Underwater photography is one of the most rewarding and technically challenging genres in photography. The good news: modern waterproof action cameras have made entry easier than ever. With a few key techniques, your first underwater shots will surprise you.
Water absorbs red wavelengths quickly — footage below 10 feet turns blue-green without correction. A red filter over your lens corrects color in clear blue water. A magenta filter corrects for green freshwater. Without correction, every shot looks like you filmed through a blue tinted window. Most GoPro users add a 58mm red filter holder ($15) for significantly better color.
Water has 1000x more particles than air — distance degrades image quality dramatically. Get within 12 inches of your subject whenever possible. A coral 3 feet away looks hazy; at 12 inches it's crisp. The best underwater photographers spend most of their time crawling along the reef rather than hovering at distance.
Shoot in a wide mode (GoPro's wide or super-wide) to get maximum coverage without camera shake. Use burst mode for fish shots — they move unpredictably and burst mode gives you 5–10 frames to choose the sharp one. For video, 2.7K at 60fps gives you smooth motion you can slow down in editing.
At snorkeling depth (0–15 feet) natural light is often sufficient, especially on sunny days between 10am–2pm when the sun angle penetrates deeply. Below 20 feet, a video light or strobe dramatically improves color and sharpness. Small video lights ($80–200) attach to a GoPro mount and make a night-and-day difference in 15–30 foot depth photography.
Shoot upward toward the surface to capture fish silhouetted against the light — one of the most dramatic underwater compositions. Use a wide angle and get the camera close to the seafloor to show the scale of coral formations. Look for natural frames — coral archways, rock formations, schools of fish — to add depth to your shots.
The GoPro HERO12 is waterproof to 33 feet without a housing — perfect for snorkeling depth. The Olympus TG-7 is waterproof to 50 feet and has a macro mode for close-up shots of small fish and coral. For budget options, the Akaso Brave 7 LE shoots 4K underwater at $80.
Camera fog inside the housing is caused by humidity trapped during assembly. Before each dive, place an anti-fog insert (small moisture-absorbing packet, $5 for a pack of 30) inside the housing when you close it. GoPro sells official anti-fog inserts designed for their housings. Replace them after 3–5 dives.
See also: Best Underwater Cameras for 2026 • Best Snorkeling Gear • Best Waterproof Cases & Dry Bags
