Essential underwater photography tips

This is the golden rule of underwater photography. Water absorbs light and colour rapidly, so every extra bit of distance between you and your subject degrades the image. Get as close as the animal and the local rules allow.

The closer you are, the less water there is between your lens and the subject, which gives sharper images with better colour and contrast. Distances are set by site and species, so follow the local operator's and the site's rules, including distances. At the snorkel-only Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives, for example, the rule is to keep 3 m from the mantas. Where a rule sets a distance, the rule wins, and a wide-angle lens lets you fill the frame with a large animal from a respectful distance.

Do not touch, feed, ride, chase or stand on marine life for a photo. Keep off the bottom, and control your fins so you do not damage the coral.

Shoot upward as well. When your subject is above you, angle the camera up toward the surface for dynamic images with a blue water background, and capture it against the water column or a sunburst. Do not drop deeper to get the angle. Combined with getting close, it adds depth and drama to your images.

Before you worry about camera settings, get your buoyancy right. Good photographers are good divers first. You need to hover motionless, approach subjects slowly and hold your position without kicking up sediment.

Practise diving without a camera until your buoyancy is second nature, and only then add the complexity of photography equipment. Never compromise your diving safety for a photo. A camera takes your attention, so check your depth, air and buddy as often as you check your screen, and stay within the depth limit of your certification.

The best underwater photographers take thousands of photos to get a handful of keepers. Review your images after each dive, work out what worked and what did not, and apply those lessons on the next dive. Start with easy, patient subjects like nudibranchs and anemones before attempting fast-moving fish or shy creatures, and build your skills progressively.

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Add your camera checklist to the final check in your pre-dive safety check, so you do not leave anything behind or drop into the water with an open housing.

Light behaves differently underwater. Red wavelengths disappear first (by 5 m), followed by orange, yellow and eventually green, which is why underwater photos often look blue or green.

Natural light is best for wide-angle shots within 10 m of the surface. Shoot between 10am and 2pm, when the sun is directly overhead, for maximum light penetration.

Strobes or flash are essential for macro photography and for restoring colour at depth. Position strobes at 45-degree angles to minimise backscatter from particles in the water.

If you are just starting out, use these settings as a baseline:

For composition, apply the rule of thirds: place your subject off-centre. Include foreground elements to add depth, and look for leading lines such as coral formations or reef structure. Leave space in front of swimming subjects, in the direction they are moving, to create a sense of motion.