Underwater photography sounds very exciting and thrilling but it is considered as one of the most challenging tasks in photography, due to the specialization it requires in both equipment and technique. One effective method of taking underwater pictures is using split images. It is a composition in which the subject seems to be partly above the water and partly below the water. The technique of Split images was developed and honed by David Doubilet who was a National Geographic photographer.

This technique can be used to capture the images above and below the surface simultaneously. It is considered to be the most challenging technical shot that goes beyond the limit of most underwater camera systems. To get this kind of image a wide angle lens, such as the effective Canon EF 28mm 2.8, is used to capture the scene exactly the way they are used in underwater photography. However, the camera shutter speed and the aperture in the air part of the image are often different from the one underwater.

Professional photographers need to take care of the refraction and its overall effect on the focus in relation to the air segment, which is an inevitable problem in underwater photography. But there are some specialized filters which can be used to compensate for these problems. Split images are widely taken while scuba diving. Now this sounds really exciting.