Getting The Most Out Of Your Underwater Camera In Raja Ampat
Why you need to think more about taking photographs underwater
If you’ve booked or are thinking about coming to Raja Ampat on holiday, most people want to take photographs or video to remember their trip. Taking photographs underwater can be difficult.
We’ve all seen someone’s underwater photographs from holiday which are blue with all the colour washed out. Photographs are not the same quality we’d expect on land. This is mostly due to the differences between how light is transmitted in water and air. There are things you can do to give you the best chance to get photographs and videos to make your friends jealous.
Before you depart for Raja Ampat
The key to getting the best photographs starts long before you arrive in Raja Ampat. The remoteness of Raja Ampat means you get untouched dive spots. It also means you have to plan well for your trip here.
Choosing and underwater camera
If you don’t already own an underwater camera it can be a daunting task deciding which camera to buy. The first piece of advice we’d give is to go for the best camera your budget allows for. Don’t worry if you can only afford a basic model as you can still achieve great photographs with them. GoPros are very popular and can get excellent results.
Compact cameras can take amazing underwater photographs. The best are the more advanced models that let you alter the settings. If you can afford one that can shoot RAW files this will help with post-processing later. There are many great reviews and guides available. If you have a camera or GoPro in mind, search online to see what other users say about its performance underwater.
A DSLR or full frame camera is the ultimate choice for underwater photography. The housings can often cost 2-3 times as much as the camera itself and will need different ports for different lenses.
Underwater photography accessories and spares
Lighting is key for underwater photography. The first thing to purchase to improve your photography is an underwater video light or strobe. With video lights you want a wide beam angle and as many lumens as you can get for your budget. Two video lights will also achieve better results than one as the subject is lit evenly.
For strobes, choose a strobe with decent power. Also, be aware that a TTL strobe is a strobe where the power is automatically selected by the camera. It is simpler to use but gives you less control over your photographs. Check that your camera supports TTL with your chosen strobe. A manual strobe has to have the light level controlled by the user. Many strobes can do both TTL and manual.
If you go down the compact camera route, consider investing in a wide-angle or macro lens. Raja Ampat has a lot of good macro subjects. It is most famous for its wide-angle subjects such as oceanic mantas which come in season.
For the GoPro there are many inexpensive red filters. These will improve your photography in shallower waters and are worth getting. This is because they cut out some of the blue and green light making your videos appear more colourful. GoPros also have good handles or arms for underwater.
Spares are also important to consider as you can’t get anything in Raja Ampat. Consider bringing spare silica gel sachets to prevent fogging. Spare o-rings, silicon grease, spare batteries and a spare fibre optic cable are worth considering.
Packing your kit for travel
Make sure you pack carefully for travel. Pack as much of your camera kit or GoPro in your hand luggage as you can so you can make sure it is not dropped or has stuff put on it. It is also advisable to take your o-ring out of your housing and put it in a plastic bag inside the housing. This protects the housing and o-ring from any of the negative effects of flying. When you arrive prepare your gear carefully. Think about a good clean space to prep your gear.
Underwater photography tips for beginners
Video or photographs?
The first thing you want to decide is whether you’re going to shoot photo or video. Action cameras like GoPros take great video, so don’t try to force them into taking underwater photographs. These won’t be as good as someone with an actual underwater camera. Focus on the strengths of your setup and you’ll be much more pleased with the results. If you have a compact camera look at the specifications you have and play to those strengths. Many compact cameras also take brilliant video so you have this option.
Make the most of your accessories. If you have a strobe it will help your photographs but not your video so focus on photographs instead.
Choose your subject carefully
As well as deciding on whether to shoot video or photo, the choice of subject is also very important to get the best photographs. Every setup, from GoPros to DSLRs, will have strengths and weaknesses. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.
H4: Wide-angle underwater photography
Raja Ampat is a great place to practise wide-angle underwater photography. Having a wide-angle lens on a camera is a great way to achieve better pictures. It allows you to get closer and reduce the amount of water between you and the subject. GoPros take excellent wide-angle shots as they have an inbuilt fish-eye lens. This allows you to get close to large subjects and take better quality footage.
Compact cameras can take good wide-angle shots but this is much improved with a wet lens (a wide-angle lens you can screw onto your housing). If you do have a wide-angle lens attached then don’t bother trying to take shots of the really small stuff. The camera won’t be able to focus on the nudibranchs or pygmy seahorses and you’ll have disappointing out of focus images.
Macro underwater photography
Indonesia is known for its amazing macro life. Action cameras such as GoPros have a fisheye lens and are not good for photographing minute life. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get good footage of small things such as smaller fish and moray eels. Leave the microscopic life to people with the right rig.
If you are using a GoPro for closer up subjects, the addition of lights will make all the difference. For compact cameras, the addition of a macro lens will revolutionise your tiny critter photography. It does mean you have to get very close to focus. This means more nudibranchs and not skittish fish. When getting close up to subjects, concentrate on your buoyancy to ensure you don’t damage the reef.
Lighting
Underwater lighting is key. Most light is absorbed within 10 meters of the water's surface. Almost none penetrates below 150 meters. The addition of light is important to bring out the colour of life underwater. A strobe is best for photography, and lights for video. Always use them if you’re within 1m of a subject.
General underwater photography tips
If you think you’re close enough - get closer. Less water means fewer particles between you and the subject.
Stay shallow. Ambient light is highest in the shallows so It’s easier to achieve colourful well-lit shots.
Improve your dive skills. Better buoyancy makes it easier to take photographs.
Try to shoot upwards with the water behind a subject. A more neutral background helps make your photographs stand out.
If your camera has a manual white balance underwater - use it. It will stop your photographs becoming blue and washed-out.
Shoot in RAW if you can.
Practice as much as you can before your trip. Even in a local pool with a toy fish is great.
Look at other people’s photographs online and the settings they used. Research the best underwater settings for your camera.
Focus on getting good photographs and videos. (Not on always photographing the most unusual animals you see.)
DON'T DISTURB MARINE LIFE. Remember the basic dive rules about respecting the marine environment. Don’t touch anything to achieve the perfect shot. If an animal is in an inaccessible position, look and save the picture for another day.
Post-processing your underwater images and videos
Once you’ve taken your photographs and videos the fun has only begun. There are many great programs for editing photographs. Adobe Lightroom is amazing but there is lots of free software you can use to achieve great results. White balance your photographs to bring back colours. If you’ve shot in RAW you can achieve a lot more with the editing. This is because all the data from the camera sensor is retained and the file is not compressed so you will be able to do more with it.
For videos there are many programs such as DaVinci Resolve, iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro. For the novice user apps such as iDive are free and allow you to bring back colour to your videos.
Now go diving in Raja Ampat!
This blog is just the start of the underwater photography world. Trust us, it’s an addictive (and expensive) hobby once you get into it. The best way to improve your pictures and video is to get diving and practice. Get feedback from others on your images and videos. Also tag us or use #scubarepublicindonesia on Instagram for the chance to have your photographs featured.
Written by Edward Wibberley
Pictures by Edward Wibberley
