My Underwater Wide Angle Photography - Reef Scenes

Octopus on the reef - Raja Ampat, Indonesia

In underwater photography, taking wide angle pictures is quite difficult.

The main challenge is to find the right exposure balance between available light exposed background and brought in light from strobes in the foreground.

Local boy - Arborek Island, Raja Ampat

A second challenge is to find the right framing of the image. This is not only about spotting an interesting scenery - such as the giant octopus sitting on top of the reef (see left) - but also around framing that scenery in a way not to capture bubbles from other divers, not to have unwanted light effects when the sunlight is shining in from the wrong side, and being able to isolate the main subject in the wide frame of the underwater reefscape.

In order to get the right framing and brought in light it is important to move as close as possible to respective subjects. Since light refraction is stronger underwater than on air and light from strobes is absorbed on short distance through the water there is no way around using extreme wide angle lenses and moving to a very close focusing point.




The underwater photographers challenge here is not to make too much noise and bubbles in order not to scare away the marine protagonists.
While for the boy on the right this was not a topic, the octopus needed to be approached slowly until he adapted to the presence of a scuba diver with big camera gear and making strange bubbles.

Exposure of schooling fish - such as the school of glass fish (see left) - can be difficult too. Given the fact that part of the skin of fish is highly reflective or on the other extreme completely transparent just automatic exposure metering does not work out.
However, in the digital times a series of exposures and varying strobe positions will do the job.