Underwater Photography With Your Nikon Waterproof Camera

Nikon produces a variety of cameras that are capable of photographing underwater, the most powerful and versatile of which is the Nikon 1 AW1, the first mirrorless interchangeable lens waterproof camera. With this in mind, and summer in full swing, here are some top tips to achieve great underwater photos with your waterproof Nikon kit:

Use the camera's underwater mode 

When you're using the camera underwater, you should always use the dedicated underwater mode on the camera. This will help you to capture images with a mode accurate representation of colour. Light behaves differently underwater, meaning everything in the image can end up looking green or blue, more so the deeper you get. Red will be the first colour in the spectrum to succumb to this, followed by orange and yellow. The camera's underwater mode filters out green and blue light, giving a more accurate representation of the colours on display. 

Get close to your subject 

It's more difficult for light to travel quickly underwater, meaning that your images will soon become murky and dark unless you are very close to your subject. Because of this it's best to use a fast wide angle lens under water if possible, to maximise the amount of light hitting the sensor. Of course, there will be underwater subjects that it's not possible to safely get close to, in which case use a longer lens and up the ISO.

Capture the tiny details

If you're lucky enough to live, or be jetting off somewhere that has coral reef or colourful underwater plant life to photograph, use the macro mode on your Coolpix camera or AW1 to capture the intricate and fascinating details of the life under the sea. Abstract texture shots will add some variety to your shots and are something a little different to the many photos of fish and other marine life you'll capture. 

Don't forget to make it pleasing to the eye

Amidst all the excitement of being able to photograph something different under the waves, the basic rules of photography can sometimes be forgotten. The underwater landscape can be a very busy place, so remember to compose your image carefully and think about what you're including in the frame. To show some scale, it might be worth including a fellow diver into the shot, making the image more interesting to look at at the same time. 

Why not shoot a video?

Don't forget that the Nikon 1 AW1, and Coolpix waterproof cameras, are also capable of capturing video underwater. So if you see interesting behaviour from the marine life, or simply want a video to document your dive, use movie mode to capture it, enabling you to re-live the experience whenever you like.