General
Underwater Photography
The majority of underwater cameras are made to shoot general photography.
It doesn't involve much more than the camera itself. Various point-and-shoot
cameras have a fixed focus at a specific distance. Therefore, the
subject is sharpest at that focus point. With general photography,
you can take pictures of underwater scenes, other divers, or both.
Many of the compact cameras have a built in flash for convenience
with a maximum distance is seven feet, but many manufacturers offer
a more powerful flash as an accessory.
Fish
Photography
Successful photographs of fish photos can look great, but they are
the most difficult to take because fish generally won't stay still
and let you get close. In order to capture them on film, you will
need stealth, knowledge of the fish, and most important patience.
Some camera systems use gun sight viewers or light beams to let
you know when the fish is in your frame of focus.
Wide-Angle
Photography
The main use for this type of photography is in capturing large
marine life, shipwrecks, and divers. These types of lenses do not
work well for smaller reef life as the subject gets lost in the
background. You'll need a wide-angle lens for this type of photography.
Also, powerful strobes are desirable because the field of view caught
on film is greater and needs to be lit. Wide-angle photographs are
best taken with wide-angle specific lenses. Wide angle photography
has the benefit of enabling the photographer to get closer to their
work, there by reducing the water column between them and their
subject. A standard camera lens is usually between 28 to 35 mm and
covers approximately 46 degree view. A wide angle camera lens will
vary from 15 to 20 mm and the field of view for a 20mm is 80 degrees
and a 15mm will cover over 90 degrees.
Macro
Photography
Extreme close-up or macro photography requires that you get the
lens very close to the subject in order to form a large image on
the film. This is the easiest and most vivid type of underwater
photography. Most cameras have focus limits so you'll need an accessory
to allow macro photography. Some of the point-and-shoot cameras
come with a macro lens and framer system but you will need to use
a flash to bring out the color of your subject. You will most likely
get the best results shooting static coral and small creatures such
as nudibranch at a range 0-18 ".
Dive
Film
Color negative film is great for new underwater photographers, they
feature a large selection of speeds and has offer wide exposure
latitude. This means the film has an excellent margin in its ability
to give a correct exposure despite varying levels of light. In other
words, you'll get a good picture, even if your exposure wasn't quite
right.
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