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Read Mark's chapter |
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Mark / Steve "I would just like to again thank you for a full and informative course,that was conducted in such a relaxed way that I couldn't believe that it was 13 hours long .I have come away knowing which direction to go with my diving and will continue to try to improve my photography." Andrew INON UK Level One Underwater Photography Course participant
Thanks again guys" Claire INON UK Level One Underwater Photography Course particpant |
"Overall I thought it was an excellent course. I came as a point & shoot snapper with minimal understanding of photographic theory, wanting to learn more, and this is exactly what I got from the day. I thought the classroom sessions were informative, about the right length and covered the subjects well. I now understand why pictures I have taken in the past have failed to meet my expectations and ways I can improve with my current setup / equipment I may need to purchase to move on. Pool sessions were good, having communication underwater made the whole learning experience easier, The exercises were well thought out to show the effects of changing settings on picture output, and the continuous feedback provided guidance through the day. The props greatly aid the experience and assist in getting it right. The ideas around composition were really helpful, this is something I still have to improve on but will come with practise. It was a very long day and I think that towards the end of the 2nd pool session I had got tired and lost focus on what I was trying to do, I think it may have been better to have the 2nd pool session slightly earlier in the day, but not sure how this would have fitted in around the theory Initially I thought that £249 seemed slightly expensive for a 1 day course, however taking into account the class size, amount of subject covered and the experience and skills of Mark / Steve it was very good value. I was pleased that although the course was based around INON products, there was no sales pressure at all". Simon Bradley |
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INON UK Level One Underwater
Photography Course
with INON UK Underwater Photography
Instructor Examiners Mark Koekemoer and Steve Warren
"Great course, Awesome setup, Passionate inspiring instructors! The course did what it said on the tin and exceeded my expectations; I really enjoyed it and got a lot from the course structure!" Scott Evans
If you really want to make breathtaking underwater photographs with your digital compact camera, our INON UK Level One underwater photography course gives you the knowledge and skills to realise your ambitions. Our INON UK Level One underwater photography course combines a host of elements that, together, make this a uniquely productive and enjoyable learning experience. The course is an intensive introduction to underwater photography techniques that goes way beyond just point andshoot snapping to show you the creative skills that will let you take great underwater photographs easily and consistently.
Our INON UK Level One underwater photography courses are co - taught by two highly experienced underwater photographers - Mark Koekemoer and Steve Warren. Only working with four students in a class, Steve and Mark are able to provide lots of personal attention to each client and their combined experience as underwater photographers is a fantastic resource you can draw on throughout your time with them. Both are contributing authors to Martin Edge's definitive guide "The Underwater Photographer - The Fourth Edition" and Mark writes the "Photocall" series on digital underwater photography for "Diver Magazine". Mark and Steve developed the INON UK Level One underwater photography course used by INON UK Underwater Photography Academies.
The setting for our INON UK Level One underwater photography courses is on the incredible Ocean Optics Underwater Photography Stage. The Ocean Optics Underwater Photography Stage is housed in Underwater Studios filming tank, which is crystal clear and kept at a balmy 28 degrees. Described by "Sport Diver Magazine" as tropical reef diving in Essex, the stage was designed from the ground up specifically for us to teach underwater photography courses. A selection of underwater workstations let you learn and practice the camera skills you'll later use on your next underwater photography trip.
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The heart of the Ocean Optics Underwater Photography Stage is a replica Caribbean tropical reef. Made up of lifesize table and staghorn corals, sponges and gorgonians, the reef brings unprecedented realism to our INON UK Level One underwater photography courses. It's large enough that each of our students will find plenty of space to work by themselves during your guided underwater photography tasks. You'll use the reef in many different ways on your course. You'll master wide-angle photography and try creative techniques like close focus wide angle on it, among many other things. The reef is populated by a selection of small and mid sized fish to help you master fish portraiture. Hidden all around the reef you'll discover lots of critters from tiny sea snails and seahorses to life size octopus and young morays. These will be your subjects for close up and macro exercises during your course. Our sunken cruiser lets you go to work on wreck photography using fisheye lenses. Fergal the hammerhead shark is backlit by a full size Arri motion picture lamp that replicates sunlight. All photography, whether working on land or underwater, depends upon understanding and controlling light. Fergal will help you gets to grips with shooting silhouettes, learn fill flashtechniques and freeze sunbeams for truly evocative images.
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To ensure you get the maximum benefit from your day at Ocean Optics, we provide each client with a complete underwater camera system. This avoids sharing which would halve your practice time and be hugely counterproductive. Along with a Fuji camera and underwater housing, you'll be equipped with an INON underwater strobe, INON UWL105AD wide-angle lens, INON UFL165AD fisheye lens and an INON UCL165AD close up lens. Using our INON underwater camera systems means you can work with the camera accessories that are essential to making stunning underwater photographs. You are obviously welcome to bring along your own underwater camera as well. However if you don't have accessory lenses and strobes, you may find your learning limited. A good compromise is to use our underwater cameras for learning underwater photography techniques and use your own during freetime.
During your photography training dives on the Ocean Optics underwater stage you'll be equipped with a special underwater radio receiver. This allows Mark and Steve to talk to you without introducing delays for surfacing or taking up valuable time to write on slates. This means they can literally look over your shoulder as you line up a shot and offer one to one advice, just as you're used to from when you learned almost anything else topside, like driving a car. This is an intensive underwater photography course that assumes no previous experience of land or underwater
photography. It's been designed for beginners, but doesn't confine itself to just the very basics that can, bluntly, be learned from a cursory glance at the Internet. Along with a very hands on approach in the water, Steve and Mark will explain the theory you need to understand to take underwater images you can be genuinely proud of. Mark and Steve know that many divers find the jargon of underwater photography confusing and intimidating. They've designed the INON UK Level One Underwater Photography Course with that in mind. The course progresses logically and with clear explanations. They've done their best to make sure you'll find this underwater photography course comprehensive and easy to follow without dumbing it down. The INON UK Powerpoint presentations clearly explain the problems of shooting pictures underwater and make it easier to understand the solutions and when and how to apply them. For example, you'll learn about how even the clearest water badly affects the light levels, colours and contrast upon which good photography depends. Then you'll be shown how you can overcome these problems with combinations of techniques and equipment.
After each theory session there's an evaluation to ensure you haven't missed out on any vital information. Following each photography dive on the Ocean Optics Underwater Stage Mark and Steve will review a selection of each student's images and discuss the results in detail. This is a vital step in learning to use your experience on your Ocean Optics underwater photography course to make better underwater photographs in open water.
Ocean Optics INON UK Level One underwater photography course brings together an unmatched range of features and benefits. They make this underwater photography course for digital compact camera users unique in the UK and fantastic value at an introductory cost of just £249.00.
For more information, give Mark or Steve a call
.Ocean Optics INON UK Level One Underwater Photography Course overview
Classroom Topics:
Effect of water on light - explaining |
Noise |
How we see in air and underwater |
Restoring colour - natural light solutions |
What a camera is and how it sees |
Restoring colour - underwater strobe photography |
Understanding exposure - |
Built in, wide-angle, fisheye, and close up lenses - what they are,what they do and when to use them |
Thinking about taking better underwater photographs - Mark and Steve talk you through their best images and how they |
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POOL SESSION
Session 1
- Shutter speed limitations
- Preventing motion blur
- Limitations of visibility on sharpness and contrast
- Shooting silhouettes
- Fish portraiture
- Wide-angle photography
- Fish eye photography
Session 2
- Strobe photography
- Understanding strobe range
- Preventing backscatter
- Getting the correct strobe exposure
- Darkening backgrounds
- Using flash fill
- Close focus wide-angle skills
- Close up and macro photography
Get the book!
Martin Edge's "The Underwater Photographer - Fourth Edition"
Quite simply the most comprehensive guide to underwater digital stills photography ever written. Martin has been at the forefront of teaching underwater photography through his SLR courses, presentations, photo safaris, magazine articles and, of course, the legendary three previous editions of "The Underwater Photographer" for more than twenty years.
It's really essential reading and in over 500 pages covers every imaginable topic. Martin has a very down to earth approach and easily gets across seemingly daunting information that can really help you move forward as an underwater photographer. "The Underwater Photographer - Fourth Edition' is for all divers who use cameras underwater. INON UK Underwater Photography Instructor Examiners Mark Koekemoer and Steve Warren were kindly invited by Martin to contribute chapters. Mark has written on compact underwater cameras and Steve on D- SLR housings. "The Underwater Photographer - Fourth Edition" perfectly compliments your Ocean Optics INON UK Level One Underwater Photography Course. Only £25.00.
Join Mark at one of the worlds best underwater photography destinations in summer 2011. Mark is leading a select photo safari to Atlantis Dive Resorts in the Philippines. This is a two centre trip which will present you with some wonderful opportunities to create a diverse and fascinating portfolio from the tropical Pacific. More details
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