Photography Experts will hold a short introductory event to give all subscribers a comprehensive introduction to how the Masterclass course will work. This will include a full tour of your subscriber features, your document and recording repository, and use of the forum features. There will also be tips on how to make the most of Zoom to fully participate in the live sessions, and engage with Alex and your fellow course members. Alex will lead a short round the room conversation, allowing each photographer to share what camera equipment they use and their photographic experience. Access to technical support by Photography Experts will continue through the duration of the entire course.

Great wide-angle photographs underwater rarely happen by accident. You don’t take them, you make them. In this first Masterclass session, Alex will deconstruction both the technical and artistic process behind taking stunning wide-angle underwater, allowing you to build up to producing photos direct from the camera that people just can’t keep their eyes off. The session will cover equipment choices and configuration, optimal settings, subject selection, balancing lighting, and controlling framing and composition. The aim is to help you appreciate the importance of optimising each to truly master this discipline.

Macro photography underwater is often regarded as easier than wide-angle, but producing really standout images is just as difficult. The key is usually capturing a visually appealing subject framed against a background that enhances the photo without out-competing the subject. Alex will explain the technical aspects of equipment selection for macro and super macro, focus and framing, optimal settings, lighting techniques, find and choosing subjects and options for backgrounds. The aim is to put you in complete control of your macro pictures to regularly produce stunning and satisfying work.

Art is subjective, but in the photographically challenging underwater world there are ideas that work and ideas that don’t. Time is always limited underwater and the advice here is distilled to help you make the right decisions when the action is unfolding. Alex will cover the importance of viewpoint, orientation, picture format, and how to vary composition when shooting macro, fish portraits, big animals, wide angle scenics, wrecks, black and white and people underwater. The aim of this talk is to arm you with solutions that work. This talk doesn’t mention the ‘rule of thirds’ and instead focuses on compositions that can be put straight to work underwater.

George Eastman of Kodak famously said “Know light, know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” Learning to master light underwater not only will allow you to work more effectively, but it will put you totally in charge of the look of your images. In this final session, Alex will explain how best to control light underwater with an emphasis on mastering the light on the subject provided by your flashes. The talk will cover both classic and advanced techniques, such as Inward Lighting and Off Camera Strobes. There is no one correct way to illuminate underwater pictures and Alex will practically demonstrate different lighting styles and how they transform the subject and atmosphere of your pictures.