{"id":4697,"date":"2013-01-08T20:26:32","date_gmt":"2013-01-08T20:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwphoto.onpressidium.com\/top-5-settings-improve-underwater-photography\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T14:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T14:11:52","slug":"top-5-settings-improve-underwater-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwphotographyguide.com\/top-5-settings-improve-underwater-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Settings To Improve Your Underwater Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starfish on jetty photo – F18, 1\/320th<\/sup>, ISO 100, Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm lens at 10mm<\/em><\/p>\n

1) Shoot Manual<\/h3>\n

Ask any professional photographer what you can do to be a better photographer and the first thing the vast majority will tell you is to shoot manual.  What they\u2019re really telling you to do is to take control of your camera.   This is the single most beneficial thing you can do to improve your photography, both underwater and top-side. Read more about manual settings underwate<\/a>r.<\/p>\n

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Oil rigs in California, F8, 1\/25th<\/sup><\/span>, ISO 250.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shooting manual really means understanding the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.  By getting a good handle on each of these concepts, and especially on how they relate to each other, you\u2019ll understand how your camera works, when to change a setting for a creative effect and how to compose your images using photographic techniques.  This is the single most important set of concepts you can learn as a photographer, and there are many articles<\/a> that explain these settings in detail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Manual<\/h3>\n

Reef in Anilao<\/em><\/p>\n

2) Manual Flash<\/h3>\n

When you get right down to it, photography is all about light.  The settings on your camera change how that light gets to the sensor.  If you can also control your light sources, that\u2019s one more aspect of the image you can dictate.<\/p>\n

\"Manual<\/p>\n

Barracuda on the Liberty wreck in Bali<\/em><\/p>\n

Think about how a magazine photographer uses high-end flash systems combined with softboxes and umbrellas to create an image.  That same concept works underwater with how much light you tell your strobes to produce and where you place those strobes.  Think about how you want to create an image and then do what it takes to make that happen. <\/p>\n

\"Focus\"<\/h3>\n

Cormorant on the oil rigs<\/em><\/p>\n

3) Focus Focus Focus<\/h3>\n

Generally speaking, the more expensive the camera gets, the more focusing options you gain access to.  Because every camera is going to have various modes and settings available, we\u2019re going to talk generally here about two settings that you should consider using if you have access to them.<\/p>\n

The more common of the two goes by many names.  Whether it\u2019s called Continuous-Servo<\/strong> (Nikon), AI Servo<\/strong> (Canon) or tracking focus (compact\/mirrorless cameras), they both do much the same thing \u2013 track a moving subject.  If you\u2019re subject is a stationary or slow moving macro subject, stick to Single-Servo<\/strong> (Nikon), One-Shot<\/strong> (Canon) or your camera\u2019s equivalent.  However, if you\u2019re following a moving subject, especially one that moves quickly like a seal or dolphin, make sure your focus is set to track.<\/p>\n

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Angel shark at catalina island<\/em><\/p>\n

The other setting is backbutton focus<\/strong>.  If you\u2019re shooting on a DSLR, odds are you\u2019re pressing your shutter button half-way down to determine focus and exposure before fully pressing it to take your image.  Backbutton focus assigns the focusing aspect of this routine to a button on the back of the camera (hence backbutton) and removes it from the shutter. <\/p>\n

This effectively duplicates manual focus, which is great for underwater photographers who might have limited access to manually focusing their lens underwater.  It also means you don\u2019t have to refocus everytime you let go of the shutter because you lock it in using the back button.  As long as you and your subject maintain the same distance, your focus is locked on your subject. <\/p>\n

Lastly, this allows you to stay on Continuous\/AI-Servo mode almost all the time.  You just hold the focus button down when you want it to track and let go when you want the focus locked.  This is great when the water is surging and you want to use the tracking focus to stay with a subject. Read more about focusing fast underwater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4) Histogram<\/h3>\n

The underwater environment is distracting to say the least.  You\u2019ve got to keep an eye on your buoyancy, air, the currents, and your buddy among other things.  Add to that finding a subject you want to shoot and dialing in your settings and you\u2019ve got a pretty chaotic environment to shoot in.  Why not make evaluating the images you\u2019re taking a little easier?<\/p>\n

The Histogram is essentially a bar graph display that gives you an idea of the exposure of an image when you review it.  For an even exposure, you\u2019d want the histogram to make a nice hill from one edge to the other.  This isn\u2019t to say that a graph showing lots of dark or light is bad if that\u2019s what the subject calls for.   A white rabbit in front of a snowy background wouldn\u2019t contain much middle or dark information, but might still be a great photo.<\/p>\n

The importance here for underwater usage is the ability to quickly look at the graph and determine if your exposure is where you want it.  Most often you\u2019ll be looking for an even exposure without any loss of information.  The histogram can give you that at a glimpse so you can adjust quickly before your subject swims away.  Usually all it takes is a changing a menu option to turn this on. Read more about using histograms underwater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Focus point was placed on the rhinophores<\/em><\/p>\n

5) Single Spot Focus<\/h3>\n

Another focus setting to use, if you aren\u2019t already, is a single focus point.  The idea here is that the more you narrow down the focus point, the more you can control your composition.  As Michael Zeigler says \u201cyou can move the focus point and be very specific about what you want to focus on.  You leave nothing up to chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

One common technique is to use the center point on your camera to focus and, once you have the focus locked, you can move the subject to another point in your frame that creates a better composition.  Play with your focus points and see what works best for you.<\/p>\n

Bonus Setting \u2013 High ISO<\/h3>\n

Many photographers who learned on film are used to the idea that an ISO higher than 400 means lots of noise.  These days that is simply not the case.  With each new generation of camera, the ISO setting can be set at a higher number without introducing as much grain as the generation before.  This is because the quality of the sensor keeps getting better.<\/p>\n

This means that your options in low light situations have drastically improved, and will only get better as we go into the future.  That being said, there\u2019s generally still a point you don\u2019t want to go past or you\u2019ll see lots of noise.  Experiment a little with your ISO settings and find a point where you don\u2019t like the amount of noise.  Then stay at least one setting below that. Read more about using ISO underwater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Further Reading<\/h3>\n