Macro Underwater Photography Tips

Sharks, groupers, and jellyfish OH MY! However, despite the ocean's vast animal pull, there is something completely fascinating about observing the undersea environment up close. Not everything underwater is visible at first look. Some require a closer examination.

- Sanchit Mishra

Small animals have a way of catching the imagination and generating captivating visuals, whether it's a young fish lurking discreetly between an anemone's tentacles or a brightly coloured nudibranch slogging over the muddy bottom.

Macro photography at a glance

Macro photography is the skill of photographing tiny subjects up close. Anything tiny enough to fit into a 5-by-7-inch rectangle is often termed macro. This includes, but is not limited to, bugs, young fish, snails, nudibranchs, and corals in the aquatic environment. This form of photography can be done in a studio; however, it is more common to do underwater macro photography outside. When most people look at the undersea environment via a camera's macro lens, they see a mix of colours and textures all splashed into one picture. The answer to successful macro photography is not required to display all you see through your camera's lens, but rather to discover simplicity in a single element and remove the background of distraction.

When you've never done macro photography underwater before, it might be difficult to know where to begin. When it comes to camera equipment, you don't always need the finest of the best. More essential than having a high-quality camera is experience, understanding photography ideas, and knowing how to operate your own gear. The setup can include a beginner's DSLR camera with a macro lens. These two pieces of photographic gear are housed in an Ikelite housing and lens port, and they are accompanied by two DS 161 strobes.

After you've determined your equipment requirements, you'll need to consider camera settings, which might differ between compact and DSLR cameras. Set your camera up for manual shooting as follows for macro beginners using a using a DSLR: Shutter Speed of 1/100s, Aperture of F 11 and ISO between 100-400.