12 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

Photo classes vs workshops vs certifications...What's your take???


SingleDivers.com is thrilled that we travel to some of the most amazing places to take pictures on trips. And we are blessed to have some of the most amazing photo talent as members of our site. Several of them are recognized pros and the others just ought to be!

Over the years we've been asked to offer photo certifications on trips and we did so on our first Wakatobi Trip a few years back and helped a number of our members become better photographers.

Since then we've had some amazing talent want to share their photo and video expertise with our members but via a workshop or seminar format vs a photo certification. The upside is the classes are more focused on the content the instructor feels is relevant vs a prescribed course curriculum, it is often more affordable which means you can be very early in your photo journey and feel like you can garner value from the class vs waiting til you have more skill to justify the price point. And finally we can usually access more talent to share their love and passion of their craft with our members if there is not a certification involved. (Almost any PADI instructor can give the Photo cert if they have a camera and teach the basics. However not every photo pro can offer a cert if they are not a current instructor.) We are looking at ways to tap into the photo expertise of our existing instructors AND tap into the talent of our non-instructing photo pros.


So what do you think?

1. I would you be interested in affordable photo workshops and seminars if they were offered on SD trips?
2. I would you only be interested in higher level photo and video knowledge transfer and more exclusive "one on one" instruction with a photo pro on a SD trip.
3. I would only be interested if took a photo class AND got photo credit for it?
4. I'm not a photographer but may consider getting into the sport someday. If the price were right I'd consider taking a seminar or workshop to see what was involved...A Discover Underwater Photography if you will.


Tell us what you think? And maybe we can make some of your Photo Dreams Come True on Future SD Trips! Thank you! kamala

[Parrotman]

For what it is worth, I went on a trip to the Philippines that was a "photo workshop" there were no additional fees for the trip and every day there was a seminar on photography. I learned a lot on that trip. My photography improved immensely and I could go to the seminars on a daily basis that I felt were useful. As an example, on the day that the seminar was about strobe lighting I attended. On the day that the seminar was on SLR I did not as I was shooting with a compact camera. I would do that sort of trip again. I don't care about certifications etc. And I really do not want add on fees for a trip that I am going on. Just give me a price for the trip and lets go.

Jim

[WreckWench]

For what it is worth, I went on a trip to the Philippines that was a "photo workshop" there were no additional fees for the trip and every day there was a seminar on photography. I learned a lot on that trip. My photography improved immensely and I could go to the seminars on a daily basis that I felt were useful. As an example, on the day that the seminar was about strobe lighting I attended. On the day that the seminar was on SLR I did not as I was shooting with a compact camera. I would do that sort of trip again. I don't care about certifications etc. And I really do not want add on fees for a trip that I am going on. Just give me a price for the trip and lets go.

Jim

Interesting. Our idea was to allow members to participate in photo workshops when we had photo pros on trips for a very low price. You are suggesting we offer photo trips that have the photo workshop price built in and hope everyone who goes is interested in photography in some aspect or another, or just likes to be around photographers!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

For what it is worth, I went on a trip to the Philippines that was a "photo workshop" there were no additional fees for the trip and every day there was a seminar on photography. I learned a lot on that trip. My photography improved immensely and I could go to the seminars on a daily basis that I felt were useful. As an example, on the day that the seminar was about strobe lighting I attended. On the day that the seminar was on SLR I did not as I was shooting with a compact camera. I would do that sort of trip again. I don't care about certifications etc. And I really do not want add on fees for a trip that I am going on. Just give me a price for the trip and lets go.

Jim

Interesting. Our idea was to allow members to participate in photo workshops when we had photo pros on trips for a very low price. You are suggesting we offer photo trips that have the photo workshop price built in and hope everyone who goes is interested in photography in some aspect or another, or just likes to be around photographers!

The trip he mentioned was specifically advertised as a photo workshop dive trip, and there was one advertised price. Non-photographers did not sign up to go. Various clinics were available but not mandatory. I must say it was nice to have everyone on that trip focused on improving their photography skills, willing to share tips & tricks, discuss composition or how they shot certain critters, and most of all respecting camera gear since everyone had some (and some of their rigs rival the price of some new cars!). Even though the trip was a pure pleasure, the focus was dive photography.

If you were to organize a dive trip that included workshops and/or certifications as options, you would probably want to allow anyone to sign up, which means a split group (meaning the two groups have different focuses) or split price. With that type of trip, it may be difficult to keep the two separated.

[scubaski]

Respectfully disagree. Keep SD.com trip open to all, seasoned, newbys,bubble blowers, non photogs and photog-vidtogs. If you want to offer special courses diving 0R photographey, special dives like shark feeds or dolphin encounter or land tours KEEP these all as ADD ON's with prices. I'd would probably not be interested in a trip if I see if it's adverized as a only for photo or tech training land based or liveaboard. I may inquire if I can back out the price of the training. I've travelled with other scuba groups where I asked them to back out the price of airfare from Denver and I bought my own air. Of course this was for a trip that had good value for me. Hey I'm a dive travel consumer, I check out the price vs value. I rather dive travel more frequently in the Carib vs that 1 trip to west bummber shoot that takes 30 hours to get too. JMTCW

[Racer184]

For those interested in underwater photography, one of the nicest benefits of underwater photography workshops is that everyone, during the dives, is working on photography. There are no spearing people, no lobstering, no open water students. The guides, boat captain, d.m. etc, know it's all about photography, and not open-water students. Everyone on the boat is aware of your photo equipment and a lot less likely to step on it. If your dive buddy is another photographer, you help each other find subjects, and you won't be concerned that you might have to chase your 'buddy' a half a mile. Another advantage is that you get to see what gear other people are using and talk to them about it so you get an education in what people think about their gear and not what the magazine advertisements say. I was on a liveaboard in August during which all divers were photographers. There were daily seminars on photography and the rep for Nauticam USA went along to let people try a lot of their equipment.

When workshops are about underwater photography only, there is no discussion of photography in air which will confuse you. My employer has been running underwater photography workshops. These are typically 3 days of diving and classroom. They are either beach dives, or moored boat dives, or a mix of both. Wreckwench has expressed interest in setting up a destination dive trip for underwater photography workshop if you are interested. Let her know your preferences of where in the world you want to go, and how long of a workshop, live-aboard or hotel style, etc etc etc.

[WreckWench]

Hey Alan, we are WAY overdue to do a Florida trip AND one of the most subject rich dive destinations in the world is Blue Heron Bridge (BHB) which is near the shop. I would LOVE to do a dive trip to Florida and include BHB for both photographers and soon to be photographers! Can we set up something there? I know you offer official workshops there already but maybe we can do a more informal one that allows more budding photogs a chance to learn from the pros and still have enough moola left over to buy a great camera/housing/setup from you all at Reef Photo.

[Racer184]

Absolutely Kamala.

Find out what the SingleDivers.com people want, then call my boss. We are working on the 2013 schedule now.

Reef Photo workshops are typically in Florida, some have been in Grand Cayman, Dry Tortugas, Bonaire.

[Diver Ed]

I just recently updated my equipment at Reef Photo. Thank you to Alan and others there for their assistance. Here is my take on this discussion. I would be very interested in a photo workshop. The certificate is meaningless to me. I will hang a great photo on my wall, and that has so much more importance than getting a certificate for taking a course. I would be a lot more interested in partisipating in an all photographer workshop trip than I would be in a trip where non photographers were there. For me, I am going for the education, not the dive trip. Having divers there that are just there to dive means attention is taken away from the purpose of the trip. There are pleanty of trips that are set up for diving. If something was set up specifically for photo education, I would expect a much smaller group of divers that are there to learn how to take better underwater photos. The diving is just a means to put you in the spot to execute what you are being taught in the workshop. Ed

[finGrabber]

I'd be very interested in a photo workshop trip, especially to BHB! I'd also be very interested in wide angle photo opps in the area as well, especially the wrecks in Key Largo


I don't care about getting a cert for photography. These days the only certs I'm interested in are on either the tech side or the pro side.

[barilhu]

I'm going to grand cayman in mayfor photo workshop. I know, that everybody will be there for the same purpose (taking the time to take great pictures). I would goto dedicated photo vacation again.

(First post on this bord)

[WreckWench]

Thanks for refreshing this thread...I will be looking at either offering a photo workshop at the Blue Herron Bridge when we go to Florida this summer...or add it into a trip for next year.

We *may* be able to add the photo pro to the trip for as little as $250-$275 if we have enough people and then have the pro do a workshop daily to focus on an element of photography...allow anyone who wants to see something demonstrated do it at the beginning of a dive and then have the pro work with you on specific pictures for at least 30 mins each person during the day...again dependent on how many people are on the trip/taking the class.

[ScubaTurtle]

I'd love to be able to do some type of photo class to get learn techniques from more experienced photographers.

For me certification wouldn't be important but personal attention would be. I think this would be something that if someone had a curriculum for underwater photography techniques I would be willing to pay for a more private experience. I guess in the end a small certificate would be a nice to have but the experience of working closely with someone experienced in the art would be priceless.

Right now I'm just hoping to upgrade my equipment a bit but once I do that I would love to be able to get some lessons. If anyone is aware of any great documents, books or websites for underwater photography sending me a PM or posting the info would be greatly appreciated.