where to snorkel, how to snorkel, which digital camera, which camera underwater housing

how to and where to snorkel with an underwater camera to capture those marvellous underwater scenes

I assume you know the basics of how to snorkel but if you haven't snorkeled in warm tropical seas

and reveled in that new world, literally just off the beach, teeming with colourful fish and corals - start now

capturing those sights, using an underwater camera setup, is much easier than I expected even with a simple

and inexpensive, compact camera in an underwater housing

scuba diving versus snorkeling for underwater photography

the difference - it's about light

a scuba diver with an underwater camera setup, will tend to use artificial light from strobe or flash lights and very fast shutter speeds

I think this makes the lighting conditions for a scuba diver a bit more constant - certainly when they are down a bit

snorkelers tend to use ambient (natural light - hopefully tropical sunlight) and this varies a lot according to...

the weather, the direction the diver is facing relative to the sun, the time of day and the depth

this difference in light source alone is why the underwater camera setup including waterproof housing for a snorkeler

might not necessarily suit a scuba diver for underwater photography

information seems available about the underwater camera setup for the scuba diver

but less seems to be available for the snorkeler

'air-time' is limited for the snorkeler to get that photo

the scuba diver can wait sometime for that fish to present itself as he or she wants

having to surface, gasping for air, having missed a beautiful shot, either frustrates you or you like the challenge

for most people that is where scuba diving photography wins and, of course...
scuba divers can go and photograph where it is not possible for snorkelers

below - a first attempt - a simple compact digital camera - no underwater scene mode - no manual controls

so, even the most basic camera, in an underwater housing, using point and shoot 'auto', can work reasonably well

this underwater scene was taken with a Fujifilm Finepix F70 EXR in a basic underwater case

the point is that which camera to use or buy can sound like a very daunting task

in the 'which digital camera' section -but it doesn't have to be

you can probably use the camera you already have - with an inexpensive filter and a waterproof case

so only take note of the 'which camera' section if you want to get a bit more serious

personally snorkeling seems simpler to me than scuba

often I will just wander in off the beach and cruise around - there is very little preparation
usually there are others around so I don't need my 'buddy', who loves sunbathing (I can't stand it)

having read about shallow water blackout I will now be reviewing that

shallow water blackout is covered in 'maximising the dive' (link)

from a safety angle two people is officially said to be sub-optimal and three the minimum

apparently, technically, one should be on shore watching the pair in the water

in the water, one dives while the other stays on the surface and keeps watch on the one below

most of us have enough trouble getting a buddy interested in the underwater photography aspect

which completely changes (improves) the snorkeling experience to my mind, so, do your best to be safe

so, I like the freedom, the simplicity and the challenge of staying down there to get that shot

I doubt cost is much of an issue between underwater photography - snorkeling versus scuba diving

photographic equipment is an expense either way

perhaps the snorkeler can use less expensive photographic equipment than the diver

anyway, heading for the tropics is always very expensive

have you gathered - I'm a bath water temperature type of guy?

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How this site works/ the layout

the next section (fish - pictures on button) has examples of first efforts using a very simple camera

and a very basic waterproof housing

the sort of camera many of us already have for our family and other shots - see how it did

the information/ tips section (mask and snorkel icon) covers snorkeling equipment needed
to take photos while snorkeling - to my mind a weight belt is the most different 'must-have'

the 'which digital camera' section covers the choice of camera and underwater housing

covering the specific needs of those of us using simply goggles, fins and mask

the 'how to snorkel' section ('information' logo on button), covers how to dive to create,

good opportunities for good underwater photos, rather than literally the very 'abc' basics of how to snorkel

the 'where to snorkel' section (palm tree on button), covers some nice destinations

I have focused on tropical places in the 'where to snorkel' destinations, but I am sure

hardier souls will disagree with me on that one - it's just personal preference

there is a tremendous website which covers where to snorkel in Hawaii, USA mainland and the Caribbean

its well worth a visit to 'www.tropicalsnorkeling.com' (link) for these destinations

this site also covers how to snorkel, choice of digital camera and underwater housing and much more


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