Boomers Abroad

Description

On Bonaire, a spectacle of color, coral and diverse sea creatures are just beneath the surface, waiting to be captured by your camera and shared with the world. Dive down into this southern Caribbean paradise and learn the magical art of underwater photography. Over 17 days and 27 dives, sharpen your basic photography skills and get to experiment with specialized lighting and editing techniques in and out of the water. Then return home with a professional portfolio of stunning images. However, once you dive in the pristine Bonaire Marine Park, you may never want to come up for air.

The angelfish and eagle rays in your photographs will only tell part of the story. The real narrative will be about the person behind the lens. And the experiences that will accompany the indelible impression left by this trip.

Day 1-5
After settling into our seaside bungalows, we head out to explore Washington Slagbaai National Park, home to endemic species of parrots, flamingoes, iguanas and colorful exotic plants. The Subi Brandaris Trail takes us to the highest peak on Bonaire where you can see the whole island, the surrounding reefs and, on a clear day, all the way to South America. Ready to get wet? After a quick check out dive at the Marine Park, it's time to get our first glimpse of Bonaire's unspoiled reefs and hone our buoyancy skills that are critical for good underwater photography. Above the surface we begin our introduction to photography... Learn how to compose shots and how to adjust aperture and shutter speed settings for different environments and light conditions. Practice taking pictures of uncooperative models by stalking the island's famous wild donkeys and iguanas. The abundance of small plants and animals make great subjects for practicing macro photography techniques. Confident with that you have the basics down, it's time to give it a try underwater. Before jumping in, learn about your housing, maintaining your housing and pre-dive camera checks. Then dive in and shoot away! You soon discover why a recent REEF survey concluded that Bonaire's fish population is the most diverse in the Caribbean. Capture images of rock hinds, wrasse, lizard fish, turtles, sea horses and frogfish. After each dive we download and review our images and explore ways to take our photography to the next level.

Day 6-11
Take a day to dry off and explore the island. Le Lac, a lagoon surrounded on one side by mangroves and the other by a long barrier reef, is best known as one of the world's top windsurfing spots. Spend the morning kayaking among the mangroves or try your hand at windsurfing in the shallow, calm, blue waters of the bay. In the afternoon, we investigate the historic port town of Kralendijk. The capital city's colorful buildings and historic sites make it a great place to learn about depth of field, fill light, ISO, shutter lag, ambient light and contrast. Then back in the water, we hone our skills on dive sites such as Country Garden, Atlantis and Alice in Wonderland where French angel fish, school master and goatfish abound. As you fine-tune your technique, learn how to avoid back scatter and when to use external flash units, slave strobes and fish-eye ports. Put your new skills to use assisting the Bonaire Marine Park by creating a photo map of local dive sites and documenting human impact on the reef. Above the water, we work on editing in Photoshop and Lightroom, and have discussions on different file formats, color management, creative tools and printing techniques. Head out on a dive boat to the nearby island of Klein Bonaire to explore The Forest, known for its black coral fans, or Rock Pile, with its boulder corals and resident green moray eel. With each day of diving, photographing and feedback sessions, your skills and photos improve and your confidence in capturing that perfect image gets stronger. You're hooked!

Day 12-17
Our visit to Bonaire wouldn't be complete without a trip to Barcadera, Bonaire's oldest land cave. Made mostly of fossilized coral reefs, these dark caves are filled with all shapes and sizes of stalactites, stalagmites and even rare helectites. Itching to get back underwater, we work on building our final portfolios. Spend time trying to get that flawless silhouette of an eagle ray at 18 Palms or a queen angelfish framed by a coral arch at Angel City. You have the skills and all it takes is patience, persistence and timing to get the ideal shot. As the adventure comes to an end, present your final portfolio to the group. When you return home, you'll have not only amazing stories and memories to share, but also great photos of new friends, exotic creatures and beautiful Bonaire.