New UW Photography Group Announced

The "Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group" is the first of its kind to bring together scuba divers who are interested in learning how to take pictures underwater or to polish the skills and techniques they already know. The new Meetup group is open to all certified divers, photographers at all levels, and even divers who are not photographers but are just interested in dive travel with fun people to warm, tropical destinations.

The Meetup Group is organizer is Bonnie Pelnar, who is a world-traveler, avid scuba diver and underwater photographer for over 20 years. She is the author of "The Digital Workflow For Underwater Photographers", part of a series of online courses about underwater photography available at www.TheUnderwaterPhotographer.com. She has presented to clubs and organizations around the world, sharing her passion for dive travel.

"There are so many people diving with digital cameras these days." notes Pelnar. "Even with the new technology, underwater photography is very difficult to perfect. Most digital cameras offer too many options, which complicates things even more. Many of these new photographers don't know where to begin. The Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group was formed to help organize those divers to let them know that help is out there and they can take good pictures even with a small, inexpensive camera.

Most of our workshops are free to the guests of those resorts and live-aboards that host the event. During the workshop guests have the opportunity to dive with other photographers who have experience using the camera equipment they use and can show them how to take better underwater pictures. We also recruit the support of manufacturers like Inon, who provide demo accessories. It works well for all involved and is a lot of fun for those who participate. Many of the attendees have become regulars."

Presentation topics include photo composition, film vs digital comparisons, digital manipulation, shooting and color correcting in the RAW file format, fixing images in Photoshop and Elements, and destination presentations from around the world.

Upcoming workshops include two excursions to Cozumel in August, Grenada in October, Galapagos in December 2007, Truk Lagoon in May of 2008 and Papua New Guinea in September of 2008.

There is no fee to become a member. You can join the Scuba & Underwater Photographers Meetup Group by going to http://scuba.meetup.com/132/