The 10 Best Underwater Pics Taken By Dressel Divers’ Guests

Some people might say the key to taking good underwater pics lies in technology. However, state-of-the-art cameras, powerful flashes, and professional lenses are a lure that diverts attention away from the true artists: the divers who took them.

Underwater pics have a soul or not, depending on the person who takes them. The diver must think, frame, and execute them in the blink of an eye.

Through them, we discover the photographer’s love for diving. We know how comfortable he is underwater, even when carrying heavy photographic equipment, and, above all, we can guess the diver’s nostalgia looking at it again in the future.

Bellow, you can find some of these underwater pics, from David, Rob, James, and many other friends’ underwater shot selections. They took these photographs diving with Dressel Divers in 2021, and they wanted to share them with all of us. This article is to say thank you.

We have subdivided the underwater photographs into 3 categories: Fauna & flora underwater pics, underwater pics of wrecks, and funny underwater portraits.

1. 10 Best Underwater Pics Taken in 2021 By Dressel Diver’s Guests

1.1. Underwater Sea Life Pics

How many fish have you been able to photograph on a diving trip with Dressel Divers?

You can email the photos to us at marketing@dresseldivers.com, and we will post them on our social networks, as we did with Mr. Rogers’ underwater pics.

1.2. Wrecks Underwater Pics

1.3. Funny Underwater Portraits

Taking an underwater portrait is not easy. In addition to the photographer’s skills, the model has a lot to add to the underwater pic as well. As a general guideline, the proper underwater portrait should have hardly any bubbles covering the face, and the eyes should be visible.

You have already seen the 10 best underwater pics taken by Dressel Divers guests. Thank you all for them! Do you want us to publish yours? Email your underwater pics at marketing@dresseldivers.com

But if you haven’t started taking underwater photographs yet and would like to, let us give you some tips to get started on the right foot.

2. How to Get Started with Underwater Pics

Step 1: Choose the Right Camera and Housing

To start taking underwater sea pics, select a camera with manual controls and RAW format capability for better post-processing control. You’ll also need a dedicated underwater housing to protect your camera from water damage. After that, practice above water. Familiarize yourself with your camera’s settings by practicing topside with your equipment inside the housing. Try capturing close-ups of everyday objects and flowers to refine your skills.

Step 2: Learn and Practice Basic Scuba Photography Techniques

Before taking underwater pics, master fundamental techniques, such as adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. Comprehend composition techniques and how to work with natural or artificial lighting underwater.

Step 3: Improve Your Diving Skills

Good underwater pics require good scuba diving skills. Prioritize honing your diving skills before introducing a camera to your scuba adventures. If you’re new to diving, consider taking advanced diving courses to become more comfortable in the water and improve your buoyancy control. This helps you capture better pics without disturbing marine life.

Step 4: Start with Shallow Dives and Get Acquainted with the Environment

Begin by diving in shallow, calm, and clear waters to get comfortable with underwater reef pics while diving.

Step 5: Exercise Patience and Observe Marine Life

Patience and observation are key for capturing impressive underwater sea life pics. Study their behavior and habits to anticipate movements and take unique pics underwater. Always respect the marine environment by avoiding disturbance or contact with the creatures.

Step 6: Post-Processing and Sharing Your Underwater Ocean Pics

After your dive, review and edit your pics using photo editing software. Adjust exposure, color balance, and other settings to enhance your underwater reef pics. Once satisfied, share your underwater pics on our social media. We are waiting for them.

3. Basic Underwater Pic Tips

Let’s start with the fundamentals every underwater photographer should master to take good underwater pics:

1. Get Up Close: To overcome the water’s natural filtering of colors, contrast, and sharpness, get as close as possible to your subject, ideally within 12 inches.
2. Use Flash: Ensure your camera flash is activated, preferably in “forced flash mode,” to restore lost colors and add vibrancy to your underwater pic.
3. Perfect Your Composition: Experiment with composition by shooting at an upward angle, avoiding centering the subject, and filling the frame with your focal point. Avoid shooting “down” at your subject for good underwater sea life pics.
4. Focus on the Eyes: Ensure your subject’s eyes are in sharp focus to create engaging and captivating underwater pics.
5. Minimize Backscatter: Invest in an external strobe/flash and position it away from your underwater camera housing to reduce backscatter.
6. Optimize Camera Settings: Begin with the highest resolution and the lowest ISO setting on your camera you will get better underwater pics.
7. White Balance: Use auto white balance when using a flash/strobe and custom white balance or underwater mode in the absence of a flash.
8. Master Manual Mode: If your camera offers it, learn how to use manual mode or aperture priority mode to control the balance between natural light and flash.
9. Ideal Lighting Conditions: If you can take pics underwater with natural light do it, with the sun behind you for optimal results.
10. Shutter Speed: Adjust your shutter speed according to your subject’s motion. Use 1/30th for still objects, 1/60th for slow-moving subjects, and 1/125th or faster for fast-moving fish.

In conclusion, underwater pics capture not only the beauty of the ocean’s inhabitants but also the passion and skills of the divers who take them. These ocean pics reveal a deep love for diving and the underwater world. They remind us of the importance of patience, observation, and skill in capturing stunning underwater sea life pics.

Remember to also respect marine life and the environment as you capture this captivating world and take the best underwater pics.