Underwater Photography Tips and Tricks

Underwater imaging, covering gear, lighting, buoyancy, and creative control beneath the surface.

Introduction:

Underwater photography opens a world of colour, light, and movement that few people ever see clearly. In this engaging workshop, Alp Can introduces the core skills needed to work confidently below the surface. You will learn how to manage your camera settings, control buoyancy, and build strong compositions while working with both natural light and strobes. In addition, the session touches on marine life behaviour, efficient editing, and how to prepare for future open water dives so you can focus on creativity rather than confusion.

Description:

This four hour workshop is designed for beginner and intermediate photographers who want to move from curiosity to competence in underwater imaging. Rather than only listing technical tips, Alp connects each concept to real diving situations so you understand when and why to use a particular approach.

First, you will look at how equipment choices affect image quality, handling, and safety. Cameras, housings, ports, and accessories are explained in practical terms so you can make informed decisions before you enter the water. Next, the focus shifts to light. You will see how colour disappears with depth, how backscatter ruins otherwise good frames, and how careful strobe placement or ambient light use can transform a scene.

Then the workshop turns to composition, marine life, and post production. Alp shows how to structure images for impact, how to approach subjects with respect, and how simple editing steps can restore colour and clarity without overprocessing. Throughout the session you are encouraged to ask questions and connect the material to your own diving or snorkelling experience.

By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for building your underwater skills and a realistic understanding of what to practise before your next trip.

Modules:

Module 1: Mastering Your Underwater Equipment
The first module builds a solid foundation by explaining the tools and technologies behind underwater photography. You will compare compact, mirrorless, DSLR, and action camera systems and see how housings, ports, and essential accessories such as arms, trays, wet lenses, and filters work together. Alp then walks through camera settings for underwater use, including focus choices, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Finally, you will learn practical techniques for managing gear underwater so you stay streamlined, in control, and ready to shoot.

Module 2:  Lighting the Deep: Working with Light Underwater
The second module focuses on light, which changes dramatically once you leave the surface. You will examine how colour loss, distance, and particles in the water affect every frame. From there, you explore different lighting tools, including strobes, continuous video lights, and focus lights, and learn how to position them effectively. One light and two light arrangements are demonstrated, with clear guidance on how to reduce backscatter and increase contrast. Creative options such as side lighting, back lighting, and careful use of ambient light help you add mood and depth to your underwater images.

Module 3: Composition and Post Production for Impactful Images
The final module brings everything together. First, you revisit core composition principles such as rule of thirds, leading lines, negative space, and framing, and then apply them specifically to underwater scenes. You will discuss subject choice, ethical approaches to marine life, and how to tell a story in a single frame or short sequence. Next, Alp introduces a straightforward post production workflow. You will see how to correct colour and white balance, sharpen without exaggerating noise, and crop for stronger impact. The module ends with file organisation and backup tips so your work remains safe and easy to manage.

Suitable for:

Beginner, Intermediate

What Should Students Bring?

Participants only need curiosity and a willingness to learn. If you own underwater gear such as a camera, housing, or lights, you are welcome to bring it for reference. However, the workshop will focus on general principles and methods rather than detailed setup for each individual system.

Closing notes:

Underwater photography demands preparation, control, and patience, yet it rewards that effort with images that feel truly otherworldly. In this workshop, Alp Can breaks the process into clear, manageable steps so new and developing photographers can progress with confidence. You will leave with a stronger technical base, a list of skills to practise on your next dives, and a better sense of how to turn your time underwater into compelling photographs rather than missed chances.