Marine Wildlife Photography Course
This course teaches you to photograph marine life with skill and respect. You will learn to choose and maintain cameras, housings, lenses and strobes, understand animal behavior and approach species without disturbing them, master exposure and composition for macro, large animals and surface shots, and finish your images with RAW development, color correction, cataloguing and a final portfolio.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Marine Wildlife Photography Course?
This short course combines photographic technique with knowledge of marine fauna. You will study marine biodiversity as a photographic subject, ethics and respect for wildlife, water safety, reference photographers and conservation through images, cameras and housings, macro and wide-angle lenses, strobes and accessories, species knowledge, approach techniques, buoyancy control, patience and observation, safe distances, exposure and composition underwater, macro photography, large-animal photography and surface photography, and finally RAW development, color correction, selection and cataloguing, and publishing and competitions.
What sets this course apart: animal behavior is treated as a photographic skill, so you learn to anticipate decisive moments rather than chase subjects; ethics and conservation run through every module; the course covers the full range of subjects, from tiny macro life to large animals and split-level surface shots; and you finish with a curated marine wildlife portfolio ready to share or enter in competitions.
Program highlights
- Photographing biodiversity: from macro subjects to large marine animals.
- Equipment: cameras, housings, macro and wide-angle lenses, strobes and accessories.
- Animal behavior and approach techniques that avoid disturbing wildlife.
- Exposure and composition adapted to the underwater environment.
- RAW development, color correction, cataloguing and publication.
- Final project: a marine wildlife portfolio.
Syllabus of the Marine Wildlife Photography Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of marine wildlife photography
- 1.1. Marine biodiversity as a photographic subject
- 1.2. Ethics and respect for wildlife
- 1.3. Water safety
- 1.4. Reference photographers
- 1.5. Conservation through images
Photographic equipment
- 2.1. Cameras and housings
- 2.2. Macro and wide-angle lenses
- 2.3. Strobes
- 2.4. Accessories
- 2.5. Maintenance
Animal behavior and approach
- 3.1. Knowing the species
- 3.2. Approach techniques
- 3.3. Buoyancy control
- 3.4. Patience and observation
- 3.5. Safe distances
Photographic techniques
- 4.1. Underwater exposure
- 4.2. Composition
- 4.3. Macro photography
- 4.4. Large-animal photography
- 4.5. Surface photography
Editing and project
- 5.1. RAW development
- 5.2. Color correction
- 5.3. Selection and cataloguing
- 5.4. Publishing and competitions
- 5.5. Final project: a marine wildlife portfolio
Duration and format of the Marine Wildlife Photography Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Marine Wildlife Photography Course
Career opportunities after the Marine Wildlife Photography Course
Questions about the Marine Wildlife Photography Course
No, but you need to be comfortable in the water. Many techniques also work while snorkelling, and the course includes buoyancy control and water safety.
Mainly macro and wide-angle lenses, the two families most used in marine wildlife photography, together with strobes and accessories.
Ethics is part of every module: knowing the species, approaching calmly, keeping safe distances and never altering behavior or habitat for a picture.
Yes. The last module covers RAW development, color correction, selection and cataloguing, and preparing images for publication and competitions.
You build a coherent marine wildlife portfolio, selecting and editing your best images and presenting them with a clear visual narrative.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Underwater imaging
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at nature and photography enthusiasts, marine biologists and conservationists who document fauna and flora, divers and snorkellers who want to improve their underwater photography, professional photographers expanding their portfolio, and photography and marine science students; basic photographic knowledge (camera handling, exposure and composition) is recommended, and a recognized diving qualification is advisable if you plan to shoot underwater.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser, a camera with manual controls (DSLR, mirrorless or advanced compact) and photo editing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop; a housing or other underwater protection is needed for in-water practice.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.