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PADI Specialty Courses: Digital Underwater Photographer

PADI Specialty Courses: Digital Underwater Photographer

Written by Leisure Pro Staff
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Published on August 28, 2017

The underwater world has to be seen to be believed. The sheer number of species and their infinite variations is something out of a science fiction book — but it’s not fiction at all. If you’re interested in bringing what you see to the surface in the form of photographs and video footage, consider taking the Digital Underwater Photographer PADI specialty course!

padi specialty course

As you’ve probably surmised, capturing great underwater photos involves a bit more than just pointing a camera at your subject and pressing the shutter button. The very first skill you must master to achieve excellent underwater images is your buoyancy. Being able to hover still as close as possible to your subjects will be key in getting good color saturation and sharp focus with lots of details.

You’ll need a digital underwater camera or a regular digital camera with a waterproof housing to take the Digital Underwater Photography PADI specialty course, as well as all basic scuba gear. Depending on where you’re located, your local dive center may offer camera rentals so you don’t have to invest in one before you take the course. While camera housings can be very pricey for certain sizes and models of digital cameras, some underwater cameras can be had for $500 or less.

Any Open Water or Junior Open Water Diver age 10 and up can get started by signing up for PADI’s Digital Underwater Photographer Online. There is also a non-diving certification that can be attained by snorkelers and skin divers. In this online course, you will learn the basics of taking still images underwater, whether you’re using a camera or video recorder. Interactive presentations introduce more information along with short quizzes to test your knowledge, and can be done at your own pace. A final test at the end determines whether you are ready to enact what you’ve learned in the pool for one dive, and in open water for the last dive.

Give your local dive center a call if you’re interested in the Digital Underwater Photography PADI specialty course and start taking the sights of the sea home with you!

Leisure Pro Staff

Leisure Pro Staff

Marketing Director for LeisurePro