Are you disappointed that your underwater photography seems to lack the magic you felt during the actual dive? Underwater photographs seldom convey the connection you felt with the aquatic life around you. By simply trying to focus on the eyes of the fish and creatures you encounter, you’ll begin to come away with some amazing photographs that better convey the experience of snorkeling or scuba diving. This is easier said than done, but here are some helpful tips to get you started.

The first thing you should do is practice swimming in a way that fish will feel less threatened by. Fish won’t want to be anywhere near you if you’re constantly flailing your arms and legs about. Practice floating, and use the smallest, slowest motions to remain in place.

Taken by Mozaik Underwater Cameras

Once you can do that, concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly and steadily so you won’t have huge periodic bursts of bubbles that send fish scattering in all directions. Otherwise, you’ll continue to have lots of photographs of beautiful tail fins as they swim away from you. With patience and practice you will master the ability to drift smoothly along on the current without making excess movements, and the fish will allow you to move in closer.

Next, take some practice shots of an immovable object, such as an anchor or some coral. Immediately compare the photos with what you’re seeing through your goggles. Several factors will cause you to distort distances underwater, including your goggles, the housing on your camera, and the water itself. In general, when shooting underwater, what appears to be about one foot away from you is actually 1.3 feet away. Continue to experiment with your camera until the photographs are coming out the way you expect them to.

Now it’s time to find some fish. Clearly capturing the eye of your subject is essential in any type of wildlife photography, because it is through the eyes that we establish the strongest sense of connection with that creature. It’s even more important to master this technique for the situations when you cannot fit the entire animal in your viewfinder. If you can clearly catch an animal or fish’s eyes in your photographs, you’re almost guaranteed to come away with a memorable photograph.

From: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Instead of chasing after a group of fish, notice where they’re congregating and swim to that area. Move in as close as possible without touching any natural coral formations. Simply touching coral can kill off large portions of this beautiful natural habitat. Find a good place to photograph from, then use the techniques you learned above to stay in place. It takes patience, but the fish will come back, and you will end up with much better photographs of fish swimming towards you than you would have chasing them down.

In order to capture their eyes clearly, you’ll need to keep the camera as still as possible. If the camera is moving as you’re drifting through the water, your photographs will come out blurry. Prop your elbow against your chest to help steady the camera while you focus in on the creature’s face. Try to photograph at eye level, or from underneath your subject for a more dramatic effect. Shooting at a downward angle poses two problems. First, you’re likely to have a lot of sand or seaweed in the photographs, which will draw attention away from your subjects. Second, the picture will come out darker than if you are shooting upwards towards the water’s surface. When you’re shooting at eye level or lower, your photographs will tend to come out more clearly and with better light quality.

Keep clicking and take lots of pictures – you can always delete the ones you don’t like later. The more you practice, the more you’ll learn, and your trigger finger will become steadier with time. With patience and a steady hand, you’ll soon be bringing back some amazing images that portray the beautiful lives of the underwater creatures you encountered.

Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, a discount eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses online retailer.