Underwater photography is something fascinating that has been enabled by technology in the not so distant past. In the years gone by, it was only the divers who ever got to actually see the underwater world. However thanks to underwater photographers, we are now able to get a glimpse of the deep seas right from the comfort of our homes - through television and in print media, also on the internet. It is true that any form of photography requires a certain amount of skill. Underwater photography on the other hand needs one to be a proficient diver as well as a good photographer.
As far as general wild life photography is concerned, photographers can work from a distance and photograph their subjects. But where underwater photography needs to be done, they need to get up close to the subject. This is simply because water refracts or bends light rays. Observe this phenomenon by putting your hand into a bucket of water. The closer you bring it to the surface of water the clearer it appears to be. So, the less the light needs to travel through the water, the less is the distortion. This is why underwater photographers have to get as close to their subjects as possible.
The underwater World
In the underwater world, it is not as simple a philosophy as survival of the fittest through speed. Most fish choose camouflage as the solution to predators. This is why you need to be skilled at spotting your fish when you are an underwater photographer. So, this is an added quality that you need to have to shoot underwater photographs successfully. Not only do you need to be a good diver, and a good photographer but also a good marine biologists. Where this is not always possible, photographers dive alongside biologists to get the best pictures. And then, some marine animals die if you as much as touch them, so it requires a certain amount of knowledge in any case, to dive responsibly.
The Gear
You could get a housing for your regular camera to shoot underwater. This is nothing but a plastic, water tight container for your camera that allows all of the functions to still be accessible from the outside. Or else, you could use underwater cameras specially designed for the purpose. Photographers who shoot only underwater photography prefer to use underwater cameras, while those who shoot underwater only at times may use the underwater housing with their regular cameras. You can also attach an underwater strobe flash unit where you are shooting deep into the ocean. On the shallow areas, sunlight is enough to light the underwater world.
Underwater photographers tend to try and shoot their subjects from under them, since they hide into the backgrounds. Also, the sunlight from top can create interesting background hues.
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