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Shooting Vertical Worlds: Capturing Height, Depth and Scale by Steven Lopez, MSc & Dr. Carmen Obied | Explorers Photography
V ERTICAL UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENTS are some of the most visually striking places we can take students to photograph. Whether hovering in
If a model isn’t available, instructors can lean on the concept of visual layers and direct students on using these to create scale and depth. The 3 keys to layering: 1. Foreground detail (kelp fronds, reef structure, ice texture) 2. Mid-water subjects (fish, divers, or bub- bles) 3. Background structure (kelp columns, walls, or ice faces)
the water column among the giant kelp forests of California or diving along the towering face of a polar iceberg, these scenes present the same fundamental challenge: How do we translate height, depth, and scale into a photograph when the underwater world has no horizon? For instructors and underwater photo pros teaching students in environments like kelp forests, reef walls, or ice, this problem shows up again and again. Students often capture technically correct exposures, but the image feels flat. The sense of towering structure that impressed them underwater disappears in the frame. Over time, we’ve found that helping divers succeed in these environments comes down to three teachable principles: In California’s kelp forests, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) can extend more than 100 feet from seafloor to surface. In polar regions, icebergs often plunge just as dra- matically downward. In both cases, the en- vironment is vertical, but the camera sensor remains stubbornly horizontal. Students often respond by simply shooting wider and trying to include everything in 1. Buoyancy discipline 2. Light management 3. Intentional composition Teaching the Illusion of Height
Close-focus wide-angle (CFWA) photog- raphy can be particularly helpful here. By placing a strong foreground subject close to the dome port while allowing the envi- ronment to recede behind it, students can build depth directly into the composition. Another powerful technique is the inten- tional use of negative space. Allowing open water to occupy part of the frame reinforces distance and scale. When possible, posi- tioning the subject in one corner while letting sun rays or open water fill the rest of the frame can dramatically enhance the sense of height. Lens Selection for Vertical Scenes When advising students on optics for vertical environments, wide-angle lenses are usually the best starting point. A fisheye lens such as the Canon 8– 15mm provides a field of view of 180° at 15mm, which helps capture large structures like kelp columns or iceberg faces. When composed carefully, the subtle curvature of a fisheye can actually enhance the feeling
the frame. Unfortunately, the result is usually disappointing. Without context, vertical structure easily collapses into ab- straction. One of the simplest ways we’ve found to teach scale is by introducing a diver into the frame. A human silhouette im- mediately establishes proportion and gives the viewer something relatable. When the diver is positioned carefully within the water column, they become an anchor point that effectively communicates the size of the environment.
PAGE FORTY-SEVEN| SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY However, the 230mm glass dome is heavy and expensive! Alternatively instructors can emphasize the advantages of smaller dome ports. A compact dome like the 140mm can of vertical pull within the frame. For many of our own photos, we pair a fisheye lens with a large dome port, such as a 230mm glass dome. The additional mass of the glass dome stabilizes the housing underwater and makes precise positioning a little easier when hovering in the water column.
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