Underwater Photography

Journey under the sea with underwater photographer extraordinaire Alex Mustard as he details the kit, tips and tricks he uses to tame the mighty briny deep

Few places are as exciting to take photos as in the underwater world. Beneath the surface of the deep blue sea, we have the chance to shoot subjects and scenery that many people have never seen for themselves, ranging from shipwrecks to aquatic life. That life is far more varied than on land, ranging from intricate invertebrates, seemingly precision engineered for our macro lenses, to the most massive animal that has ever lived, the blue whale. This biodiversity should be no surprise, given that the evolution of multicellular life in the ocean had more than a billion years head start over land!

And as a photographer in this realm, we can move freely in three dimensions. We have the freedom to hover above a coral landscape and to soar through a kelp forest, endowing us with a massive choice of photographic viewpoints. Imagine how photography on land would be transformed if you always had the manoeuvrability of a drone!

The ‘but’ is that the underwater world is an unforgiving place. Not only do we have to take complex electronic cameras underwater, using waterproof housings to protect them while giving us access to all the controls, but this is an environment where we need special equipment to stay alive ourselves. On top of this, light does not penetrate easily through water, placing restrictions on how we can shoot, demanding precise technique. If there’s a golden rule it’s: ‘get close, then get closer.’

SHOOTING UNDERWATER