Wisdom From The Depths
Here are some of our favorite underwater photography quotes about the art of making underwater pictures from some acknowledged masters of their craft.
“Just pushing a button is taking a photo. Thinking, lighting, and lots of other things~ that’s making a photo.” – David Doubilet
“You must be a fish among fishes to study their surroundings and their life.” – Hans & Lotte Hass
“Amateurs talk about equipment. Professionals talk about photos.” – Unknown
“Our goal is to capture seldom-seen behavior on film. And the trick to that is to simply spend huge amounts of time underwater.” – Howard & Michelle Hall
“The other blokes spent their money on girls and cars and beer. I spent my money on cameras and lenses.” – Ron & Valerie Taylor
“The true hero of the digital age is the instant image review possible with the LCD screen.The LCD screen allows photographers to correct and perfect their technique underwater. I am not convinced it helps composition, but it certainly improves the technical aspects of lighting. Put simply, there has never been a better education aid for underwater photographers to refine their technique.” – Dr. Alex Mustard
“The key to underwater photography is mixing light: ambient and strobe. Mixing it the way you want. This is art.” – Kurt Amsler
“Every day is not just another assignment; it is a small, but contained voyage of discovery.” – David Doubilet
“Getting close safely. I call it “Predictive Previsualization”. Seeing in your mind’s eye how the shot should look, setting all camera and strobe controls for what they should be when the shark gets close enough, and having the presence of mind to trip the shutter once the shark enters the shoot zone.” – Stephen Frink
“Spend your time studying the light, not the specifications of the latest camera!” – Dr. Alex Mustard
“There is a fine line between creating shadows and creating depth and perspective. If you are too uneven with your lighting you get harsh shadows that deteriorate the photo, unless you are using that as an effect.” – Espen Rekdal
“Go and play, set dives aside to be wild, free and silly. So much of what I have found that works has come from mad ideas!” – Martin Edge
“Photography is about how you look and how you dream and how you see and what your interests are.” – David Doubilet
“Just pay attention to the light wherever you are. Light is the basic of photography. In 1839, Daguerre and Niépce had to use light and we still use light. Even with digital, without light there is nothing. Once the photographer understands light, their pictures will look different.” – Kurt Amsler
“People don’t realize how important models are. Even in all the shots they are not in, they are looking for subjects while you are taking pictures.” – Carlos Villoch
“I really believe that creative lighting remains an area of great potential for expansion in underwater photography. If you want to differentiate you work and really make it stand out, there is a lot to do in this area.” – Dr. Alex Mustard
“I think diver pictures are the most boring and redundant photographs on the face of the earth. I hate to say it as I fear it might insult a lot of people. It’s just my personal feeling; what fascinates me about the ocean is the marine life, not divers.” – Chris Newbert
“Never underestimate your capacity for doing something really stupid.” – Howard & Michelle Hall
“Il faut aller voir (We must go and see).” – Jacques Cousteau
“Most photos are worth a thousand words. Underwater ones are worth at least a million.” – Stephen Frink
Last, but not least
And lastly, a quote from renowned landscape photographer, Ansel Adams, that equally applies to the art of underwater photography…
“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” – Ansel Adams
