Still photography

Epic Underwater Photography: Contributors' Picks

Cave diver in cave, photo by Brandi Mueller
Photo by Brandi Mueller: A cave diver swims through a tunnel with smooth walls on all sides. Mexico. Gear: Nikon Z 7II camera, Ikelite housing, Kraken lights. Exposure: ISO 2500, f/7.1, 1/60s

We asked our contrib­utors what their favorite epic underwater images were and they returned with a diverse selection of photos capturing epic adventures and interactions with marine life in the underwater world.

Showing Scale: Contributors' Picks

Three large, female tiger sharks approaching the feeder, Tiger Beach, Bahamas
Photo by Matthew Meier: Three large, female tiger sharks approaching the feeder, Tiger Beach, Bahamas. Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, Subal housing, two Sea&Sea YS-250 strobes. Exposure: ISO 200, f/8, 1/100s

In underwater photography, "scale" can mean a couple of things: how big or small a thing is or the myriad of tiny plates on the skin of a fish. We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater photos were that showed scale. And playing on the pun, they came back with a creative mix of macro, wide-angle and close-up abstract images.

UW Photo: Compositing

Diver Space­scape, composite by John A. Ares
Diver Space­scape, composite by John A. Ares

We take photographs for different reasons: to identify the sea life we find, for the sheer pleasure of making images, or perhaps as a method of personal expression. It is the latter, personal expression, that leads us to the creation of art. John A. Ares discusses the creative use of compositing in postproduction.

My Favorite Underwater Images: Angling Up—Contributors' Picks

Giant Pacific manta ray
Giant Pacific manta ray in Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro), Mexico. Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera, Nauticam housing, Panasonic 7-14mm lens, dual Sea&Sea strobes. Exposure: ISO 500, f/10, 1/125s

We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater photos taken with their camera angled upward were, and they returned with a variety of subjects captured while looking up... from delicate macro marine life to floating jellyfish, from majestic manta rays to divers and even birds.