How to Take Half Underwater Photos with your GoPro

When my wife and I started planning our honeymoon to Tahiti and Bora Bora, I knew I had to not only get a new GoPro for all of the epic snorkelling adventures we’d be going on, but also a GoPro dome so I could capture some half underwater photos. I had two problems though: I didn’t own a GoPro dome, and, even if I did, I had no idea how to use one.

A GoPro dome seems simple enough, but, when you’re trying to compose a scroll-stopping half underwater shot in an ocean filled with constantly moving water, the challenges become apparent fairly quickly. Luckily, our first hotel had a back patio with direct access to a calm lagoon, so I was able to easily hop in and out of the water to practise my technique. Slowly but surely I got the hang of half underwater photos with my GoPro. I was even able to capture a few epic shots of my wife and a group of blacktip reef sharks in deep water using the technique (this was, admittedly, much more challenging than shooting half underwater shots on the lagoon)!

So, how did I go from novice half underwater photographer to taking some of my favourite travel photos ever? Here are a few of the techniques I used to take half underwater photos with my GoPro, as well a few pieces of advice:

Invest in a Good GoPro Dome

Investing in a good GoPro dome is essential for taking half underwater photos. Firstly, the dome has to be built well enough so water doesn’t get into the dome. Secondly, the dome material has to be clear enough so that it looks like you’re taking photos without a dome. Thirdly, the dome should be fairly durable, or at least come with a case to protect the dome from scratches. If your dome gets scratched, it becomes basically useless because you’ll see the scratch marks in every photo.

Now, getting a good GoPro dome doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a few solid options on the market, but I ultimately chose the Telesin Dome Port. The Telesin Dome Port fits most of the newer GoPro models, and it’s reasonably priced. The dome also comes with a protective cover as well as a handle, which comes in handy (no pun intended) when you’re trying to compose and snap epic half underwater photos.

Set Your GoPro to Burst Mode

Admittedly, shooting photos in burst mode can be a pain in the ass. Why? Because you have to go through so many photos afterwards to figure out the best ones to edit. Hear me out though. When taking half underwater photos, the ocean doesn’t care that you’re composing a potentially viral shot. The ocean just keeps on rolling by, creating different waves across the GoPro dome. This means that it’s almost impossible to compose a perfect half underwater photo in one shot.

To combat this, you need to set your GoPro to burst mode and have it take 30 shots. This seems excessive, but, once you see how varied the over / under split looks as the water moves across the dome, you’ll be thankful that you shot in burst mode. Now, when you go to edit your photos, you can simply locate the shot that has the best half underwater split, and then get editing!

Keep Your Dome Dry Where it Matters!

Now, I know that some of your dome needs to get wet. After all, half of your shot is meant to be underwater. But, if you get the top half of your dome wet (i.e. the part of your shot that’s supposed to show the land and sky above the water), you’re going to end up with water droplets in your shot. If that’s the look you’re going, have at it. If not, your audience is going to quickly see through the illusion and know that you used a dome to snap the shot.

When snapping half underwater photos with your GoPro, carefully place the bottom half of the dome in the water. This is obviously easier to do when you’re in shallow water, but it’s still totally possible when you’re in deeper water too. After you take a a few photos, quickly double check to make sure no water droplets have splashed up onto the dome. If they have, use a microfiber cloth to dry them or let the dome air dry for a while, and then use the microfiber cloth to remove any dried water spots.

If you happen to snap the shot of your life, but forgot to check for water droplets on the top of your dome, all may not be lost. Depending on how many water droplets there are and where they’re located, you may be able to clone them out of your photo using Lightroom. If there are water drops scattered all over the image, however, this may be a lot more difficult.

Conclusion

When heading out on an epic adventure that involves water, chances are you’ll be bringing along your favourite GoPro to capture the action. Take your GoPro photos up a notch by investing in a GoPro dome to take half underwater photos. Once you invest in your dome, all you need to do is set your GoPro to burst mode, and then ensure that the top half of the dome stays water free. Once you snap some epic half underwater photos with your GoPro, edit them in Lightroom, share them with the world, and then start planning your next adventure.

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