Best Underwater Photography Camera Settings: My Starting Points for Wildlife

One of the questions I get asked most often about my underwater work is:

“What camera settings did you use?”

It's a completely fair question.

When you're learning underwater photography, settings can feel like the missing piece. You see a sharp photograph of a shark moving through blue water, or a reef full of colour, and it is tempting to think that if you knew the shutter speed, aperture and ISO used for that particular frame, you could recreate it.

Unfortunately, underwater photography doesn't really work like that.

I could give you the exact settings I used for a whale shark photograph in the Maldives and they might be completely wrong ten minutes later when a cloud moves over the sun.

Change the depth, visibility, direction of light, speed of the animal or even your own position in the water and the exposure changes with it.

So rather than giving you one mythical set of best underwater photography settings, I want to show you how I actually approach them.

I'll give you the starting settings I use for sharks, whales, manta rays, reefs, macro subjects, natural-light photography and strobe photography - but more importantly, I'll explain why I use them and when I change them.

Once you understand that part, you stop copying settings and start controlling the photograph yourself.

If you're completely new to shooting beneath the surface, I recommend starting with my complete guide to underwater photography for beginners , where I cover cameras, housings, lenses, lighting, composition, diving skills and the fundamentals of working with wildlife underwater.

Quick Answer: What Are the Best Underwater Photography Settings?

If you're looking for somewhere to start, these are the kinds of settings I would generally begin with.

Large underwater wildlife in natural light

Mode: Manual
Shutter speed: 1/500 sec or faster
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: Auto ISO or adjust manually as conditions require
Autofocus: Continuous AF
Drive mode: High-speed burst
File type: RAW
White balance: Auto or a fixed starting point if preferred

This is roughly where I'd begin for:

• Sharks
• Whale sharks
• Manta rays
• Dolphins
• Sea lions
• Turtles
• Whales

If the animal is particularly fast, I may push the shutter speed to 1/800, 1/1000 or even faster.

Wide-angle underwater photography with strobes

Mode: Manual
Shutter speed: Approximately 1/160-1/250 sec
Aperture: Around f/8-f/11
ISO: 100-400
Autofocus: Continuous AF
Strobes: Manual power
File type: RAW

Your camera's maximum flash-sync speed will influence the shutter speeds available to you.

Underwater macro photography

Mode: Manual
Shutter speed: Approximately 1/160-1/250 sec
Aperture: Around f/11-f/16
ISO: 100-400
Autofocus: Single or continuous depending on the subject
Strobes: Usually the dominant light source
File type: RAW

Those smaller apertures help deal with the very shallow depth of field you encounter when working close to tiny subjects.

These are not rules. Think of them as starting coordinates.

The Three Settings That Matter Most Underwater

Like photography on land, exposure underwater is built around three variables:

• Shutter speed
• Aperture
• ISO

But I don't treat all three equally.

When I'm photographing underwater wildlife, I normally decide what is most important to the photograph first.

With a shark moving quickly towards me, that's usually shutter speed.

With a macro subject where I need the eye - and ideally more of the animal - in focus, aperture may become more important.

When I'm using strobes, aperture and strobe power become closely connected.

That's why I prefer thinking in terms of priorities rather than memorised settings.

Shutter Speed: The Setting I Usually Think About First

When I'm photographing large moving animals underwater, shutter speed is often my first concern.

There is very little benefit in having wonderfully clean ISO 200 files if the shark's eye is slightly blurred.

Water makes this particularly challenging because there are often two things moving simultaneously:

the animal

and

you.

Even when you think you're completely still, current, surge and your own breathing can introduce movement.

For slower animals, something around 1/320-1/500 sec may be perfectly usable.

For fast-moving sharks, dolphins, sea lions or schooling fish, I'll often want 1/500 sec or faster.

If the animal is moving quickly towards me, I may go to:

• 1/800 sec
• 1/1000 sec
• or beyond

I'd rather increase ISO than sacrifice the shutter speed I need.

That approach has probably saved more wildlife photographs for me than obsessing about noise ever has.

Why I Don't Worry Too Much About High ISO

This is something I wish I'd understood earlier.

A lot of photographers become obsessed with keeping ISO as low as possible.

I understand why.

Low ISO normally means cleaner files, more dynamic range and less noise.

But wildlife doesn't care about any of that.

If increasing the ISO from 400 to 1600 gives me the shutter speed I need when a shark suddenly turns towards me, I will take that trade every time.

Modern cameras are extremely capable at higher sensitivities, and noise can often be managed effectively during editing.

Motion blur is much harder to rescue.

Use the lowest ISO that still allows you to make the photograph you need.

That is very different from using the lowest ISO possible at all costs.

Aperture Underwater

Aperture becomes interesting underwater because it isn't only controlling depth of field.

It also affects:

• Ambient-light exposure
• Strobe exposure
• Dome-port corner sharpness
• Sunbursts
• Background appearance

For large wildlife using natural light, I often find myself somewhere around:

f/5.6-f/8

That usually gives me a useful balance between depth of field and the amount of light reaching the sensor.

If light becomes poor, I would often rather open the aperture than allow my shutter speed to become too slow.

When I'm shooting strobes, I may stop down further.

For macro, apertures such as f/11, f/13 and f/16 become much more common because depth of field is so limited at close focusing distances.

My Settings for Sharks Underwater

Sharks are one of my favourite subjects to photograph, but there is no universal shark setting.

A tiger shark cruising slowly past you in clear tropical water is very different from a blue shark moving unpredictably at the surface.

My starting point for sharks in natural light would normally be something like:

Shutter: 1/500-1/1000 sec
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: Auto ISO or adjusted according to available light
AF: Continuous autofocus
Drive: High-speed burst
Metering: Multi/evaluative
File: RAW

From there I respond to the animal.

If it's cruising slowly, I may reduce shutter speed slightly.

If it's accelerating or coming directly towards me, I increase shutter speed.

If I'm shooting towards the surface, I watch my highlights.

If I'm pointing deeper into the blue, I may need significantly more ISO.

The biggest mistake is setting the camera once at the beginning of the dive and assuming those settings will still be appropriate twenty minutes later.

They often won't be.

Settings for Whale Sharks

Whale sharks are enormous, but that doesn't necessarily make them easy to photograph.

Their size can be deceptive.

They can cover a surprising amount of distance with what looks like a very slow movement of the tail.

If you're swimming alongside one, you're moving as well.

For whale sharks near the surface, I would generally begin around:

Shutter: 1/500 sec or faster
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: As required
AF: Continuous
Drive: High-speed burst

With a wide lens, I often want enough depth of field that the eye and much of the animal remain acceptably sharp.

The other major consideration is exposure.

Whale sharks are dark animals with bright spots, and you're often photographing them with an extremely bright surface above.

Watch your histogram and highlights.

An image that looks a little dark underwater can usually be recovered much more successfully than completely blown-out surface detail.

Settings for Whales Underwater

Whales bring their own challenges.

They're huge.

They're often moving.

And you may have relatively little time to compose before the encounter is over.

For natural-light whale photography I tend to favour:

Shutter: around 1/500-1/1000 sec
Aperture: approximately f/5.6-f/8
ISO: adjusted according to light
AF: Continuous
Drive: Fast burst
File: RAW

But there are situations where I'd deliberately slow things down.

If a whale is resting almost motionless in beautifully calm water, I don't necessarily need 1/1000 sec.

That allows me to lower ISO or stop down.

Again, the animal dictates the settings.

Not the other way around.

Camera Settings for Manta Rays

Manta rays are interesting because their movement can change dramatically.

One moment a manta is gliding slowly towards you.

The next it rolls, turns or accelerates.

For mantas in ambient light:

Shutter: 1/500 sec or faster
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: adjusted according to depth and light
AF: Continuous
Drive: Burst

If the manta is approaching a cleaning station slowly, I can often work more conservatively.

If several animals are feeding and changing direction constantly, I may push shutter speed much higher.

I also pay attention to the underside.

The white belly of a manta can become surprisingly bright when you're shooting towards the surface.

Settings for Turtles and Slower Wildlife

Not every underwater animal requires extreme shutter speeds.

For a turtle moving slowly through calm water, I may start around:

Shutter: 1/320-1/500 sec
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: as required

That gives me more flexibility to keep ISO lower or gain additional depth of field.

But remember that you are still moving.

If you're finning alongside the turtle, your own movement may be just as important as the animal's.

Underwater Photography Settings for Reefs

Reef photography is where the way I think about exposure starts to change.

I'm no longer only trying to freeze an animal.

I'm balancing:

ambient light

with

artificial light from my strobes.

For a wide-angle reef photograph with strobes, I might begin around:

Shutter: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/8-f/11
ISO: 100-400
Strobes: manually adjusted

Then I separate the exposure into two jobs.

The camera controls the background

Your shutter speed, aperture and ISO influence how bright the blue water and ambient background appear.

The strobes control the foreground

Your strobe power and distance have a major influence over the brightness and colour of the reef or subject closest to you.

Understanding that relationship is one of the biggest breakthroughs in underwater flash photography.

How to Get a Darker Blue Background Underwater

One question underwater photographers often ask is:

How do I make the water behind my subject darker and richer?

There are several ways.

You can:

• Increase shutter speed
• Reduce ISO
• Stop down the aperture
• Alter your shooting angle
• Reduce the amount of ambient light entering the exposure

But remember that changing aperture will also affect how much strobe light reaches the exposure.

That's why I don't think of settings individually.

They're all connected.

How to Get a Lighter Blue Background

The opposite applies if your background looks almost black.

You may:

• Slow the shutter speed
• Increase ISO
• Open the aperture

The important point is that the colour of the water isn't simply determined by what colour the ocean actually was.

It's also being shaped by your exposure.

That gives you creative control.

Underwater Macro Photography Settings

Macro is where my approach changes considerably.

Your subject may be only a few centimetres long, and the depth of field can become incredibly shallow.

My starting settings for a macro subject using strobes would often be approximately:

Shutter: 1/200-1/250 sec
Aperture: f/11-f/16
ISO: 100-400
Strobes: Manual
Focus: Depending on subject and situation

Why such small apertures?

Depth of field.

At close focusing distances, even f/8 can leave only a tiny part of an animal sharp.

Stopping down gives you more room to work.

Because strobes are providing most of the light on the subject, I can use relatively low ISO and small apertures without worrying about the same loss of ambient light I'd encounter when photographing a whale in open water.

How to Create a Black Background in Underwater Macro Photography

One of the classic underwater macro techniques is isolating the subject against a completely black background.

The principle is fairly simple:

You want to eliminate ambient light from the exposure while illuminating the subject with your strobe.

That usually means:

• Fast flash-sync shutter speed
• Low ISO
• Small aperture
• Carefully positioned strobe
• No distracting reef directly behind the subject

For example:

Shutter: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/16
ISO: 100
Strobe: adjusted to expose the subject

If ambient light is excluded successfully, areas untouched by the strobe become black.

It can create incredibly dramatic portraits of small marine life.

Natural-Light Underwater Photography Settings

A huge amount of my large-animal underwater photography uses natural light.

Whales. Whale sharks. Sharks near the surface. Mantas. Dolphins.

In these situations, there is no strobe exposure to think about.

Everything depends on the available light.

My priority order is generally:

1. Shutter speed - make it fast enough.
2. Aperture - choose enough depth of field without unnecessarily sacrificing light.
3. ISO - use whatever is necessary to make the first two possible.

This is why Auto ISO can be extremely useful.

I can choose the shutter speed and aperture I want and allow the camera to respond to changing light.

For fast-moving wildlife, that can be much more practical than changing ISO manually every few seconds.

Should You Use Auto ISO Underwater?

I use it when it makes sense.

Auto ISO is especially useful when:

• Animals are moving quickly
• Depth is changing
• Clouds are moving overhead
• You're frequently changing shooting direction
• You're moving between bright surface water and darker areas

I decide:

how much motion I need to freeze

and

how much depth of field I need

and let ISO respond.

Auto does not mean stop thinking. It means automate the variable I'm currently least concerned about.

White Balance Underwater

White balance underwater can become a surprisingly complicated topic.

As you descend, warm wavelengths disappear and the scene becomes increasingly blue or green.

If I'm shooting RAW photographs, I generally don't obsess over achieving perfect white balance underwater because I have significant flexibility later.

My priorities are normally:

• Exposure
• Focus
• Composition
• The moment

White balance can be refined during editing.

Video is different because white balance decisions become more consequential depending on your workflow.

Should You Underexpose Underwater Photos?

Sometimes, slightly.

Especially when shooting towards the surface.

The surface can be dramatically brighter than the water underneath it.

Highlights are easy to lose.

If I'm photographing an animal against bright surface light, I'll often watch the histogram carefully and make sure I'm not destroying important highlight detail.

A slightly darker RAW file gives me considerable flexibility later.

A completely white patch of blown-out water gives me much less.

But this doesn't mean deliberately making every underwater photograph dark.

The goal is simply to protect information.

Autofocus Settings for Underwater Wildlife

Exposure isn't the only camera setting that matters.

Autofocus can make or break the photograph.

For moving wildlife, my default approach is generally:

Continuous autofocus

rather than single-shot AF.

The animal isn't staying the same distance from me, so I want the camera continually updating focus.

Modern animal-eye autofocus can be incredibly useful, but underwater it isn't infallible.

Particles, low contrast, bubbles, reflections and strong backlight can all confuse autofocus.

So I always want a fallback.

Know how to switch quickly between:

• Tracking
• Zone autofocus
• Flexible spot
• Wide autofocus

Don't discover those controls while a whale shark is swimming towards you.

Burst Mode: Use It, But Don't Abuse It

For fast-moving animals I generally use a high-speed burst.

Small changes in:

• Fin position
• Eye contact
• Body angle
• Bubbles
• Light
• Distance

can completely change a photograph.

A short burst gives me several versions of the moment.

But that doesn't mean holding the shutter down for thirty seconds.

I prefer short, deliberate bursts.

Watch the animal. Anticipate the moment. Shoot. Stop. Recompose.

Metering Mode Underwater

For most situations I use a broad evaluative or multi-metering mode and then judge exposure myself.

I pay particular attention to:

the histogram

and

highlight warnings.

The LCD can be misleading underwater.

Ambient brightness, your mask and even the angle you're holding the camera can make a photograph appear lighter or darker than it really is.

The histogram gives you a much more useful reference.

My Settings Before I Enter the Water

One habit that has saved me countless times is preparing the camera before entering the water.

If I expect sharks, for example, I may already have:

Manual mode
1/500 sec
f/6.3
Auto ISO
Continuous autofocus
Burst mode
RAW

selected before the dive starts.

Why?

Because wildlife has an irritating habit of appearing before you're ready.

I've had encounters happen almost immediately after entering the water.

The last thing I want to be doing is looking through a menu while the animal disappears into the blue.

Set yourself up for the most likely encounter. Then adapt.

Don't Keep Checking Every Photograph

Another beginner habit is reviewing every frame immediately after taking it.

Take photo.

Look at screen.

Take photo.

Look at screen.

Meanwhile, the animal has changed direction and the best moment of the encounter is happening directly in front of you.

I absolutely check exposure and focus when necessary.

But once I know the settings are working, I try to stay engaged with the subject.

Watch what it's doing.

The photograph hasn't gone anywhere.

The animal might.

How I Change Settings During an Encounter

Let's say I'm photographing a shark.

I begin:

1/500 sec · f/6.3 · Auto ISO

The shark starts moving faster.

I change to:

1/800 sec

Then it turns towards the surface and the background becomes much brighter.

I may stop down or reduce exposure compensation if I'm using Auto ISO.

Then it disappears deeper.

Now the light drops.

ISO rises automatically.

That is the thought process I want you to develop.

Not:

What is the correct shutter speed for sharks?

But:

What is this shark doing right now, and what does my camera need to do to photograph it?

That is a much more useful question.

Settings for Low-Light Underwater Photography

Low-light underwater photography forces compromises.

You have three main options:

• Open the aperture
• Increase ISO
• Reduce shutter speed

For moving wildlife, reducing shutter speed is normally my last choice.

If I need 1/500 sec to keep the animal sharp, I'm reluctant to sacrifice that.

Instead I may open from:

f/8 → f/5.6

and then allow ISO to rise.

Eventually every camera reaches its limits.

There are situations where there simply isn't enough light.

That's part of underwater photography.

Knowing when a technically perfect image is impossible is just as useful as knowing your settings.

Manual Mode vs Aperture Priority Underwater

I generally prefer Manual exposure underwater.

Not because automatic modes are bad.

Because underwater conditions can be unpredictable, and I want direct control over the priorities of the photograph.

Manual mode combined with Auto ISO can actually give you an excellent hybrid approach.

You control:

shutter

and

aperture

while the camera responds to changes in available light through ISO.

Aperture Priority can work perfectly well in calmer situations, but I would watch the shutter speed carefully.

The camera doesn't necessarily know that the shark suddenly accelerating towards you requires a much faster shutter.

You do.

Should Beginners Use Manual Mode Underwater?

Eventually, yes.

But don't make underwater photography unnecessarily difficult while you're still learning to dive.

If managing buoyancy, air, depth, buddy awareness, navigation, wildlife and full manual exposure is too much at once, simplify things.

Photography should never compromise your diving safety.

An automatic or semi-automatic mode can be perfectly appropriate while you're developing confidence.

Then gradually take more control as the camera becomes second nature.

If you're still developing those fundamentals, my underwater photography beginner's guide goes into much more detail on buoyancy, choosing a camera and housing, underwater lenses, composition, lighting and becoming comfortable using a camera below the surface.

The Biggest Camera-Settings Mistakes I See Underwater

1. Shutter speed too slow

Probably the most common one for wildlife.

2. Refusing to raise ISO

Sharp and slightly noisy usually beats clean and blurred.

3. Using the same settings for the entire dive

Conditions change.

Your exposure should too.

4. Forgetting about the background

The subject may be correctly exposed while the water behind it looks completely wrong.

5. Blowing out the surface

Watch those highlights.

6. Using apertures that are too wide for macro

Your depth of field can become impossibly thin.

7. Thinking strobes expose the entire photograph

With wide-angle photography, learn to balance ambient and artificial light separately.

8. Copying Somebody Else's Settings Without Understanding Why They Worked

Their ocean wasn't your ocean.

Their subject wasn't your subject.

Their light wasn't your light.

My Underwater Photography Settings Cheat Sheet

If you want something quick to screenshot before your next dive, start here.

Sharks

Shutter: 1/500-1/1000 sec
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: Auto ISO
AF: Continuous AF
Drive: High-speed burst

Whale sharks

Shutter: 1/500 sec+
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: Auto ISO
AF: Continuous AF

Whales

Shutter: 1/500-1/1000 sec
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: As required

Manta rays

Shutter: 1/500 sec+
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: Auto ISO

Turtles

Shutter: 1/320-1/500 sec
Aperture: f/5.6-f/8
ISO: As required

Reef + strobes

Shutter: 1/160-1/250 sec
Aperture: f/8-f/11
ISO: 100-400
Strobe: Manual

Macro

Shutter: 1/160-1/250 sec
Aperture: f/11-f/16
ISO: 100-400
Strobe: Manual

Remember: these are starting points, not prescriptions.

Underwater Camera Settings FAQ

What shutter speed is best for underwater photography?

For large moving wildlife, around 1/500 sec or faster is a useful starting point. Faster animals such as sharks, dolphins and sea lions may require 1/800 or 1/1000 sec. Slower subjects and strobe photography can often use slower shutter speeds.

What aperture is best for underwater photography?

For natural-light wide-angle wildlife, f/5.6-f/8 is a useful starting range. Strobe-lit wide-angle scenes often use around f/8-f/11, while macro photography may require f/11-f/16 or smaller to create enough depth of field.

What ISO should I use underwater?

Use the lowest ISO that still allows you to achieve the shutter speed and aperture you need. In bright shallow water that may be ISO 100-400. In deeper or darker conditions, ISO 800, 1600 or higher may be necessary.

Is Auto ISO good for underwater photography?

Yes. Auto ISO can be extremely useful for moving wildlife because it allows you to lock in the shutter speed and aperture you want while the camera responds to changing light.

What are the best camera settings for sharks?

I generally begin around 1/500-1/1000 sec, f/5.6-f/8 and Auto ISO, with continuous autofocus and high-speed burst shooting. I then adapt according to the shark's speed, depth and the available light.

What settings should I use for underwater macro photography?

A useful starting point with strobes is approximately 1/200-1/250 sec, f/11-f/16 and ISO 100-400. The exact aperture will depend on the subject, magnification and depth of field required.

Should I shoot underwater photography in Manual mode?

Manual mode gives you excellent control and is my preferred approach for much of my underwater work. Manual exposure combined with Auto ISO can be particularly useful for fast-moving natural-light wildlife.

Should I shoot RAW underwater?

Yes, whenever possible. RAW files give you significantly more flexibility when recovering highlights, correcting white balance and refining colour and contrast during editing.

Learn the Settings, Then Stop Thinking About Them

The goal of learning underwater camera settings isn't to spend every dive thinking about shutter speeds.

It's eventually the opposite.

At first, every decision feels deliberate.

You see the shark.

You think:

Is my shutter fast enough?

You change ISO.

You check aperture.

You move the autofocus point.

It feels like a lot.

But the more time you spend underwater with your camera, the more automatic those decisions become.

Eventually you see an animal accelerate and your fingers change the shutter speed before you've consciously thought about it.

That's the point.

Because the less mental energy you spend operating the camera, the more attention you can give to what actually matters:

• The animal
• The light
• The behaviour
• Your position
• The moment that's beginning to unfold

The camera settings help you capture it.

But they are never the photograph.