Introduction to Underwater Photography - Ponta do Ouro

About the course

It’s almost time for my next beginner’s underwater photography course at Gozo Azul in Ponta do Ouro. It’s super easy to get into the town these days on the new tar road. Hosted by the co-owners of Gozo Azul, Natalie and Marcus, I’m always excited to get back to the diverse and rich Ponto reef.

I love to teach in Ponto. Firstly, the weather and conditions in the protected bay are indeed a natural wonder, and this means we always get to dive and complete our course. Secondly, we will be diving in a marine reserve and as a result, the reefs and fish life are in great condition.

This vibey little town is still a great place for divers and non-divers alike. There is a safe swimming beach a short, 5/10-minute walk from virtually anywhere so if you want to bring a non-diving spouse or friend they can go snorkelling or fishing, 4 x4 adventuring or walking on the beaches.

They could also take a dolphin trip with local legendary dolphin lady and guru Angie Gullan who you can find here. It’s a fascinating and quirky little town with some quaint markets, restaurants and shops to explore.

Includes / Excludes

Includes: 4 x nights accommodation, 6 x dives, SCUBA gear rental, Course tuition

Excludes: Underwater camera, meals, transport to / from Ponta do Oura, diver insurance

Cost

R6450 p.p

Quick Info

Location: Ponta do Ouro
Duration: 4 days

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Course Schedule

Here’s some info on what I cover to start my students out on this fantastic adventure of underwater photography.

Day one:

We meet for a wake-me-up caffeine kick and then delve into your underwater camera, and it’s buttons and settings; we take a look at possible upgrades and why you could or should. Next, we move into the basics of shooting in all the modes your camera will allow including the ultimate – full manual mode. We will talk about maintenance and preparation of your equipment, and by then you’ve had enough of me talking, and it’s time to set up your equipment. After a lunch break, we will spend a few hours in the pool practising everything learned in the morning session. Here you can ask me loads of questions. We will prep. the cameras for the next day. After a quick shower and tea, there’s an overview of the Adobe Lightroom workspace and how to download your photos safely. A quick dinner and you’ll be in bed early as it’s a long day for your brain!

Day two:

Whoop Whoop- it’s time to dive baby. We will do a pre-dive briefing on the photographic skills we are using for the day and then we hit the water with a vengeance. We do two dives, and they are usually both macro dives on this first dive day. After a well-deserved lunch and perhaps a power nap, it’s back to some theory. We’ll be downloading and looking at your shots from the morning and learning more about the Lightroom library area at the same time. After the crit. Session and a coffee we will get back into some more theory and cover such topics as wide-angle shooting; perfect strobe placement; use of ambient light; reading the ‘peak of the moment’. Adobe Lightroom work for the day includes a look at the develop module. We will set up our cameras for day 3 and then it’s time to chill and enjoy the Moz vibes.

Day three:

As usual, there’s a pre-dive briefing on the photographic skills we will practise and today it’s wide-angle we are concentrating on. We whip around the reefs on 2 spectacular dives and then it’s time to feed the ravenous and have a nap. Same as day two, we do a crit session and then it’s time to choose some photos that really worked and some that really didn’t and to do a group discussion- helping each other to find out why- based on what you’ve been taught. Now, it’s time to really apply the knowledge you’ve acquired over the past 2 days. I will preside of course !! The Lightroom work for the day includes a look at the remaining modules, esp. the slideshow module and how to watermark and export correctly. We get the cameras ready for the last 2 dives – Yes- there are 2 more dives on this course. Fantastic. Six dives will definitely help you to get your skills deeply practised.

Day four:

On this day you can choose whether you’d like to do macro or wide-angle and I’ll be guiding you through some new techniques and introducing some new concepts. I’ll give you some examples of shots I’d like you to try and re-create, using your shiny new skills. After these two dives, there’s a short lunch gap (and maybe a nap if you eat fast) before attacking those computers to prepare our slide-shows in Lightroom. I’ll also show you how to get your best shots out onto social media, appropriately watermarked and resized so they can’t be stolen. After all, they’ll be THAT desirable! On this final evening, we will present a combined slideshow and presentation of certificates whilst enjoying a braai.

That’s a wrap.