Who Invented Underwater Photography?

Nowadays, we see underwater photography all the time. But it wasn’t always that way! As a marine photographer myself, I am fascinated by the history of photography.

This leads me to the question: Who invented underwater photography? What’s the story behind that first picture? Let’s dive into it in this blog post.

William Thompson: The Pioneer

It all began with William Thompson, who took the first-ever underwater photo. In 1856, Thompson, armed with a camera encased in a waterproof housing, submerged his equipment in Weymouth Bay, England.

This first picture was of boulders and seaweed. But Thompson only took this picture for engineering purposes, not to capture the wildlife below the surface.

Louis Boutan: The Underwater Photography Innovator

Louis Boutan was a Frenchman who revolutionized underwater photography. In the late 19th century, Boutan and his colleague Joseph David wanted to document marine life in its natural habitat. They faced the challenges of an underwater environment head-on at Banyuls-sur-Mer.

Boutan developed the first practical underwater camera that could handle the pressure of the environment. However, Boutan and David had to figure out how to illuminate their subjects. They used an oxygen-filled barrel to house a puff of magnesium for flash photography, a technique that was both innovative and risky.

One of Boutan’s most iconic underwater photographs, taken in 1893, features Emil Racovitza, a biologist, posing in front of a sign that read “Photographie Sous Marine.” This image wasn’t just a photograph; it was a statement of human capability and the potential of photography.

Boutan’s work caught the attention of the world, including prestigious institutions like National Geographic. This paved the way for future underwater explorers and photographers. His development of the camera housing and his methods for dealing with the challenging underwater lighting conditions were pivotal in the history of underwater photography.