I am currently in Grand Cayman enjoying an underwater photography workshop with Alex Mustard at Ocean Frontier.
When I first arrived on the Island, I did not know anything about photography. Reef Photo & Video load me a Sony NEXUS 5 with a Nauticam housing for my scholarship year but I did not know how to use it. I always thought underwater photography was an important tool for raising awareness and to document to a non-diver about our underwater world but I never invested time to learn how to make a nice picture.
My first dives with a camera were quite difficult. I never thought taking pictures would be so challenging. You need to get the good setting on your camera, to positions your strobes correctly, be creative, quick, and, on the top of it, being a safe diver! In the beginning, they were always a corner of my picture to bright or an ugly shade somewhere. If the lighting was good, my composition was bad. But, dive after dive I could see my pictures getting better. Thanks to my amazing teacher, Alex, and to all workshop participants!
Alex Mustard took his first underwater photography at 9 and has since published his images in books and magazines around the world, and has won many national and international awards. But Alex is not only one of the best underwater photographers; he is a passionate teacher, a very kind and patient person. It is not surprising that amateur and professional photographer comes from all around the world to participate to his workshop. It is unbelievable how much I have learned with him in only a week! Besides, as there is no competition in the end of the workshop, everyone is sharing ideas, tips and helping each other. You can really feel a team spirit.
I guess Cayman Island is a really nice place to do a photography workshop, especially to focused on wide angle and lighting. The sea beds are colorful and it is not rare to see turtles, stinger ray, eagle ray or even sharks. But my two favorite subject matters are the Kittiwake wreck and the Silversides. Every summer the caves and caverns of the East End are entirely fill with big school of the silversides. Being entirely engulfed by a school of those tiny fish are an incredible experience.
The workshop was organized at Ocean Frontier. It is the most organized and efficient dive center I even seen. The stuff is professional and super friendly. They are very helpful finding animals and are really keen on modeling!
I am enjoying my underwater photography experience a lot and I cannot wait to take more pictures during scholarship years! Stay tuned: http://owusseurope.org/
Click here to learn more about the Scholarship program, including how to apply for the 2014 Scholarships:
