Maldives Underwater Photography Tips

The Maldives is undoubtedly famous as one of the best places in the world for underwater photography. Its rich and exotic marine life has transformed the local tourism industry of Maldives into a global market for scuba divers and beach goers. Holiday photographers will instantly fall in love taking photos in Maldives especially in its underwater setting.

Maldives Schooling Fish

There are numerous dive sites in Maldives where you can photograph pelagic fish such as sharks, mantas, and jacks. It takes a lot of patience to take great underwater images even for seasoned divers and photography enthusiasts. Although, a couple of wise tips and tricks will always help you improve in taking underwater photos in Maldives. Try to suck in some of these techniques, so that the next time you go diving and taking photos in the spectacular waters of this tropical paradise, you’ll be surprised to see better results.

General Tips For Underwater Photography in Maldives

• Hold the camera still while shooting
• Squeeze the shutter in the proper manner by not putting excess force on it
• Exhale before you shoot
• Stabilize your elbows against your body while keeping your arms in
• Maintain a neutral buoyancy
• If possible, shoot from the reef bottom

Maldives Napoleon Wrasse

Optimizing Camera Settings for Underwater Photography in Maldives

A good camera might not be the solution for taking better underwater photos in Maldives, but a camera with a manual mode feature is always an advantage for scuba diving photography. There is an ideal aperture setting for every depth range that you’ll encounter.

• An ISO setting of 100 is best for any underwater depth. Higher ISO settings may result to grainy pictures despite giving more flexibility for motion.
• Use the TTL flash metering mode.
• Use an aperture setting of f/11 up to 10m deep.
• Use an aperture setting of f/8 for depths of 10m to 20m.
• Use an aperture setting of f/5.6 or f/4 for depths deeper than 20m.
• It would be wise to pre-focus and keep your position steady because most autofocusing features in underwater cameras is totally ineffective underwater.

Maldives Scorpion Fish

Do remember that these tips are not necessarily rules or guidelines for underwater photography. Your own creativity and experimentation is also the key to taking better scuba diving photos in Maldives!

For more information about Scuba Diving Holidays in Maldives, you may visit www.maldivesdivetravel.com.