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Underwater Photography

Welcome to the online resource section for Africa Media’s underwater photography training program. Here you will find all the resources to successfully run the program as the course instructor or a field specialist.

Vital Contacts

SCUBA Xcursion (service provider):

Monkeyland KZN (service provider): 

Quick Answers

Working hours for course instructors / field specialists

Working days / hours on the program are Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. One hour for lunch and other coffee breaks as needed throughout the day. Midmonth on the reserve you will be required to work one weekend Whilst on the game reserve, you will also be required to work later and earlier on occasion as requested by students in the case of night shoots, sun rise and sun set time lapses etc. Optional. You can optionally drive and guide weekend trips for additional cash payments. This time and effort is entirely separate from your course instructor / field specialist work

Food and catering for Course Instructors / Field Specialists

Whilst working on the course you will be entitled to eat standard meals provided by Africa Media and the game reserve. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner. If you choose not to eat, no additional compensation will be offered.

Accommodation for Course Instructors / Field Specialists

If required you will be provided with accommodation whilst working on the program. This will be in a shared room with a maximum of one other course instructor or field specialist. On occasion, you may be required to share accommodation with students when on the game reserve. If you choose not to take advantage of accommodation offer, no additional compensation will be paid for your own accommodation.

Can I film whilst on the reserve

During your time on the game reserve, you will only be able to film for the following

  1. All content collected will belong solely to Africa Media and can be used by course instructor only for personal and marketing purposes.
  2. Only professional filming with Africa Media cameras and equipment will be permitted. Personal equipment will be limited to cell phone
  3. Company CEO must give permission to film and will only be granted in situations of very small student groups (<3), and when it does not interfere with your teaching of the program.

What reserve(s) do we visit

Reserve choice will be determined by company CEO prior to month start and dependent on student number, and space availability. The current reserve options are

  1. Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve (View website)

What dates do we go to reserve?

The precise dates vary from month to month, but typically will be the second Wednesday of a month, between the 11 – 14th. 8 nights will be spent on the reserve.

Payment Terms

Course instructors payment will occur on last working day of month following compleation of program. Bonus payment will occur when (a) student videos are successfully uploaded onto Africa Media Youtube channel / photojournalism playlist and link of proof is sent to company COO amd (b) all expense slips have been submitted to Company CFO. As instructor is freelance postion, no taxes or benefits will be withhold

Program Schedule

Welcome

This set of tabs outlines the daily activities and important notes (goals) that course instructors and field specialists need to adhere to during the teaching of this program.

Please note – the schedule offers some more advanced options for ‘experienced students’ who either arrive with a high degree of skill or partake in the program for two months. But also appriciate the program cannot be ‘rewritten’ for the individual needs and wants of each student.

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Dive Notes

Dive. Introduction

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is an introduction assessment dive for the instructor to determine the ability and competence of the student. It is also an opportunity for the student to detect any problems with their equipment and weighting.

Briefing It is important for instructor to let students know theey will be accessing the quality of the students buoyancy and competence. Specifically talk to students about using lungs for buoyancy, not having arms waving about, and trying to relax on the dive. Also if any equipment failures exist, then as we will be shallow we can surface and fix. 

Dive. Stability (1)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a dive with Gopros. The goal is to take students through boat entries, and then when in the water focus on techniques to shoot stable footag. SPecfically using two hands, flutter kicking, positioning to the current.

Briefing It is important for instructor to let students knowpurpose isss to get used to not having hands free and to focus on stability through good dive technique and letting subjects do the acting. 

Dive. Stability (2)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a dive with Gopros. The goal is to take students through boat entries, and then when in the water focus on techniques to shoot stable footage. This will be deeper dive, so students need to recognise this and see how it affects dive duration, opportunity to film and buoyancy.

Briefing Instructor to brief on deeper dive, focusing on effeciency – still being relaxed, but capturing content in a smaller window. Also to continute to focus on stablity. Instructor to point out individual areas for student to work on based on previous dive. 

Snorkel. Large Pool / Rockpool

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a snorkel with the larger cameras and withut lights. Aim is to allow students to get filming with the camera but to have opportunity to standup and talk to instructor about issues they are having with focus, exposure, record, balancing etc. Also important for students to ensure that camera is working correctly and balanced.

Briefing Instructor to brief on why snorkel – to allow communication. To work out any issues in buttons and functioning camera. 

Dive. Shore Entry

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a shore entry dive with big camera. Usually doliser or mitches reef. Aim is to introduce students to filming with the big cameras, using the lights, in a safe and secure zone. Whilst remaining to focus on stability. Now students are working with exposure, iso and focus

Briefing Instructor to brief on why shallow scuba – namely to get used to big camera in sheltered area. Focus on learning buttons and in particular exposure, focus, and recording. 

Dive. Boat Intro (1)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a boat entry dive with big camera. Take through protocol of getting cameras into and out of water (passing), and protecting them on the boat (bags, towels, dome covers). On dive, students need to start readinh the currents and looking out for ways to film up at subjects and reading the environment – sun, currents, surge, visibility.

Briefing Instructor to brief on boat protocl wilth cameras. Also on dive that will not move but find a subject and focus on one or two subjects for dive. Thinking of sequences – wide, mediums and if possible closeups. Also reading the environment (sun, surge, current, visibility) to achive goal. 

Dive. Boat Intro (2)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive is:

This is a deeper boat entry dive with big camera.  On dive, students need to continue reading the currents and looking out for ways to film up at subjects and reading the environment – sun, currents, surge, visibility.

Briefing Instructor to person recap on previous dive. Also brief that next dive will be deeper and affect buoyancy (lose it more), and to continue with finding subjects and focus on getting all the shots of that subject. (Wides, mediums, close). 

Dive. Raggie SCUBA (1)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive are

  1. Collect varied footage of ragged tooth sharks by using professional diving techniques to allow them to move close to camera.
  2. Train in standard fil;ming techniques to keep footage sharp, stable and exposed correctly.

Key briefing points

  1. Stay low – Keep part of the reef, either by hiding beside outcrops, staying low on reef, or dipping into crevice.
  2. Breath hold – Occassionally hold breath if ragged tooth shark is approaching. This iwll stop it getting frightened away by bubbles.
  3. Don’t chase – Watch the behaviour of the sharks and position yourselft to intercept them. Don’t chase the sharks as they will quikly dissappear.  patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier. 

Snorkel. Shark Cage Dive (1)

Instructor notes

The two aims of this dive is

  1. Collect natural history footage of great white sharks
  2. Get creative in shots to offer more angles and compositions.
  3. Work with ‘crew’ to wrangle sharks into required position.

Key discussion points

  1. Communication – Student will need to talk to crew to explain what they are looking for. Shark closer, shark further, no bait in shot, etc.
  2. Angles – Student to create angles by getting low in the cage and shooting up, using a pole cam for closeups, collecting topside footage, holding camera just above surface (over under).
  3. Perspective – Have students get perspective by using surface as a ceiling, using bars in foreground, filming along boat hull.
  4. Static apnea – Advise on breathhold – have students doing recovery and then maximising breath hold underwater to get long continious shots.

Snorkel. Shark Cage Dive (2)

Instructor notes

The aims of this dive expedition are

  1. To film a ‘promo’ style video either for the company or for tourists (students decision). This includes both ‘topside and ‘underwater’ shots.

Process

  1. Students to be briefed and issued with gopros.
  2. Filming starts before the expedition with boat getting ready, tourists arriving.
  3. Creative B-roll and topside subjects filmed whilst waiting for time in cage
  4. Topside of great whites filmed whilst waiting to get in cage
  5. Pole cam of sharks and tourists in cage
  6. Cage dive with variation of shots including

Key discussion points

  1. This is a career opportunitiy – as many aspiring underwater videographers get jobs filming tourism expeditions.
  2. Appaearance releases are essential if you hope to use footage for stock with people in it.
  3. Dedicate efforts to the ‘two shot’ which is client and shark together in near the same frame.

Snorkel. Freedive Doliser

Instructor notes

The aim of this dive is

  1.  To train in using static apnea, ducking diving and dynamic apnea to collect video footage of sharks at a depth of around 4m.

Process

  1. Issue cameras – large cameras without lights.
  2. Issue sorkelling equipment – No SCUBA tanks.
  3. Chum sharks – drop bait box at dive location
  4. Practise duck diving – Withouth cameras have students practise duck diving and hovering at bottom. Ensuring weight allows near hovering.
  5. Practise with cameras – Students to then take cameras and collect footage

Key discussion points

  1. Free diving techniques – Recap on free diving techniques they have learnt previously.
  2.  – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

Dive. Perspective

Instructor notes

The two aims of this workshop are

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

Dive. Raggie (2)

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images. 
  2. Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
  3. Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited. 
  4. Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier. 

Dive. Communications

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images. 
  2. Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
  3. Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited. 
  4. Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier. 

Dive. Talent

Instructor notes

The two aims of this workshop are

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

Dive. Water Entry

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images. 
  2. Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
  3. Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited. 
  4. Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier. 

Dive. Tripod & Marco

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images. 
  2. Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
  3. Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited. 
  4. Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier. 

Dive. Night Dive

Instructor notes

The two aims of this workshop are

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

Course Online Lectures

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