Starting underwater photography and videography

Dive Instructor background

I have been a PADI Dive professional for now 9 years. During these 9 years I have been fortunate enough to join the team of the Aquacat for a short period and learn about underwater photography and underwater videography. The team was playing with quite good and expensive toys, which when I left to join a new team in Indonesia, I didn’t have as much of a budget to reinvest in this new interest.

Years have past and I have dove with countless talented photographers and videographers such as Janice Nigro and Franck Fougere. I have developed my skills of spotting marvelous critters and underwater creatures for others to enjoy to film or snap with their camera.

Starting Fresh

A few months back, while working on our Instagram account, I realized that our guest were generous to share their underwater photographs with us, but I was somehow jealous that these photos were not mine. Enough procrastination, and I doted myself with a beginner compact camera, an Olympus TG5.

Here is one of the first shot I got with the internal flash:

Bargibandi Pygmy Seahorse – Menjangan Island – Claudine Daigneault

Back in June, I have visited Critters@Lembeh who has a photo pro available for tutoring, courses and also to rent some accessories to update your rig and try out different things. Thank you to Fred, to have pimped my TG5 to look so much better with a video light. Leaving the resort, I was sold on getting myself my own set of arms and video light to continue on with my progress.

Here is a couple of underwater photographs I did in Alor last month. I am quite proud of them, as they are pure and haven’t been touched by computer program such as Photoshop.

Anemone – Alor 2018 – Claudine Daigneault

Crinoid shrimp – Alor 2018 – Claudine Daigneault

So now what?

Next step will be to get a class, even if it is with an automatic compact camera, we can always improve when we meet with pro.

Ever thought of doing a photography class? I am thinking on joining a 3 day class with Adrienne Gittus from Soul Water Productions in 2019 … Interested?

Visit our Youtube channel for some video we shot in Alor last month. 🙂 I am sure you will be sold on the TG5 if you want to start just like me!