Tips For Night Photography

Tips for Night Photography

It is usually a good idea to be comfortable diving at night before you take the plunge into night – time underwater photography. Diving at night, and especially filming at night is a completely different experience to when there is light, and at times can be intimidating. Creatures of the night that you usually don’t get to see begin to emerge, and predate or are predated upon. Sharks begin to feed, and bioluminescence shimmers in the oily black. Make sure you have your buddy, a spare light, and enjoy the unique experience.

Have your camera settings (and accessories) ready

Usually the internal flash on your camera is not strong enough to penetrate the darkness of night, at least not enough to be particularly effective. For that reason it is essential to purchase an external strobe or, ideally, two for your camera such as the Ikelite DS-160 and a focus light to allow the ability to see before capture. Having a fast shutter speed with strobes is a good idea, allowing sharper images and no distortion. In addition, for those who wish to  film, a video light is a fantastic option, allowing a wide amount of light to illuminate your subjects. The Keldan Video 8M Flux is a quality choice allowing over 6000 lumens of lights and 45 minutes constant run time. Make sure you know where your settings are before descending at night.  Some companies make glow-in-the-dark labels for ease of use. While most underwater subjects at night tend to be macro, there is opportunity for the wide angle. Mega fauna, such as sharks and mantas can be abundant at night, so make sure your strobes are strong, and you capture the entire animal in the shot.

Be aware of nocturnal marine species behaviour

Not just for better images, but also for safety, it is important to understand the conditions of the environment when you dive at night. Enter the water at dusk to allow time to get used to the camera, and in turn witness the underwater environments change from light to dark. In some areas sharks become more curious at night, so listen to the instructions of the dive guide for safety. Crustaceans such as shrimp, crabs and krill and cephalopods such as octopus and squid seem less deterred at night, allowing better images. Rare bioluminescent invertebrates and plankton of the deep appear over drop offs in a phenomenon seen during black water diving. Many creatures are drawn to the light of the strobes or video light, so be prepared to be covered with krill or smaller fish seeking protection. Make sure to be patient, spend time with the underwater flora and fauna, allowing time to capture rare and undocumented behaviour.

Sale Products