Getting close to the subject and selecting the best smartphone lens for the task

By Tobias Friedrich

Another important rule in underwater photography is getting close enough to the subject to reduce the amount of water between the animal and the lens. This is why we use a several of the phone's lenses, ranging from the 0.5x ultra wide to the 3x tele lens. If animals feel threatened when you swim too close to them, it may be better to back off and use the standard 1x lens or the 3x tele lens on your smartphone camera.

Equipment: iPhone 16 Pro Max in a SeaLife SportDiver Ultra housing, 1x iPhone lens with a Sea Dragon Duo 6000F Color Boost Photo-Video light.