Talk for DAGSAC, BSAC Club in Dagenham

And so last week it was off to Dagenham to reunite with a couple of course guests, Rob and Richie and to meet their club members to give a talk on "Creating Magic Photos with Your Compact". It was brilliant to see everyone there and even the non-divers really enjoyed the talk. £100 was raised for the RNLI which was fantastic and left there feeling really happy :) and I was given flowers, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh ......

Talk at East Midlands Underwater Photography Group

Busy, busy, busy and it was time to escape London and head up to Stoney Cove where I was kindly invited by Robb Cuss of the East Midlands Underwater Photography Group. Sam and Mike were absolutely fab in taking me around some beautiful countryside, filled me up with a lovely dinner at Nemo's Bar, before nearly passing out at the turnout there for people to come and listen to the talk. A special thank you to all who came and sorry that I didn't have time to talk to anyone and had to rush off home. Thanks too to Sam and Mike for looking after me. It was really, really awesome and was touched to say that it was the best turnout that Rob had had this year - until I realised that it was still only January!!!

Smallest Person Ever on my Course!

What a busy, busy couple of weeks it has been! Since Alison and Mike graced their way back to sunny Scotland, I have met so many amazing guests during the past few weeks. Howard and Catherine came to spend a day with me to learn about their Canon Powershot and Canon Ixus with Inon Set-Up. They also brought along the smallest student that I have ever had on my course - in fact she is of course a memory stick :) They had a fantastic day as did John Brodie with his Fuji the following day pictured here with Lisa and struggled to get him out of the pool. He made this smashing portfolio and spent the next morning honing his photoshop techniques to make a cracking portfolio. We were all chuffed to bits with it and Lisa really extra chuffed with the retail therapy that she had in nearby Bluewater Shopping Centre whilst John was busy studying the course! Two more PADI Digital Underwater Photo Students passed with flying colours - hurrah!!!! :)

Well done Libby!

Libby came on my workshop to Nuweiba last year. She emailed me on Monday to say that she was placed as joint runner-up in Bristol's Underwater Photography Group with this wonderful picture of two ribbon eels. She shoots with a Canon Ixus and a Sea & Sea Strobe. Well done Libby!

Happy Snowy New Year! :)

Big snowy wishes to you all and here's wishing you a wonderful year ahead full of fishtastic diving and amazing photo opportunties. I never thought my garden would look so scenic or that Simba would enjoy eating the snow!

Despite the snowy start to the year, Alison and Mike from an even snowier Edinburgh still came down by plane for their course on Tuesday. We spent a wonderful day together until gone past 7 pm sharing conservation experiences and before they knew it, it was snowing again. I took them their diving equipment all dried out the following day ready for their flight back to Edinburgh and we all ended up trying to push the taxi out of the snow over a speed hump from the Sundridge Park Manor.

What an adventure! But there was more to come. Their flight ended up being de-iced on the runway itself when all the other flights from London City had been cancelled. Fortunately, they returned to Edinburgh last night safe and sound and exhilerated from a wonderful day. So enthusiastic, they've just emailed me to say that they are already playing with their cameras up in the snow!

I'm already excited about helping you all in 2010 so just get in touch to help you take beautiful underwater and overwater photographs :)

Wishing you all a Wonderful Christmas and New Year!

What an amazing year it has been, two more guests won Sport Diver's Photo of the Month, one made it to the final of the BSAC Amateur Travel Photographer of the Year Award, one on the cover of Scottish Diver, one in UWP, another in Diver and London Diver and two overseas competition places too! Phew ...... Well done all of you!

Unfortunately, I have had to pull out of Greenwich Market due to my old injuries being aggravated by the cold which left me unable to walk, so please forgive me. Just drop me an email at maria@oceanvisions.co.uk

Don't forget to check out the new Online Shop and sign up before the end of the year to receive your discount.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing you all in 2010.

Happy Christmas Snapping :)

Come and Visit Greenwich Market every Sunday

Even though it was raining, it was great being back at The Artists Quarter at Greenwich Market on Sunday. Despite the weather, the aisles were packed in the morning and it was great meeting so many kids and bigger kids who loved Sharks and the Ocean. I'll be there this Thursday, 3rd and then on every Friday and Sunday up until Christmas. Come and see how your own images will look beautiful on crystal. Hope to see some of you there.