Alert Diver Category: Imaging

Pete Zuccarini is the underwater cinematographer behind movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Life of Pi,” “Dolphin Tale” and more. Read more about Zuccarini’s story and career.

Compact digital camera systems are great for hobbyist photographers. Do you know what to look for?

THE ANCESTORS OF MODERN SEA TURTLES shared the oceans with ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs during the late Jurassic period 150 million years ago. Their descendants now inhabit reefs and oceans around the world.

David Doubilet said it first and best. “He uses boundless imagination and a keen eye to peel back the surface and expose a world that is beautiful, bizarre, and wonderfully unexpected,” Doubilet said about Alex Kirkbride’s remarkable underwater photographic journey through all 50 states for his book American Waters.

Underwater photographers usually evolve a specialty, but the first fork in their road typically involves defining an interest in either photographing natural history — marine life in particular — or concentrating on editorial and commercial work that inevitably involves photographing people underwater. Photos of charismatic marine life help tell the story of a dive destination or might be used for photo décor or stock photography. Compositions that illustrate people interacting with marine life bridge both disciplines and combine each approach’s rewards and challenges.

Freedive photography is an art as the photographer only gets one breath to get the shot. Scuba gear often is bulky and can just get in the way. Learn more about freedive photography.

Cave photography is equally exhilarating and challenging — try photographing something when light is sparse. Read more about cave photography and get the best tips.

Underwater photographer Jerry Greenberg has spent decades in the industry and has been a leading innovator. Read more about Jerry Greenberg.

I knew Chuck Davis’ photography long before I met the man, so interviewing him revealed a wealth of fascinating information. One of the most surprising things I learned is that Chuck shot on film all the black-and-white images featured here and processed and printed them in his darkroom.

Most of our experiences in digital photography are somewhere between one end of a spectrum and the other. Underwater photographers often make an either/or distinction when describing how we shoot, ignoring that it is really a continuum.