BELOW THE Surface
Seven-tenths of our planet is covered by water. For many nature photographers, it’s instinctive to want to explore what images lie beneath the water. That intrigue set me on a course to explore the world’s oceans. Here’s what I’ve learned about underwater photography along the way.
Where Did My Colors Go?
When you take your camera underwater, the first thing you’ll notice is how the colors change. The deeper you go, the weirder things get because water does an incredible job of absorbing light. Reds start to disappear around 20 feet deep. Yellows at 50 feet. After 100 feet, things are pretty much monochromatic. This will obviously change the way you think about making photographs, but thankfully, you have options. I’ll cover these in detail, but your choices are:
• Staying shallow. The easiest option is to stay in shallow water, where you have plenty of light and an abundance of color.
• Opting for black & white. You can go monochrome and completely ignore the colors.
• Artificial illumination can
