10 Tips for Underwater Photography in Zanzibar
10 Tips for Underwater Photography in Zanzibar
10 Tips for Underwater Photography in Zanzibar : Zanzibar Island has some of the most clear waters and enchanting underwater world worth filming and taking pictures of, because of the beauty and the clear waters. Zanzibar has become a top destination for tourists seeking to do underwater photography during their visit.
Though underwater photography is fun and it is important to that underwater photography is harder than it looks , however some of the essential tips for new underwater photographers on a gateway to Zanzibar Island.
- Get to know your camera
Before you head to the waters of Zanzibar with your camera on its first dive, make sure you are very familiar with its functions and features. Get to know each and every button on your camera and what it does with and without the housing, this makes focusing on your subject much easier and you wont have to think about what to press when a group of dolphins and other marine creatures swim past you.
- Check the housing for leaks before every dive
Before you go underwater and before using the camera, check the housing of your camera for leaks. Underwater cameras are very expensive so it is crucial to be extra careful, make sure the housing’s O-ring is clean and no hair or sand is stuck to it (a single hair stunk can be enough to cause a flood and ruin your diving experience and the camera).
Before use, it is a good idea to put the camera in the bucket of water and check for bubbles. This can help to detect any tiny leaks before it’s too late.
- Improve your buoyancy & watch where you put your feet
During underwater photography experience, watch where you put your feet, a diver taking pictures with a huge camera while lying on top of reef and breaking coral is not a good role model for other divers.
As a diver taking pictures, before you focus on photography make sure you get the basics and also practice your buoyancy. If you are able to control your body properly in the water, you pictures will be better instantly. If you are able to stay very calm during the experience, fish might calm around you a little longer this giving you time for the perfect shot. This can also cause less damage to the reef
- Stay shallow
As it is well known, water absorbs color pretty quickly and underwater pictures tend to look very blue and green. The easiest way to fight this is to stay shallow, less light gets absorbed, the colors are more vibrant and your air supply will last longer.
- Learn how to use the white balance
While doing underwater photography in the waters of Zanzibar, you do not only want to stay shallow so as to take nice pictures but it is also important to learn how to use the cameras white balance settings.
Make sure you set the white balance of your camera manually every time you go or down a bit, this helps to make your pictures much more life-like and vibrant.
- Take many pictures of the same subject
Fish and other marine creatures living in the waters of Zanzibar are difficult to photography as they tend to move a lot, because of this getting your perfect picture is not always as easy as it seems. Once you get back to land, you might find most of your shots showing a fish’s bum, the easy way to get good pictures is to be patient and several pictures of the same subject.
Thought a lot of your pictures will not turn out great, taking many pictures increases your chances of getting a perfect shot.
- Get close to your subject and don’t use the zoom
Though Zanzibar has some of the clearest waters ideal for underwater photography, it is important to that even the clearest water has a lot of tiny little particles in it. If you zoom in on your motive, you actually zoom in on all those particles which can make the picture less clear.
During underwater photography, make sure to get as close to your subject as possible and avoid shooting through too much water.
- Avoid using the flash (or get an external flash)
Similar to the zoom, an inbuilt flash can make or break a picture underwater, the flash can create beautiful lightening for a close-up micro photography but it is less than ideal for wide angle pictures. Similar to Zoom, your flash will highlight all the little particles underwater and make you picture look like it was taken in a snow storm.
In case you are new to underwater photography, it could be best to keep the flash of your camera turned off. Later, you might want to invest in an external video light or flash.
- Rinse your camera housing with fresh water after the dive
After diving, it is essential to take proper care of your camera. During the surface interval the best place for your camera is in a bucket of water, this avoids the built up of salt crystals on the housing and keeps the temperatures down so that your camera lens doesn’t fog up on the next dive.
Once you are home after the underwater photography experience, make it a habit to soak your camera housing a bucket of fresh water to remove each and every last bit of salt before you open and clean it.
- Use computer software to make the most out of your pictures
Most of the underwater pictures do not turn out perfectly by themselves, however with the right software you can make the most out of them. Most photographers use enhancement software to correct the colours, increase the sharpness and get rid of the unwanted objects. They can also help to turn a good picture into a great one but do not forget that a good composition and learning how to use the camera properly is the most important thing for any picture.
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