The underwater world is a place of amazement and wonder. A world beaming with a magical ambiance and a rainbow of colorful and enchanting inhabitants.

Unfortunately, at some point, the tank runs out of air and regrettably, you must return to the surface. One great way to take your adventures with you and to share your love of all things aquatic is through underwater photography.

And getting starting taking scuba photos is easy. Although taking photographs under the water can present some unique challenges, it can also be a very rewarding experience and does not need to be any more difficult than photography above the surface. Here are a few simple suggestions to follow to help you get started in the world of underwater photography.

First, decide what your goals will be as an underwater photographer.

Are you looking to catalog species that you encounter on a dive for research purposes? Or do you just want some great shots to email to your friends and family to showcase your adventures?

Perhaps you are more of the artistic sort and you want to turn your new hobby into an art form and print full-colored posters from your photographs. Knowing what you want to do with the pictures that you take will help you to determine what type of equipment you need and whether or not you want to opt for a digital camera or one that uses traditional film.

If you plan on using your photos for a website, emailing them, or using them in other digital media forms, then a digital camera will be a much more convenient format. You will want to make sure that you get a digital camera that is at least 3 megapixels or more.

The Intova IC-700 with an underwater casing is a great choice to begin with. It gives you 7 megapixel quality for just under $300. If you want something a little cheaper to start out with, try the VuPoint Solutions DC-WPC-ST531TBLK-VP which is a 5 megapixel camera for under a hundred bucks.

However, digital does not always enlarge as well as actual film, so if you plan on doing a lot of artwork, posters, etc. with the fruits of your labor, you will want to opt for a standard film camera or a higher quality SLR (single lens reflex) digital camera.

Some other questions to ask when choosing a camera are:

Do you wish to snap photos above water as well as below? If you plan on doing a lot of shots of dolphins and whales for example, you will want a camera that can easily convert, so that you do not miss a minute of the action.

How much does the camera weigh and how does it handle? Keep in mind that you will be working with this gear underwater while dealing with all of the standard dive equipment and conditions. If you wear diving gloves, be sure that the controls are easy for you to handle with your gloves on, and that the weight is a comfortable one for you to manage in the water.

Once you have selected a camera, you will also want to consider a strobe to help with lighting. One of the problems new photographers run into is learning how to compensate for the “blue light” effect that you get underwater. To help minimize this and to really bring the color of your subject out, the closer you can get, the better the photograph will tend to be.

Practice is also key, just like with any great skill.

So once you have familiarized yourself with your camera on the surface and know how all of the controls work, dive in and experiment with a few shots to help you learn how to compensate for the many variables that underwater photographers deal with. These factors include the depth of the water, the transparency and light in the water, the angle of sunlight scattering from the surface, and the speed and distance of various items that you are shooting. Every situation is slightly different so you will, in time, learn to compensate for all of the variables that you face.

The most important thing to remember while doing dive photography is to stay safe and have fun. The more that practice your skills, the better you will become. However, be sure to never do anything that places you, or the marine life around you, at harm. With a little diligence you will be showing off your amazing underwater photography in no time.

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