Underwater Photography Tips: Working With Angles

Here's how to look for interesting angles and perspectives.

1. Why It Matters

Viewpoint has a dramatic effect on any photograph, and your natural tendency is to shoot down or with a reef as background because that’s more familiar. But divers have an advantage because we can easily move — taking care not to damage the marine environment — almost anywhere to make an image more interesting.

2. Lenses and Approach Angles

Wide-angle lenses let you get close while still taking in the big scene. Shoot low to high to bring water into the background and to generate more eye-catching angles. Approach marine life slowly from a front quarter to gain eye contact. Seek view- points that bring out the subject’s best; turtles photograph well from directly above because their shape is easily recognizable, and their shells feature exquisite patterns.

3. In the Water

Master your buoyancy, always experiment, and accept a few failures as the price of discovery. Move slowly when approaching marine life to maintain a head-on viewpoint. Don’t chase big creatures; let them come to you. And think back to the lesson on backgrounds, which often dictates the best photographic viewpoints.

Paul Colley is an award-winning underwater photographer, compact-camera instructor and author of Winning Images with Any Underwater Camera.

To find the latest in underwater compact cameras, visit SeaLife Underwater Cameras.

To view more underwater photography tips for your compact camera, visit our Guide to Underwater Photography.

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