How to take pictures underwater

Are you a diving enthusiast? Do you love being immersed in the water to admire the wonderful marine flora and fauna? So why don't you take the opportunity to take some photos to show your friends, so that they can see the beauties of the underwater world? I'm sure they would be amazed! How do you say? You've already thought about it but you don't have the faintest idea of how to take pictures underwater? Don't worry: you've come to the right place at the right time!

Whether you intend to take underwater shots with your mobile phone, with a GoPro or even with a Reflex, you have no reason to fear: following my "tips" you can do it without the slightest problem. In the next paragraphs, in fact, I will have the opportunity to explain to you what are the tricks and accessories that can allow you to take pictures under the water level in total safety.

So, are you ready to get started? Yup? Fantastic! Make yourself comfortable, "immerse yourself" (to stay on topic) in reading this guide and, more importantly, try to put into practice the advice I will give you. I am convinced that, thanks to my suggestions, you will be able to make underwater shots of a very good level. Happy reading and have fun!

How to take underwater photos with your mobile

want take pictures underwater using the camera of yours cellular? In this case, you can only succeed after checking one of the following conditions: the presence of the IPxx certification, concerning the resistance to dust and water, the use of a special one waterproof case. Let's explore both solutions.

La IPxx certification, as I mentioned earlier, certifies that a device can be immersed in water for a shorter or longer period of time. Before dipping your mobile phone and taking pictures underwater with it, therefore, I suggest you check its degree of water resistance, so as to avoid nasty "surprises".

How can you do it? Try to search for information in this regard on the sales package of your device or on the official website of the manufacturer that made it or, again, by doing a simple search on Google (or on any other search engine), perhaps by searching for terms how "IP68 certification for [device name and / or model]"Or"water resistance for [device name and / or model]".

If your smartphone has the IPxx certification, check which is the second digit indicated, as it is the latter that indicates the degree of water resistance.

• 0 - the device is not protected from liquids.
• 1 - the phone is protected from drops that fall vertically on it.
• 2 - the mobile phone is protected from drops falling on it with a maximum inclination of 15 °.
• 3 - the smartphone is protected from splashes of water falling on it with a maximum inclination of 60 °.
• 4 - the device is protected from water splashes coming from any direction.
• 5 - the phone is protected from jets of water.
• 6 - the mobile phone is protected by powerful jets of water.
• 7 - the smartphone is protected in case of diving up to 1 meter depth for a maximum period of 30 minutes. Beyond this period of time, correct operation of the device is not guaranteed.
• 8 - the device is protected in case of permanent dives (therefore longer than 30 minutes) up to 1 meter deep.

From the checks you made, it appears that your smartphone can be immersed to take pictures underwater, as it has the IPx7 certification/IPx8? Great: in that case, you can submerge it under water to take your underwater shots.

Clearly, it is not recommended to introduce the device in salt water because the salt, being a corrosive, could still ruin the phone (at least aesthetically). If you have ever immersed your mobile phone in salt water, immediately wash it with fresh water. In any case, refer to its user manual, so as to avoid running into problems.

Your device is not certified to withstand scuba diving but would you still want to take pictures underwater without running into problems? Then I advise you to resort to the use of special waterproof cases which offer the possibility to take pictures underwater in total safety. They can be purchased in the most well-stocked electronics stores and, of course, also in online stores, such as Amazon.

Vedi offers your Amazon

After inserting the smartphone into the case and making sure that the latter is hermetically sealed by it, all you have to do is immerse yourself in the water and take fantastic underwater shots! In this regard, if you want some purely technical advice on how to take beautiful photos with your mobile phone, do not hesitate to take a look at the article I published on the subject: it could be very useful.

How to take photos underwater with GoPro

You recently bought one GoPro (perhaps following my dedicated guide) and would you like to take advantage of it to take suggestive underwater photos? By now almost all GoPro, at least the recently produced ones, are waterproof. Some models are able to withstand even more than 30 meters deep. To make sure that this is also the case for your camera model, I recommend that you consult this page of the official GoPro website.

In the event that you own a GoPro not equipped with IPx7 / IPx8 certification, you can remedy the problem by resorting to the use of special waterproof cases (which in some cases, such as the HERO 4, are included in the sales package).

Vedi offers your Amazon

After making sure you own a waterproof GoPro or making it so using a protective case, you could theoretically already dive and take pictures underwater. Before proceeding, however, I urge you to consider the possibility of buy accessories that can make the difference between a photo (and possibly a video) of quality and a shot (or a movie) mediocre.

A first accessory that I recommend you buy is a light filter. Unless you practice it snorkeling, you will have to face a problem that arises when you reach important depths: the lack of warm colors, due to the scarce presence of sunlight below the surface of the water (this phenomenon usually occurs around 15-20 meters deep).

Vedi offers your Amazon

Still on the subject of lights, I also recommend that you consider buying one underwater lamp. If you take pictures at very important depths, where sunlight cannot penetrate the water, if the weather conditions are not optimal (perhaps it is a very cloudy day) or if you decide to dive at night, it becomes a must to have a lamp that is able to adequately illuminate the scene. When purchasing one, make sure it is compatible with your GoPro model and that it is powerful enough.

Vedi offers your Amazon

Another accessory that might come in handy for taking underwater photos is a goggle with support for GoPro: it is a relatively inexpensive accessory, but it allows you to take pictures and shoot videos with your hands free (since you will “wear” the camera on your head!).

Vedi offers your Amazon

How to take pictures underwater with Reflex

If you want to take professional photos even underwater, use one reflex will allow you to do it without problems. But first, you have to choose one waterproof case, so as to properly protect the camera, and then you have to decide which one obiettivo mount on it.

On the market there are basically two types of waterproof cases for Reflex: those rigid and those morbid. Hard cases have the advantage of reducing empty spaces that would otherwise be filled with air, which would cause the camera to have a tendency to rise high (the so-called "balloon effect"). Another advantage concerns ergonomics: they are usually equipped with handles and buttons that allow them to be used without difficulty and some of them are also equipped with couplings to mount spherical external lenses, useful for correcting aberrations and / or distortions. It must be said, however, that these cases are usually more expensive and are compatible only with specific models (or families of models) of Reflex.

Soft cases, on the other hand, are much cheaper and more versatile, as being made of PVC (or similar materials), they adapt quite well to the shape of the Reflex in your possession. On the other hand, however, they have the disadvantage of creating air pockets (which, as I said earlier, leads the machine to rise to the surface). This problem can be partially solved by inserting weights in special compartments of the housing and / or letting the air escape through the vent valves.

As far as the 'obiettivo to take underwater, they cannot go too specific, as this choice varies according to the photos you intend to take. In general, I recommend that you get one wide-angle lens (therefore with a focal length of less than 35 mm), so as to be able to capture a large portion of the underwater landscape and not have focus problems. However, if you plan to take pictures from a distance (for example of fish or other unapproachable subjects), it would be better to use a lens with a longer focal length. You can find hard and soft cases for Reflex on Amazon.

If you would like some more clarification on which lens to use, take a look at the guide I linked to you. If, on the other hand, you want advice on how to use a Reflex, consult the in-depth analysis I have dedicated to the topic. Surely these readings will also be useful to you.

How to take pictures underwater