Underwater photographers and filmmakers rally Vis 2020

Courses and workshops always follow a typical pattern where there is a teacher-guru, usually the one who talks the most, to whom the trainees listen diligently and take notes. Things are no different when it comes to training underwater photographers…

One June day on the Vis, when we were returning from a dive on the wreck of a B-24 bomber, we dreamed of another meeting where everyone introduces themselves and their photographic output, seeks ideas and solutions to problems and equipment advice.

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In September/October 2019, this idea materialised in the form of the first “Underwater Photographers’ Meeting”. The meeting took place in Croatia, on the island of Vis, at the Nautica Vis Diving Center base, and was hosted by Irena Stangierska and Piotr Stós.

For six days we made two morning dives, which lasted indefinitely, because the Viskian training ground is an inexhaustible source of subjects, and the photographers were driven to the surface only by full memory cards or a blinking light informing them that the batteries were dead. Then in the evening we met for author presentations and loosely moderated talks about underwater photography and its manifestations.

In short – the rally was a blast! Therefore, we want to repeat it and meet on 19-26 September 2020.

Whatever your level of photography and diving skills, this will be a great opportunity to work with and among passionate people who are charged with positive energy, full of knowledge and ready to discuss photography and film endlessly.

Join us for a week of diving, photography and conversation. The meeting is not a commercial course or workshop. There will be no division into lecturers and students. We hope, however, for another exchange of photo-inspirations, technical and equipment experience, as well as diving and social integration of photographers and underwater filmmakers.

The participants of the First Underwater Photographers Rally were: Konrad Baar, Michał Bazała, Zbyszek Głodowski, Laura Rojas, Ania Jagiełło-Rybiec, Wojtek Jeznach, Patryk Krzyżak, Marcin Małuszek, Marcin Miętek, Jarek Misiak, Tomek Płociński, Aneta Porada, Irena Stangierska, Piotr Stós, Beata Tabak, Marcin Trzciński, Beata Ziemann and Piotr Zwierzyński.

Participants’ opinions

I think the participants were inspired and developed a lot, even though it was not a workshop. A spontaneous idea turned into something regular. Hmmm… I should publish more information about the event at my place, so that my students know about it– Irena Stangierska

Tomek Płociński and I talked to Piotr about workshops and the possibility of meetings for photographers and Nautica responded to our needs. It is a good place to learn, also from your own and other people’s mistakes – Konrad Baar