'How To...' Guide to Underwater Photography

The first problem with Clownfish is their speed of movement. They are quick and skittish, rarely staying still long enough to compose a good shot.

They are also very territorial, frequently darting aggressively towards your lens. We have all had frustrating experiences where every shot is blurred, or the Clownfish is only partly in the frame.

To overcome this, you need to freeze the movement so that it is sharp. If you have a simple compact camera with no manual controls, then the best way to do this is to select your camera's sport scene mode.

Sport mode is designed to capture fast action, so it is perfect for capturing your clownfish as he zips around his anemone. The mode works by selecting a fast shutter speed – the amount of time that the camera's shutter is open – preventing blurry movement.

If you camera has more controls, then you can try taking the shot in 'Shutter Priority' or 'Manual' mode – usually represented by 'Tv' and 'M' on your mode dial – and selecting a shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second.

Another little trick is to pay attention to the host anemone. In a large anemone, the Clownfish can cover lots of ground, limiting your chances of getting a good shot. In a small anemone, his movements will be limited, giving you a better chance of success.

The final piece of the jigsaw is to watch the Clownfish patiently. Understanding fish behaviour is crucial to good underwater photography, so if you follow its movements for a couple of minutes, you may start to see a rhythm where before you saw only frantic, random movements. You can then use this to your advantage to capture a sharp, well-composed and well-lit shot of a Clownfish.

You may not get it right first time, but with a little bit of patience & a few attempts, you should have a shot to remember.

Next week, we take a look at how to pick good subjects to photograph...

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