Any diver that is in to underwater photography and has used a camera with a casing will tell you that no matter how hard you try to ensure the inside of your camera casing is bone dry, there is always a big chance that it isn’t.  Water droplets and moisture have this annoying way of turning up no matter how careful you are when you open your camera housing. Sometimes it’s water that was on the o-ring, or on the outsides of the casing that gets inside, other times its simply the moisture laden air that causes the water to get inside.

SeaLife Moisture Muncher 1 Oz. Packs (Set of 3)

Moisture buildup inside a camera housing can be a frustrating problem, especially when the moisture condenses on the insides of your housing fogging up the lens or making the viewfinder display hard to view.  This can cause your photographs to come out blurry, and in more severe cases, can even cause your camera to malfunction or corrode.

One simple yet highly effective solution to keeping your housing condensation free is to use silica gel sachets or capsules which are desiccants that absorb moisture in the crystals. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that absorbs moisture in its local vicinity and retains the moisture.

The Moisture Muncher Silica Gel Drying Capsules from SeaLife are perhaps one of the best ways to solve the fogging problem in your underwater camera case. The capsules absorb moisture to prevent fogging and corrosion of your underwater camera. Each capsule contains 1 gram of color-indicating crystals and the moisture absorbing silica gel. When crystals turn from blue to pink, it’s time to replace the capsule. The capsules easily fit inside any  standard camera housing.

The Moisture Muncher is the best form of insurance for your expensive underwater photography equipment. Just a single capsule in your housing and another in your strobe should keep good for several dives. You’ll know when to change out the capsule as it will change color, and each pack of the Moisture Muncher contains ten 1-gram capsules, so a single pack should last you through your entire dive trip. Don’t take your underwater camera or strobe below water without one of these.

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It’s safe to to say that anemone and clownfish are easily one of the most photographed subjects underwater. And rightly so! A clownfish or two in with the beautiful tentacles or colorful underside of the anemone in the background has the makings of a no-brainer great picture. However, just getting a photograph of an anemonefish is pretty straightforward with any type of underwater camera and you’ll find a dime a dozen out there but, actually getting a truly outstanding shot requires more than just technique, it requires perseverance!

The key to capturing that special clownfish shot is not finding Nemo but infact finding the right anemone and setting for the shot. There are a wide variety of anemone and some are can be pretty drably colored, while others have dull, sausage-shaped tentacles – those are what you don’t want. You to look for the supermodels of anemones with tentacles in interesting shapes and colors, accompanied by skirts in even brighter hues. Anemone with the bright red skirting and attractive pinks, purples and burgundies are the most popular for that Nat-geo like shot. Finding that perfect anemone is the biggest part of the job you’ll have to invest your time to, but trust me it’ll be worth it.

Next is getting that fish with the perfect composition. Never an easy task as anemonefish rarely stay still long enough to allow you to compose, focus and expose that special shot. At the same you are almost guaranteed with anemonefish that they aren’t going anywhere, so patience is key. So before you get all excited you found that looker of an anemone resist hounding the fish with your lens, step back and observe the fish for a bit. You’ll notice most anemonefish swim quite regular circuits around their anemone and seem to have favorite spots from where they like to look out. Decide on a good angle for the shot, preferably where there’s a fold in the skirting or where it lifts up if there’s movement in the water (for this reason, a slight current on the dive is a good thing) and take a test shot without the fish to see if you like the background and composition of the shot. Once you’re happy with it, there’s not much to do but wait for the fish to get in the the frame and fire.

Take plenty of frames and keep shooting as when you view the pictures later you’ll notice how easy it is to be slightly off with the focus or to clip a fin. If you can’t get a shot against the skirting of the anemone which is the best composition and you’re shooting against the tentacles of the anemone, adhere to the underwater photography basic rule of either getting below the subject and shot upwards or in-line with it. Your fish will get lost in the anemone should you try to take a shot from above.

*Photo credits: photos by Nick Hobgood, Nick Hobgood, cloning girl on flickr\

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | How To Photograph Clownfish is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Some amazing underwater photography captured by divers around the world:

Willaurie & Anthony Bell Wrecks- Nassau, Bahamas

photo by hankplank on flickr

Grining fish at Palancar Reef - Cozumel - Mexico

photo by Rob Inh00d on flickr

Christmas Tree Worms, Malaysia

photo by gwylow71 on flickr

Macro shot of Anemone- East of Dili, East Timor

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Sea Pen at Perhentian Island, Malaysia

photo by CW Ye on flickr

A Harlequin Shrimp - Seraya, Bali

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Shark Arena - Nassau, Bahamas

photo by hankplank on flickr

Puffer fish all blown up - Mactan Cebu, Philippines

photo by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) on flickr

A brightly colored Toothy- Tulamben, Bali

photo by doug.deep on flickr

Jellyfish & a friend - Liberty Wall, Haiti

photo by Nick Hobgood on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Amazing Underwater Captures is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

For over 25 years now Pinoneer Research has been developing the SeaLife Camera brand, coming out with top quality underwater camera’s that are custom tailored for the recreational scuba diver and water sports enthusiast. From top of the line underwater digital photography rigs to the simple point and shoot camera and housing, SeaLife has an incredible lineup that will suit every type of photographer. The latest camera to be launched from SeaLife this March is the compact digital Sealife SL330 Mini II Digital Underwater Camera.

The Sealife SL330 Mini II Digital Underwater Camera is a rugged and incredibly compact, pocket-sized point and shoot underwater camera. Waterproof and pressure tested up to a depth of 130ft (40m) the SL330 is also shockproof when dropped from a height of 6ft (2m) which means if you accidentally drop your SL330, the chance are that it’ll still be ok. This is a great camera to have during watersports activities like jet skiing, surfing or any other intense waterports activity where your camera usually is in danger of getting bumped around.

When inspected for the first  time, the thing that grabs your attention when you look at the SL330 Mini II is how compact the camera is for an underwater camera, which is vry unlike the bulky camera housing combos you normally see; and also grabbing your eye is the sleek fully rubber-armored body that the camera is encased in assures you of the ruggedness the manufacturers promise.

Since you don’t want to be left fumbling around with your camera settings when snorkeling or Scuba Diving, the simple and well laid buttons on the SL330 Mini II give you just that. Large, wide-spread controls for easy operation and no complicated menus. The Easy Setup on-screen guide ensures the camera is set correctly for great pictures on land or underwater. With SeaLife’s renowned custom underwater shooting modes, you’ll have no more blue pictures by using the Dive and Snorkel modes that now have an underwater color booster.

The SL330 uses a 9.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor allowing for images of 3472×2604 in resolution, has an instant focus lens that focuses from 2ft to infinity. The LCD display on the camera is a large 2.4″ TFT Color LCD which is good for reviewing your pictures easily and composing those tricky shots underwater. The SL330 is also compatible with external strobes so can be easily paired with the SeaLife Digital Pro Flash for even better results.

Overall the Sealife SL330 Mini II is a rugged, fully featured underwater digital camera that wins hands down on price to quality and features. This camera is made for SCUBA divers, snorkelers, boaters, hikers, paddlers and any fun-seeking adventurer looking to capture that moment without the worry.

Features:

Waterproof to 130ft / 40m

Shockproof 6ft / 2m

Fully Rubber-Armored

Large, wide spread 3-button operation for easy operation

Easy Set-up mode 1-2-3 graphic on-screen guide for setting camera mode – no complicated menus.

-Land Auto mode for action land pictures and videos in extreme conditions

-Dive mode for underwater exposure control and color correction – no more blue pictures

-Snorkel mode for underwater exposure control and color correction – no more blue pictures

-Ext Flash mode for integration with external flash to enhance color and brightness underwater.

Video mode at 30fps with Sound

Soft Rubber grip design for sure grip.

Spy Mode – The camera automatically shoots continuous pictures at set time intervals.

Compact, Slim design (pocket size)

2x AAA batteries Alkaline(included), NiMH rechargeable or Energizer Ultimate lithium batteries.

Self-contained dive camera (no housing)

9 megapixels for sharp, high-resolution pictures.

Large 2.4″ TFT Color LCD for easy on-camera viewing

Instant focus lens from 2 ft to infinity

SD and SDHC card compatible (8GB recommended).

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Sealife SL330 Mini II Digital Underwater Camera is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Shooting underwater has several challenges. Water absorbs light and light levels quickly drop as you get deeper in the water column. This is why you need all the help you can get when it comes to illuminating your subjects for underwater photography. One way to get even better results from your still camera is to pair your strobe with a constantly on underwater video light, which will help your camera focus better.

Many underwater photographers have asked whether it is possible to eliminate the need for an external strobe and use a video light as a replacement. It is perfectly possible to shoot stills with video lights, but there are several limitations as compared to strobes. After all strobes were designed specifically for still photography. While strobes are excellent at helping a scuba diver illuminate the scene, a challenge that strobes have is providing the camera with sufficient light to begin with to focus correctly. The strobe gets around this limitation by using pre-flashes that fire short bursts of light before the shutter is released to allow the camera’s lens to autofocus correctly on the subject.  However this may not always work well in very dark shadows or deeper water, where an autofocus assist light, a dive light or a video light can be of greater assistance.

So is it possible to use a dive light or a video light as a substitute where you don’t have a strobe? Yes. Is a video light a better alternative for an underwater strobe? No.

We do not recommend using a video light as the sole replacement for an external camera strobe, as a strobe not only provides light but also helps freeze motion which a video light cannot do well. A strobe will also allow you to creep up on your subject as compared to the constant beam of a video light which fish do not much care for. Video lights unless high-powered HID’s will not provide sufficient illumination for greater distances, and can be used to better effect for macros and subjects closer to the diver.

So where is a video light of greatest assistance? For the reasons we mentioned above, an add-on dive light can greatly improve photographs when used as an autofocus assist lamp in combination with a strobe, and for night dives, or macros, where the additional light will help the photographer get sharper focus or illuminate the background and parts of the scenery that the strobe will not cover.

photo courtesy danielguip

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Using a Video Light for Underwater Photography Stills is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

*Underwater picture dump submitted by WWW.DUMPADAY.COM

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Water World Pictures is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

One of the many ways an underwater photographer can get better compositions from their photographs is to ask oneself before depressing that shutter release button, “What’s behind my subject?”

While taking photographs of fish, we’re often so distracted trying to capture the fish itself that we often lose sight of the background. Later back on the surface while reviewing our images, we find several of the ones we thought were winners, rejected with the background detracting from an otherwise great shot.

Taking control of your subject’s background can help turn an ordinary shot into a beautiful photo.

The first step to getting good compositions while underwater is to try and remain conscious of what’s behind the subject. Constantly ask yourself, will the background make the subject stand out better? Or will the background distract the viewer from the subject?

The best way to get better backgrounds is to shoot at eye-level or from down, upwards while underwater, as the blue infinity works as a great natural clutter-free background. Shooting downward or towards the sea/lake bed can require the diver to carefully select what will eventually end up in the background image; this takes skill and practice to get right.

An example of how using the surface as a backdrop can help your subjects stand out

Using the blue infinity as a background helps the Triggerfish stand out

Often a busy coral reef or a cluttered seabed can make a distracting backdrop; however, if taken correctly, these same busy backgrounds can sometimes work to your advantage even enhancing your shot. One way to get your subject to stand out is by the photographer blurring the background. Getting a background blurred or out of focus, requires you to use a wider aperture or a lower F-stop to get the correct depth of field. There also has to be some amount of distance between the subject and the sea bed/background to ensure your subject stays in focus. Another method uses a more zoom (if possible on your underwater camera) to get your subject sharp, but still maintain a nice blur on the background.

A busy background detracts from the subject

Blurring the background to get your subject to stand out

Another example of how a Shallow depth of field draws attention to the subject

An underwater photographer isn’t just limited to blurring the background to get a good composition; one can also have the background in sharp focus, if you feel that the background enhances the image. Always check to ensure that there is good contrast between you subject and the background to prevent the subject from blending in with its surroundings, you want the subject to pop-out.

Poor Contrast: the white sand causes the fins of this triggerfish to blend in instead of stand out

The darker contrasting background against a dark fish makes it harder to spot the subject

A word of caution: ensure that you have your strobes positioned in a manner where the background is sufficiently illuminated as well; otherwise you will end up with patches of shadow in the image.

Photo credit: glintle, Daniel Kwok, mattk1979, San Diego Shooter, cwilso, geirf, behang, Eric Burgers

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Underwater Photography Composition Tips: Think about your Background is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

In our last underwater photography composition tip, we took a closer look at trying ensuring the photographer captures the fish’s eye in sharp focus to ensure a good creature portrait photo. Now that you know the importance of getting the eyes tack sharp while taking pictures, time to move on to our next composition tip which is making sure you give the fish plenty of “room to swim” in your frame.

By “Room to Swim” we mean ensuring that the fish’s head isn’t on one far edge of your image, but taking the photograph in a manner where the fish is provided with a bit of space  in the photo, in the direction where the fish is headed. This technique gives the illusion that the fish has “room to swim” and makes the composition much more pleasing than that of a tightly cropped image.

“No Space for the Fish to Swim”

A good composition, slightly off-center with sufficient space in the direction the fish is swimming in

This technique should not be confused with centering the subject, or ensuring your subject is always in the center of the frame. Centering or bulls-eyeing while sometimes generates good results especially with macros, but isn’t always a good composition technique for normal portraits. Try ensuring your subject is placed a little off-center for some interesting compositions and you will find your photo becomes that much more dramatic. At the same time keeping in mind the above tip, to allow off-centering in the direction the fish is headed towards to give the fish space in the frame.

While the above image of a Wrasse gets the job done, it isn’t exactly eye-catching

So how much space to swim do we need to give a fish when composing the shot? Well not much is necessary, as long as you provide more non subject space on the head side of the fish than the tail end.

While the Lionfish is focussed nice and clear if the space was provided in front of its head it would be a winner.

Notice how the addition of space draws your attention to the subjects head

The above image taken at eye level, subjects eye is in clear focus, and there is room to swim!

Another stunning example of how a little panning can go a long way to getting a perfect shot.

New to Underwater Photography? Why not try PADI’s Underwater Photographer Manual available at LeisurePro.com

photos from flickr by: MPBecker, BlueBeyond, Marisa Roman, Nemo’s great uncle

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Underwater Photography Composition Tips: Give the Fish Room in the Frame is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

In today’s top underwater photography composition tip, we take a closer look at trying out a different angle for your subjects, and shooting upwards from underneath it to get more dramatic results.

A good way to get a unique composition and a better looking photograph is to shoot at your subject from underneath it instead of above like most people do. Taking a photograph of a fish or underwater subject from above is not necessarily a bad thing or an incorrect method, but often results in a mediocre shot. If you take a look at most of  ordinary underwater photographers pictures, you’ll find that most of us take our photographs from above our subjects, simply because its so much more easier that way.

While not always easy to accomplish, try to get below the fish for a far more interesting angle and lighting and shoot upward. Often while shooting downwards, your backdrop comprises of the reef or the sea bed which can clutter the image and is not pleasing to the eye. If you cannot get underneath the subject, try to at least get eye level with your subject for some interesting results. Getting lower down than the subjects eye level causes you to angle the camera lens upwards, allowing you to emphasize the subjects size and convey a sense of grandeur.

In the above image of a Weedy Sea Dragon, shot from underneath it upwards, the subject is so much more eye-catching than  the second photograph below  taken from slightly above the creature. While both images are well taken, the first one stands out more as there is a sense of space, less background clutter, and you can actually see the sunlight streaming from above.

Things to remember while shooting upwards is that in bright sunlight, this can cause your subject to silhouette or fall in the shadow. Ensure you use a strobe and get in close to ensure you capture the subject better.

Sometimes the silhouette of the fish while attempting to shoot upwards can also make a fascinating picture. Especially if the fish has interesting and distinct line, like a shark or in the instance below, a batfish, the silhouette can be more appealing.

The photograph below of the Shark Silhouette works very nicely to enhance the photographs overall impact. In this picture the lower angle tends to emphasize the subjects size and convey a sense of grandeur of the Shark.

In the below picture of a grouper, the photographer has captured the shot from above the subject, compare this image to the one of a grouper below, where the scuba diver has managed to get below the grouper for a more dramatic image.

So the next time you’re out scuba diving, why not try taking a few shots from underneath your subject and try getting that winning shot.

photos from flickr by : doug.deep, richard ling, alfonsator, angel_shark, Dude Crush

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Underwater Photography Composition Tips: Shoot Up not Down is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Last time we looked at the importance of aiming upward for a dramatic effect, In today’s top underwater photography composition tip, we take a look at trying to get better underwater fish photographs by ensuring the eyes are in clear focus.

I remember clearly the reaction and words of my Dive Instructor to my first set of underwater photographs when I was learning underwater photography. He said to me:

“Son, aim forthe Eyes, not for the Butt”.

While taking photographs of fish, we often end up with a whole bunch of fleeing Fish Butts or rather Tails in the frame which is often quite annoying to underwater photographers. Fish are jittery creatures and will always give divers a wide berth, resulting in the famous fleeing fish butt photograph.

“the famous fleeing fish photograph” – A Humphead Wrasse

“Compare this picture of a Titan Triggerfish with the one below by the same photographer”

“The Eye of the Trigger”

The trick to getting good underwater photographs of fish, is to ensure that your camera’s lens gets the creatures eye in clear focus. Look through your collection of fish pictures that you consider good shots, and you will notice that the ones that are the most eye-catching are the ones where the creature’s eyes are in clear focus.

“A Humphead Wrasse with the eye in Clear Focus”

Eye contact with your subject can be is critical in all kinds of wildlife photography. In any underwater creature photo, the eye is usually automatically drawn straight to the eye of the subject. A tack sharp eye in an animal or bird portrait is usually the strongest part of the photo. If its out of focus and unintended, you’ve lost your shot. The same applies for underwater fish photographs, get the eye in clear and focus and you’ll have a winning shot almost every time.

Yes we know that fish are easily spooked by scuba divers, and that more often than not we end up with pictures of the fishes “butts” or tails in the frame as they dart away from you. However with practice and patience you can accomplish this seemingly impossible feat.

“Notice how the eyes are in sharp focus”

To ensure you don’t easily scare off your fish as you approach it, try limiting the amount of exhaled air bubbles as you approach your subject, breathe out slowly  or if you’re a serious photographer, learn to use a rebreather, which doesn’t emit air bubbles at all!  One can also practice on the more curious fish, such as Batfish, Grouper and Clownfish that aren’t afraid of scuba divers, before attempting other more flighty fish. The trick to getting that money shot is simply patience and taking advantage of a good opportunity when the fish gets close.

photographs from flickr by: Boogies with Fish, Percita, brewbooks & jillhudgins

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Underwater Photography Composition Tips: Aim for the Eyes is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!