I am pleased to give back to the dive community by teaching SCUBA diving and UW photography to others. I am certified by SSI as a Dive Con Specialist Instructor (#10994). Of the specialties I teach, UW Photography is one of my favorites. I like to teach Stress and Rescue too. The UW Photography class covers film and digital basics and includes a pool session. The class utilizes a combination of SSI materials and my own materials, to cover the digital aspects. I also offer a more advanced Photography class by special arrangement based on mutual availability.
If you are interested in taking SCUBA instruction from Basic OW Certification to becoming a Dive Con (equivalent to PADI’s Dive Master and Assistant Instructor Certifications) please contact Denver Divers in Denver, Colorado. E-Mail: scuba@denver-divers.com. Phone: 303-399-2877. The staff at Denver Diver keeps track of my most current class schedule and can arrange special classes as required.
It is hard to believe that photography as we know it is 150 years old. Yes, we have come a long way from the time a photographer would coat his/her glass plates with emulsion, take a photo and develop the plate in their "horse drawn" laboratory. Photography has evolved and has become very accessible via by film or digital, disposable cameras, one hour development, digital cameras, computers and affordable printers. Can you imagine what Ansel Adams would do if he had PhotoShop! Over this period of time equipment has improved and processes are easier but the basics of photography have remained relatively unchanged. Exposure time, light, f-stop, focus and film speed (or sensor speed) still need to be managed. Much of this has become automated in newer cameras so "point and shoot" has never been easier. But, to the basics, underwater photography adds the "environment" .
Underwater photography uses all the basics, but is complicated by environmental conditions created by water, pressure and depth. I remember the first time I tried my hand at underwater photography. I considered myself a good land photographer so I thought, "what could be so hard about this. It’s a camera." The adventure started with my first SCUBA dive in Saint John USVA. I was using a disposable camera rated to 15 feet. Understand, this was my first time on SCUBA and as for the camera all I knew was that it was "water proof". This was a life adventure and I was going to record it for future posterity. Right! Dave, our instructor, managed the group somewhere between the surface and 40 feet around the pilings of the pier. Buoyancy was not the art form of the day. The fish were incredible. I shot away with my camera but had one little problem. The film advance worked at less than 15 feet and locked up, to make a one shot camera, below 15 feet. Now I know what they mean by 15 feet ...%^*&$#*. With my prefect buoyancy, I managed to shoot all 24 exposures. After the dive the camera went straight to the 1 hour photo shop for developing. After an hour (I was timing this guy) I opened up the envelope and, to my amazement, I saw ... blue. Everything was blue or, at best, greenish blue. And, to add insult to injury everything was out of focus. So much for submitting these photos to National Geographic! Norbert Woo and Jim Churchill had nothing to worry about from my abstract photography. Despite my disappointing results, two great things came about with this introduction. First, I became hopelessly hooked on SCUBA diving and continued studying UW photography. No regrets, except for maybe one. I can't keep the numbers on my credit card intact because there is just too much fun UW photography equipment.
In all seriousness, If my story rings true with you, you would love to share your underwater adventures via photography and your tired of everything looking blue, please sign up for one of my classes. You will learn the basics with a little twist. Depending on the goals of the students we will focus on either film or digital. The world underwater is magical and the creation of photos that show depth, color and interest is in the reach of any diver that would like to learn. I have had good mentors and would love to share the experiences with students. We will even introduce you to Denver Diver's own little reef.