These days, anyone with a smartphone can claim to be a photographer. It's easy to snap a photo at any moment, and with today's technology, you can even make it look professional. But there is one type of photography that remains mostly reserved for the pros, and that's underwater photography.
Underwater photography is quite a bit different from regular photography. It often requires special equipment, such as waterproof cameras, wide-angle lenses, and diving gear. Even amateurs who take underwater photos on their phones have to take special considerations into account to capture a clear image.
However, underwater photography is well worth the extra effort. It offers totally unique opportunities. Without it, we wouldn't be able to see images of giant schools of fish, or polar bears swimming, or Olympic swimmers taking off in a race. Underwater photos are some of the most unforgettable images of all!
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Here are 20 stunning underwater photos that will make you want to run to the beach today.
The first-ever underwater photograph was taken all the way back in 1856. Since then, underwater photography has become a beloved niche art with many different purposes.
Sometimes, underwater photographers get to work with models who can hold cool poses while holding their breath. It takes a lot of work just to get one shot!
A lot of underwater photography also features sports of some kind.
When it comes to swimming, for example, nothing quite captures the sport like the view of a swimmer from underwater.
Surfing is also the perfect sport for underwater photography. You can get neat shots of people sitting on their surfboards in the water, waiting for a wave, like the photo here.
Or you can get action shots of surfers who are about to catch a wave! This photo is so vivid that it's almost like you're right there in the water with the surfer.
Nature is another good candidate for underwater photos. About 71% of the Earth is covered in water, and that water is full of plants and animals and other fascinating organisms.
Here's a photo of a polar bear going for a swim.
Polar bears live in the Arctic Circle, and they're excellent swimmers. They can swim for several hours at a time.
Somehow, this one seems to be looking right at the camera!
This photo shows an elephant swimming and blowing water out of his trunk. Unlike polar bears, elephants aren't exactly associated with the water. But they are also excellent swimmers. They use their trunks like a snorkel.
Of course, photographers also love to capture animals who live in the water full-time. Here, a humpback whale swims alongside her calf in the waters of Tonga. Humpback whales can live for up to 50 years.
Not all underwater photography takes place in such crystal-clear waters, though. Some water habitats are not clear at all.
This photo shows a freshwater pond, full of vegetation and fish. It's healthy, but not clear.
Underwater photography is usually done while scuba diving, though it can also be done using a remote-controlled system. Photographers frequently like to take photos of other divers. The one below is absolutely stunning.
It takes a lot of practice to learn how to dive underwater for any length of time, let alone to manage photography equipment at the same time!
It is important for underwater photographers to be well-trained, especially if they work with wildlife. You're much more able to capture a candid natural photo if you're calm enough that animals trust you.
Underwater modeling is a whole separate skill set. It requires excellent breath control — you don't want to have puffed-out cheeks in the photo, but you also need to have enough air in your lungs to last you for a while!
Modeling in the water also requires buoyancy control. Obviously, models don't wear diving equipment or have weights attached to them. They have to constantly fight to stay down rather than float to the surface.
But all of this effort is certainly worth it. Underwater photos are unlike any other type of artwork in the world.
The art form has come a long way since 1856, and it's also a lot more accessible than ever.
You don't have to be a professional to experiment with underwater photography. If you want to take a casual underwater photo at the pool or beach, without diving, you can even use your regular phone camera to do it.
You will need a waterproof phone case, however. Even water-resistant phones aren't designed for underwater photography, so it's best to get a hardier case that completely protects the phone from water.
You also can't use your phone's touchscreen while it's wet, because it won't recognize your fingers. So you have to use another method of snapping the photo. On an iPhone, for example, you can press the volume key to take a photo.
It takes some time to get used to how photography is different underwater. The lighting, movement, and focus control is all different from the process of taking a regular photo.
But with practice, you may be able to capture some cool underwater photos of your very own.
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