Underwater Selfie: 10 Tips for Capturing the Perfect One

Many people say we’ve gone crazy with selfies, that taking an underwater selfie is bordering on madness, and that we seek to fill voids and gain recognition for beauty through others. I won’t delve into whether this holds true when talking about surface photographs compulsively shared on social media, but certainly, it doesn’t apply to divers.

An underwater selfie rarely portrays you well. There you are, half of your face covered by the mask, puckering your lips to hold the apparatus in your mouth, and not smiling; because smiling, I mean, really smiling, isn’t possible.

On the street, filters are applied to conceal imperfections. You have to edit your underwater selfie to not look like a “smurf”.

On the surface, you have unlimited time to seek the best light, make faces, and spend hours creating multiple versions of the same selfie.

But try taking a photograph with a marvelous fish in the background while maintaining buoyancy at the same time! When you manage it, the fish is already gone, and you’re left with an ‘oops’ expression, that, of course, everybody can see in your selfie!

Honestly, I believe underwater selfies are a form of self-love. But, of course, they have to be done right. And that’s what we’re going to learn in this article.

1. Mastering Underwater Selfies

Before diving into our best tips for achieving the finest underwater selfies, it’s crucial to remember that safety always comes first.

a) You come first, never jeopardize your safety for an underwater selfie.

b) Respect marine life. Avoiding contact is a way to protect both you and them.

c) Check your equipment, and the environment, and stay within your limits.

2. To Get a Good Underwater Selfie, Dive Properly

1. Buoyancy control. Mastering buoyancy is key to obtaining stable and beautiful images, whether behind or in front of the camera. If you want to achieve better underwater selfies, practice neutral buoyancy; this way, you’ll frame better and not harm the environment. If you’re the one being photographed, believe me, you’ll look much more natural.

2. Posing. Have you heard of “be natural”? Forget it! For taking an underwater selfie, that advice doesn’t work. In the underwater environment, naturalness arises from preparation and methodology. Hair in your face, bubbles, fogged mask, or the surprise of encountering an unexpected animal can ruin your photo. Plan the selfie in advance, ensure your eyes are visible through the mask, control your breathing so bubbles are small and not distracting, and move intentionally… Be sure that if you don’t know how to scuba dive and breathe properly, you won’t be able to do all this

3. Photography Equipment and Underwater Selfies

3. Learn to use your camera. Let’s be honest, an impressive underwater selfie can be taken with a simple mobile phone and a housing, albeit at shallow depths. Therefore, what determines a good underwater selfie, more than expensive equipment, is knowing how to handle it. Taking an underwater photography course wouldn’t hurt either.

4. Photography Techniques That Will Make You the King of Underwater Selfies

4. Consider lighting. To achieve a good underwater selfie, light is vital, even more so than on the surface, as colors are lost underwater with depth. Therefore, think carefully about lighting. Using natural light to illuminate your photograph is a good idea, hence shallow diving is ideal for taking good underwater selfies. But if you want that shipwreck as a background, consider bringing lights.

5. You are the star. For this, proximity is key. Close-ups lead to sharper and more visually appealing images. Make sure you’re in focus.

6. The background matters too. Being underwater with the ocean as a backdrop doesn’t mean you should ignore where you take the selfie. Clear water and sunny skies seen through the liquid element work well, but they don’t say much. The Cozumel reefs, marine animals, and that formidable shipwreck are more challenging photos but can make your underwater selfie unique. However, if you want to photograph an animal, ensure your diving buddy is attentive to its behavior. Remember, never put yourself or them in danger.

7. Work on angles. Exploring different approaches can make a difference in your underwater selfies. Playing with the camera’s position, subtly tilting it up or down, can significantly enhance your underwater image’s composition.

8. Seek inspiration. Discovering your own style through imitation is not a cause for fear or shame. Our advice is to look for underwater selfies you like and then try to recreate them; you’ll learn a lot and improve your technique to get visually more appealing photographs.

9. Edit your underwater selfies. Learning to edit underwater images can have a great impact on the final quality of your photographs. Mastering skills like correcting tones, modifying frames, or enhancing clarity, if you seek to perfect your snapshots, is essential. Fortunately, there are numerous tutorials on YouTube. Just search for specific videos on editing underwater images to get valuable tips and techniques.

10. Practice, practice, and practice again. We’ve seen that taking underwater selfies isn’t easy. Many variables come into play. Conditions can be challenging. Regular practice prepares you to seize the moment without hesitation. Our advice is to do it during calm moments without too much stress, like during a safety stop. Avoid rushing, as you could fall behind if your diving group moves ahead.

Are you ready to take the best underwater selfies? Contact us; we’ll help you find the ideal background.