My Favorite Dive

Seascapes: Contributors’ Picks

Photo by Matthew Meier: Scalefin and purple anthias over leather soft coral and a sea fan covered in pink and purple soft corals, Bligh Waters, Fiji. Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Nikon 16-35mm lens, Subal housing, Sea&Sea D3 strobes. Exposure: ISO 800, f/6.3, 1/125s

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.

Pairs & Companions: Contributors’ Picks

Photo by Anita George-Ares
Photo by Anita George-Ares. Thorny seahorses, Dumaguete, Philippines. Gear: Canon EOS Rebel SL1 camera, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro USM lens, Ikelite housing, two Ikelite DS161 strobes. Exposure: ISO 200, f/11, 1/160s

We asked our contributors to share their favorite photos that show pairs and companions, or two of a kind, and they returned with a range of macro to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life large and small from around the world.

Triptychs: Contributors' Picks

Great White Triptych, by Gary Rose. This photo was taken in Guadalupe Island, Mexico, and printed on white aluminum panels. Gear: Nikon D500 camera, Tokina 10-17mm lens at 17mm, Nauticam housing, Inon Z330 strobes. Exposure: ISO 320, f/11, 1/125s

We asked our contributors to create an underwater “triptych,” and they returned with an artistic range of color, black-and-white and toned compilations, from abstract close-ups to wide-angle shots, featuring a variety of marine life, large and small, as well as divers, on reefs and wrecks, and in open water, lakes, and even an aquarium.

Ambient Light in Underwater Photography

Photo by Kate Jonker
Photo by Kate Jonker: Capturing the sun’s rays when the surface of the water is calm and flat can add a whole new dimension to your images. Long Beach, Simon’s Town, South Africa. Gear: Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Sea&Sea housing. Exposure: ISO 160, f/11, 1/200s

We asked our contrib­utors what their favorite images were, captured using ambient light only, and they came back with a diverse selection of photos featuring sublime underwater scenes from a variety of dives on reefs and wrecks, in caverns and cenotes, as well as with interactions with marine life.

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.

Minimalist Underwater Photos: Contributors' Picks

Ghost nudibranch, photo by Kate Jonker
Photo by Kate Jonker: Using black and white to create a minimalist image of a ghost nudibranch (Lecithophorus capensis) at Gordon’s Bay, South Africa. Gear: Nikon D850 camera, Nikkor 105mm macro lens, Isotta housing, single Inon Z240 strobe. Exposure: ISO 64, f/22, 1/200s

We asked our contributors what their favorite minimalist underwater photos were and they returned with a creative mix of macro, wide-angle and close-up abstract images in color and black and white.

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.

Contributors' Picks: Bold & Beautiful

Risbecia tryoni nudibranch
Photo by Matthew Meier: Risbecia tryoni nudibranch moving over a pink sponge, Puerto Galera, Philippines. Gear: Nikon D810 camera, Nikon 105mm macro lens, Subal housing, two Sea&Sea YS-250 strobes with snoots. Exposure: ISO 200, f/18, 1/250s

Many marine creatures have defensive mechanisms—they may sting, have venom, sharp spines, warning colors, or bite. We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater photos of these bold and beautiful critters were, and they came back with a variety of subjects like colorful nudibranchs, cnidarians that sting, scorpionfish with sharp spines, sharks and even crocodiles with sharp teeth.

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.

My Favorite Circles, Curves, Bubbles & Swirls: Contributors' Picks

big-eye jacks, Liberty wreck, Bali, Indonesia
Photo by Scott Bennett: Circular swirling school of big-eye jacks, Liberty wreck, Bali, Indonesia. Gear: Nikon D200 camera, Sigma 10-20mm lens at12mm, Hugyfot housing, two Ikelite D125 strobes. Exposure: ISO 100, f/4.5, 1/100s

We asked our contributors what their favorite underwater photos featuring circles, curves, bubble shapes and swirling patterns were, and they came back with a diverse selection of subjects from delicate macro marine life to majestic manta rays and giant whale sharks.