Photography Tips For Capturing The Great Barrier Reef

You’ll never forget your Great Barrier Reef tour when bringing home a collection of incredible photos.

Any trip to the Great Barrier Reef is absolutely stunning and unforgettable. You’ll see more marine life than imaginable, an array of vibrant colours and more.

One of the best ways to eternalise these memories is by capturing the Great Barrier Reef in an image!

Underwater photography tips

If you get the chance to go snorkelling or scuba diving, you’ll find yourself swimming along with marine wildlife right next to the reef. What better way to capture the moment than to take some underwater photos of the magical wonderland?

– Practise beforehand

There are different factors to consider when taking photos underwater. How dark or bright will it be? Are there fish darting around? Am I able to snorkel or dive and hold a camera?

These are all things to think about and practise before trying to capture images of the Great Barrier Reef. If you practise this beforehand, you won’t have to worry about how the photos will turn out when the time comes!

– Choose a quality underwater camera

These days, there is an endless selection of underwater cameras available to choose from. If you’re into the look of film, consider a waterproof disposable camera. Or perhaps you’re more interested in a waterproof digital camera.

If you think you’ll be shooting more videos than photos, consider an underwater camera such as a GoPro!

– Bring changeable lenses

Because there are things that you’ll want to capture from both close up and far away, it’s good to have macro and wide-angle waterproof lenses. Having the ability to change lenses will help you capture up close shots of intricate reef patterns. Once you switch to a wide angle lens, you’ll be able to portray the size of a school of fish, or the vastness of the reef.

– Adjust the shutter speed

Be sure to know how to adjust your shutter speed before taking your camera underwater. You’ll need to adjust to a slower shutter speed for still objects such as the reef. To capture swaying anemones, you may have to increase the shutter speed. If you’re trying to photograph moving fish, you’ll have to increase your shutter speed even more.

Aerial photography tips

Another mesmerising way to experience the Great Barrier Reef is to view it from above on a private plane ride. If you do this, surely you will want to know how to capture the moment!

– Shoot at high speed

Everything will be moving around as you fly through the air. In order to avoid blurry shots, you’ll want your shutter speed to be almost as fast as it can go. Once you have your shutter speed adjusted, you’ll be snapping photos like a pro.

– Reduce glare

The sun will be shining bright and reflecting off of the water as you view it from above. In order to avoid the harsh reflections, put a polarising filter on your lens. That way, your photos will show the gorgeous reef structure below the water rather than sun reflections on the top of the water.