Before you dive, be sure you’re familiar with basic operations of your camera, your flash, etcetera. If you see a great shot and are struggling to operate the flash or wondering how to zoom, you’ll miss the moment. If you expect to be wearing dive mitts, be sure that can still operate your camera controls with the mitts on.

Underwater lighting is very complex and will take years to master. The water has a magnifying effect. There is backscatter, and the angle of the sunlight on the water…even your depth and the murkiness of the water are all important factors, and they change constantly. (Shooting while the sun is high in the sky will help you get more direct lighting.) You need to experiment a lot before you get good at this…it’s like learning photography all over again, in this alternate undersea world. With perseverance, you’ll get a feel for it…and it’s one of the most enriching projects you’ll ever undertake. Most importantly: don’t expect National Geographic results…as with any new skill, you must approach it with the goal of personal enrichment, not immediate mastery!