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Snorkler, Biscayne National Park, FloridaPhotographer Raul Touzon offers advice on how to make the most of your underwater photography experience. Get Comfortable Underwater One of the most important elements of underwater photography is feeling comfortable in the environment. Remember that the photographer becomes a floating platform on which the camera rests. The ability to swim well—and in some instances fast, to catch up with the subject—is a must-have skill. One of the advantages of shooting while scuba diving rather than snorkeling is that you can spend long periods in deeper water, closer to marine life. To be successful at shooting underwater while scuba diving, you must master flotation and have control of where you are at all times. Having said this, a lot of my most successful images were made at the surface, where the light is abundant and where most of the big guys, like whales and sharks, can be found.—Raul Touzon Get more photo tips »

Photograph by Raul Touzon