Is underwater photography difficult? Actually, no—at least, not to any significant degree when compared with any other discipline of photography. Each single stage of creating an underwater photograph, if seen in isolation from the rest, is not so tricky. It is the sum of all its parts, as well as mastering the whole, which can appear confusing at times.
A poignant image capturing a freediver surveying the aftermath of whaling has earned Alex Dawson from Sweden the prestigious title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s captivating photograph, entitled Whale Bones, emerged victorious from a pool of 6,500 submissions by underwater photographers hailing from diverse corners of the globe.
Macro underwater photography comes with some challenges, particularly when positioning a subject in the frame. Cristian Umili offers some advice and tips to improve your macro images.
Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.
The final stage of creating an image is printing it. Despite the fact that we are living in an increasingly screen-oriented world, a printed image still proves the old saying, “If it’s not printed, it does not exist.” This is 100 percent right. As a matter of fact, only a good print can reveal the full magic and spirit of your image. This is what you, and your images, deserve, and this is what we are going to discuss now.
On a night dive in the Philippines several years ago, I had an opportunity to do a "fluoro" night dive. Atlantis Dive Resort rented blue underwater flashlights and yellow filter shields that went over divers' masks. Geared up, I set off into the night. The blue light was very dim and the dive was much darker than a normal night dive.
By adding divers to our underwater photos, we are able to bring about a sense of exploration, highlight a focal point and provide a sense of scale to the scene, especially in wide angle reef and shipwreck photography.
The prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, organized by the Underwater Photography Guide, has announced the results of the world’s largest underwater photo contest. Although the AI revolution has quickly changed the global photographic landscape, this year’s winners are a testament to humanity’s creative perseverance over machine.
We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that show underwater seascapes, and they came back with a range of wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life large and small.
Many Undercurrent readers will be familiar with the issues surrounding Wetpixel, its travel programme and its owner, Adam Hanlon.
Concerns about the knock-on impact of its popular community forum were never addressed. New members were not being approved, guest access was closed off and its front page was not updated for some months.
As a result, a small group of long-term members have got together and developed a new underwater photography forum called Waterpixels!
The competition invited submissions to seven image categories and one video category, with entries evaluated by a panel of award-winning photographers: Stephen Frink, Renee Capozzola, Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, Allison Vitsky Sallmon, Matty Smith and Amanda Cotton.
