We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images that showcase white as a design element, and they returned with a sublime collection of macro to wide-angle shots featuring a variety of marine life and underwater seascapes,from reefs to wrecks to scenes under the ice.
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(To see all the images in the article, scroll down to the end and download the PDF.)
Here, X-Ray Mag contributors share their chosen images from the tropical waters of Papua New Guinea, Yap, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Egyptian Red Sea, the Bahamas and Mexico to the subtropical and temperate waters of South Africa, the US East Coast, and Vancouver and Newfoundland in Canada.
A Visual Anchor
Text and photos by Lureen Ferretti
In the underwater world, white is not just a color—it is a transformative element that can elevate your images. When wielded skillfully, white can act as a visual anchor, directing the viewer’s eye to the main subject amidst the other elements in the photo. In the photo of the sea anemone, its delicate tendrils gently sway in the current, creating a stark contrast against the vast, deep blue backdrop.
White also serves as a powerful tool for lighting, as you can see in the jellyfish photo. The bright white sunrays were strategically positioned behind the jellyfish to naturally draw one’s attention to it, revealing details and textures that would otherwise go unseen.
The third photo of what appears to be a large sandcastle is actually a huge coral structure. It was photographed while angled toward the sky, allowing the sun rays and the big white puffy clouds to stand out. White generally symbolizes simplicity and tranquility in underwater scenes, often associated with the pristine, untouched beauty of the ocean. Unfortunately, this one tells a different story, as this coral is usually tan. The stress of high ocean temperatures has caused it to bleach.
Wouldn’t you agree that in the hands of a creative photographer, white becomes more than a color—it allows one to transform into a storyteller?
Visit: instagram.com/lureenferrettiphotography
White and Its Subtleties
Text and photos by John A. Ares
Photographs are largely a combination of a variety of colors and shades of black and white. For the theme of this feature, we were to concentrate on white. In the old days of film, there was something called the Zone System, which is described in Chapters 8 through 10 of The Art of Photography – An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum (Rocky Nook Publishing). Nowadays, with digital photography, the process of rendering white is a bit different, using digital sensors as opposed to exposing film negatives and developing them with chemicals, which is described in Chapter 11.
Photo 1 was made by shooting a jellyfish in an aquarium. This image is pure color, as you can see slight blues in the body of the jellyfish. I think the slight variations in color work better in this image than converting the photo to pure black and white. Photo 2 shows a white egg cowry on a white coral. The subtleties between the tones of white are quite noticeable. Photo 3 shows a Cassiopea jellyfish in midwater, where it was tinted green when I spotted it. However, the strobes reflected the white areas of the jellyfish, making it appear quite different in the resulting image. Visit: JohnAres.com
White Shapes and Patterns
Text and photos by Sheryl Checkman
When you think of design in underwater photography, color is usually a main element. However, if you take color out of the equation and reduce images to black and white, the white shapes and patterns created either by sunlight or strobe light help to create unique design elements.
In the case of the whale shark in the photo I took while snorkeling in Oslob, Cebu, in the Philippines, strobes were not allowed. Since I photographed the shark at the surface, the sunlight reflecting off both the shark’s face and the surface of the water created linear stripes of white and shadow that contrasted nicely with the white spots on the whale shark’s dark upper body.
In the macro photo of a cushion sea star that I took at the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida, the white design element comes from the contrasting color and texture of the starfish, creating an abstract, geometric honeycomb design.
At Punta in Dumaguete, the black and white stripes of a snake eel slithering diagonally across my frame from top right to bottom left divided the photo composition in two, making a dynamic design in itself. Visit: Instagram.com/SherylCheckman
White as a Compositional Element
Text and photos by Anita George-Ares, PhD
Female spinecheek anemonefish are larger than the males, as shown in Photo 1. While many species of anemonefish live in a variety of anemone species, spinecheek anemonefish live only in bubble-tip anemones, which occur in many colors. In this image, the wide white rings on the tips of the anemone tentacles create both an interesting background and foreground and complement the white bands of the anemonefish.
In Photo 2, the curled tentacles of the Cerianthus anemone form a pleasing composition reminiscent of abstract art. Shades of brown and white are predominant in this image. The texture of the coarse sand contrasts with the smooth texture of the anemone tentacles.
White and shades of white, with brown, green or purple tints, occur in the portrait of the circular spadefish (Photo 3). The white areas enhance the golden yellow areas of the fish’s face, which appear to glow. Visit: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100016947967639
White as a Versatile Tool
Text and photos by Kate Jonker
White is not just a colour in underwater photography—it is a design element that shapes mood, contrast and texture.
In high-key underwater photography, white plays a leading role. This technique embraces brightness, minimising harsh shadows to create eye-catching images. In macro photography, a bright background highlights the subject, making colours stand out and enhancing a minimalist look. White acts as a natural reflector, bouncing light and adding luminosity—whether from a sandy seabed, a pale coral or an artificial backdrop.
White also commands attention. A snooted white nudibranch against a black background becomes an instant focal point. The eyes of a goby perched on white bubble coral stand out in sharp detail. Even a jellyfish set against the bright, overexposed surface of the ocean can take on a dreamy, celestial quality.
Used boldly or subtly, white is a versatile tool in underwater photography, elevating both composition and storytelling, ensuring that subjects do not just blend in—but stand out. Visit: katejonker.com
Shades of White
Text and photos by Matthew Meier
My original thought when considering this “Shades of White” theme was that I did not have many images that fit the category, except, of course, those photographs that I had converted to black and white. However, as I was processing my photos from a recent trip to the Philippines, I realized that I had several examples of underwater life that were nearly entirely white.
There were plenty of macro subjects, including soft corals, crinoids, bubble corals, shrimps, crabs and anemones. I even found a massive sea fan, over 70ft down a wall, that looked perfectly healthy and not bleached, surrounded by fish life.
The two barrel sponges in my example image may have lost their color due to the sun and/or warming water. Despite their large size, they were anchored only a few feet below the surface and exposed to an abundance of sunlight and warming conditions.
I was curious to see how my fellow photographers would interpret this assignment and am intrigued by the images they selected for this theme. Visit: MatthewMeierPhoto.com
White Accents
Text and photos by Brandi Mueller
While looking through images to find the color white, I was pleasantly surprised to find white accents on fish and other marine life. I did not often think of white as a predominant color underwater, except in over-exposed negative space or large expanses of white sand, but the photos showed otherwise.
In Photo 1, I love the way the bright white eyes of the white-eyed moray make the eel pop out of the shadowy darkness of a crevasse. The white stripe of an orange skunk clownfish adds emphasis and vibrance in Photo 2. The white outline of a Willan’s chromodoris nudibranch contrasts with its blues and purples (Photo 3). In Photo 4, the white body of an emperor shrimp stands out against the bright red of the rest of its body, and this particular one was on a black and white nudibranch—trying to blend in, white on white. Visit: brandiunderwater.com
Shades of White
Text and photos by Gary Rose, MD
What is white? Scientifically, white is defined as “the reflection of most wavelengths of visible light, the opposite of black” (Oxford Dictionary). White shows up in many ways in underwater photography. As underwater photographers, we try to portray the undersea world in all its beauty, which usually means lots of colors, across the wavelengths of visible light, and lots of blue. Many shades of blue. White also has many shades if you are willing to allow yourself to see the array.
Photo 1 clearly demonstrates the beautiful gray to white countershading of this huge female tiger shark. Countershading is the camouflage that many sharks have—when the shark is viewed from above, the tan or gray of its dorsal surface (back) melts into the reef or bottom below, and when viewed from below, the white of its ventral surface (abdomen) disappears against the backdrop of the much lighter surface above. In this photo, the white of the abdomen is highlighted against the deep blue clear water of Tiger Beach, Grand Bahama Island, with undulating waves and a dive boat up above.
Photo 2 shows a beautiful lemon shark off the coast of Jupiter, Florida, with subtle countershading. However, it is the bright white of the sunburst, framed by Snell’s window, that provides the drama and beauty of this shot. Snell’s window is a beautiful phenomenon of light caused by the refraction of light as it enters the water.
The most transcendent lighting I have ever seen underwater was in the deep Pacific Ocean, 375 miles (~604km) south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico—the Revillagigedo Archipelago (now more commonly called Socorro). These sea mounts plunge thousands of feet to the ocean floor below. The surrounding waters are constantly refreshed by the thousands of miles of open Pacific Ocean. The most heavenly and brightest white I have ever witnessed beneath the waves is that of the ventral surface of the giant mantas that dance against the backdrop of the uncanny blue waters surrounding the islands (Photo 3).
Just as painters have a palette of colors and shades to create and enhance their paintings, we digital photographers are able to create and enhance our photographic compositions. In Photo 4, I removed all color in postproduction and created, with the very brightest of whites and a little gray shading, a stylized rendition of a great white shark. By doing this, I emphasized the simplicity of structure and hydrodynamics that have made this beautiful shark such a successful survivor for 70 million years and its ancestors dating back 200-400 million years. I captured this moment at Guadalupe Island, Mexico.
Beginning with natural countershading and progressing to a reduction in brilliant white, it is evident that white has many shades. Playing with white can be used in a multitude of ways to emphasize and enhance the subject of a photo. Visit: garyrosephotos.com
White as a Defining Feature
Text and photos by Michael Rothschild, MD
White in the visual arts is often an absence: negative space or blown-out highlights. It rarely acts as a defining feature of an image—always a frame, never the subject. But it can be powerful when balanced against detail, contrast and color.
Photo 1 uses bright white bubbles to tell the story of a ripping current as divers cling to the anchor line, giving this still photo life and animation. Photo 2 sets the ascending spear hunter against the white circle of Snell’s window, made by the bright New Jersey sky above the surface. In Photo 3, the white bone of the huge skull means time—the years of bleaching since the whaling industry of Newfoundland shut down. And the white in Photo 4 is a visitor from the Arctic, the bright ice of a massive berg drifting south to melt in warmer waters—but not before one lucky diver got to run his hand over its rippled walls. Visit: dive.rothschilddesign.com
White Features
Text and photos by Olga Torrey
In June 2016, I saw my first giant oceanic manta ray in Socorro. Its size, grace and intelligence captivated me and grew my admiration for these creatures. I followed the dive guide’s advice on how to behave around manta rays to enjoy the experience and get good shots. I used a Panasonic 7-14mm lens but wished I had my fisheye lens because the mantas came very close. I angled my lens up to capture the diamond shape of the white pattern on the underbelly with the remora attached for a free ride.
As I penetrated the Aeolus shipwreck, I entered an interior space called “The Shark Ball Room” and saw a dozen sand tiger sharks circling in and out. I could not believe how close the sharks were swimming around me. I wanted to take a photo of the frontal view of the shark’s face, showing the row of sharp, white teeth. I waited patiently until one of the sharks headed toward me. I pressed the shutter button before the shark turned away.
Twelve years ago, I ventured into the cold waters of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, Canada. I was astonished by the rich and diverse marine life I photographed there. I had immense opportunities for wide-angle and macro photography. A white-lined dirona nudibranch, with its translucent and opalescent white outline, looked like a snowflake as it sat on a blade of kelp.
Papua New Guinea has an astonishing diversity of reefs and fish and is a paradise for photographers. The variety and beauty of the nudibranchs was overwhelming. A miniature melo bubble snail (Micromelo undatus), dotted with white, cannot fully retract its soft parts into its tiny shell and survives by using camouflage and speed to avoid predators. Visit: fitimage.nyc
