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Shooting Underwater Photography on a Budget
By Jeff Cable
www.jeffcable.com
I just returned from a nice relaxing trip to Hawaii and, as always, I returned with a whole lot of digital pictures. But, this
time I came home with a different view of Maui, pictures from below the surface of the water.
In past trips with my family I have tried using a disposable film camera and have always been disappointed with the pictures
once they were developed. When snorkeling, I would see beautifully vibrant fish with amazing shades of blues and yellows and
when I looked at my pictures, the images were washed out (no pun intended) and boring.
This trip was different. I was armed with the new waterproof Pentax WPi digital camera (www.pentax.com). For an affordable
$300, this point-and-shoot camera takes very good pictures in or out of the water. This 6MP camera looks like most others
but can be submerged in water of up to 1.5 meters without worry. This also means that the camera can be used in sandy areas
(like the beach) and then simply washed off when you return home. In the past I would avoid bringing a camera to the beach
since I am nervous about getting sand in the camera.
For someone who loves taking pictures above the water, it was an absolute blast to try and get great shots underwater. With
beautiful coral, colorful fish and giant sea turtles surrounding us, Maui was a fantastic place to try something new.
When most people think about shooting digital pictures underwater, they think of large underwater camera housings, intricate
flash strobes and a very large budget. Being able to take digital pictures underwater for less than $300 was incredibly
refreshing. The camera is small enough to fit in the pocket of my swimsuit but spent most of the time strapped to my wrist.
(Note: Since the camera does not float, you want to make sure that you hold on to it when you are in deep water.)
The 2 inch LCD screen on the back of the camera was visible in or out of the water and the sounds from the camera were clearly
audible under water. The screen was large enough to help frame the pictures even while fighting the current of the ocean.
The camera also has a 3x optical zoom which I did use on occasion, but I preferred to shoot without using the zoom so that
I was closer to my subject and had better chance of lighting the object with the small flash.
As you can see from these pictures, the image quality is surprisingly good considering that you are using a camera with a small
lens and small flash. I found that most of my images were lacking in contrast and color but with a quick "Auto Level" in Adobe
PhotoShop or a One Step fix in Corel Paint Shop Pro, the true color and clarity was recaptured.
The Pentax WPi camera has many different capture modes and also includes the ability to capture video. I tried this while
snorkeling and got some reasonably good video clips but I still prefer photos to video.
The camera was a constant companion in the ocean and also made it's way into the swimming pool. My kids, who normally do not like
having their pictures taken, had a great time posing for pictures and it was fun to capture them playing underwater.
For those of you who have a sense of humor, this camera can be a lot of fun around the pool. I would stand at the edge of the
pool and take pictures of the kids and then jump (or fall) in with them. People around the pool would gasp and they saw the
digital camera going in with me. That was good for a laugh.
If you love taking pictures and are looking for a different perspective, the Pentax Optio WPi is a great choice. Even though I
prefer shooting pictures with a DSLR camera and fast lenses, you can bet that whenever I am near the beach or the pool I will
be sure to have the Pentax in my pocket.
Articles by Jeff Cable:
- Take a closer look - The fun of macro photography
- Don't stop shooting now - It's "The Golden Hour"!
- Shooting Fast - The Rule of Numbers
- What is the difference between a $300 lens and a $2000 lens?
- The Sport of Photography
- Hurry up…It's time to slow down
Visit www.jeffcable.com
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