Castles, Steam Trains & Waterfalls - New Landscape Photography Courses

Phew, what a busy few weeks it has been running around the beautiful Isle of Purbeck by bus (sadly my van accrued significant damage at Swanage during the recent winter storms and is now on a lengthy recovery mission at a garage). The local bus service has surprised me with both its punctuality and helpfulness, and I could definitely write another book on all of the local adventures that have happened ... but as this blog is purely of an underwater photography angle, I will swiftly update you with what has been happening here. I will be running One Hour Guided Photowalks at Corfe Castle or Swanage during the summer months which can be pre-booked on request. I will also be offering one hour fast track courses from Swanage Pier to get you up and running with your compact camera, ready for your underwater adventures here in gorgeous Purbeck. Half day and full day courses are available at Swanage Pier as usual and pre-booking is essential. New landscape courses are also on offer and more information about these can be found at my new sister site at Purbeck Visions . If you are coming to visit Swanage this summer, it really is worth stopping by for a few hours to visit Corfe Castle, Studland, Durlston and Wareham. Look forward to welcoming you to the beautiful Purbeck Isle very soon ...

Erick Higuera wins Stan Waterman's Award for Excellent in Underwater Videography

Well, last weekend's dive show across the pond at Beneath the Sea proved to be a very, very special moment for me. I fell in love with Baja California in Mexico when I first visited there in 2001, and between 2002 and 2004 participated in a few whale shark research trips with the Shark Research Institute. It was there I met Erick Higuera who was working at the time as a Divemaster for the Club Cantamar. I was living in Mexico in Puerto Vallarta and was using my Olympus 5050 with my first ever strobe, an Ikelite DS-125. Erick back in 2004 had just bought his first compact camera, the bigger brother to mine in an Olympus 5060. I showed him everything I knew and it is incredible to have seen his journey from working on the Solmar V, a gorgeous liveaboard taking in the very best of Mexico's underwater jewels, to working with Lawrence Grothman on white sharks. He spent 3 years making the film Baja and am very, very proud to know Erick. Here is the video for you to sit back, relax, grab a cool refresco and take in the very, very best of what Mexico awaits for you ... It just goes to show that you just never know where your adventures will take you with your compact ...