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Surviving Underwater Photography
by Peter Rowlands

There can be fewer, more hostile environments in which to take photographs than underwater. The combined elements of water and pressure impose considerable limitations on us both physically and photographically in a way that should make most sensible people give it a very wide berth. And yet we are still here, pretending to enjoy it, spurred on by the occasional good shot which makes us forget the aggro, both financial and physical.
This article is not offering specialist therapy for those who have lost their waterproof marbles but rather is aimed as a survival guide for an activity hounded by and ever susceptible to breakdowns, misfirings and, most terminal of all, floodings. That they will occur at some point is almost inevitable but I hope to increase the time intervals in between by suggesting some protective measures.

Transporting your camera outfit, whether it be in this country or overseas, is often a time when terminal damage can occur. Badly protected equipment in a boot full of heavy dive gear could result in unwanted physical damage so a good carrying case should be considered as essential. The Seahorse and Underwater Kinetics cases which are waterproof and very strong, may seem expensive at first but they will pay for themselves time and again in peace of mind when your expensive investment inside these cases is entrusted to baggage handlers throughout the world. They have pressure release valves (the cases, not the baggage handlers) which protect your cameras during air travel in unpressurized baggage holds and their O ring seals keep unwanted moisture out.

Having arrived at your destination, it's time to prepare yourself for the dive. Top of the list has to be waterproofing. Keep the water on the right side of your O rings and you are most of the way already. O rings are the most ingenious, yet simple devices without whose existence we would certainly not be where we are today. These small cross sections of molded compressed neoprene are the key to our survival and deserve more attention than they often get.

In order to do its job properly, an O ring must be lightly lubricated to keep it supple. Silicone grease is used for its inert properties and continuing viscosity under heat and must be applied to all user serviceable O rings such as rear doors, battery compartments and flash plugs.

The O ring surfaces are just as important as the O ring itself and must be kept clean. This is done by removing the O ring with a soft edged tool or, if it is the large rear door O ring on a Nikonos V, stretching it to cause a loop which can then be lifted out of the groove. A firm bristled toothbrush is very good for cleaning these grooves as it leaves no fine hairs as cotton buds can do.

The cleaning and regreasing of an O ring takes just a few seconds. What takes a lot longer is the debate as to how often you need to do this. Some look upon this operation as a form of therapy during dives, the gentle pulling of an O ring through lightly greased fingers could be likened to the holding of one's childhood blanket to one's ear while sucking one's thumb. Others leave their O rings alone for days at a time and still don't have problems. What level of perfection you choose is up to you but my suggestion is that whenever you dislodge an O ring (when changing film, batteries or lenses) you should remove the O ring, regrease it, clean the groove and reassemble the camera. There is no need to do this if the O rings have not been disturbed but what is important, after every seawater dive, is to remove the salt by washing the camera in freshwater.

The best way to make sure all of the salt water is removed is to immerse the camera in a bucket of fresh water and operate all of the controls. If you still have film in the camera you won't be able to fire the shutter release but lifting the camera out of water and back a few times will give an effective flush to controls which cannot be operated.

If you are on a boat with limited fresh water you don't need to rinse between every dive as long as you keep the camera moist so the saltwater doesn't dry and crystallize. A good way of doing this is to cover your camera with a damp wetsuit out of direct sunlight.

One of the most common areas where problems occur is the flash contacts. With TTL flashguns there are five small contacts which must be absolutely clean and dry and they are protected by a single O ring on the flash plug sync cord. Lack of care in this area will cause erratic exposures and, at worst, could result in a leaky camera and written off sync cord so take extra care in this area. Any slight leaks could cause corosion across the contacts which will affect the performance of the flash. On a Nikonos V or camera in housing combination which incorporates a Nikonos bulkhead, there are two smaller sprung loaded pins which control the flash output. Look at these pins and make sure they are not depressed and incapable of making a good contact. If they are depressed, it may be possible to release them by exercising them with a very fine pointed screwdriver but if this does not work, you will probably be limited to manual exposures and need to have the flash pin assembly removed and replaced by an experienced repairer.

If everything in the flash pins area is fine, test the TTL performance before entering the water. This wastes a frame of film but this is a slight sacrifice to pay for the other 35 left on the film. With the camera system set to TTL and the lens set to a wide aperture, point the flash into the lens and fire the shutter. The flash should emit a miniscule amount of light which confirms that the TTL is working. A full output would indicate that the contacts are either corroded or not making sufficient contact. If this happens, remove the sync cord and check all the connections again.

If there is one main reason why underwater photographers have problems it can usually be put down to lack of preparation. I've seen it so many times when a dive plan is changed at the last minute resulting in a hasty change of lens or film whilst fully kitted. The cumbersome equipment and pressure of time together with dripping hands, nearly always ends up with an O ring dislodged, a control left off or a film not wound on properly. It is better to either stick with the rig you've got or not take it at all rather than risk thousands of pounds and the rest of your holiday ruined.

Assuming you've got this far without a mishap, it's time to enter the water which is where the big problems can occur. Jumping in with your outfit in your hand is tempting disaster. The sudden rush of water could dislodge a lens from its mount, force water past an O ring or simply break something. It's far better to get into the water first and then have someone else pass the camera to you. This is much safer as long as your assistant knows where to pick the camera outfit up without the flash falling off and hitting the deck. A couple of seconds explaining this to your helper will avert a disaster.

Another alternative is to hang your outfit over the boat on a length of rope or preferably shot cord to absorb the boats movement. This can take a great deal of courage as you lower your investment into the water where you can't look after it but it does keep it away from threatening cylinders and rolling boats.

Once in the water with your system it's time to carry out the first checks. With a Nikonos outfit there is little you can do but make sure that there are no bubbles on the front lens element. With a camera in a housing where there is more room inside for the water to congregate, turn the housing upside down as you descend and look inside the port for any telltale signs of water ingress. If there are, keep the housing port down and take it back to the surface and tell your handler to keep it that way. Unless you know that the surface crew know what they are doing, get out of the water straight away and sort the problem out. Time, at this stage, is vital. Get the water out and take the batteries out. As long as the amount of water is not swilling around, you stand a good chance of saving the day. Large amounts of water, with electronic cameras, will almost certainly, unfortunately, prove terminal.

I hope I haven't put you off too much! It's worth it when everything goes well and you can help yourself with careful preparation. It doesn't take long and it will increase your success rate.