May 11-18, 2024
Cathy Church’s SuperCourse
Join our new SuperCourse with Cathy Church
Small group training limited to 12 participants
Exclusive small group experience
We reinvented our Underwater Photo Fest and created our Cathy Church SuperCourse to help students improve their underwater photography skills with master photographer Cathy Church.
This exclusive opportunity is based at Sunset House, in Grand Cayman. On shallow dive days, you can dive, shoot, come up when your tank is low, get some water or fruit while your tank is being changed (you don’t even have to get out of the water). Go back down and do it all over again until three hours are up.
Our in water instruction offers personal training that will help you master your skills by participating in individual critiques, lectures, and dives.
All inclusive package (USD)
Prices range from $3,363 to $5,082 depending on room type.
7-Night package
Book early to guarantee your preferred room type.
We offer a variety of room types to suit double or single occupancy that include Ocean View Apartments, Suites, and Rooms and Courtyard rooms.
Non-divers welcome at reduced rates
Schedule at-a-glance
Welcome Cocktail Party
5 morning boat dives
Unlimited shore diving available
Afternoon lectures
Afternoon photo critiques
Optional Kittiwake trip
Closing group dinner at Casanova Ristorante
Included
Lodging, food, and logistics
- Hotel lodging
- Made-to-order breakfast daily
- Airport transfers
- Hotel room gratuities included
Activities
- Welcome Cocktail Party, hors d’oeurves and more
- Photo classes
- Great lectures and individual critiques
- Photo Critiques from Cathy and Maria
- Photo Editing classes
- Photo coaching available from 7:30 am to 6 pm above and underwater
- Casanova Ristorante end of course celebration
Diving
- 5 days boat diving with extended bottom time and nitrox; includes shallow reefs and walls*
- Unlimited shore diving with Nitrox
- 7 nights accommodation with all government tax and hotel service charges at Sunset House Hotel for divers
- Buoyancy control lessons from Sunset Divers available
- All boats are camera friendly with Cathy Church and/or her staff of fabulous Photo Coaches on board
- Boats include fresh drinking water, fruit and Nitrox for our extended style of diving
- Dives range from 10 to 80 feet deep.
* 20% off camera rentals
* Weather permitting and schedules subject to change
Not included
- Camera rental (Olympus TG-6 available for a 20% discount)
- Meals not noted above
- Photo pro gratuities or dive crew gratuities
We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance such as Travelguard or DAN. Credits for future trips cannot be given as all instructor’s expenses and other costs have already been allocated. Discounts or refunds will not be offered for changes of plans due to individuals’ circumstances. Insurance will cover your travel alteration fees.
Dive insurance is mandatory.
SuperCourse activities
Beneath the Sea’s Pioneer-of-the-year-Award-winner, Cathy Church, was the first and is still the best in the industry for teaching underwater photography.
Enjoy exciting classes with Cathy and Maria.
Attendance at any scheduled or included activity is not mandatory.
Enjoy the experience and flexibility between shore and boat diving opportunities.
Lessons from getting started to creative lighting
Compact, Mirrorless, and DSLR Cameras
Photo critiques
Composition
Taking photos in the water
Photo-friendly dive boats with photo coaches on board
Fabulous fun
Long bottom times
Cathy is a photographer and she knows what you want—lots of bottom time on interesting, fun, and photogenic dive sites. On the shallow dive days, you can stay down for three hours! Even on days when there is a stunning wall dive, you can use your computer and your nitrox to get maximum time for the wall dive and often ninety minutes on the shallow second dive. On the shallow dives you can dive, shoot, come up when your tank is low, get some water or fruit while your tank is being changed (you don’t even have to get out of the water).
Go back down and keep diving and finding subjects and taking photos until three hours are up. You might want to bring a little extra exposure protection to avoid getting chilled during these marathon dives. There will be one or two photo coaches on each boat helping solve camera questions, suggest creative strobe lighting angles, or showing you a terrific subject for your type of photography.
Afternoon activities
Photo class
Critique
Shore dive
Sunset House has one of the best shore dives in Grand Cayman with plenty of close-up subjects, a wonderful little wreck, a nine-foot bronze mermaid, a coral nursery, a big anchor. Watch for rays, eels and turtles. Dives range from 10 to 80 feet deep.
You are welcome to also schedule your own activities to include enjoyment of Grand Cayman. You may wish to nap, shop, tour, or enjoy the on site restaurant bar during your experience.
Learning is fun
Lectures by Cathy and her knowledgeable staff are fun and informative. Lecture topics can include: Basics of photography, Composition, Strobe lighting, Close-ups, Wide angle, Critter information and more.
Critiques are designed to help expand your interest in exploring a new angle.
Available nowhere else in the world
Nowhere else can you find our quality and style of photo-friendly diving. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet, learn from and dive with Cathy herself. She is a legend in underwater photography, having received almost every award the industry has to give.
She is first and foremost a teacher, generously offering all of her 54+ years of knowledge and experience to every student—no matter what their level or equipment. She taught the coaches who will be assisting you, so you can expect excellent instruction from them as well. Advanced or beginner, photographer or videographer, even non-diver guests are welcome.
If you are considering any other Caribbean photo workshop, ask if the instructor is dedicated to helping students IN the water the way Cathy Church is—she and her staff do not carry their own camera to do their own photography. It is all for you!
We look forward to helping you get some beautiful underwater photographs and have a great vacation.
Reservation information
Checks or wire transfer
Payable to Cathy Church Photo Center
Mail to
Cathy Church Photo Center
Sunset House
390 South Church Street
Grand Cayman, KY1-1106 Cayman Islands
Credit Card
345-949-7415 Cayman number
607-330-3504 U.S. direct with credit card information
There is a 3.5% credit card surcharge for all portions paid for with credit card. We accept all major credit cards including American Express.
Payments (USD)
Book early to guarantee your preferred room type.
To reserve your room now, deposit $800 per person
Second payment: 50% of balance due by Dec. 2, 2023
Final payment: 100% due by Feb. 8, 2024
Cancellation Policy (USD)
Before November 7, 2023 – full refund of payment already made
Between November 7, 2023 and December 7, 2023 – forfeit $250
Between December 8, 2023 and February 8, 2024 – forfeit 50% of total
After February 9, 2024 – forfeit due 100% of total
No rollover allowed
PLEASE NOTE CREDIT CARD FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Dive insurance is mandatory and we strongly recommend adequate travel insurance including COVID and Fource Mejeure. This is a group booking with group cancellation terms dictated by Sunset House Hotel. We are not insurance agents and cannot cover the cost of cancellations.
