Learn underwater photography from
Cathy Church
Beneath the Sea in New Jersey, USA in 2013
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I will be offering TWO workshops: "Mastering Strobes for manual control cameras" at next year's Beneath the Sea ~ Secaucus NJ at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, March 22- 24, 2013.
"Mastering Underwater Strobes (for cameras with manual controls and an external strobe)" (W10, Saturday March 23, 1 - 4 p.m.; and W12, Sunday, March 24 at 9 a.m. - noon.)
This workshop is aimed at manual exposure cameras with external strobes. This includes all SLR cameras, Olympus EPL series, Canon 
G and S series, Nikon P7000, and all other compact digital cameras that allow full f-stop and shutter speed control. Topics will cover all aspects of strobe use for primary lighting and for balanced flash fill. You will learn Cathy's favorite creative lighting techniques with single and multiple strobes for more beautiful photos with any system. If you do not already know what an f-stop and shutter speed are, Cathy will review it for you, or contact her (at cchurch@cathychurch.com) for a one-page handout to read in advance, to help make your seminar more enjoyable. As the brochure says "Cathy takes a complex topic and makes it clear. Her humorous, easy-to-understand approach has made her the country's most popular photo instructor." Photographers without manual controls are welcome to attend. Although some information will not pertain to your system, you can learn about the things you need to consider as you move up to another camera. Limit 30 attendees. Price is $75. Sign up soon, as the workshops are already booking.
For more information about Beneath the Sea, go to http://www.beneaththesea.org/.
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Other seminars available, but not being offered in any current schedules:
"Mastering Underwater Strobes and more (for point and shoot cameras)" 3-hour workshop for beginners or people who have some, but limited experience with their camera and want to especially learn how to use their external strobe:
This three-hour "Mastering Underwater Strobes and more” is designed for divers with cameras with limited exposure controls such as Sea Life, Sea and Sea, compact point and shoot cameras without f-stop and shutter speed controls, etc. It will cover all aspects of getting the best exposures for better blue backgrounds and prettier foregrounds with whatever camera you are using. This is a hands-on workshop, so you should bring your camera with you (and an extra battery and your owner’s manual if possible.) Please e-mail Cathy in advance at cchurch@candlewick and tell her what brand and model of camera and housing you have. She will prepare a handout specifically to your camera to make sure that you will know how to find each setting that she discusses. The topics will include use of strobe use for primary lighting and for balanced flash fill, use of menu settings such as white balance, use of add-on lenses, etc. You will learn Cathy's favorite creative lighting techniques with single and multiple strobes for more beautiful photos with any system. As the brochure says "Cathy takes a complex topic and makes it clear. Her humorous, easy-to-understand approach has made her the country's most popular photo instructor." Limit 30
"Teaching the fearful diver"
This discussion is designed to help the fearful diver, the support person of the fearful diver and the instructor understand the best approaches for all three to deal with fear that gets in the way of enjoying learning how to dive. It starts with the understanding that fear is real and that just saying "Don't be afraid" is truly counter-productive. Join me in a combination lecture and discussion where everyone can bring their individual issues to the seminar.
"Choosing an U/W Digital Camera system."
In this free 45-minute seminar I will discuss various types of cameras and the pros and cons of features such as point and shoot versus manual controls, menu functions, strobe configurations, housings and accessories. This is especially suitable for anyone who has not yet purchased a camera or is considering upgrading.
"You bought your digital camera, now what?"
Bring your camera system to this three-hour workshop so that you can enjoy hands-on guidance to show you step-by-step how to get the best possible photos from the camera system YOU have. The class size will be limited so that everyone will get the personal attention that is needed when you say "Where do I find THAT function?" Topics covered: Batteries, media cards, image size, understanding menus (white balance, etc.), setting the controls for easiest use underwater, focusing techniques, getting good exposures, aiming the strobe, zoom and auxiliary wide-angle lenses, diving with your camera, compensating for focus delay, getting the best photos. If you only have one camera for two people, that will be fine. Bring a fully charged battery and a spare if you have one. IMPORTANT: When you sign up for the class, you MUST e-mail Cathy (cchurch@candw.ky) and tell her what type of camera you will be bringing so that she can prepare a handout for each style of camera you have. Clearly include the make and model, such as Olympus E-PL3. Or let her know if you have no camera to bring. When you leave this workshop you will have developed a good working knowledge of underwater digital photography with your system. Limit 30 attendees.
"Why I Like to Dive"
Cathy challenges the audience to think of reasons why they like to dive and if they have a reason that is not covered during Cathy’s talk, they get a prize. Cathy’s enthusiasm, humor and wonderful photos make this an exciting and enjoyable presentation for anyone—diver or non-diver, any age. Come join the fun and go around the world in this interactive presentation by Cathy Church. This 20 minute presentation is perfect for film festivals, keynote dinner talks, or any group gathering.
Other Seminar and workshop topics in the works but not scheduled yet:
"Getting started with digital editing"
This seminar will be a hands-on workshop on using Photoshop techniques to make adjustments to your photos. We will cover making selections, adjusting color, contrast, and exposure, using clone and history brush tools. I will cover mostly basic operations to help those who have never used Photoshop before, but will touch on several advanced techniques to show you what more can be done.
All attendees should bring a laptop computer and a copy of Photoshop 7, CS, CS2, CS3, CS4 or CS5. You can download a trial version of CS5 if you do not wish to buy it before the workshop.
Revised Dec. 11, 2012