News
Book Review – 52 Assignments: Underwater Photography
52 Assignments: Underwater Photography by Alex Mustard
For underwater photographers out there, a new book by Alex Mustard is always something to look forward to. But this is something completely new. A book to help people improve their underwater photography one assignment at a time. There are 52 different assignments in the book ranging from Black and White Wreck, Posing a Model, Off-Camera Strobes and everything in-between. You can tick each one off as you feel that you have successfully completed it. Start at the beginning and work through methodically or see what your next dive is going to be and select an assignment to suit. This book is going to be popular with both those just starting out in underwater photography and seasoned pros alike.
I am going to try the latter this week. If the weather holds, then I am planning to dive the wreck of the James Eagan Layne. So I plan on completing assignment number 9 – Black and White Wrecks. The handy assignment key says that the elements I will be working with are Lighting, Wreck, Wide Angle and Computer Editing. I hope this dive should tick all those boxes.
The book is a hardback, but is of a suitable size and weight that it can be tucked into your hand luggage if you are heading overseas, to set yourself some underwater photography tasks wherever you travel. Each task is clearly defined and what I love is that they are not too overwhelming. Clearly setting out manageable tasks and useful tips to try out to get a particular result. By the time you have worked your way through and ticked off all 52 assignments you will have an invaluable set of skills to call upon.
The book breaks the mould of traditional underwater photography guides. Gone are the sometimes daunting, long chapters on techniques, settings and equipment. This offers a much more accessible and refreshing approach. Simple, useful, practical skills to try whatever camera you are taking on your dive. I love this idea and am looking forward to picking out an assignment that will fit each of the dives I have coming up.
I hope to do a follow up review of the book once I have worked through some of the assignments, with images to show how I have got on. Watch this space.
What the publisher says:
52 Assignments: Underwater Photography is a year’s worth of inspiring weekly assignments to kick-start your creativity.
This collection of photographic workshop assignments is designed to build core skills, expand horizons and kickstart creativity. The book takes readers on an underwater adventure with assignments designed to teach valuable lessons and produce stunning images. It has a year’s worth of weekly challenges and concepts for conceiving and composing powerful, dynamic underwater photographs and videos. Complete the assignments weekly over a year, or dip in every time you need to bring a new concept or creative approach to underwater photography.
About the Author:
Dr Alexander Mustard MBE, has been widely regarded as one of the world’s leading underwater photographers for the last 20 years. He has pioneered many techniques within underwater photography, which he shares through magazine articles, talks and workshops. His photographs have won many awards including, on five occasions, the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He has also won multiple categories in the British Wildlife Photography Awards. In 2013, Alex was named GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image Night Moves. He has a PhD in marine ecology and still occasionally publishes peer-reviewed papers. He is based in the UK.
Book Details
Publisher: Ammonite Press
Hardcover
Price: £12.99
ISBN: 9781781454893
Published: October 2024
News
PADI and Scuba Diving Magazine Seek Incredible Underwater Photographs in Annual Photo Competition
Scuba Diving® magazine’s 21st annual Through Your Lens photo contest is underway and accepting images that highlight the incredible underwater world.
“Entering our Through Your Lens Photo Contest isn’t just about winning,” says Candice Landau, Content Director for Scuba Diving magazine. “It’s about beginning the journey of putting your work out there, sharing your unique perspective and realising just how much impact your images can have. With categories for all levels, including an amateur category specifically for newcomers, there’s a real chance to get noticed and inspire positive ocean change.”
“This year we decided to bring back a couple of tried-and-tested categories, as well as add two new ones. In total, photographers will be able to submit to five different categories: wide angle, macro, split shot, amateur, and cold water,” Landau says.
Scuba Diving has confirmed the return of highly esteemed underwater photographers Brandon Cole, Kate Jonker, Suzan Meldonian and Alex Mustard to assist as guest judges. Entry is free, and photographers can submit up to five entries per category.
The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 USD cash prize and a weeklong liveaboard trip aboard the Komodo Aggressor. First-place winners for each specified category will receive an Aggressor Adventures liveaboard trip; second-place winners will receive a Scubapro regulator; and third-place winners will receive a SeaLife SportDiver S smartphone housing. Two winners in the Amateur category will receive a liveaboard trip from All Star Liveaboards. Select winners will also be given the opportunity to have their photos featured on PADI certification cards.
Past winners of the annual competition include colorful images of alpine newts on water lilies in Belgium, divers finning through a submerged Slovak opal mine, and an eye-to-eye encounter with a dwarf minke whale on the Great Barrier Reef.
“This contest is a chance to celebrate the artistry and passion of underwater photographers at every level. It brings the underwater world to the surface for everyone to see, and it’s always amazing to witness the creativity, dedication, and stories that these images tell,” says Landau. “It’s not just about taking a beautiful picture, it’s about capturing a moment that inspires others to dive, explore, and protect the ocean. Every submission helps us tell the story of the underwater world and why it matters.”
All winners and honourable mentions will be published in the September/October 2025 Photo Issue of Scuba Diving magazine, with the cover featuring one of the contest entries. Entries are open now until July 7, 2025 on scubadiving.com/photocontest.
About Scuba Diving Magazine
United in our passion for diving and the world beneath the surface. Scuba Diving is an inclusive print and digital forum to learn about, connect on and fuel a shared passion for underwater exploration. Our enthusiasm for the sport of diving, the stunning places we experience, the incredible marine encounters, and our purpose-driven commitment to ocean change keeps us connected and inspires one another to seek adventure and save the ocean. The ultimate, trusted source, we deliver expert insights on gear, safety, training, local diving, travel and dive professions – because, as divers ourselves, we care deeply about the same topics. Whether we dive once a year or for a living, we’re a single community of ocean lovers constantly encouraging those new to diving to join us.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the world’s largest ocean exploration and diver organisation, operating in 186 countries and territories, with a global network of more than 6,600 dive centres and resorts and over 128,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 1 million certifications each year, and with over 30 million certifications to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, maintaining its high standards for dive training, safety and customer service, monitored for worldwide consistency and quality. With a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, PADI is leading the way for millions of people to actively explore, steward and protect the ocean through its course offerings and partnerships with like-minded, mission-driven organisations. PADI embodies a global commitment to ocean health with its mission to create a billion torchbearers to explore and protect the ocean. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM
Saudi Arabia is reaffirming its commitment to preserving the extraordinary marine environments along its Red Sea coastline
From Jeddah to Yanbu, Umluj, Farasan Islands, to Tabuk, as Saudi welcomes greater numbers to its Red Sea shores, this emerging global destination is making waves not just for its beauty, but for its mindful approach to the environment.
An Underwater Paradise
Stretching along Saudi’s western coastline, this pristine aquatic world is home to over 300 species of coral and more than 250 species of fish, hawksbill turtles, dugongs, dolphins, sharks and sea birds. Just last month, a record-breaking giant 800-year-old coral colony was discovered in the waters of AMAALA. Stretching the length of over six London buses, it is the largest in the Red Sea and even close in size to the current coral colony world record holder—indicative of the Saudi Red Sea’s rude health.
Preserving Nature’s Masterpiece
Recognizing that conservation is key to ensuring the future of this underwater paradise, numerous environmental studies and initiatives have been launched. In 2022, the Saudi National Centre for Wildlife began the largest environmental baseline study ever conducted in the region, the Red Sea Decade Expedition. This saw a team of 126 scour more than 1,800 kilometers of coastline and 90 offshore islands, using DNA sequencing technologies to establish an end-to-end catalog of the Red Sea’s biodiversity—from bacteria to whales—to inform Saudi’s commitment to conserve 30 percent of the Red Sea.
Reef Encounter
The Saudi Red Sea’s coral reefs, considered some of the most climate-resilient in the world and the cornerstone of marine health, are the subject of a number of initiatives in Saudi. Groundbreaking new AI reef monitoring technology has been created and employed to not only monitor coral health, but dispense nutrients, medicine and probiotics as needed in real time according to their needs.
Significant investment in coral labs means that unlike in the wild—where coral reproduces for just a handful of days per year—scientists can now breed coral throughout the year. This can then be transplanted at one of the many floating nurseries established in the Saudi Red Sea, which boast a healthy 97% survival success rate. Just last year, NEOM announced the World’s Largest Coral Restoration project, which will produce 40,000 corals annually, while a secondary facility with ten times this capacity is built to help maintain this underwater ecosystem.
Rachel Moore, PADI Ambassadiver, called the Saudi Red Sea one of the few healthy places left on our planet, saying: “Diving in the Red Sea has made me incredibly hopeful – the corals here are extremely resilient, the coral coverage on the dive sites extensive… [I] was surprised to see how much living coral there is.”
Built to Protect, Not Just Impress
Beyond the labs and the sea itself, protecting this precious environment is at the heart of development in the Saudi Red Sea. For example, the 1.2km Shurayrah Bridge was crafted with a graceful curve, rather than a simple straight-line design, to minimize impact on coral formations.
In the Saudi Red Sea, guests can experience world-class hospitality that puts nature first. Resorts such as Shebara, Desert Rock, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and The St. Regis Red Sea Resort are designed with sustainability at their core. From off-grid energy systems to zero-waste initiatives and wildlife-friendly architecture, these retreats offer the ultimate escape—without compromise to the environment.
With just 1% of the entire Saudi Red Sea footprint being developed, the rest will be left untouched—a testament to this commitment to a more conscious conservation.
A Call to Conscious Travel
Soon, visitors will be able to dive even deeper—figuratively and literally—at the world’s first fully immersive experiential marine life center, “Corallium”, currently under development by Red Sea Global. Designed to educate and inspire, the center will offer interactive exhibits and underwater observatories.
To learn more and plan your trip, visit the Visit Saudi website.
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