If you are planning on going snorkeling, swimming, or scuba diving and want to use your phone to take pictures underwater and now wondering if it is possible. Taking pictures with your phone does allow you to capture the moment but underwater does take a little bit more preparation.
Today most phones claim to be water-resistant but they are not waterproof. This means they can survive some exposure to water but not submerged underwater for a prolonged period of time. This means you will require housing for the phone to use underwater.
In today’s post, we will go through in more detail how can I take pictures underwater with my phone, so let’s get started!
Read more on common questions asked by divers
How To Choose A Waterproof Phone Case?
A lot of people think that since phone manufacturers claim that their phones are water-resistant thinking they are also waterproof. This is a valid claim if the phone is exposed to water for a short period of time.
Phones come with 2 main ratings that indicate if the waterproof or water-resistant devices. These are as follows.
- IP67 – These devices can only go down as low as one meter for a maximum of 20 minutes is considered to be water-resistant devices.
- IP68 – These devices can last in water up to 30 meters deep and for up to 1 hour is considered to be waterproof devices.
There are limitations to using a phone underwater as there is a limited amount of time and depth. It is not worth the risk of damaging your phone so you need to get a waterproof housing waterproof to protect your phone while underwater.
There are different brands and types of waterproof cases available for each smartphone model. There are 3 main options.
- Underwater smartphone housing.
- Waterproof smartphone case.
- Waterproof phone bags.
The underwater waterproof cases usually come at a higher price than standard cases, the only positive in this is that buying a case is more straightforward than buying a special camera to submerge in water.
These underwater cases are transparent and are made of a material that will enable you to handle the phone without problems. Above all, the joints of these cases are hermetically sealed to prevent water from seeping in and damaging the phone.
How Can I Take Pictures Underwater With My Phone?
Using your camera phone underwater can be complicated and does take time to get used to taking photos underwater. These steps should help with taking photos underwater with your phone.
- Firstly you should plan your water activity at a time when there is good daylight. The morning is the best time because it is the brightest part of the day but at noon the sunlight penetrates the water more deeply.
- You will find that by taking photos between 9 am and 2:00 pm, you can take advantage of the fact that the sun’s rays come behind an inclined angle, so the glare will not be an issue for you to take good images by optimizing the natural light.
- If there are any chambers on your housing you will need to open it before entering the water. Once underwater, you should see the screen functions on the phone. Make sure to open the camera functions and use the side buttons to click the camera.
- When you are taking photographs of the marine life or other people underwater, you should remember that they are continually moving underwater. You need to take burst photos, in most phones this can be done by keeping the volume button pressed or change the settings on your phone.
- If taking photos close-up, try approaching the right way will help you maintain the sharpness and color of the photo capture. This will try a little practice.
- Remember more importantly have fun, and respect marine life. Don’t scare the marine life you should remember that these are wild animals and you are in their territory, will that you don’t know how they will react. Be careful and if you threaten the tranquillity of any species, move from place to place.
Taking Underwater Photos Tips
There are tips that will make it easier for taking underwater photos. There are as follows.
- Practice in a swimming pool – If possible try practicing taking photos underwater, it will help you get used to it. You will appreciate it when you are trying it in open water.
- Avoid strong currents – Avoid strong currents as these are dangerous and for safety reasons best to avoid taking photos.
- Clear calm waters – Calm clear water is the best for taking underwater photos. The calm salt water is the clearest, and freshwater tends to be less clear. While the pool water is full of chemicals.
- Avoid dangerous or unfriendly animals – Learn if is any marine life that can be harmful. Marine life like jellyfish can sting you some of these can be life-threatening or extremely sore. And there are the sea urchins, while are not dangerous, but it is definitely not a very pleasant experience.
Scuba Diving Insurance
Generally, travel insurance does not cover scuba diving by default. They see scuba diving as a high-risk activity. So you need to get the insurance that is tailored for scuba diving.
Dive insurance is mainly tailored for scuba divers, which covers things like recompression therapy and hospital care needed as a result of a diving accident and the cost of replacing equipment that is damaged or lost.
Wrapping Up
Finally, most phones today claim to be water-resistant but they are not waterproof. This means they can survive some exposure to water but not submerged underwater for an extended period of time. You need to invest in an underwater casing for your phone. Personally, I use a GoPro as I don’t want to risk my house.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on how can I take pictures underwater with my phone has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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