Since I received my first NAUI Open water certification in the early 90’s I was always drawn to capture the excitement I experienced and to share it with friends, family and later clients. My first attempts with a SONY video 8 camera in a housing that resembled more the shape and size of a vacuum cleaner made me and my immediate family proud (they wouldn’t have dared to tell the truth).
Next phase was the upgrade to Hi8, new housing, lights and all. I felt like a pro! Especially when it came to chat to the check in lady and trying to get 40KG of excess luggage checked. Those were the days.
Fast forward to 2011. I see even novice divers with a small camera in a sleek housing, taken pictures and video that sometimes rival my best efforts in the early nineties. Technology is so good these days that your potential results can easily qualify to become viral on Facebook or YouTube. Still it is not all technology – the “auto” settings return great average results. To take better then average pictures underwater you must not only get a feel for the light underwater – its opportunities and limitations, you need to learn a lot about the subjects you want to photograph.
You can do this like me and add experience with every dive – or you speed up the learing process and take advice from a pro. What better then combining your next dive holiday with an intensive coaching session. Many liveaboards have resident photopros on board who are more then willing to oblige. And then there are special courses scheduled, like the series next year at TUFI Dive Resort in Papua New Guinea.
Learn from a pro
In May 2012 Christopher Bartlett, an experienced photo-journalist who has published his pictures in many dive magazines and brochures, will teach three 5- day Compact Camera Workshops. In those courses he will cover equipment preparation and setup, underwater guidance and subject finding, composition, lighting, no flash photography, digital image processing. Classes will be limited to 6 participants only!
You get five nights twin share deluxe accommodation, all (yummy) meals, eight morning dives on the outer reefs, four afternoon critter dives, one night dive and the course for only AUD 1850.00/person. And you get to experience one of PNGs finest dive location!
Dates: 2-6 May 2012 – 9-13 May 2012 – 16-20 May 2012
Contact Diversion Dive Travel 1800 607 913 / info@diversiondivetravel.com.au for travel suggestions, flights and more info on Christopher’s’ courses.
