The Pros Discuss the “Best” Aperture and Shutter Speed for Underwater Imaging

If you’re just starting out in underwater imaging, you may well have spent a long time trying to figure out the answers to these questions: What is the best aperture to use? What is the best shutter speed to use? If you’re an accomplished shooter, they may well be the questions you get asked the most—and you’ll almost certainly have a quick answer: It depends!

Of course, “It depends” won’t help the newbies too much; they want answers! At the recent Digital Shootout, event host Backscatter took the opportunity to quiz the pros, and in their latest videos, “The Best Aperture for Photo & Video” and “The Best Shutter Speed for Photo & Video,” we find out what they had to say when they were put on the spot. Among the pros—photographers and videographers—to offer their pearls of wisdom are Berkley White, Hergen Spalink, James Emery, Erin Quigley, Todd Winner, and Cristian Dimitrius.

Beginners will need to listen carefully to those nuggets—there’s a fair bit to break down here—but you should be able to glean some valuable tips and ideas to get you thinking. These videos should also give you an insight into just how much there is to learn during underwater imaging workshops like the Digital Shootout. If you want to find out more about the event, head over to the Digital Shootout website. You can also reserve your spot at the next one in Little Cayman (June 15th–29th, 2024) via the registration page.