Techniques & Tips

Capturing Emotion in Underwater Photography

Fish photographed from the front
A head-on photograph of a fish allows one to “look the fish in the eye,” arousing many more emotions in the viewer. Photo by Cristian Umili

When immersing ourselves in the underwater world, we experience a flood of emotions—both in relation to the depths and to being in an environment that is not our own, in which we can almost fly. But our encounters with marine life excite us even more, especially with sharks, dolphins and huge shoals of fish, but also small and colourful nudibranchs, or microscopic shrimps.

Selective Color in Underwater Photography

Coralscape, by John A. Ares
Photo 1 “After.” Coralscape, by John A. Ares. Selective color has been applied in postproduction. (See Photo 3 for the original image.)

Selective color is a multi-step procedure in postproduction of images, allowing certain colors to be highlighted while removing color in the rest of the image. Underwater photographer John A. Ares gives us a step-by-step look at how one can use this unique effect to transform underwater images into artistic creations.

Branding Videos & Digital Media Marketing

Social media and influencer promotion is becoming a larger part of the digital marketing mix each year.

Branding videos, sponsored posts, social media marketing... confused? We interviewed digital media marketing consultant and underwater photographer Brent Durand to get the scoop on what these services are and how they can benefit your dive business and increase your sales.

Free video tutorial from Brent Durand on unusual macro UW photo techniques

Free video tutorial on unusual macro UW photo techniques

Durand writes: “If you've been shooting for a while, you've likely read a number of articles with basic macro photo tips. These tips are largely the same (in my articles as well). And they're essential tips. But let's go beyond that and discuss macro photo tips you'll rarely see included in the general articles.”

Practice underwater photography at home, with free video tutorials by Brent Durand.

Stuck inside? Improve your underwater photography while at home

"We are all aware of the stresses rippling through the dive industry as a result of COVID-19," said Durand. "To help look at the bright side, I have started a weekly video tutorial series on how to improve your underwater photography and video while at home.

 The first video in the series focuses on depth of field, exposure challenges, composition and creative lighting techniques.

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/121X2vePY5A.jpg?itok=BuYJkB7e","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=121X2vePY5A","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

 

Brush up on underwater photography camera settings and how to use camera gear with free video tutorials about lights, strobe positioning, black backgrounds, wet lenses and composition tips.To watch the free video tutorials, go to the photographer’s YouTube channel at: youtube.com/brentdurand.