Feedback and Stories of Happy Photography Course Guests

Come and discover the fun of underwater photography with our newly designed, easy-to-understand courses based on over 20 years of experience with compact cameras in the beautiful surroundings of Swanage, Dorset.

Whether you are a keen swimmer, a casual snorkeller or a super keen diver just starting out with your Go Pro, compact camera, or maybe you've purchased lenses or extra video lights or strobes and need some guidance as to how to make the most out of your equipment, there's a tailor-made course for you.  There's also also lenses here which you are welcome to look at before making a purchase.

Maria pioneered the first EVER dedicated UK courses to help beginners with compact cameras and Go Pros BELIEVE that they could create beautiful images in 2005, launching them at the Birmingham NEC Dive Show and regularly giving talks both there, at London Excel and more recently gave the FIRST ever talk on Underwater Photography at The Photography Show last year at the NEC.

She has completely renovated a studio space just steps away from the sea in Swanage and designed it full of images to inspire guests that they can take beautiful images with any kind of make, model of compact camera, with or without any additional accessories.  There is a 43 inch 4K, HD TV Screen to bring your own images and video to life as well as lots of tea, coffee and hot chocolate :)

Whichever course you choose, you can be sure that Maria will share all of her hard-won tips from experiencing many of the world's most incredible creatures.

Her previous course guests who she taught include Erick Higuera whose work has been seen regularly on the BBC's Blue Planet and Planet Earth Series and is a Multi-Award Winning Videographer as well as National Geographic Explorer.

 

 

 

   

Meet Daniel Norwood, now Editor of Dive PhotoGuide who came to me not knowing how to use a strobe.  One day helping him before his trip away, he went onto scoop Sport Diver's "Photo of the Month" competition a couple of months later, then the British Society of Underwater Photographer's Best Beginner with a Fuji Compact Camera using One Strobe the same month, and now has his own dive centre in the Bahamas working with sharks.  Just one of many incredible success stories.

 

Here's Alex who recently came on a course to my new studio to master her Olympus TG6 and her Weefine Video Light.  This is what she had to say:

"I met Maria about 5 years ago at the Dive Show and she must have made an impression.  I have always been a bit of a point and press and hope for the best with my camera.  I decided to upgrade and thought this is the time to actually learn a bit more.

Communication was great and I sent some of my pictures so that Maria could see what I was doing and then she tailored the course around me focusing on settings, lighting and composition which is what I wanted to start off with.  I spent about 4 hours with her that flew by and I feel I learnt absolutely loads and finally had an understanding on how I could improve my pictures.

I can't wait to get underwater and start practicing.  All the way through Maria has been supportive and knowledgeable on my agenda.

I would highly recommend spending a few hours with her if you want to improve the way you use your compact camera underwater and even on land."

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All images taken by Anna Kennedy

Anna came to me at the studio just before Christmas to prepare for her upcoming trip to Egypt with Emperor Divers.  She had been using her Olympus TG6 compact camera for a while but using just the custom white balance setting.  She had recently bought two INON Z-330 strobes but had no idea how to use them.

We spent the whole day, starting with coffee at nearby Chococcos of course, going through her existing images, settings she used and explained how ISOs, Apertures and Shutter Speeds work together to obtain the correct exposure and practiced techniques and a whole heap of composition angles whilst I showed her tips and ideas on the TV.

She left very. happy which made me happy and I was even more happy when I saw her images taken on her very first attempt.   Well done Anna!