Zoveel toffe onderwaterfoto’s! Je ziet ze vaak langskomen op social media, duikwebsites en in allerlei publicaties. Maar heb je je ooit afgevraagd hoe die onderwaterbeelden eigenlijk worden gemaakt? In dit blog vertel ik je hoe je een snoek onderwater fotograferen kan.
Welke camera zit erachter? Hoe zit het met diafragma, sluitertijd en ISO-instellingen? Ik vertel het je in deze aflevering van “how it’s made”.
Een snoek onderwater fotograferen
About the picture in general:
Op deze foto zie je een snoek in het Bronsbergenmeer in Zutphen. Wij zijn lid van de duikvereniging in Zutphen, dus we duiken regelmatig in deze plas. Een van de bekende objecten onder water is een klein autowrakje dat daar is afgezonken. Het is altijd leuk om er een rondje omheen te zwemmen – niet alleen vanwege het wrak zelf, maar ook vanwege de bewoners. Dikke kans dat je een snoek tegenkomt die zich tussen de autodeuren verstopt of er net buiten hangt. Een mooie gelegenheid een om snoek onderwater fotograferen.
The pike in this lake are generally very relaxed and allow themselves to be approached well, which can be clearly seen in this picture.
This photo is extra special to me because it won me first prize in the 2024 Underwater Photography category of the Lowland Photo Contest. The judges described the image as ‘a photo that hugely triggers and holds you and really tells a story’ - a wonderful compliment that this relaxed pike absolutely deserved.
Which camera setup was used?
To photograph the pike underwater, I used the Nikon Z8 and Nikon's 8-15mm wide-angle in a Nauticam water housing For the 8-15 mm wide angle, I use the Nauticam 140mm optical glass fisheye dome.
What were the settings of the camera?
ISO 1250
Aperture 10
1/100 sec shutter speed
Zoomed in at 15 mm
De snoek was echt super relaxt, de snoek was onderwater zo goed te fotograferen! Daardoor had ik de tijd om rustig met mijn flitsers te spelen en het licht precies zo te richten als ik wilde. Het licht komt op deze foto vanaf rechts achter de bestuurdersstoel, en ik heb geprobeerd het zo te positioneren dat de snoek mooi in de spotlight kwam te staan, zonder dat er te veel licht op de rest van het autowrak lekte.
To get this perspective, I moved my upper body into the little wreck a bit, so that my camera was hanging roughly above the driver's seat. Thanks to the wide-angle lens, I was still able to include enough of the little car in the image, adding to the mood of the photo.
The pike remained calm during the whole process - as if it was fine with it all. I always set my camera manually so that I can optimally adjust the settings to the available light and the situation underwater.
What lighting techniques were used?
For lighting, I used the Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1 .
As with many of my other photos, I used only one flash. I focused most of the light on the pike, with the flash light then fanning out nicely over the rest of the little car - without creating harsh or distracting shadows.
Since I set my camera completely manually, I had full control over the balance between flash light and ambient light. I really wanted a lot of natural light to remain visible through the side window and the front window, so that the typical underwater atmosphere of Lake Bronsbergen was shown off to its best advantage. By carefully dosing and aiming the flash light, I was able to balance it precisely with the light present in the lake.
The wreckage from the outside
To give a better idea of the setting in which this picture was taken, below I show a picture of the car wreck from the outside. Located at a depth of about 5 metres, this wreck is a popular spot in Lake Bronsbergen especially for novice divers. As you can see, the wreck is compact but full of photo opportunities - especially when you hit such a relaxed pike in just the right spot.
Natural light versus strobe light
Underwater photography is largely about light. To properly show what flash light adds to an image, I share a similar photo of the pike below, but without flash.
Here you can see the difference: without flash, the pike is much less prominent, and the photo lacks the contrast and depth that flash does create. By deliberately aiming the flash at the pike and letting the light fade out in a controlled way, it really came alive in the image.
Als je meer wilt lezen over de verschillen tussen flitslicht en videolicht, dan is dit blog voor jou!
Why was this composition chosen?
Actually, the pike defined the composition - it was right where the passenger seat would normally be. When I saw it hanging there, I knew I just had to decide how much of the car wreck I wanted in the picture.
I wanted to include the steering wheel in the photo, because it makes it instantly recognisable that it is a car wreck. At the same time, I wanted to avoid the driver's seat being too distracting. So I carefully swam into the wreck for a bit. Not really in it of course - it is not big enough for that - but there is enough space to bring my upper body and camera in slightly. This allowed me to find exactly the position where the composition was right: the pike nicely in focus, the handlebars visible, and a good balance in the elements without a cluttered background.
What post-processing techniques were used?
The photo was further processed in Lightroom. The pike got a little more brightness and the wheel a little more light. Otherwise, not much post-processing was needed in this photo.
Other than that, only brightness has been added and a bit of vibrancy.
In conclusion
I find it extraordinary how this photo could grow into an image that makes such an impression. Photographing in a sand quarry does not usually produce spectacular images, but the combination of the right subject, in the right place, at the right time made this shot truly unique.
For me it was mainly a nice, quiet dive at a familiar location - nothing special really. But one where everything was right: the light, the composition ánd the relaxed attitude of the pike.
That this very photograph won first prize in the Underwater Photography category of the Lowland Photo Contest makes it extra special. For me, it is great confirmation that you can also make images close to home, in Dutch waters, that really tell a story.
You just have to always have your camera with you when you go diving, you never know what you might encounter!
Want to read more about how an underwater photo is created? Then click here!