How to take the best underwater photos

 Everyone always asks me how did you get so good at underwater photography? I have to say that a lot of what I learned was trial and error and some great friends along the way giving me tips. I started out with a film camera and took dozens of pictures while on the trip. I would get home and out of a hundred or more shots maybe 20 were keepers!! That's when I spent hours learning about my camera rig and how to make those pictures count. 
     
   When digital came along life was good but holly crap were there ten million adjustments to make!! I found that to really know my RIG I had to use it and use it a lot. So with camera in the housing and strobes attached, off to the basement I went... YES, THE BASEMENT! What better place to simulate the underwater experience than in a true low light environment. I proceeded to take thousands of pictures at what I thought were the best settings. Then I would take the same picture again on a setting bellow and one above until I found out what my Nikon's sweet spot was for each type of shot. I kept at it until like magic one day everything came together. I created a cheat sheet for myself with what are my all round best settings for each lens and I still use it today.
 
    
   The next big thing I learned was that every morning before I head to the dive boat I turn my entire RIG on and I take a dozen test shots and check each and every adjustment knob! Its so much easier to fix a problem in a nice room with AC than on a rolling boat! 
     

These are the initial settings I use for my Nikon D300:


Note: I attached a PDF for you to download for future reference. 
Camera Settings.pdf

INITIAL SETTINGS:

Manual mode, Base ISO (usually ISO 100 or 200), F13, 1/200th (or whatever your maximum shutter sync speed is); single-spot focus; center-weighted metering.

Aperture may need to be lowered to F7-F8 or a larger aperture for fish shots. When shooting small objects, shoot at a smaller aperture (up to F29) for more DOF.

On my  Nikon D300 (for macro or wide angle), I set the following:

Quality:   RAW + large fine JPEG. Read about choosing raw or jpeg

White Balance: Auto white balance. Manual white balance is only used when your shooting in ambient light with no strobes.

ISO 200 (Base ISO). Read more about choosing ISO

Light metering

I use matrix metering for wide angle, and center-weighted for macro. If you are shooting with your strobes on manual, this will have no effect.

Focus metering mode

I often use center spot focus for macro, and all focus points for wide-angle shots. If you are in center spot-focus mode, and your camera allows you to move the focus point, I highly recommend you take advantage of this feature.

Aperture may need to be lowered to F7-F8 or a larger aperture for fish shots. When shooting small objects, shoot at a smaller aperture (up to F29) for more Depth of Field.

Perfecting those great shots

    The next big hurtle is to perfect your buoyancy, you have to be rock solid in the water. If your still using your hands to move around than you'll never get that perfect shot. Every little movement not only scares the fish but stirs up the crud. Take your time wait for the fish, if you chase it your going to get another FISH BUT picture! You have to think like a fish and take your picture from a fishes perspective! Get lower than the object and try to shoot slightly upward to get some of the natural light from the surface. This creates a slight shadowing which makes the shot more believable. 
      
     Move those darn strobes around, there's a reason your bought those expensive arms! Remember your strobes should never be facing the object but slightly outward and away.

Remember its all about practice so go out and take some pictures baby!!