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underwater photography

Shutter Speed: Freezing Moments Underwater

This is Part 4 of a 10 part Natural Light Photography Series.

In underwater photography, your shutter speed plays a crucial role in capturing sharp, dynamic images. Whether you’re photographing the graceful glide of a shark or the lightning-fast movements of a dolphin, choosing the right shutter speed is essential. In this blog, I’ll share my approach to setting shutter speed for natural light photography and explain why it’s one of the most critical tools in your underwater arsenal.

The Basics of Shutter Speed Underwater

Shutter speed determines how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light. A faster shutter speed freezes motion, while a slower shutter speed lets in more light but risks motion blur. In underwater photography, where both you and your subject are often moving, this balance becomes even more delicate.

Understanding Shutter Speed: From freezing fast motion to creating smooth, dreamy effects – master the art of light and movement.

When shooting with strobes, a common shutter speed is 1/125, but for natural light photography, it’s a whole different story. Your settings will depend on:

  • The subject’s speed and movement

  • The available light

  • Your ability to stay steady while shooting

My Go-To Shutter Speeds

  1. Slow-Moving Subjects (e.g., Tiger Sharks, whales):

    • Shutter Speed: 1/320

    • Why: Tiger sharks and whales move at a slow, deliberate pace, but both the animals and I are in motion. At 1/320, I can confidently capture their details without motion blur.

  2. Fast-Moving Subjects (e.g., Dolphins, Sea lions):

    • Shutter Speed: 1/500

    • Why: Dolphins and sea lions are incredibly fast and often unpredictable. A faster shutter speed ensures I can freeze their motion, even while swimming hard to keep up. For fast-moving animals, 1/500 is my absolute minimum. While I would prefer to go higher for an even crisper image, doing so often requires increasing the ISO, which can introduce too much noise into my photos. Finding the right balance is key when shooting in natural light underwater.

  3. Low-Light Conditions (e.g., Orcas in Norway):

    • Shutter Speed: 1/125 or lower (if necessary)

    • Why: In places like Norway, where sunlight is limited or non-existent during winter, slower shutter speeds are unavoidable. While this can lead to some blur or grain (due to higher ISO), it’s often the only way to get a usable image.

Why I Stick to 1/320 for Most Shots

For the wildlife I typically photograph—big, toothy animals like sharks—1/320 has become my magic number. It’s fast enough to freeze motion while still allowing enough light for a well-exposed image. Some might say it’s on the higher side, but for me, it strikes the perfect balance for sharp, detailed results.

When to Adjust Shutter Speed

  • Increase Shutter Speed: For faster animals or when shooting in bright conditions.

  • Decrease Shutter Speed: In low-light environments or when photographing slower-moving subjects.

Practical Tips for Underwater Shutter Speed

  1. Keep Your Camera Steady: Even the slightest movement can cause blur when shooting underwater. Practice controlling your breathing and staying as still as possible.

  2. Test and Adapt: Start with a base shutter speed (like 1/320) and adjust based on the animal and lighting conditions.

  3. Use Your Histogram: Check your histogram regularly to ensure your exposure is balanced, especially when adjusting shutter speed.

The Importance of Experimentation

Shutter speed isn’t a one-size-fits-all setting. It depends on your subject, the conditions, and your creative goals. The more you experiment, the better you’ll understand what works for your style of photography and the animals you love to capture.

Coming Next

In the next blog, I’ll dive into aperture—another critical setting for natural light photography. Learn how to achieve the perfect depth of field and ensure your subjects are always in focus, even when shooting blind. Stay tuned!

THIS IS PART 4 OF A 10 PART SERIES.

PART ONE - Is Natural Light Photography Photography For You?
PART TWO - The Euphotic Zone! Your best friend.
PART THREE - Custom White Balance, Natural Lights Secret Weapon.
PART FOUR - Shutter Speed: Freezing Moments Underwater.
PART FIVE - Aperture: Achieving Sharpness and Depth Underwater
PART SIX - ISO: Balancing Light Sensitivity Underwater
PART SEVEN - Focus Points: Keeping Your Subject Sharp Underwater
PART EIGHT - The Histogram: Your Underwater Photography Lifeline
PART NINE - Post-Processing: Bringing Your Underwater Images to Life.
PART TEN - The Freedom of Natural Light Photography: A Connection to the Wild

Why Choose Natural Light for Underwater Photography?

Wildlife photographer Jean Dubois, shooting using natural light… Crocodile Diving off Banco Chinchorro, MX. 1/320, f8, ISO 500

When it comes to underwater photography, strobes are often the go-to choice for professionals. They bring out vibrant colors and allow for incredible detail in any lighting condition. However, there’s another side to underwater photography that’s often overlooked but equally exciting… Natural Light Photography.

This approach leverages ambient light from the sun to create images with a more organic and authentic feel. It’s less intrusive to wildlife, offers greater freedom of movement, and provides a unique challenge that pushes your skills as a photographer.

Black Manta Ray off Socorro Island, Mexico. 1/320, f8, ISO 1000

Let’s dive into why natural light photography is worth exploring.

One of the biggest advantages of natural light photography is the freedom it gives you underwater. Without strobes and bulky strobe arms attached to your camera rig, you’re far more streamlined. This makes swimming easier, especially when free diving or dealing with strong currents.

Great Hammerheads off Bimini Bahamas. 1/320, f8, ISO 320

More importantly, it allows you to move fluidly and follow wildlife with minimal disruption.

Animals are often spooked by flashing lights, but with natural light, you can get closer and stay longer, building trust and capturing more intimate moments.

Natural light photography is less intrusive, which can be a game-changer when photographing sensitive marine animals like sharks, whales, and dolphins. Without the startling pop of a strobe, they are more likely to stay calm and tolerate your presence.

Some of my favorite moments underwater have been with animals mere inches from my dome port, calmly going about their lives. It’s these moments that make natural light photography so rewarding—it’s not just about capturing a shot but trying to experience a genuine connection with the wildlife.

Right Whale off Patagonia, photographed under permit. 1/320, f9, ISO 800

Of course, natural light photography comes with its challenges. The underwater environment absorbs light and color at different depths:

  • Red disappears around 15 feet.

  • Orange fades by 30 feet.

  • Yellow is gone by 60 feet.

  • Greens fade by 100 feet, leaving mostly blues.

This means your ability to capture vibrant images depends heavily on factors like depth, water clarity, and time of day. Cloudy skies or low light conditions can make it even more difficult, requiring careful adjustments to your camera settings.

Great White Shark off Guadalupe Island, MX. 1/320, f8, ISO 400.

Despite the challenges, natural light photography is incredibly rewarding.

It forces you to think creatively, adapt to your environment, and work within the constraints of the available light. But, when you nail the exposure, composition, and timing, the results are nothing short of magical.

To me, natural light images have a raw, authentic feel that strobes can’t replicate. They reflect the beauty of the underwater world as it truly is—dynamic, ever-changing, and awe-inspiring.

Sailfish off Magdalena Island, MX. 1/640, f8, ISO 1600

Is Natural Light Photography for You?

Shooting with natural light allows you the opportunity to connect with wildlife on a deeper level. It’s not just a technique; it’s an experience that pushes you to grow as a photographer and a storyteller.

Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where I’ll dive into the euphotic zone… the key to understanding how sunlight interacts with the underwater world and how to use it to your advantage.

THIS IS PART 1 OF A 10 PART SERIES.

PART ONE - Is Natural Light Photography Photography For You?
PART TWO - The Euphotic Zone! Your best friend.
PART THREE - Custom White Balance, Natural Lights Secret Weapon.
PART FOUR - Shutter Speed: Freezing Moments Underwater.
PART FIVE - Aperture: Achieving Sharpness and Depth Underwater
PART SIX - ISO: Balancing Light Sensitivity Underwater
PART SEVEN - Focus Points: Keeping Your Subject Sharp Underwater
PART EIGHT - The Histogram: Your Underwater Photography Lifeline
PART NINE - Post-Processing: Bringing Your Underwater Images to Life.
PART TEN - The Freedom of Natural Light Photography: A Connection to the Wild

Photo of the Day: Cenote Diving for a Morelet’s Crocodile in Tulum

Today’s photo takes me back to an unforgettable cenote dive in Tulum, Mexico. I had the opportunity to go searching for a Morelet’s crocodile with a local guide and friend Tamara, who knew just the right spot where one of these elusive creatures is often sighted.

What made this dive unique was being able to use scuba gear. Typically, my crocodile encounters happen while snorkeling, but here I had the rare chance to explore the lagoon with a tank on my back. Cenote diving is an adventure in itself, with stunning swim-throughs, intricate rock formations, and the magical effect of light piercing through the water to create ethereal god rays.

We swam through the cenote for a while without any sign of the crocodile.

Just as we were beginning to think it might not show, we entered one of the cenote’s caves. Deep inside, in a small breathing hole, we finally spotted the croc. It seemed to be hiding there to escape the crowds of snorkeling tourists.

Our bubbles inadvertently disturbed its rest, (sorry buddy), and it swam out of the cave and back into the lagoon. I followed it for a while, capturing different angles as it swam off. This Morelet’s crocodile was very calm, clearly habituated to humans. It allowed me to get close and take some fun shots.

I love crocodiles, their prehistoric features make them such fascinating and photogenic subjects.

I spent about half an hour photographing the croc, trying to do justice to its wild beauty before leaving it alone to continue its day.

It’s been a while since that adventure, but I’m due to return for another opportunity to capture this amazing animal in its natural habitat. Cenote diving is a unique experience, and sharing space with an animal like this only adds to the magic.

You ever had an unforgettable wildlife encounter while diving? Share your stories in the comments—I’d love to hear them!

SO WILD… The Final Adventures of the Year.

As I prepare to wrap up the 2024 season, I am on the boat, motoring out to Tiger Beach as I write this.

The familiar sight of the open ocean and the anticipation of seeing my old friends (the tigers), fills me with excitement and gratitude.

This year has been nothing short of extraordinary. From unforgettable wildlife encounters to the incredible people I’ve shared these adventures with… 2024 has been a season to remember.

I’m deeply grateful for the moments that made it so special—the wildlife, the people, and the experiences that stay with you long after the trips are over.

These final two trips are my chance to soak in every last bit of the magic this year has to offer.

I’m looking forward to sharing what we see out here with all of you—I love bringing a little piece of the wild back to everyone following along.

While I’m excited about the possibilities of a new year and all the adventures to come, right now, I’m focused on savoring these last moments of the season.

Here’s to making the most of 2024’s final days, and to saying goodbye to an unforgettable year.

Stay tuned for updates from the field, and thank you for being part of this journey!

Tigers and Great Hammerheads... Final Trip of 2021.

This is my trip report for our final trip of the 2021 season… I do hope you enjoy.

Day 1 - We arrived at Tiger Beach, Bahamas around 2 PM. The sharks were waiting there to greet us; 30 plus reef sharks were already swimming around, along with a handful of lemon sharks. Down below on the ocean floor, we could already see tigers. Conditions were beautiful, the kind of water you dream about when you plan trips to this spot. This first dive was a gear check, so we did not add any bait to the water. But, I tell you, it is always a great check-out dive when you have tiger sharks hanging out. Without adding chum in the water, we had four tigers hanging around.

The view under the boat.

When I dropped in, I noticed the massive school of horse-eyed jacks hanging out underneath the boat. There were tens of thousands of them. It was a nice-sized school, the biggest I’d ever seen. Looking at that, I knew if the weather and the vis held up, it would be great opportunities for everyone to capture different images of the iconic sharks that hang out here.

One of my favorite things about this dive site is the reef itself off Tiger Beach. Because there are so many sharks on this reef, nobody fishes or spear fishes here, so it is stunning and filled with life; Massive groupers, hogfish, huge snappers, reefs filled with cleaner fish. It is a sight to see, just perfection, unlike anything else you will ever see in the Bahamas. Most of the reefs with no sharks are empty compared to the spot we dive at TB.

We finished the day with two dives and four tiger sharks…it will be a great week of diving!

Day 2 - Conditions were murky today, so we decided to dive with the sharks without feeding them. We had a bunch of hungry tigers hanging around, so I know they were disappointed with this decision, but for the safety of our guests, I felt it was best not to bring a box down and just enjoy the action diving around the area with the sharks. It was a really good day of diving and so much fun. We also had our first bull shark of the trip show up. It was a solitary individual hanging around us. Usually though, when one shows up, more will follow.

We had five different tiger sharks here with us. Jitterbug, Emma, Carrie, Kim Possible, and Freckles. It is always great seeing these big sharks show up. Especially old friends like Emma, she is still around, which makes my heart happy. Unfortunately, she showed up with a damaged jaw from a hook on the left side of the corner of her mouth. Poor girl, we almost lost her. It truly is tough being a shark.

Bull shark.

Day 3 - Today was an EPIC day of diving. From the moment we woke up to every single dive of the day. Damn, it was so good. We started the day motoring over from the spot the captain took us to for sleep. He always leaves Tiger Beach at night to sleep in calmer waters. When we arrived at Tiger Beach, we were greeted by a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins. They were in a social mood, and Finch asked us if we wanted to go for a swim with them. Of course, most of us said yes, and off we went. We had a couple of fun sessions with them, dancing and rolling around - after we returned to Tiger Beach and began our day of diving.

We dove four tanks today. Our final dive was a dusk/night dive with the tigers. From the word go, it was just a great day of diving. I fed on the second dive, and it was crazy good and scary. We had 11 tigers show up. Ten of them were players, all coming into the box. There were a lot of intense moments for me on that dive. But thankfully, the tigers were all well behaved, and it turned into just one of those dives that will stay with me forever.

We also had a great hammerhead do a swim by today. Everyone was super excited to see it, especially Steve. LOL, He saw the hammer and swam after it to get a better capture of it, mid-swim he caught himself and said, “Uh-oh, I screwed up.” LMAO, the hammer was gone. In all fairness to Steve, the hammer would not have stayed around. Unless the great hammerhead goes in for food, it will not stay around. They are timid that way. It was just fun to watch Steve kicking himself over it.

The whole day was just so much fun and beautiful. We had excellent conditions and a lot of tigers; it was the kind of day you dream of and want for your guests.

Day 4 - This is our final day of diving here at Tiger Beach. We have had a really good time here with a hell of a lot of tiger sharks. Today another bull shark showed up. So now we have two hanging around... It adds to the excitement of the dive, for sure.

I genuinely love this place. There is so much magic at this spot. Thanks to TB, we have learned so much about tiger sharks. The amount of time we can spend with them on a dive is genuinely a unique experience. A piece of my soul will forever be here. Tonite we leave for Bimini and the great hammerheads. We also discussed trying to find dolphins in the morning before we head to the hammerhead spot. It will be a cool way to kick off the Bimini part of the trip if we can find them.

Day 5 - We woke up to the sound of the DD engine starting up. Capt Scott arrived at Bimini in the wee hours of the morning and then passed out. So early this morning, he cranked the engine to life, and off we went to find some dolphins to swim with. It did not take long. We found a small pod of about five dolphins swimming around, wanting to play. So we quickly geared up and off into the water we went. It was a quick, fun session, and we managed to swim with them for almost an hour. After finishing with them, we went over to the hammerhead spot to begin chumming for these extraordinary animals.

Nurse shark.

The boys dropped in and began scraping bait, hoping to attract a hammer in early for us. It took a couple of hours of chumming before the first great hammerhead showed up. After a while, a second shark arrived. Of course, we also had a lot of nurse sharks hanging around as well. What a thorn those pesky nurse sharks can be, but they were entertaining during the downtime while we waited for hammers to come in.

Day 6 - We started chumming right after breakfast for the hammerheads. Playing with the Bimini hammers is so different than the TB sharks. Here off Bimini, you have to wait much longer for the sharks to show up, and the pace and the action are often much slower. Of course, when the hammerheads arrive, it is game on, and they are so much fun. I love them. It is always a fun ride.

Overall the trip was a huge success, the guests had a lot of fun, and the animals were on point! A huge thanks to the DD crew for always taking care of us, and to my guests who joined us...Thank you so much for the laughs and the fun, love and miss you guys… until the next one!

Love you guys!