Many of us have gained at least some experience with underwater photography during daylight hours. If you’re among those who are interested in underwater photography at night, you will appreciate these tips for capturing unique images of the animals that are most active after the sun has gone down for the evening. For example, Caribbean basket stars, lobsters, and Spanish Dancers are much more active at night; and conversely, many animals which are active during the day are in sleepy trances at night.
Navigating With Minimal Light and Other Challenges
Every marine environment changes with the sunset; coral reefs though, are among the most interesting to photograph after dark – even the colors you’ll get in the background of the images you capture will be different than they are during the daytime. Colors often appear brighter, since the darker background makes them seem to pop. Even so, there are some challenges associated with photographing the underwater world at night.
One of the most challenging aspects of exploring a reef at night with the intent to photograph animals that can be difficult to find during daylight hours is navigating with minimal light. The reason for this is that many creatures flee when the see bright light. It’s a good idea to take a few daytime dives at the site you select in order to familiarize yourself with it and make navigation easier – you might also be able to find the places where animals hide during daylight to minimize the amount of time you have to spend hunting for them.
Another challenge is actually operating your camera. If you don’t know exactly how to set up a shot and capture action without fumbling, you’ll be much more likely to encounter difficulty with operating your camera after dark. Being familiar with your camera’s controls is an excellent way to maximize the odds that you’ll capture the shots you want most.
Special Equipment
While you can get away with a pretty basic setup during the daytime, capturing images after dark is best done with some special equipment. For light-sensitive corals and invertebrates that feed after dark, a low-intensity light or red-filtered light can be helpful. Many of these animals glow under UV light; a special set of ultraviolet lights will allow for some truly unique shots.
A macro lens or narrow-angle lens is also helpful for nighttime underwater photography. This type of lens will help you to avoid backscatter and other problems; with a wide angle lens such as you’d use during the daytime, the odds that you’ll end up with messy shots is too great. This is because pieces of particulate matter, which blend into the background fairly well during the daytime, tend to really show up against very dark backgrounds, appearing as large white spots.
In addition to standard flash strobes, you’ll need a camera light, which will help you to compose better shots. Be sure you select a light which can be turned off in the event you come across a creature that’s extremely sensitive to light.
Finally, know when to take photos. Most nocturnal marine life will freeze for a few seconds when your lights hit them – this is the magic moment when you’ll be able to capture that perfect shot!
As for choosing a camera and housing, you’ll want to follow many of the same rules that apply to daytime photo sessions:
- There should be waterproof housing, protection from the full discharge of the battery and an alarm for battery level.
- It must be durable and shock-resistant
- It must have a stable grip
- It must be controllable, even with thick gloves
- There must be single or double ring seal on the inner diameter of the threads.
- The device must be chargeable so that the light can be used several times.
There are three basic types of hands-free lights which are suitable for underwater photography at night. Look for one with an intense beam which lights up only a very small area:
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Built-in model lights: built-in model lights in strobes such as the Ikelite 200/DS125 and Inon Z-220 are very powerful, offering adequate illumination for nighttime photography
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Strobe-mounted accessory light: The areas lit by your strobe and your dive light might overlap, but not completely. A strobe-mounted accessory light can help to solve this problem and ensure you’re shining an adequate amount of light on your subject.
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Shoe-mounted accessory lights: There are accessory shoes located on the tops of the housings and bodies of many cameras. These lights mount directly to the accessory shoe.
Additional equipment for underwater photography at night includes reflective strips and inserts on your exposure suit and the rest of your gear – this way, if you drop anything, you’ll be able to find it easily, and if you become separated from dive buddies or lose your lights, you’ll be easy to spot. Be sure to carry a full range of emergency equipment with you including audible signaling devices, backup lights, secondary air supply, flares, inflatable signaling devices, and other items essential for self-rescue. Even if you’re diving a shallow, well-known dive site, the worst could happen.
Night Diving Considerations
Besides knowing which creatures you’re hoping to photograph, be aware of any hazardous nocturnal marine life – although some of them may be the same as the animals you’re hoping to find!
Night diving carries some special risks along with it; most of these are associated with the inability to see hazards before you’re right on top of them. Another problem is disorientation. It’s vital that you are well-versed in underwater navigation techniques – you are undoubtedly going to find yourself checking your compass at least a few times on most occasions. The best, safest way to learn night diving techniques is to take a night diving course and become qualified to dive after dark, and then to log at least a few night dives before heading out on a nighttime photo safari. In addition, ensure you are familiar with your buddies. Looking out for your own safety is the best way to ensure you have fun and capture the stunning images of all the action that happens in marine environments after dark.