How to take underwater photos: underwater photography tips

Hi, I'm Zeke Piestrup, and today we're going to talk about how to take great photography around the water. We'll go over the equipment you need plus some useful pointers to ensure your images come out nice and crisp under the water, above the water, and in fast action situations.

First, you're going to need a camera that is designed to be water resistant. This small camera is great, because not only is it waterproof up to 16 feet, but it's also shock proof, dust proof, and even freeze proof.

Once you're underwater, check out your camera's panoramic feature, like the one on this camera. Pan with a simple click of a button and you'll capture all the crisp bright colors around you. Then the camera will stitch the pictures together automatically for one high quality, expansive, panoramic image. Super cool.

To ensure the most vivid and true to life colors, you may need to use an additional light source. It's physics, you know. Water absorbs the red end of the light spectrum, so additional light helps increase clarity and reduce noise. I like to move my camera as close to the subject as possible, and then use the flash. When used correctly, fill flash will work to paint in any missing colors by providing light to the overall exposure.

You should also take advantage of all the movement under the water by capturing some phenomenal video. This camera shoots full HD, 1080, 60i, which is especially important under the water to ensure the clearest video. The picture is unbelievable. Also, while many cameras only shoot up to 30 frames per second, this one shoots at 60 frames per second, which means you'll get the smoothest quality video that you can play back on your HDTV.

Now let's talk about how to take great pictures above the water. Many photos you see in magazines use what's called front lit light. This camera actually has a unique sensor that reduces grain and blur in low light situations to deliver a stunning image. This is most helpful when shooting at dawn, right before sunrise, when the sky and sea are lit with weak sunlight.

Conversely, shooting around dusk will give you back lit light. I love this kind of light, because the colors are rich, warm tones. Back lit shots can silhouette images and add a real artistic edge. No matter which light you choose to shoot in, using a camera that has a powerful image sensor will give you the best results.

To catch crisp, fast action photos with minimal blur, you want to have a camera with a fast action shutter speed. A higher shutter speed, combined with a continuous shooting mode, will help you get the perfect shot. Luckily, this camera has a motion detection feature that automatically increases the shutter speed when motion is detected. If you're focusing on your buddies in the water, say your buddy's surfing, this feature will reduce blur from any angle.

Test out your creativity by trying different focal points. You can get some really cool shots by placing something in the foreground and have your buddy surfing in the background. Or use a tree branch or something to crop the top of the photo to bring the viewers eye where you want them to look. Also, shooting from piers is a great way to get closer to the action, while keeping your feet dry.

And there you have it. Get out there, and get some great shots. I'm Zeke for Sony with Howdini. For more great tips and ideas visit sony.com/howdini.