Just five years ago very few divers carried cameras - on a typical Red Sea liveaboard there would perhaps be one photographer amongst the guests, and you very, very seldom saw a camera in British waters.  Today, at least half the guests on any overseas trip will have a digital camera and there'll be at least one photographer on any British boat.

Seal, Farne Islands, compact digital camera

With film cameras you took your pictures and got the results after you'd arrived home.  Sometimes you got good pictures, but more often you didn't, and whichever it was, by the time you used the camera next you'd forgotten what you did when you got the good shots.  Digital, on the other hand, gives immediate feedback; you press the button and a second or two later the picture you took is displayed on the little screen on the back of the camera.  If it's OK, you keep it.  If it's not what you wanted you delete it and take another, and if you do see something exciting you can share the picture with your buddy whilst you're still diving.

Red Sea reef in black and white, compact digital camera

What haven't changed, though, are the fundamentals of underwater photography, and most people continue to be disappointed by their results either because they try to take pictures that are beyond the scope of their current kit or because they either aren't aware of, or don't follow, some basic guidelines.  Not just rules of composition, but a range of simple guidelines that will improve the vast majority of underwater pictures, and which are followed by all working professionals.

Underwater photography can sometimes seem very kit-dependent.  Whilst it is important to have the right equipment for the task in hand, as long as your camera has some basic controls and is used within its limitations then it can produce excellent results.  Add some basic accessories and you'll be equipped to make good photographs of just about any subject.

Most underwater photographers use digital compacts, and my Compact Digital page will give you some advice on buying these cameras

If you're a compact user and tempted by an SLR, my Compact or SLR page summarises the good and bad points of the change

For those who value image quality above price, portability and convenience, Single Lens Reflex cameras deliver the best results, and my SLR page will take you through the pros and cons of SLRs

Red Sea wreck: SLR camera and some fancy post-processing!

Ultimately, the best camera in the world is only as good as the eye behind it.  The best pieces of advice you'll ever be given are to take lots of pictures - shoot above and below water, the things that make a picture eye-catching aren't any different regardless of what or where you take pictures - and once underwater, get as close as you can.

And if you're not happy with your pictures, why not book a 1:1 course instead of struggling? See my Photo Courses page for more information.