:: Digital Camera Shooting Tips and Courses

You’d have just got back from a trip to J.R. Tolkiens "Middle Earth", to not notice how the popularity of underwater picture taking has changed over the last few years.

While then, underwater photography was a serious business of a few hardcore divers with at least 60 kg excess luggage on the airplane. Nowadays a small digital camera with casing is soon to be stated as a compulsory piece of diving equipment in your entry level diving course manual.

If most of your shots still look like you just would have dived in your local drainage system, here a few tips how to improve your underwater pictures:

1. GET YOUR BOUYANCY RIGHT. Even with the most expensive set up you won’t get that clownfish into the frame if you move up and down like a yo-yo.

2. STAY SHALLOW. Ever wondered why everything on the coral reef in 5 meters looks so colorful and down at 30 meters so dull? More ambient light will make it easier for your camera to get some sharp, well-focused and professional looking pictures.

3. GET CLOSE, if you don’t want to spend hours trying to convince your friends that the blur and dark blotches on your picture is actually a school of hammerhead sharks that happened to pass by when everyone else was looking at a nudibranch.

4. HOLD STEADY, if you don’t want your dive buddy to look like a ghost on the picture. Approach your subject slowly, stop, calm your breathing, and take the shot.

5. SHOOT IN A SLIGHT UPWARDS ANGLE. This angle helps the subject to stand out from it’s surrounding, so you won’t need to guess afterwards what you actually took a picture from.

6. USE A COLOR CORRECTION FILTER. Why does the beautiful red barrel sponge you took a picture from look as it just has been dipped into bitter chocolate sauce? Filters can bring back the lost red spectrum to a certain degree. But remember, filters can only be used with natural light, not with artificial light from your strobe.

7. READ THE MANUAL. You will be surprised what your camera actually can do. Even today’s budget digital cameras surprise with a variety of useful functions and settings.

If this tips helped you, but you still not quit happy with your pictures, we recommend you to try the interactive Internet course... before your next dive trip.