Underwater photography: tips, equipment, and techniques for great shots!

Diving Photography: Everything You Need to Know!

Underwater photography is a fascinating discipline, but it is demanding due to the many constraints posed by the aquatic environment. It is a true art that requires as much passion as precision.

Under water, light becomes scarce quickly. From just a few meters deep, colors start fading — red disappears rapidly around 5 m, orange between 10‑15 m, yellow around 25‑30 m, and so on. As a result, images lose contrast, vibrancy, and detail unless compensated with suitable lighting.

In addition, suspended particles (plankton, sand, etc.) scatter light and can dull your shots. It is therefore essential to get close to your subject and use well‑directed lighting to minimize their impact. Finally, buoyancy affects the stability of your equipment, so good control of your position and breathing is required.

Mastering underwater photography starts with mastering buoyancy and diving technique. You must stabilize yourself to avoid movement at the moment of the shot, not get lost to the point of forgetting your surroundings and dive time. The goal is also to enjoy the dive itself, not just the camera!

Photographing underwater is not just about diving with a camera. It involves a true underwater photographic system composed of several essential elements:

• A camera housing (compact, mirrorless, or DSLR)

• A waterproof case perfectly matched to that camera

• One or two external flashes mounted on articulated arms

• A video light for motion‑capture shots

• Additional optics: a macro lens for close‑ups, or a dome wide‑angle for expansive scenes or large marine life

Not forgetting the essential elements for ergonomics: trays, arms, clips, snoots, etc.

There’s no need to break the bank at the beginning: it’s better to start with basic equipment, learn your settings, practice, and then upgrade according to your needs and budget. Experience comes with time, observation, and above all enjoyment.

Before diving in, practice on land. Mastering shooting techniques and configuring your gear requires attention and a solid understanding of your equipment — good settings will come with experience. It’s better to feel comfortable on land before plunging underwater.

Keep in mind: it’s by enjoying the process that one becomes a photographer, not by stacking gear — and don’t forget: it’s not the device that makes the photo, but the photographer’s eye.

Before Underwater Photography

The basics, before anything else, are preparing your gear: remember to charge your batteries between dives, check the condition of your cables, waterproof seals, flashes and connectors, and take a test shot. Don’t forget to clean your lens and dome. A dive can easily be spoiled by poorly maintained equipment.

Important point: if you dive in tropical or warm areas, take time to adapt your gear to the ambient temperature.

Before each dive, submerge your housing (with the camera inside) in water so it gradually adjusts to the temperature. This helps limit the risk of moisture forming and thus condensation inside.

If problems persist, consider using small silica‑gel moisture‑absorbing packets inside the housing.

Your Waterproof Dive Housing: An Ally Without Which Nothing is Possible

Its robustness and quality are paramount, since it is the sole protection for your underwater camera against pressure and depth. Opt for a well‑designed housing that gives access to all controls. Logically, start by choosing your camera based on your needs, then pick a compatible housing — not the other way around.

Important note: when you’re immersing tens of thousands of euros worth of gear, the waterproof integrity of your housing must be a priority.

Using a vacuum valve allows you to check the housing’s watertightness before diving by creating a slight negative pressure inside. This simple accessory can save you a lot of worry by detecting a leak or misassembly in advance.

Note: some cameras, like the OM System TG‑7, are waterproof up to 10 meters by themselves, but for deeper dives, a housing is essential.

Lighting: A Crucial Aspect of Diving Photography

Shooting with a 1200‑lumen dive lamp can be challenging, especially since adjustable power is often limited or nonexistent. Conversely, a 10,000‑lumen lamp delivers strong output, particularly useful for wide‑angle shots. However, for macro photography, such intensity may be overkill.

To manage your lighting well, choose a lamp suited to your needs. Versatile lamps with adjustable beams and multiple power settings are ideal. You can also adjust intensity by varying the distance between the lamp and the subject.

Bonus tip: using a snoot can be very interesting, especially in macro, to focus the light.

Important advice: favor two lights of the same power (in lumens) and the same color temperature (in kelvins) to get a homogeneous result. This also applies when using flashes.

Find lighting based on your needs right here

Trays, Arms, and Clips: Accessories That Make a Difference

With all this gear, holding your housing by hand becomes impractical. It is therefore essential to choose a setup that is stable, ergonomic, and modular to effectively support your lighting sources.

Each part of your setup deserves thought, starting with the tray, which serves as the main support for your housing and handles.

• Essential criteria: a good tray should be compact, ergonomic, and lightweight, especially if you travel often.
• Handle terminations: often overlooked but crucial, as this is where arms are attached. The current standard is a 25 mm ball, though some systems may vary.
• Type of tray: you can opt for a single‑handle tray or a dual‑handle tray, which offers better stability and more mounting options.

The arm is a key component to position your lighting sources. It must be technical enough and adjustable to suit various scenarios.

Length and flexibility: adjust according to the type of lighting (video light or flash) and the desired distance from the subject.

Types of arms:

• Ball‑and‑clamp arms: the most versatile, allowing precise positioning in all directions. They offer great freedom of movement and adapt to many shooting situations.
• Flexible arms: composed of nested segments, often limited to “U‑shaped” positions. While easier to use, they offer fewer creative possibilities.

To complete your setup, several accessories can be added:

• Float arms: compensate for the negative buoyancy of your gear while allowing you to position your lights away from the housing.
• Triple clamps or three‑ball arms: ideal for mounting multiple items on a single arm, like a flash and a video light.
• Accessory mounts: allow attaching, for example, an unused optical insert to an arm, so it’s within reach without cluttering up the setup.

Trays, arms, clips for underwater photography are available here

Flash and Optical Fiber: Optimal Synchronization

Inside a waterproof housing, the camera’s built‑in flash is often blocked or ineffective because the housing's structure interferes with direct light. This is where optical fiber comes in:

• It connects the internal flash to an external flash (or strobe), transmitting the triggering light signal.

This system ensures a precise and synchronized firing.

Macro, Domes, Wide Angle

Expand and diversify your shots with optical accessories

Optical enhancements are true allies for pushing the boundaries of underwater photography. They allow you to vary angles, enlarge your field of view, or capture scenes otherwise impossible with a standard lens.

The “half‑air half‑water” dome

The dome, or half‑air half‑water dome, allows capturing an image split between the surface and the depths: one half of the photo submerged, the other half above water. This original effect delivers a striking result, ideal for illustrating the boundary between two worlds.

• The larger the dome diameter, the smoother the transition between water and air.
• It is essential to have relatively calm water to succeed with this kind of photo.

Wide angle: Increase your field of view

A wide‑angle add‑on is essential for underwater photography, particularly in clear water, on reefs, or when photographing wrecks and large marine creatures.

It offers an expanded field of view, typically between 120° and 150°, ideal for including as many elements as possible in a single composition without needing to move back.

It also lets you reduce the distance between the camera and subject, thus minimizing the effect of suspended particles.

Find lenses, domes, and ports for underwater housings right here

Autofocus: Don’t Miss the Moment You Want to Capture

In underwater photography, responsiveness is essential. Autofocus plays a key role: it allows fast and accurate focus even on moving subjects like fish or turtles. Underwater, where the scene can change in a fraction of a second, a good autofocus makes all the difference.

But that’s not all: your camera’s ISO settings are also crucial. In dark or low‑light underwater environments, achieving good ISO performance without too much digital noise will let you get sharp, well‑exposed images even without flash.

Downloading Your Photos

To take full advantage of these capabilities, be sure to save your photos in RAW format. Unlike JPEG, RAW retains all the image data, giving you greater flexibility in post‑processing: exposure correction, white balance, highlight and shadow recovery… all valuable options to enhance your shots.

Our Diveavenue Selection

IKELITE Housing + OM SYSTEM TG7 Camera Pack

This pack includes the Olympus TG‑7 camera, its SD card, and the Ikelite housing waterproof down to 60 meters. An ideal combination for capturing beautiful underwater images, especially in macro.

The Olympus TG‑7, a worthy successor to the famous TG‑6, features an underwater mode and a high‑precision macro mode, very popular among divers. It also supports RAW format, ensuring exceptional image quality and flexibility in post‑processing.

The Ikelite housing designed for the TG‑7 gives full access to camera controls and screen. It features a double port for fiber‑optic flash compatibility, and a 67 mm threaded port for attaching optical accessories.

Fantasea Housing + Sony RX100 VA VACUUM Pack

This pack pairs the excellent Sony RX100 (compatible with Mark III, IV and V(A)) camera with the Fantasea FRX100‑VII S waterproof housing, designed especially for underwater photography down to 60 meters depth.

The compact Fantasea housing allows intuitive and easy access to all essential camera functions, even while wearing gloves, thanks to precisely placed controls (levers, knobs, push buttons).

Equipped with a double O‑ring seal on the rear door and a secure locking system, this housing offers optimal protection against water, shocks, dust, and sand. It effectively protects your RX100 Mark IV or V(A), even in demanding environments.

An integrated moisture detector signals any ingress before immersion, sparing you from damaging your camera in case of poor sealing or dirt on the seals (sand, hair, etc.).

Although certified waterproof to 60 m, this housing has been successfully tested to 80 m, offering a significant safety margin for discerning divers, reinforced by Fantasea’s recognized reliability.

Finally, its 67 mm front threaded port allows the addition of a wide range of optical accessories, such as macro or wide‑angle lenses, to extend your creative possibilities underwater.

Diveavenue is here to equip you all year round. Don’t wait: find your perfect gear on our website!