BSAC Digital Underwater Photography Course

Course overview

Taking pictures!!!! Throughout the world more and more people are using cameras. Whether it is a small inexpensive compact digital camera or it is a sophisticated expensive one. It may even be as simple as a camera on a mobile phone, no matter which type of camera it is, we will all have had some experience in snapping off a few pictures here and there. Some of us may take some great pictures, while others are not so good. No matter what level of experience you are, taking underwater pictures changes the field a little and there are new things to be learnt.

Low light, low visibility, buoyancy problems, other divers bubble obscuring the subject, not to mention the uncontrollable and uncooperative photo subjects i.e. small fish darting in and out of your perfectly prepared frame, are just a few to mention.

The aim of the course is to teach the basic use of a compact digital camera and under water housing to students with little or no knowledge and experience of underwater photography.

Entry requirements

The entry requirement for this course is Sports Diver or equivalent.

Because of the task loading imposed by operating an underwater camera, and the risk of damage to sensitive marine life, it is recommended that before attempting underwater photography in open water conditions, students should be able to control their buoyancy within ±1m or better, and that they should be totally familiar with their own diving equipment. It is therefore recommended that before taking this course the student should attend the BSAC Buoyancy Workshop

Course Duration

The duration of this course is 1 day.

Theory Lessons

There are 5 theory lessons in total.

The first lesson looks at the issues related to the underwater environmental conditions and the effect that these conditions can have on your photo shoot. Issues such as light penetrations, colour loss at depth, the effect of light refraction and different water densities and visibility etc.

In lessons 2, we look at the digital camera together the most common functions that are used for shooting underwater photos. We start with the camera fundamental parts, such as, the cameras controls, resolutions settings, memory card and their functions, CCD chips, pixel ratios and exposure settings.

Cameras and water do not mix! So in lesson 3 we take a look at the different types of underwater housing that will protect your camera from the wet environment. Again we look at the housing controls and the crucial procedures of proper camera installation into the housing. An essential part of the housing is its watertight seals (the housing O-rings) so at this point we look at O-ring preparation and maintenance especially taking care of our housing after our dive.

Lesson 4 and 5 both address camera shooting techniques and camera settings. Having the correct camera settings for the shoot, together with the correct lighting, exposure, shutter speed and composition is very important, if the best results are to be achieved. At the end of lesson 5, we look at some safety issues that relate to under water photography. It is very important when we are taking pictures to remember where we are i.e. underwater. Therefore normal safety diving practices must be maintained, especially maximum planned depth, buddy and gas monitoring. These are sometimes forgotten when you are concentrating on taking pictures.      

Diving Practical lessons

These practical lessons consist of 2 dives. On the first dive; after preparing your camera and checking it for leaks, you will practice composing and shooting a number of still shoots. The subject in this case could be your buddy, corals or other similar still or slow moving subjects. Once you have mastered this skill you will move on to more advanced shooting. The aim of this first dive is the to establish your fundamental shooting skills. Once mastered, on the second dive you and your buddy will be left to experiment and shoot a variety of marine life, using the shooting techniques that you have already learnt.

 
Dry Practical lessons

On completion of your photo shoot the instructor and you will download the images on a computer or review them on the cameras screen. The aim is for you to analyze your pictures looking for that perfect picture or looking where you can improve your techniques.

At the end of this course you will be issued with a BSAC Underwater Photography Card.