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Nirupam Nigam

scott geitler / bluewater photo

Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide

President of Bluewater Photo & Video

Nirupam Nigam is a dedicated underwater photographer and fisheries scientist, andone of the world's few full-time underwater photography editors.

Nirupam Nigam underwater Photography
Nirupam Nigam

Nirupam Nigam is a passionate underwater photographer and the world's leading expert in underwater photo & video equipment. Nirupam carries the unique distinction of having shot more modern camera models underwater than anyone else on Earth: 47 and counting! As president of Bluewater Photo, his deep technical knowledge forms the basis of our underwater camera reviews and recommendations to our customers.


While growing up in Southern California, Nirupam went snorkeling for the first time and was captivated by the cathedral of light found at the kelp forest canopy. He began his journey as an underwater photographer at the age of 15 while testing underwater photo equipment as an intern at Bluewater Photo and as a deckhand on the Spectre Dive Boat.


Nirupam received degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science, General Biology, and Arctic studies from the University of Washington. After college he spent a few years as a fisheries observer on fishing vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific, collecting data for NOAA. This provided him the opportunity to travel to and dive in dozens of countries between contracts.


After getting married, he decided it was time to settle on land and in 2017 took over as the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide - the world's largest online resource for underwater photographers. At the Underwater Photography Guide, Nirupam reviews dozens of cameras, underwater strobes, camera accessories, housings, and any other gadget and gizmo imaginable. Nirupam also organizes Ocean Art, the world's most prestigious underwater photo contest. In 2020, while the pandemic was in full swing, Nirupam developed Bluewater University to help budding photographers take online classes in underwater photography and video.


You can get in touch with him at nirupam@uwphotographyguide.com and through his website www.photosfromthesea.com. Be sure to join him on one of underwater photoworkshops he leads with Bluewater Travel


What's in Nirupam's Dive Bag?

Photo Gear

Nikon Z6,
Nikon Z8,
Nikon 105mm macro Z,
Nikon F 8-15mm fisheye,
Marelux Z8 housing.
Ikelite Z6 housing,
Ikelite DS 232 strobes,
Ikelite DS 160II strobes,
Sea & Sea YS-D3 Duo strobes,
Marelux Apollo S strobes,
Nikon 60mm macro lens,
Kraken KRL-09s macro to wide conversion here,
Bluewater 3000 video light,

Scuba Gear

Bare wetsuit,
weezle,
mares avanti quattro pros,
mares x vision mask,
waterproof 7mm wetsuit w8,
mares 5mm glove


Latest Reviews by Nirupam Nigam

The Best Scuba Fins, Tested by Divers (2026 Edition)
The Marelux Apollo Y was quietly released in late 2025 without much fanfare or buzz. In fact I almost missed the update. But when Staney from Marelux shipped me a demo strobe, I was floored – this was the entry [...]
Sony 100mm Macro Lens Review
The Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 macro lens is one of the most exciting things to happen to Sony underwater macro shooters in the last decade. It represents a significant update to [...]
Sony A7 V Underwater Camera Review
The Sony A7 V is Sony's newest prosumer hybrid full-frame mirrorless camera and the successor to the extremely popular Sony A7 IV. The A7 IV has been one of our best-selling cameras at Bluewater Photo since [...]
The Top Sony A7V Underwater Settings
The Sony A7V is Sony's newest generation full frame mirrorless camera, bringing improved autofocus tracking, enhanced AI subject recognition, strong 33 megapixel image quality, and robust video features (including 4K/120p recording) into a very versatile body. The Sony A7V inherits Sony's new menu system which is much more intuitive than previous menu systems. But if [...]
Marelux SOFT Lite 2.0 Underwater Snoot Review
The Marelux SOFT (Smart Optical Flash Tube) Lite 2.0 is the world's top underwater snoot. Snoots are devices that reduce the beam of light from an underwater strobe in order to isolate macro subjects. They easily produce black background images because they light the primary subject, and they do not light reflective clutter in the [...]
Sea & Sea YS-D130R Underwater Strobe Review
The Sea & Sea YS-D130R marks Sea & Sea’s return to the flagship strobe category—nearly two decades after the release of the original YS-250 Pro. The YS-250 Pro set the benchmark for professional underwater photographers in the early 2000s, and despite a long line of capable successors in the popular YS-D series (D1, D2, and D3), [...]
Bluewater 3000 Underwater Video Light Review
The Bluewater 3000 underwater video light is the world's smallest underwater video light, weighing in at just over half a pound (275 grams)! Despite its small form factor, it packs a powerful 3000 lumen punch with a beam angle of 100 degrees at 6500K. One light is the ideal tool for macro video, and two can [...]
Marelux Artemis 4500 Underwater Video Light Review
Marelux Artemis 4500 RMT Video Light Review The Marelux Artemis 4500 RMT is a compact, three-color underwater video light that delivers impressive brightness, soft falloff, and creative versatility in a travel-friendly body. Rated at 4500 lumens, its wide 120° beam and neutral 6000K color temperature produce natural, flattering illumination for both macro and wide-angle shooting. In real [...]

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