Underwater photography: beginner's guide

You have been diving for a while and you want to start capturing what you see underwater. The problem is that underwater photography is nothing like shooting on land. Light behaves differently, colours disappear within metres, your subjects move unpredictably, and you are working in three dimensions while managing your buoyancy, air supply and buddy simultaneously. This guide covers everything from choosing your first camera to the techniques that will turn your blurry blue snapshots into images worth sharing.

Which camera should you start with for underwater photography?

The three main options for underwater photography are action cameras (GoPro and similar), compact cameras in waterproof housings, and mirrorless/DSLR cameras in dedicated housings. Each has strengths and trade-offs, and the right choice depends on your budget, your diving experience and what you want to achieve.

Action cameras (GoPro, DJI Osmo Action): these are the entry point. A GoPro Hero costs 200 to 400 euros and is waterproof out of the box (typically to 10 metres, or to 60 metres with a protective housing). The wide-angle lens captures expansive scenes but struggles with detail at distance. Video quality is excellent; still photos are acceptable but not outstanding. The main advantage is simplicity: point, press, done. The main disadvantage is limited control over settings and poor performance in low light.

Compact cameras (Olympus TG series, Sony RX100): this is where serious underwater photography starts. A compact camera with a dedicated underwater housing gives you manual control over exposure, white balance, and focus. The Olympus Tough TG-7 (around 400 euros, housing around 250 euros) is the go-to choice for underwater photographers on a budget. It offers a macro mode that is genuinely impressive for small marine life like nudibranchs and shrimps. The Sony RX100 series produces larger, more detailed files but the housing is more expensive (housing alone: 600-1,000 euros).

Mirrorless/DSLR cameras: for the serious photographer, a full mirrorless camera in an aluminium housing produces professional-quality results. The investment is significant: camera body (1,000-3,000 euros), underwater housing (1,500-4,000 euros), ports for different lenses (200-800 euros each), and strobes (500-1,500 euros per strobe). Total investment for a working system: 4,000 to 10,000+ euros. This is not beginner territory.

My recommendation: if you are just starting, begin with whatever you already own. A GoPro teaches you framing, buoyancy awareness and patience. When you outgrow it (and you will), move to a compact like the Olympus TG series. Only consider a mirrorless system once you have at least 100 dives and excellent buoyancy.

Why do underwater photos always look blue and how do you fix it?

Water absorbs light selectively. Red wavelengths are the first to go, disappearing almost completely by about 5 metres depth. Orange goes next, then yellow. By 15 metres, everything looks blue or green unless you take active steps to compensate.

There are three ways to restore colour underwater:

Red filter: the simplest solution for action cameras and ambient-light shooting. A red filter clips over your lens and compensates for the loss of red wavelengths. It works well between 5 and 15 metres in blue water. Below that, you need artificial light. Red filters cost 10 to 30 euros and are a worthwhile first investment for any GoPro user.

White balance: if your camera allows manual white balance (compacts and mirrorless do), you can set a custom white balance underwater using a white slate or the palm of your hand. This tells the camera to interpret the current light conditions as neutral, which restores colour without a filter. You need to re-set it when you change depth significantly.

Strobes and video lights: the best solution is to bring your own light source. An underwater strobe or video light illuminates your subject with full-spectrum white light, restoring all colours regardless of depth. This is why professional underwater photos look so vivid: the photographer is essentially bringing sunlight with them. A basic video light costs 50 to 200 euros; dedicated strobes start around 300 euros.

What are the key composition techniques for underwater photography?

The single most important rule in underwater photography is: get close, then get closer. Water is 800 times denser than air. Every centimetre of water between you and your subject degrades your image by absorbing light and adding backscatter (the particles floating in the water that show up as white spots in your photos). The closer you are, the sharper, more colourful and more detailed your images will be.

Shoot upward: one of the most common mistakes is shooting downward at subjects. This gives you a boring background of sand or rock. Instead, position yourself below or at eye level with your subject and shoot upward or horizontally. This puts the blue water or the surface behind your subject, creating much more interesting compositions.

Use the rule of thirds: just like on land, placing your subject off-centre creates more dynamic images. Most cameras have a grid overlay option that helps with this.

Fill the frame: underwater, subjects often end up as small dots in a vast blue expanse. Get close enough that your subject fills at least a third of the frame. For macro subjects (nudibranchs, shrimps, seahorses), fill the entire frame.

Be patient: the best underwater photos come from divers who can hover motionless, wait for the right moment, and take multiple shots. This requires excellent buoyancy control. If you are still struggling with buoyancy, focus on improving that before investing heavily in camera equipment.

How do you avoid common underwater photography mistakes?

Beyond the blue colour issue, here are the mistakes that plague underwater photographers at every level:

• Backscatter: those annoying white spots in your photos are particles in the water illuminated by your flash or light. The solution: position your strobes or lights away from the camera axis, pointing slightly outward. This lights the subject from the side and prevents the particles from catching direct light.
• Blurry images: underwater subjects move, you move, and water adds drag to everything. Use the fastest shutter speed your light allows. For action shots (fish swimming, divers moving), aim for 1/200s or faster. For macro, use a strobe which effectively freezes motion.
• Chasing subjects: swimming after a fish with your camera rarely produces good results. You burn air, scare the animal, and your buoyancy suffers. Instead, observe the animal's behaviour, predict where it will go, position yourself, and wait.
• Neglecting your diving: the single biggest risk of underwater photography is becoming so focused on the camera that you forget to check your air, monitor your depth, or maintain buddy contact. The camera should always be secondary to safe diving practice.
• Not reviewing settings before the dive: check your camera settings on the surface. Ensure the housing is properly sealed (the number one cause of flooded cameras is a hair or grain of sand on the O-ring). Format your memory card and charge your battery before every dive.

Is the PADI Underwater Photographer specialty worth it?

The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty is a 2-dive course that covers camera basics, composition, and the technical challenges of underwater imaging. It is part of the Adventure Diver and Advanced Open Water programmes, so you can count it as one of your adventure dives.

Is it essential? No. You can learn underwater photography through practice, online resources and trial and error. But if you want structured guidance from an experienced instructor who can give you real-time feedback underwater, the specialty is a good investment. At Dive With Lau, the underwater photography specialty includes a personalised session where we review your images after each dive and work on specific improvements for the next one.

The best destinations for underwater photography with Dive With Lau include Tenerife (turtles, rays, volcanic formations) and Greece (crystal-clear visibility, dramatic rock formations). Both offer excellent subjects at accessible depths.

What camera settings should you use underwater?

If your camera offers manual or semi-manual modes, here are starting settings for common scenarios:

• Wide-angle reef shots (ambient light): ISO 200-400, aperture f/5.6-f/8, shutter speed 1/125s, custom white balance or red filter. Shoot in RAW for maximum editing flexibility.
• Wide-angle with strobes: ISO 100-200, aperture f/8-f/11, shutter speed 1/125s-1/200s (sync speed limit), strobe power adjusted to subject distance.
• Macro (with strobe): ISO 100-200, aperture f/11-f/22 for maximum depth of field, shutter speed 1/160s-1/250s. Get as close as your minimum focus distance allows.
• GoPro video: 4K at 30fps for most situations. Use "flat" or "protune" colour profile for maximum flexibility in post-processing. Enable image stabilisation.

The most important technical tip: always check your images on the screen between shots. Underwater, you cannot tell what the photo looks like until you review it. Take multiple frames of every subject and check exposure and focus regularly.

The bottom line

Underwater photography is a skill that takes time to develop, but the learning curve is part of the fun. Start simple, get close, shoot upward, bring light, and prioritise your diving over your camera. The best underwater photo is the one you take while maintaining perfect buoyancy, staying aware of your surroundings, and genuinely enjoying the dive.

For more on the common mistakes to avoid while diving (with or without a camera), read our 10 common diving mistakes guide.

Interested in the PADI Underwater Photographer specialty? Contact Lau and we will plan it into your next dive trip.