempt to take underwater images fails. Your next try will be successful if you concentrate more on honing your diving and swimming techniques. The quality of the images you take will increase with how at ease you feel underwater and how well you can manage your movements.
Wrapping it up
It's not possible to master underwater photography in a single day, though. You must dedicate time to learning new talents if you want to take flawless pictures. You also need to purchase certain necessary equipment.
Don't be afraid to become involved with underwater photography; it's a great pastime. Today, go diving with your GoPro!
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About the Author
Erica Sunarjo is a localization expert and translator at TheWordPoint. She is a passionate writer, traveler, and scuba diver. She has traveled to 27 countries and is planning to visit five new countries this year.