How to Take Great Underwater Photography Action Shots

Captivating action shots of wildlife depict drama, movement, behaviours, and give character and personality to the subjects in the scene. Achieving a successful action shot with underwater wildlife comes with additional challenges, which are not always experienced on land.

One challenge comes from how the physical properties of water alter how light behaves, creating conditions that photographers must overcome or account for to create great action shots.

Some species of underwater wildlife are more suited to action photography. Marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, dolphins, and whales, or larger fish such as sharks and rays, can make great subjects.

This article covers underwater photography techniques to capture wildlife in action and how to approach this highly rewarding style of photography. Focusing on wide-angle underwater photography to capture action, it discusses how to approach different situations.

It is important to remember that underwater photography is not limited to scuba divers. This world of wildlife can also be accessible to snorkellers and free divers. In some circumstances, snorkelling may be the only way to experience the action of the underwater world.

Read more: 8 Essential Skills and Techniques for Underwater Photographers

Get in on the action

A great underwater action photo starts and ends with your photographic subject. The key to capturing captivating shots is understanding the behaviour of the wildlife.

For any given species, this includes where and at which time of year they are more likely to be seen. The time of year may also affect animal behaviour, for example, hunting or mating.

Planning your trip around this will give you the best chance of experiencing memorable interactions and behaviours.

As water reduces the light reaching your camera sensor, the distance between you and your subject needs to be as small as possible. Wide-angle underwater setups for larger animal species often mean getting as close as possible.

When combined with wide-angle photography, this can create a close-focus wide-angle (CFWA) image.

Being able to get close, and do so safely, relies on understanding the behaviour of the animal.

A male sea lion, for example, may display certain behaviours when they feel you are getting too close. Sea lion pups, however, are curious enough to come right up to you.

Some ray species, such as spotted rays, are much warier of divers than stingrays and mobula rays. Understanding their behaviour and how to approach them can make the difference between capturing a great action shot and missing the moment.

For some species and locations, animals can get right onto the dome of your rig, creating some dramatic photos and memorable moments. Always remember safety in these circumstances – for yourself and the wildlife.

Your local guides can be invaluable in this respect, guiding you to the best opportunities to get close to the animal and the action while being safe and respectful of wildlife. Whether scuba diving, free diving, or snorkelling, always do so within your limits and abilities.

Read more: Underwater Photography Ethics and Code of Conduct

Underwater wildlife species in action

So, what kind of species are well-suited to underwater action photography?

Fast-moving species are naturally strong candidates for an action photo. Species whose behaviours involve interactions with you or each other can also make great action shots.

Mammals such as sea lions are more predictable in their location and are often curious creatures. Different rays have different feeding behaviours; some are diggers, while others are filter feeders. These behaviours provide varied photographic opportunities.

Open-water safaris can offer the best chance of encountering larger pelagic species. Bait balls or sardine runs, for example, in Baja California, Mexico, or South Africa, are exhilarating experiences to capture predatory species, including pelagic sea lions, whales, or marlin.

Open-water excursions are typically snorkelling only.

Aside from mammals and fish, it’s best not to forget birds. While birds are popular for action wildlife photography on land, they can also provide dramatic scenes underwater.

Many bird species dive for food, such as boobies and puffins, offering challenging opportunities to capture them underwater. In some circumstances, birds such as pelicans or gannets can be lured or fed, creating dramatic shots of birds in water.

Whichever species you choose, using local guides and their knowledge will increase the chances, opportunities, and safety of underwater wildlife encounters for action photography.

Read more: How to Take Charismatic Portraits of Marine Life

Gearing up for the underwater action

Wide-angle setups are the mainstay for action photography underwater for larger wildlife species, and close encounters. Wide-angle or fisheye lenses, with a dome port for the housing are common.

Dome choice depends on a number of factors, with glass and acrylic options, as well as smaller and larger sizes. Wet optics are also available that allow zooming within a wide-angle range, improving the versatility of your underwater setup. 

Nauticam have developed wide-angle conversion ports, and the fisheye conversion port for this purpose. The fisheye conversion port for example takes a 28-60mm lens and converts the field of view to 75 – 170 degrees. 

Read more: How to Choose a Lens for Underwater Photography

Getting set for the underwater action

The settings used for underwater wildlife action shots depend on your preferred style of shooting. While fast shutter speeds are often needed, some settings will depend on the light source, whether this is from strobes or natural light. We will consider these situations a bit later.

Getting sharp focus on your subject is essential, whether this is the eye or other feature. Continuous autofocus modes on modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can be very accurate.

Some settings like 3D autofocus, so the camera decides the focal point, allows you to focus on the action, and choosing the best position to get your shot. For frantic action like bait balls, this may be preferred.

Other modes such as back button focusing can be used to get precise focus on your subject, but the delay on triggering this may mean you miss the action. The advantage of autofocus modes is the ability to “shoot from the hip”.

If activity is happening around you, you can re-position your camera quickly, without looking at your camera.

Using strobes to freeze the action

Underwater wildlife action photography will often benefit from strobes. They can freeze the action and provide a much-needed light source when underwater.

Your camera settings will depend on a number of variables, and a test shot is essential. The ambient light, distance between you and the subject, and speed of your subject will determine your settings.

The shutter speed will depend on the camera’s flash sync speed, which is usually 1/200 or 1/250, although some cameras have faster sync speeds. Some underwater housing flash triggers allow high-speed sync. An aperture of f/11–f/13 is a good place to start.

Your ISO will depend on ambient light and the effect you are after – lower in midday light or for a darker background.

The strobe power will depend on the distance between you and the subject. For most wide-angle underwater compositions, a good neutral position for the strobes is out to the side, angled slightly outwards and behind the dome.

Read more: How to Choose a Strobe for Underwater Photography

Using natural light to capture action

When shooting at the surface and in midday light, strobes are often not required. During pelagic safaris or when chasing bait balls, natural light is often enough.

The advantage is that your setup, without strobes and arms, trims your camera gear, allowing you to move and swim faster to get into the best position for the action. Lighter or smaller setups, such as smaller domes, can also help with streamlining.

Camera settings for natural light and action photos require careful consideration. While back-button focusing is an option, using 3D autofocus – available and usually quite accurate on many modern cameras – can help with frantic action.

When thinking about settings for wildlife action photography in natural light, start with the shutter speed. Dial the shutter speed to what is needed for the species of animal. For some, such as sea lions or rays, this may be 1/250; for others, such as marlins, this may be 1/500 or faster.

Using shutter priority with the lowest ISO possible can be helpful, but you will need to ensure that the aperture doesn’t get too wide, below f/11, for example.

Alternatively, I prefer manual mode, where you set the shutter speed and fix the aperture at f/11 to f/13, but allow some flexibility in exposure by using auto-ISO. Many cameras will allow you to limit the upper end of the ISO to minimise noise, usually less than 2500 for underwater.

With mirrorless cameras, the electronic viewfinder or screen can be set so that what you see on the screen represents the exposure you have dialled with your settings. Natural light allows you to take advantage of this feature, which doesn’t work with strobes.

Seeing the exposure on screen allows you to adjust as soon as you get into the water, giving you the best chance of correctly exposing for the action.

Once you’re happy with your base settings for shooting with strobes or natural light, if you change a setting for a different shot, return to the base settings immediately after to be ready for action. Getting into this habit will make you less likely to miss a shot.

Read more: 8 Tips for Creating Amazing Lighting in Underwater Photos

Consider your composition

Your approach to underwater photography, whether scuba diving, free diving, or snorkelling, can determine how you approach composition.

For scuba diving, this can be more considered – approaching wildlife at a specific angle or waiting in a specific position where the background and foreground add to the photo, be it a school of sardines, a sandy bottom, or Snell’s window.

When snorkelling and working with fast-moving animals and bait balls, planning composition can be more challenging, as the activity can be unpredictable. Here, using 3D autofocus and “shooting from the hip” can be advantageous.

Positioning your camera below you and pointing it slightly upwards can produce more appealing angles. When shooting from the hip, learning your tendencies towards camera positioning can help avoid disappointment.

You may find that you naturally hold your camera at an angle, offsetting the surface water or pointing slightly downwards into the deep blue. Correcting these tendencies can help create more successful photos when snorkelling or moving at speed.

Read more: Guide to Composition in Underwater Photography

Special considerations: split shots

Split shots, or over-under shots, capture scenes both above and below the waterline in a single image. This can enhance an action shot in several ways.

The activity underwater contrasted with the calmness above can create drama in a scene, giving a sense of capturing something hidden below and not otherwise seen. The waterline itself can be used to create curves and shapes that imply movement and flow.

Achieving splits requires a dome setup, and the larger the dome, the better. When combined with a wide-angle or fish-eye lens, large domes create crisp waterlines, avoiding distractions from the scene above and below.

Additionally, larger domes have more buoyancy, which helps compose your image and reduce fatigue.

Exposure in split shots can be challenging, as the water reduces light, making the underwater portion underexposed. Shooting in bright midday light can help light reach underwater, but when this is not possible, keep the sun to your back; otherwise, the sky scene will be overexposed.

Using flash to brighten the underwater portion can correct underexposure in the lower sections. Start with shutter speeds of 1/100–1/200, f/11–f/16, and ISO 100–400, depending on the conditions.

Calm waters and bright sun are the best conditions and watch for water droplets on the dome.

Read more: Underwater Split-Shots – Top Tips for Over-Under Photos

Special considerations: motion blur

Motion blur uses longer exposures to create or imply movement. The technique benefits hugely from using flash. By using slow shutter speeds combined with a small aperture, the flash freezes the subject, while the longer exposure captures motion blur that creates a sense of movement.

During the longer exposure, the movement can come from the wildlife themselves, for example, swimming, or by moving the camera to imply movement. Trial and error, and a lot of repetition, are often required to obtain appealing motion blur.

The settings used depend on the ambient light and desired effects. In daylight, shutter speeds longer than 1/6 are less likely to be successful. Start with shutter speeds at 1/4 and f/16–f/22, with the lowest possible ISO to minimise noise.

If shooting at night, the shutter speed can be extended up to 1–2 seconds, and the aperture opened up to capture more light.

In conclusion

Capturing underwater wildlife in action is a challenging but rewarding venture. The equipment, settings, and techniques described here will get you started.

Your wildlife of interest is the key, and giving yourself the best opportunity for encounters – and being ready for the action – will increase your chances of successful photos.

Arresting action shots of underwater wildlife come down to location, lighting, and a bit of luck.