Underwater Photography....The Model Buddy

 When considering underwater photography of people there are a few important things to keep in mind when choosing a "model". You, as the photographer, still are a dive buddy and must still be able to fulfill that role to your model. It helps alot if your model is a confident and competent diver so you have one less thing to really focus on in addition to trying to line up the perfect shot. A confident diver will look much better in the photos than a "pretty/handsome" diver who is struggling to maintain buoyancy control or who is very uncomfortable in the current dive conditions. It also helps if your model is able to envision a good shot from the photographers perspective. This eliminates the need for constant signaling and communication of what will make a good shot and what will not. This is sometimes a lot to ask, but having a brief conversation before the dive can help with this. If you are working with an inexperienced model, be sure you start with stationary objects and focus on getting them familiar with the process. It is much easier to pose a person next to a rope or a sponge that will be there as long as necessary than a sea turtle or other marine life that may spook and swim off after the first picture. Once the dive is done, review the images together to see what worked and what didn't. You can also go through the ones that didn't and see how they can be made better.