Everyone comes back from a dive wishing they had captured what they just saw, and this two-day specialty is where that wish becomes a skill. You'll learn to wield underwater strobes to bring back colour the ocean steals with depth, master positioning that banishes backscatter, and pick up the habits that separate a striking shot from a blurry miss. Open to anyone with Open Water certification, it pairs perfectly with the photography Adventure Dive from Advanced Open Water.

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In detail

About This Course

Everyone who dives eventually wants to capture what they are seeing, and the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty is built to turn that instinct into genuine skill. Over two days you will move well beyond simply pointing a camera underwater, learning the techniques that separate a memorable shot from a blurry, murky disappointment.

A major focus of the course is lighting, specifically how to use underwater strobes to bring back the colour and detail that water strips away the deeper you go. You will also tackle backscatter, the scourge of underwater photography, learning positioning and lighting angles that keep particles in the water from ruining your shots.

Colour enhancement is covered in depth too, since red and orange tones disappear rapidly with depth, along with practical, pro-level tips for avoiding the common mistakes almost every beginner makes, from poor buoyancy ruining a shot to rushing a subject rather than composing it properly.

Whether you are shooting with a compact camera or a full housing and strobe setup, this course gives you a genuinely practical foundation for coming home with images that do your dives justice, and it is a natural fit for anyone already drawn to the photography Adventure Dive within Advanced Open Water Diver.

The process

How The Course Works

Step 1
PADI eLearning
Work through the theory of underwater imaging in your own time - how to beat backscatter, get the most from your strobes and bring true colour back into shots that would otherwise turn blue. It's the groundwork every underwater photographer needs before picking up a camera in open water.
Step 2
Two Instructor-Led Dives
Now you put it into practice. Across two dives with your instructor you'll apply what you've learned about lighting and composition to real subjects, coming home with images you're actually proud to share rather than another wall of murky blue.
PADI states: online learning plus two instructor-led dives

Course curriculum

What You'll Learn

Learning Outcomes

Using underwater photography lights (strobes)
Avoiding backscatter
Enhancing color
Avoiding common beginner mistakes with tips from the pros

Getting ready

Before You Start & What's Next

Prerequisites

PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver certification or equivalent

Next Steps

Digital Underwater Videographer Specialty for moving footage
Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty to improve positioning for shots
Master Scuba Diver rating, toward which this specialty can count

Upcoming training

Dates & Booking

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Quick facts

Duration

2 days of structured training

Location

Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD

Certification

Recognised PADI qualification on completion

Have questions?

Digital Underwater Photographer

What to expect