News
The Scuba Place Photography Workshop with Phil Medcalf: Puerto Galera May 2024
The Scuba Place is excited to announce a new partnership with Phil Medcalf of Alphamarine Photography with a Photography Workshop at Scandi Divers in Puerto Galera Philippines in May 2024.
Phil has been scuba diving for over 30 years and has been taking digital pictures underwater for over 15 of those. In that time, he’s dived around the world including the UK, Egypt, Indonesia, the Maldives and Australia. Along with his wife Anne, he turned his interest into a business in 2017 and now they own Alphamarine Photography Ltd an underwater photography training and retail company. They have a highly rated blog on their website alphamarinephoto.com and a Facebook Q & A group with over 2000 members worldwide.
Phil and Anne have written on underwater photography for magazines and presented on the subject at every Go Diving show since the event started. Their workshops and online courses on uw photography and photo editing attract students from around the world. Phil’s expertise ranges from getting the best from budget-friendly compact cameras to using the latest high-end mirrorless options. His experience as a retailer gives him a much broader knowledge base than many underwater photographers when it comes to the equipment in use.
Before running Alphamarine Photography full time Phil worked in health care for over 25 years. During that time much of his role involved teaching skills to adults and he brings this experience as well as Anne’s expertise as a university lecturer to how the workshops are designed and taught.
Phil will be hosting The Scuba Place’s first underwater photography workshop at Scandi Divers in May 2024. With a blend of formal and informal coaching, Phil will conduct both group and one-to-one instruction. A daily talk will cover topics such as Understanding Exposure, Composition and Lighting, Shooting in Manual Mode, Equipment and Postproduction. Phil will make himself available to answer questions, give advice and conduct ad hoc teaching sessions throughout the workshop. He will also have some demo equipment to try such as wet lenses and strobes. And everyone participating in the workshop will have the opportunity to have one on one time with Phil where he can review your images and give you specific advice. The aim of Phil’s workshop is for everyone to be happier with the pictures they are getting at the end of the trip than they were at the start.
The Scuba Place say they could think of no better place to kick off this new partnership than Scandi Divers in Puerto Galera. Situated on the Verde Passage, Puerto Galera is widely recognised as one of the most bio-diverse bodies of water on the planet. It contains more varieties of fish than the Red Sea and more varieties of hard and soft corals than the Great Barrier Reef!
The water temperature in Puerto Galera averages around 29°C throughout the year, and the visibility is excellent. Surrounded by beautiful reefs, thriving with marine life, Puerto Galera has an abundance of amazing dive sites, most of them within a few minutes boat ride of the resort! There are wrecks, caves, muck dives, shallow coral fields, and drift dives. Plenty of opportunities for both wide angle and macro photography!
The Scuba Place previously visited Scandi Divers in April 2023 and absolutely loved it! The diving was spectacular, the food was scrumptious, and the people were sensational! You can read their full trip report here. The resort is located on Big Laguna Beach with over 40 rooms. The Sky View Restaurant & Bar is on the second floor allowing for great views. The Beachfront Restaurant is on the first floor and offers a great spot to meet your dive buddies for happy hour! Both offer the same menu with international, Filipino and western cuisine. The Scuba Place team were on a full-board basis and never disappointed with any meal!
The onsite dive centre has a five-station camera room for underwater photographers. The dive package for the workshop includes up to 4 dives daily. Two morning boat dives are offered after breakfast followed by one afternoon boat dive after lunch back at the resort. Dusk and night dives are also an option. A Verde Island day trip is Included as well as a blackwater dive. NITROX is available on a per tank or weekly charge, and The Scuba Place analysed their tanks with between 30 and 32 and had great fills over 200bar plus during our last stay.
John and Mona from The Scuba Place say they “are thrilled to be going back and as aspiring underwater photographers, we’re looking forward to learning from one of the best! So if you’re looking for an amazing dive holiday… Come Dive with Us and Phil Medcalf!”
Photography Workshop with Phil Medcalf
Scandi Divers – Puerto Galera Philippines
- 10 night itinerary
- departs Saturday 25 May 2024
Itinerary highlights :
- Return flights London Heathrow to Manila vis Dubai on Emirates Airlines departing 25 May 2024
- 1 night accommodation in Manila
- 9 nights at Scandi Divers Resort in selected room type with full board
- 8 days diving with 3 boat dives and 1 night dive per day
- Verde Island excursion with lunch and one hour massage session included
- Photo Workshop with Phil Metcalf of Alphamarine Photography with daily talks, group and one to one coaching, ad hoc teaching sessions and advice
- All transfers and taxes
from £2549 per person based on double occupancy
Check out the full itinerary and brochure here.
Contact The Scuba Place today and book your space!!
Email john@thescubaplace.co.uk or call 020 3515 9955.
Want to know a little more? Here are some links :
For all things Phil and Anne of Alphamarine Photography
alphamarinephoto.com https://www.facebook.com/alphamarinephoto/https://www.facebook.com/groups/alphamarineqanda/
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/alphamarine
For more on Puerto Galera and Scandi Divers
https://www.thescubaplace.co.uk/puerto-galera-philippines
https://www.thescubaplace.co.uk/scandi-divers-resort
For the April 2023 Trip Report and Underwater Images
https://www.thescubaplace.co.uk/post/dive-the-philippines-scandi-divers-puerto-galera-trip-report
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thescubaplace/albums/72177720309565482
The Scuba Place designs and builds custom scuba diving holidays. With personal knowledge and experience diving in many of our destinations, there is no one better to help build your dream dive holiday. Come Dive with Us!
Call us at 020 3515 9955 or email at reservations@thescubaplace.co.uk
Find us on
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thescubaplace
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.scuba.place/
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH684OdioYirI-zzdT58Ceg
Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/thescubaplace/albums
Marine Life & Conservation
Experience the Greatest Shoal on Earth followed by few nights with Sharks next month at some really great rates with Seas4Life (Watch Video)
An Exclusive, Expert Led, One-Off experience…
For just a few short weeks each year – end of May through to end of June – the mighty Sardine Run showcases the epic efforts of supreme marine predators working in unison to feed off the migrating sardines in a most dynamic flurry of action. End of June early July is also when the shark season begins – just imagine it is a David Attenbourgh Blue Planet experience.
In case this natural wonder wasn’t exciting enough – majestic humpback whales just happen to start their annual migration back up north adding to this phenomenal experience.
Its a must for the adventurous soul.. Lots of love, laughter, and smiles.
This is a feeding event of unmatched proportions. Thousands of common dolphin charge after the shoals, separating them into bait balls, with their ‘dolphin bubble technique’, bring them to the surface. Watched from the air by the cape gannets, who then launch a massive aerial assault on the sardines. They are also easy pickings for shivers of bronze whaler, dusky and black tip sharks, seals and lastly the huge mouths of Brydes (Brooders) whale that can consume an entire bait ball in one single lunge!
Seas4Life is offering an incredible deal for this year’s Sardine Run. Here are the details:
Date: June 23rd – July 2nd 2024
Type: Family, group, couples, solo travellers. Min of 4 pax – max 8 pax
Location: South Africa
Nights: 9 nights/10 days
Rates originally started at USD$9,705 per person 9 Nights PP, based on 5 pax on the trip. However, you can now experience the Greatest Shoal on Earth followed by some seriously unforgettable shark action for just USD$7,100 per person.
Includes:
- 5 night stay at Gulu Game Reserve (23rd – 28th June)
- 4 night stay at Africa Oceans Manor (28th June– 2nd July)
- 9 nights fully catered stay with breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
- Welcome drinks and selected alcohol (local beers, wines and spirits)
- 4 Sardine Run Days and 3 full Shark Research Days – 1 morning being with Great White
sharks - Guiding by expert marine conservationists, shark specialists and ocean enthusiasts
- Transfers to and from the airports and to and from the launch base and hotels; and on 28th June from Gulu Game Reserve to African Oceans Manor along the Southern African Coastline and parts of the Garden Route
- Privately chartered 26 foot (8m) semi-rigid dive boat (South African Maritime Safety Authority, licensed to travel up to 40 Nautical miles offshore) with two 140hp motors
- Snorkelling and scuba diving gear
- All activities as outlined in the itinerary
- Use of Gulu Private Resort and African Oceans Manor facilities including rejuvenating in their spa, use of the pool, playing tennis, hiking or fishing… (these will be charged separately if used)
- Marine conservation contribution to the shark research unit
- Offsetting your carbon through Planet Moja
- AMREF
- Lead shark scientist Nico, sardine run expertise of ScubaXursions
- Julie as lead guide
- Lots of smiles, laughter and many memories made
Excludes:
- International flights
- Visas and taxes (airport, government and tourist)
- Scuba diving, free diving and underwater photography courses
- Alcoholic drinks (unless stated) champagne, luxury spirits and selected wines
- Activities not outlined above
- All photographic gear
- DAN Insurance, Scuba and/or photographic gear insurance
- All additional park and/or conservancy fees if applicable
- Travel and health insurance
- Items of a personal nature
- Gratuities
For more information or to book, contact Seas4Life now:
SALES@SEAS4LIFE.COM / +254 723 639 640 / seas4life.com
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