Taking underwater photos is not the same as taking your normal pictures. The lighting and the atmosphere pressure must be taken into consideration before you start shooting. The techniques below will guide you on how to get a great still shots underwater.

Let’s start with a small, mostly stationary subject, such as a sea lemon, the size of a little finger. Set the white balance to the Daylight or Cloudy setting dependent on the water depth. Since most sea lemon species are small, use the macro mode. On camera models equipped with a manual focus, bring the lens up to the minimum focal distance and focus manually.

Most digital cameras use an autofocus system called the contrast detection method, which focuses on objects with the greatest pattern definition. If you aim the camera at sea lemons living on rocks, the camera is most likely to focus on the rocks in the background, not the sea lemons. The manual focus is more effective in this case.

To shoot with the autofocus, first advance to the minimum focal distance and press the shutter button halfway until the autofocus lamp fires. In this state, move the camera backward or forward to sharpen the focus as seen in the LCD monitor. As you move the camera backward or forward, the focal point will change. It is easy to see the focal point in fine detail in the LCD monitor. When the right focus is achieved, press the shutter button all the way to take the photo.

The method of moving the camera backward or forward to set the focus is also effective for cameras in manual focus mode.
Don’t just take a single picture, take several to be able to select the one with the best focus.