3.8. Travel Photography

3.7. Underwater Photography

Water is the mortal enemy of digital cameras . Still, you can buy waterproof enclosures for many camera models, which opens up a whole new world of photographic possibilities.

Sometimes these enclosures are made by the camera manufacturer. Canon, for example, makes clear plastic cases for a number of its digital cameras. For other models, you can often find enclosures for sale at Web sites like www.ikelite.com or www.uwimaging.com.

The good news is that these enclosures protect the camera at depths down to 100 feet, for example, and provide access to the camera's controls. The bad news is that the underwater housing can cost as much as the camera!

When shooting underwater, force the flash to turn on; it's dark down there. You might also want to play with the color balance adjustment to help offset the bluish tint of the water. If your camera has a dial that lets you call up different lighting presets, try the Cloudy setting to warm up the tones.

Oh, and don't try to change the batteries while you're down there.