Hire an underwater photographer or videographer
An underwater photographer or videographer shoots stills or video below the surface, either of people (portrait, maternity, family and fashion shoots) or for work: documenting a hull, a dock or a seawall, recording a reef or lake survey, or filming for TV, film and advertising.
Portrait sessions usually happen in a pool or studio tank, with the photographer coaching you on breath-holding and posing. Documentation work happens wherever the subject is, often in poor visibility. A good result depends on the job: for portraits, a gallery of edited images delivered when promised; for documentation, steady, well-lit video with a clear record of what was filmed, where and when, so that a surveyor, engineer or insurer can use it.
Agree in writing, before the shoot, who owns the images and how you may use them, and what files you will receive. One Long Beach studio states that raw or unedited files are not included at any tier (Brett Stanley).
In Great Britain, diving at work for film, TV and other media is "media diving", with its own code of practice (HSE ACOP L106), and HSE counts photographers and camera operators as media divers (HSE approved list, 2026).
DiverHire is a new marketplace in public beta. Post the shoot free with the location, water, date and what you need delivered, compare bids, and pay the photographer directly.
Who needs this
- Individuals and families: portrait, maternity, engagement and mermaid-style shoots in a pool.
- Boat owners, brokers and surveyors: hull and running-gear video before a sale, survey or insurance claim.
- Marinas, engineers and property owners: video of docks, pilings and seawalls for a report.
- Scientists and conservation groups: photo transects and habitat records.
- Film, TV and advertising crews: underwater camera operators and safety divers.
- Swim schools and dive centres: promotional photos and video.
Portrait work with swimmers in a pool is a different job from filming in open water, so ask for examples of the kind of shoot you need. For paid diving, a recreational card alone may not be enough: in Great Britain, media divers need an HSE-approved qualification, and recreational qualifications are accepted only in limited cases, such as photography for the recreational diving press (HSE approved list, 2026). How to hire a diver covers the checks.
Typical pricing
Portrait photographers usually charge a session fee or package by session length, with image credits or per-image prices. Documentation and film work is charged by the hour or the day, and editing, equipment and travel may be added.
- Long Beach, California (studio pool): USD 790 for 45 minutes, USD 1,590 for 2 hours and USD 2,790 for 4 hours, each with an image or print credit (Brett Stanley, viewed September 2026).
- Tallahassee, Florida: underwater sessions from USD 400 (Craft Creek Photography, viewed September 2026).
- Northern Washington: vessel inspection with video USD 250; general diving, including underwater video documentation, USD 200/h (PNW Diving Services, viewed September 2026).
Quotes vary with depth, visibility, access, travel and team size, and with editing time, usage rights, and whether a safety diver or pool rental is needed.
Guides
- How to Hire a Diver: A Checklist for Boat Owners and Marinas
- Planning, Pricing & Recording Underwater Work: A Guide for Clients and Divers
Required / preferred certifications
- PADI Digital Underwater Photographer
- PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent recreational card
- HSE SCUBA Diving (media diving at work in Great Britain, ACOP L106)
- DAN Diving First Aid for Professional Divers
Other diving services
- Underwater inspection
- Underwater welding
- Salvage operations
- Boat & hull cleaning
- Marine research support
- Marine surveying
- Underwater cleanup
Commercial diving by city
- Aberdeen, UK
- Anchorage, USA
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Baltimore, USA
- Boston, USA
- Brisbane, Australia
- Charleston, USA
- Chicago, USA
- Cleveland, USA
- Corpus Christi, USA
- Detroit, USA
- Dubai, UAE
- Duluth, USA
- Fort Lauderdale, USA
- Galveston, USA
- Halifax, Canada
- Hamburg, Germany
- Honolulu, USA
- Houston, USA
- Jacksonville, USA
- Jersey City, USA
- Key West, USA
- London, UK
- Long Beach, USA
- Melbourne, Australia
- Miami, USA
- Milwaukee, USA
- Mississauga, Canada
- Mobile, USA
- Montreal, Canada
- New Orleans, USA
- New York, USA
- Norfolk, USA
- Oakland, USA
- Perth, Australia
- Philadelphia, USA
- Portland, USA
- Portland, USA
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- San Diego, USA
- San Francisco, USA
- Savannah, USA
- Seattle, USA
- Singapore, Singapore
- St. John's, Canada
- Sydney, Australia
- Tampa, USA
- Toronto, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
- Victoria, Canada
Need a photography diver?
Post a job for free and compare bids from divers who serve your area.