Today every third diver (if not more) have their own digital underwater camera. The resulting pictures are often disappointing – they lack the nice colors of the underwater world, have white spots all over the picture or are not exposed correctly. Often it requires just a bit of understanding of camera functions to achieve a dramatic improvement of the results. The Digital Underwater Photography Instructor Course (DUP) Level 1 & 2 is aimed to teach you how to provide this guidance. And – while learning how to teach, you learn how to take better pictures of your students. These pictures can then be used for marketing purposes.
Level 1 photography aims at pictures taken without an external light source (strobe or torch) and limits the diver to rather shallow depth. The course covers aspects such as white balancing and camera settings for the best results. In the level 2 course the students learn how to take benefit of an external light source and how to use the camera functions for mixed light pictures – that is – use some settings to achieve a nice color of the water in the background, while using other settings to achieve a correct exposure of the subject in the picture. The course still makes use of the automatic functions of the camera, which limits the possibilities to a certain extent.
You should plan 2 days to complete the course. Training will be equally divided between theory and practical application. Candidates should have the PADI DUP manual and the book “Your First Digital Underwater Pictures” from Scuba Publications.
In level 3 Digital Underwater Photography (DUP level 3) all limitations are taken away. In this course you learn how to teach the use of manual settings on both the camera and the strobe. With the knowledge in this course, your students learn to take pictures that can compete with the pictures seen in diving magazines. Also for you this level of photography opens new doors. You will be able to take pictures at a level suitable for your internet page and brochure.
For level 3 photography you should plan 4 days if you did not yet complete the level 1 & 2 Instructor course. Those who are already photo instructor at the basic level should plan 3 days for their training (there is some overlap with the previous course, but the approach is different which requires the extra day). During the course you have the choice to either use one of our cameras, or your own. The last option is preferred because this will prepare you for the manipulations of the camera you are going to using after the course is completed. The camera should have an option for manual settings though.
Candidates must have the Scuba Publications Instructor Kit (either in the complete version or the basic version).
Tip: order your Instructor Kit or Basic Instructor Kit before coming to the course via Scuba-Logistics. This does not only allow you to prepare yourself before coming to the course, but also activates your account that allows you to buy books for your future students at interesting prices.
The College can offer complete flexibility for the scheduling of your course. You can opt for half or full days, do several days of training without taking a break or take your course one day at a time. Learning is a personal experience and you should opt for a schedule that fits your needs. The current prices for our courses and services are found in the latest version of our brochure.
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