Anilao - Workshop
Critter-heavy photo workshop destination in the Philippines, known for macro life and blackwater diving.
Do you want to advance your photography skills? Or are you new to underwater photography and want to learn quickly? Joining an Insider Divers workshop helps everyone with their photo skills.
Anilao is the world's best places to photograph critters and the absolute Nr. 1 in Blackwater Diving. Everyone will have endless practice time for all learned techniques. Here you can find all the top bucket list critters - frogfish, ghost pipe fish and pygmy seahorses, and all manors of octopus - coconut, long arm, blue ring, mototi as well as flamboyant cuttlefish.
Join us to delve into Lightroom and Photoshop, covering introductory and advanced training sessions. Award-winning photographers Tobias Friedrich and Simon Lorenz will guide you through everything you need to elevate your photography to the next level.
Our next planned expedition will be in the Spring of 2029. Please check back here or email us for the waiting list.
Overview
Animals
Accommodation
Crystal Blue Resort
Crystal Blue Resort is located in Bagalangit, Mabini, Batangas in the heart of Anilao. It blends a relaxed tropical setting with world-class diving and is especially popular with underwater photographers drawn to Anilao’s macro life and dedicated dive facilities.
Crystal Blue Resort
Comfort cabin
Comfortable resort rooms with balconies and private bath, set up for dedicated dive and photo trips.
Twin or double setup
Comfortable resort rooms with balconies and private bath, set up for dedicated dive and photo trips.
Private option
Comfortable resort rooms with balconies and private bath, set up for dedicated dive and photo trips.
Activities
Macro Photography
Macro Photography
This workshop will focus on macro photography predominantly. Every day we will do 3-4 very long dives capped at 75mins (which you will max out often). We
usually don't move far as you will spend lots of time on each subject, getting the most out of every subject
Black Water Diving
Black Water Diving
Try the most interesting new photo activity, night diving over deep water, spotting and photographing bizarre critters of the deep.
Lectures
Lectures
During your week with us Tobias and Simon will be providing a set of talks, presentations and workshops which
will aim to help you improve your photography skills. They will also offer 1-to-1 advice and dive as a buddy to everyone
at least once during the week.
Depending on your level at the beginning of the week you might have different workshop elements.
Editing Coaching
Editing Coaching
Learn from the pros on how to use Lightroom and Photoshop and learn how to get the most out of your photography.
In various sessions the coaches will teach you how to select, edit and improve your photos on your computer.
During our live editing sessions you can observe how the pros will edit your photography.
Trip leader
Tobias Friedrich
Tobiasis probably one of the most successful underwater photographers in the last 10 years. He has brought home almost every award there is in the underwater space and was being named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018 - the most prestigious aquatic award. Now he is also one of the three judges of the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year award
REsponsibilities
- Photography presentations
- Digital editing coaching
- Personal coaching - above and below water
- Live editing
- Final photo awards
Simon Lorenz
Simon is an award winning photographer, PADI instructor and TDI tech diver. He is the founder of Insider Divers and the main group leader on our trips. Having dived all over the world he often felt unsatisfied by the dive operations, by the background knowledge of the guides and by the inflexibility of the itineraries. This inspired him to create Insider Divers, where groups of fun international divers get the best possible itinerary.
REsponsibilities
- Briefings
- All organisation and logistics
- Photography presentations
- Digital editing coaching
- Personal coaching - above and below water
- Live editing
Itinerary
Inclusions
- Full board based on shared room
- Three 75min dives a day
- Breakfasts, lunch, dinner plus snacks
- FREE Nitrox
- Presentations
- Photography training
- Transfers from Denpasar, Bali
- FREE T-Shirt
- Access to Insider Divers Portal
Reviews
Learn from the pros: Highly recommend for anyone serious to advance their UW photography. I've done dive trips with photo workshops before, and they've been a mixed bag elsewhere. Here, it all came together: Proper planning (from organisation to season and dive sites), care and hand-selected groups, and most importantly: A schedule jam-packed with diving, workshops, and rubbing shoulders with a great crew of like-minded people.I submitted some of my photos from the workshop and won in two categories at OG PICOTY!!Diving the same sites as the pros will help anyone who wants to take their photography game to the next level. I loved the spirit of "get out there to get a killer shot". Proper image reviews, up-to-date software classes, and the pro's insights into composition and overall technique will appeal to beginners or more advanced photographers (like myself) alike.
This was my first ever overseas dive trip and photography workshop. I was super nervous but the boys made me feel very at ease. This trip was very well organized with the itinerary full of planned dives and workshops.
Simon and Tobias, our photography maestros, orchestrated a symphony of lectures on underwater photography, composition, lighting, and those mind-boggling techniques for capturing the tiniest of critters in all their glory.
Spending a week in the company of these underwater photography masters, with the chance to bombard them with questions throughout the day, was nothing short of priceless.
My underwater images have been dragged by the ears to a whole new level, and I'm seriously contemplating proudly displaying some of my work in my living room.
videos
FAQ
What's included in the trip price?
Trip pricing covers your accommodation (land-based), all meals and non-alcoholic drinks during meals, your diving with tanks and weights, nitrox gas, professional Insider Divers guiding, and applicable park or permit fees unless noted otherwise.
Excluded are extra dives, extra dive days, international flights, travel insurance, personal rental gear, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, and optional extras are usually not included. A detailed what's-included list is provided for every departure once you enquire.
What photography experience do I need?
With the workshop we cater to all levels. If you have just started or if you are fine tuning to become a semi-professional. We have had people unbox their camera on our workshop and we have had award-winning photographers join our workshops.
We do request that you have your own camera and strobe. If you do not have one, please get in touch with us to set up a free orientation call with Simon
When is the best time to visit Anilao for underwater photography?
Anilao is divable year-round, but the main workshop season runs roughly from October through May when conditions are most stable and the critter action is at its peak. Blackwater diving is especially productive during calmer, darker nights in the dry season. The rainy season (June through September) can bring typhoons that affect boat access and visibility.
We’re here to help — reach out with any question you may have.