Welcome to the Underwater Photography Guide. This online book and magazine is a complete underwater photography tutorial full of u/w photography tips and techniques. Our idea is simple - learn, shoot, explore. We hope you enjoy and come back often - Scott Gietler, Owner of UWPG and Bluewater Photo & Travel.
Exploring a quiet, off-the-beaten-track Philippines dive destination, with beautiful wide angle scenery and some nice macro
Exploring a quiet, off-the-beaten-track Philippines dive destination, with beautiful wide angle scenery and some nice macro
Last month I had the honor of being invited by renowned underwater photographer Jerome Kim to join him on his 4th annual Underwater Dream Tour. On this tour, he invites a small group of underwater photographers to travel with him to four dive destinations on the Philippines. The last stop of the tour was a place most people have never heard of: Cabilao. It may sound kind of like Anilao, but it's definitely a very different type of destination!
Bryan is an editor and writer for the Underwater Photography Guide. He loves any activity that takes him out into nature, and is especially fond of multi-day hiking trips, road trips to National Parks, and diving. Any kind of diving. He discovered the joy of underwater photography on a Bluewater trip to the Sea of Cortez and has been hooked ever since. He recently finished a 1-year "radical sabbatical" with his partner Lisa (both of them quit their jobs), which included over 120 dives, mostly in Indonesia and the Philippines. His very favourite underwater experiences include swimming with humpbacks in Moorea, being smashed against the rocks next to marine iguanas in the Galapagos, marvelling at the riotously colourful reefs of Komodo, freezing his hands off under the ice in Greenland, and exploring the never-ending wonders of muck diving in Tulamben and Anilao (where he was a Bluewater photo workshop co-trip leader).
Fortunately, Bryan and Lisa managed to avoid killing each other during their year of traveling together (though at times it came close). Now they are back home in Canada, planning their wedding and doing their best to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Their main concern at this point is finding a way to not run out of money, while avoiding returning back to their old 9-5 jobs (oil & gas, government). Oh, and also continuing to support their diving and underwater photo/video habits...
Our adventure on the Socorro Vortex was awash with good people, good food, ample amounts of adventure, and great white sharks
In the depths of the pulsating, blue matrix of the Pacific, few things are ever certain. Creatures of the deep come and go as they please, winds have no master, and water seems to infiltrate even the most secure dry bags and camera housings. One day can bring swaths of life, and the next barren wasteland.
Nevertheless, a trip aboard the Socorro Vortex taught me that a few things at sea can be certain – good food, kind people, and camaraderie in a shared adventure.
Nirupam Nigam is the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the President of Bluewater Photo - the world's top underwater photo & video retailer. While growing up in Los Angeles he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands. After receiving degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, Nirupam worked as a fisheries observer on vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific. Since then, Nirupam has been a full time underwater photographer and photo gear head. Check out more of his photography at www.photosfromthesea.com!
The Sea & Sea DX-6G camera and housing combo is an ultra-compact, point-and-shoot underwater system
Whether it’s underwater strobes or housings, Sea & Sea is known for producing thoughtful, high-quality underwater systems designed for the divers using them. Sea & Sea’s DX-6G camera and housing is no exception.
Nirupam Nigam is the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the President of Bluewater Photo - the world's top underwater photo & video retailer. While growing up in Los Angeles he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands. After receiving degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, Nirupam worked as a fisheries observer on vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific. Since then, Nirupam has been a full time underwater photographer and photo gear head. Check out more of his photography at www.photosfromthesea.com!
A first look at the GoPro 8’s underwater performance including hypersmooth image stabilization, new mod capabilities, improved HDR photos, and 4K video @ 60p
A first look at the GoPro 8’s underwater performance including hypersmooth image stabilization, new mod capabilities, improved HDR photos, and 4K video @ 60p
It’s probably safe to say that the GoPro HERO 8 Black is the top GoPro action camera for underwater photo and video. Somehow GoPro manages to release a new and improved product every year for the same low price of $399.99. In fact, autumn is turning out to be the unofficial GoPro season.
A guide to macro lenses and close up wet lenses available for underwater photography
Nature’s patterns and color come to life with underwater macro photography. The mesmerizing detail that dedicated 1:1 macro lenses capture show textures that we otherwise would have never realized existed. Both dSLR and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras offer some incredible macro choices to add to your underwater arsenal.
As a long-time Hawaii resident, Jenna moved to Maui in 2002 to pursue her interest in diving. Discovering the beauty of the islands and the desire to show it to the world led Jenna into her passion for nature photography. She pursued her education by attending hands-on workshops and conferences with respected educators mastering the camera topside before taking her photography underwater.
Jenna is a certified Hawaii Marine Naturalist and enjoys travel and adventure. Her images have been published in Forbes Magazine, Travel and Leisure, calendars and several other publications. She has been a professional contributor for Pacific Stock since 2012, the largest worldwide curated stock photography agency exclusive to the Hawaii and Asia Pacific Regions. You can find her images at www.jennaszerlag.com and on Instagram @seaofphotos.
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The Best Service & Prices on u/w Photo Gear
Visit Bluewater Photo & Video for all your underwater photography and video gear. Click, or call the team at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!
The Best Pricing, Service & Expert Advice to Book your Dive Trips
Bluewater Travel is your full-service scuba travel agency. Let our expert advisers plan and book your next dive vacation. Run by divers, for divers.
An in-depth comparison of Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic for editing underwater photos
Adobe Lightroom is the go-to program for editing underwater photos, and for good reason. But the question is, which version to use? Plain old Lightroom (formerly Lightroom CC) or Lightroom Classic?
Lightroom (formerly Lightroom CC): Lightroom is the latest name for Adobe's cloud-based version of Lightroom. It used to be called Lightroom CC, up until a very recent update where the CC was dropped. Basically, this is a "light" version of Lightroom, designed to be cloud-based, with a simple user interface and simpler functionality.
Bryan is an editor and writer for the Underwater Photography Guide. He loves any activity that takes him out into nature, and is especially fond of multi-day hiking trips, road trips to National Parks, and diving. Any kind of diving. He discovered the joy of underwater photography on a Bluewater trip to the Sea of Cortez and has been hooked ever since. He recently finished a 1-year "radical sabbatical" with his partner Lisa (both of them quit their jobs), which included over 120 dives, mostly in Indonesia and the Philippines. His very favourite underwater experiences include swimming with humpbacks in Moorea, being smashed against the rocks next to marine iguanas in the Galapagos, marvelling at the riotously colourful reefs of Komodo, freezing his hands off under the ice in Greenland, and exploring the never-ending wonders of muck diving in Tulamben and Anilao (where he was a Bluewater photo workshop co-trip leader).
Fortunately, Bryan and Lisa managed to avoid killing each other during their year of traveling together (though at times it came close). Now they are back home in Canada, planning their wedding and doing their best to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Their main concern at this point is finding a way to not run out of money, while avoiding returning back to their old 9-5 jobs (oil & gas, government). Oh, and also continuing to support their diving and underwater photo/video habits...
The Sony A7R IV is a top underwater camera boasting a 61 MP sensor, 10fps burst shooting, and excellent autofocus capability!
Sony gets a lot of credit in the photography world for innovating. But the truth is….they deserve it. The release of the Sony A7R IV was a complete bombshell. On paper, it puts Sony solidly at the top of the mirrorless camera market and potentially as one of the best underwater cameras available. And if you already thought the Sony A7R III was a top camera, well the A7R IV is almost 20 megapixels ahead.
Nirupam Nigam is the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the President of Bluewater Photo - the world's top underwater photo & video retailer. While growing up in Los Angeles he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands. After receiving degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, Nirupam worked as a fisheries observer on vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific. Since then, Nirupam has been a full time underwater photographer and photo gear head. Check out more of his photography at www.photosfromthesea.com!
The Canon G7X Mark III is a top compact underwater camera featuring 4K video, 20 fps burst shooting, slow motion video, and more!
The Canon G7X Mark III is a first-rate camera in a compact body. As an upgrade from the G7X Mark II, the Mark III incorporates a similar sensor and the same lens, but there have been significant improvements to the camera’s processing capabilities. These are most notably, a “stacked” sensor and a DIGIC 8 image processor.
Nirupam Nigam is the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the President of Bluewater Photo - the world's top underwater photo & video retailer. While growing up in Los Angeles he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands. After receiving degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, as well as a minor in Arctic Studies, Nirupam worked as a fisheries observer on vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific. Since then, Nirupam has been a full time underwater photographer and photo gear head. Check out more of his photography at www.photosfromthesea.com!
