Travel Tips & Trends

Snorkeling Snapshots

Taking underwater snaps on a snorkeling or diving vacation has never been easier (assuming that you can swim). Today, all of the major manufacturers offer permanent or disposable waterproof cameras. If you're fiercely loyal to your own camera, watertight housings are available for many models of camera or video.

As with any other photo op, lighting and visibility are the most important factors underwater. On land, the best light for photos comes when the sun is low, in the morning or evening—but underwater, midday is best when the sun is high and strong.

Even with the brightest sun, the deeper you go, the less light you'll have. Thirty feet deep is about the limit for natural light. While you can count on a pool floor or white sand to reflect sunlight onto the underside of your subject in shallow water, for the best results at any depth use a flash to illuminate the foreground. And unless you want a dramatic silhouette effect, you'll need the flash to counter backlighting if your subject is between you and the surface.

Don't expect miracles. If the water is murky, your picture will be murky. And one final tip: Use a waterproof camera near the water too.

-John Moyer