Photography is a great hobby of mine, I have followed various courses and workshops for this. The technical part; aperture, ISO, white balance… no, that's not my biggest hobby. Knowing how to capture special moments, especially in nature, makes my heart beat faster. Then you have to know how a camera works, that is.

A few years ago my passion to photograph nature under water also started. Which I might find even more fascinating than above water. So much diversity and the beautiful colors it is a special world. My sister had an underwater camera on loan, an Olympus Tough* TG-4. She is a very good photographer herself. The camera looked small, old and damaged. This can't be much, I thought.  

Let me do some research, then I'll know which underwater camera I can use best. I read all kinds of reviews, watched videos on Youtube and asked various acquaintances which underwater camera I could use best. One of those acquaintances said: “those Tough, they are good”. I thought, hey, I think I just have it at home. 

Tried it out the next day and indeed what fantastic pictures that camera takes. Add a new dimension to snorkeling and diving. However, I always respect the underwater life. Approach calmly and do not touch anything. Due to the calm approach, the fish often come to you curiously. So come take a look and then swim quietly further. Furthermore, I do not work with a lamp or flash. The sun does the work for me. I regularly look up to see if the clouds are already leaving for the perfect picture. 

In the meantime I have bought a TG-6 with underwater housing, so that I can shoot up to a depth of 45m. Not that I would ever go that deep, but the possibility is there.

'When the going gets Tough, the Tough get going'.

*Olympus Tough is a small all-weather camera that can take a beating. Without the underwater housing, the camera can reach a depth of 15m. Really a super macro and micro mode. The 4K movie function is also fine. It takes beautiful pictures and is very user-friendly.