A Different Light

LED lighting can be used successfully for underwater still photography thanks to advancements in technology. Learn how to harness the power of LED lighting for great images.

Purple spanish shawl nudibranch

Celebrating Slow

A slow shutter speed underwater can help light appear brighter, bring more light into the background and creates intentional blurs. Read more about using a slow shutter speed.

Female diver, in yellow suit, holds two flares in each hand

Wide-Angle Lighting Techniques

Wide-angle photography captures good color and resolution when underwater. But the optimal use of a wide-angle lens is dependent on placement. Read more about wide-angle underwater photography.

Several humpback whales swarm near each other

Shooting in a Turbid Environment

Turbid water can be a challenging environment for underwater photographers, particularly when shooting wide angle. Turbid water may not appear brown or green from the surface — in many cases the water looks entirely different once we drop in and begin the dive. All water is turbid to some degree. Understanding what causes turbidity and knowing how to work around it can make a world of difference when shooting in those conditions. One of the best skills a photographer can develop, particularly for shooting wide angle, is learning how to read water quality.

Keyhole compositions work well for eliminating the chance of backscatter.

Jennifer Hayes

READERS WILL KNOW THE BYLINE “David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes” from scores of National Geographic magazine features. Working as a team they have photographed the wild ocean from the tropics […]

Photography for Philanthropy

Think about the first time you picked up an underwater camera — what was the initial reason? Maybe you wanted a way to record your dives or a mechanism to show your nondiver friends and family the beauty of the underwater world.

A collection of mauve stinger jellyfish

Shooter: Kurt Amsler

Kurt Amsler has been shooting underwater for nearly 60 starts — first using a converted soccer ball to house a camera. Learn more about his inspiration for photos and how he got into scuba diving.

A black-and-white photo of Kurt Amsler as he pops up out of the water holding an old camera

Shooter: Alex Mustard

Alex Mustard, Ph.D., is among the first prominent underwater photographers to come of age during the digital era. He’s a marine scientist.

Two yellow fish snuggle close together

Give Your Images the Competitive Edge

Photo competitions can be great tools to assess your photography skills. Read more about how to find and enter into photo competitions.

Morose lionfish stares at camera