Free Course Image Underwater Photography

Free online course Underwater Photography

Duration of the online course: 6 hours and 48 minutes

New

Capture sharper, more vibrant underwater photos. Learn lighting, manual settings, macro and wide angle in a free online course with practical tips.

In this free course, learn about

  • How to tell a story underwater using framing and composition
  • What elements to emphasize to make an underwater photo successful
  • How ambient light behaves underwater and how it affects exposure and color
  • Why manual mode is used to control exposure consistently underwater
  • Main purpose of strobe light: restore color, contrast, and freeze motion
  • Macro photography fundamentals: subjects, focus, stability, and lighting choices
  • Key advantage of a snoot: precise, controlled light to isolate tiny subjects
  • Advanced macro techniques for sharper detail and cleaner backgrounds
  • Wide-angle underwater techniques: big scenes, close focus, and foreground use
  • Key factors experts rely on for great underwater photos (subject, light, composition)
  • Blackwater diving basics and how to photograph pelagic critters at night
  • What blackwater is focused on: open-ocean night dives for drifting planktonic life

About the free online course

Underwater photography turns every dive into a creative challenge: light fades fast, colors shift, and movement is constant. This free online course helps you build the mindset and technical control needed to come back with images that feel clear, intentional, and full of life. Instead of relying on luck, you will learn how strong underwater photographs are designed through story, framing, and composition, so each shot has a subject, a purpose, and a point of view.

You will also explore how to work with ambient light and when to take control with manual settings to keep exposure consistent as conditions change. By understanding what makes certain images stand out, you will be able to choose the right approach for the moment, whether you want a natural look or a dramatic scene shaped with artificial light. The course clarifies how and why strobe light is used underwater, helping you recover color, reduce unwanted haze, and direct attention where it matters.

As you progress, you will shift into the small world of macro photography, learning how to isolate details and reveal textures and patterns that are easy to miss during a dive. You will gain practical insight into tools and techniques that refine light placement for more precise, polished results. From there, you will broaden your options with wide-angle thinking, where distance, water clarity, and subject placement become critical to creating images with depth and impact.

Finally, you will get introduced to the distinctive challenge of blackwater environments, where the focus is on delicate subjects suspended in open water and the ability to photograph calmly, safely, and with intention. By the end, you will have a stronger workflow for planning shots, adjusting settings, and choosing lighting strategies that help your underwater images look the way the moment felt.

Course content

  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 1 - Story, Framing, Composition 1h17m
  • Exercise: What is emphasized in a successful underwater photograph?
  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 2 - Ambient Light, Manual Mode, Artificial Light 1h49m
  • Exercise: What is the main purpose of strobe light in underwater photography?
  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 3 - Macro Photography 1h22m
  • Exercise: What is a key advantage of using a snoot in macro photography?
  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 4 - Macro Photography II 43m
  • Exercise: What is the primary reason to use manual mode for underwater photography?
  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 5 - Wide Angle 1h21m
  • Exercise: What is a key factor in achieving a great underwater photograph according to the expert?
  • Video class: Underwater Photography - Part 6 - Blackwater 14m
  • Exercise: What is blackwater diving primarily focused on?

This free course includes:

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6 hours and 48 minutes of online video course

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Digital certificate of course completion (Free)

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Exercises to train your knowledge

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100% free, from content to certificate

How do you use manual mode for underwater photography?

Manual mode lets you independently control shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to balance ambient light with strobe illumination.

What does a strobe light do in underwater photography?

A strobe restores color, adds contrast, and illuminates subjects that appear muted or blue underwater.

Why use a snoot for underwater macro photography?

A snoot narrows the light beam, isolating a tiny subject against a dark background and reducing distracting backscatter.

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