Several scuba divers new to underwater photography often ask how they can achieve good photographs without having to buy an external strobe or flash unit. The truth is that if you want to take unrestricted photographs underwater you need to purchase a set of external strobes or be faced with some severe limitations. As light diminishes underwater, divers need some form of light source to get sharp photographs with vivid colors. The deeper you go the camera shutter needs to stay open longer to get sufficient light to hit the sensor/film to the right exposure. The trouble is when underwater, even with perfect buoyancy there is simply no way for a diver to remain perfectly motionless to prevent getting blurry pictures for a delayed exposure. Also there is no way you can get fish to stop moving long enough to get the perfect picture at a slow shutter speed (unless with a spear gun).
However all is not lost. If you don’t have an external strobe/flash unit on your underwater camera, there are still ways to get by with some limitations though. Here are three scenarios that will help you get good looking pictures without an external strobe:
a) Shoot with no-flash, in strong daylight and stay shallow.
Keep the built-in flash of your camera turned off to get wide angle shots, and take photographs at shallower depths. A shallow coral reef in bright sunlight will allow you to take great pictures without the need for a flash. Underwater photographers swear by the mid-day sun when the sun’s rays are least reflected off the surface and penetrate into the water. Some of the most natural looking pictures are taken in day-lit shallows underwater.
b) Create light with dive torches and no flash.
Not enough sunlight and no strobe? Try using your underwater dive light to illuminate your subject while taking pictures. A powerful dive light can work as effective as a strobe, and sometimes provide more natural looking colors than the harsh glare of a strobe. Remember to turn off your built-in flash when using a dive light, unless taking a macro. A torch or dive light also acts as an autofocus assist lamp allowing your camera sufficient light to focus correctly before releasing the shutter. Lights can be mounted to underwater housings using a flex arm or video light arm.
c) Use the built in flash but limit your photographs to macros.
The only situation where your built-in flash will work well enough while underwater is while taking close-ups or macros. When your subject is close enough to the lens, or within the flash range, for sufficient illumination, you will be able to get a well-lit picture. Getting close to your subject also minimizes backscatter eliminating one of the key problems of using a built in flash, and a diver can get some pretty decent macro photographs this way. Nudibranch’s, Anemones, clownfish, coral, clams and a whole other range of subjects fall within the realm of macro photography, and photograph well, offering a diver plenty of options.
