Learning to Slow Down in Lembeh (Part 1)

For a long time, underwater photography felt far more technical to me than scuba diving ever did. Diving itself always felt natural to me. Teaching, guiding, problem solving underwater, helping students grow, planning trips, and exploring new places all felt exciting rather than overwhelming. Underwater photography was different. Beautiful images online made everything look effortless, but the world behind those images felt incredibly layered and technical from the outside. Massive camera systems, technical editing programs, expensive equipment, strange photography terminology, and people discussing settings I barely understood honestly made the whole thing feel a little inaccessible at times.

I had a basic understanding from taking the PADI Underwater Photography course and knew enough to get photos I enjoyed from trips, but I also knew there was a huge gap between simply taking underwater pictures and intentionally creating strong images. Editing felt intimidating, lighting underwater felt inconsistent, and most of the time I was relying more on luck than actual understanding. As a dive professional, I am constantly looking for ways to continue growing underwater because diving has never felt static to me. Every new skill opens up an entirely different way to experience the underwater world, and macro photography had always fascinated me because it completely changes how divers interact with an environment.

Joining Byron, Andy, and Matt’s Inside Scuba macro photography workshop in Lembeh felt like the perfect opportunity to finally push myself outside my comfort zone a bit. The workshop itself felt approachable in a way I appreciated; nothing about it was marketed as some exclusive elite photography experience reserved only for professional photographers with giant camera rigs. The focus felt centered around learning, improving, community, and genuinely enjoying the process.

Underwater Photography Felt Way More Approachable Than I Expected

Walking into the workshop definitely brought a healthy amount of nerves. Everyone had impressive camera systems, years of experience, and beautiful images to share during the early photo reviews. Meanwhile, I was still actively trying to understand lighting placement underwater and how people consistently produced those crisp macro images I had admired online for years. A huge part of me worried I would feel completely behind everyone else. That feeling disappeared surprisingly quickly once the workshop really got going.

Learning felt collaborative instead of competitive from the very beginning. Conversations naturally flowed between photography settings, critter behavior, editing struggles, buoyancy tips, dive travel stories, and plenty of laughing over missed shots and camera mishaps. Spending a week surrounded by people who were all passionate about diving and photography created such a fun and motivating environment. Every evening review felt less like a critique session and more like a group of people genuinely helping each other improve. Watching everyone improve throughout the week regardless of experience level was honestly one of my favorite parts of the workshop. It was genuinely cool seeing how much people progressed over the course of the trip, whether that meant dialing in lighting, becoming more intentional with composition, improving editing skills, or simply building confidence underwater with a camera. Every evening review felt less like a critique session and more like a group of people genuinely helping each other improve.

One of the things I appreciated most was the range of experience levels amongst the participants. Some people were very experienced underwater photographers with incredible editing skills and years of shooting macro, while others were newer to photography and still actively learning camera settings and lighting techniques like me. That mix actually made the workshop feel far more approachable and welcoming because everyone brought different strengths, perspectives, and ideas to the group. Some people were incredible at spotting behavior underwater while others had amazing composition instincts or extensive editing experience. Every dive became an opportunity to pick up something new.

Inside Scuba has clearly built something much bigger than simply photography workshops. The atmosphere felt genuinely inclusive and encouraging in a way that can honestly be rare in photography spaces sometimes. Nobody cared whether you had a massive professional setup or a compact camera. Everyone genuinely encouraged questions and learning regardless of experience. The entire workshop felt centered around helping people improve, enjoy diving, and build confidence at their own pace. That accessibility made such a huge difference for me personally.

The Gear Didn’t Matter as Much as I Thought

One of the biggest surprises from the trip was realizing how capable a compact camera system actually is underwater. I showed up to Lembeh shooting with my Olympus TG-6 in a Nauticam housing paired with a Backscatter Mini Flash 2 strobe, which was definitely one of the more compact setups within the workshop group. Learning alongside photographers with a wide range of camera systems helped me realize that strong underwater images are far less about having the biggest setup on the boat and far more about lighting, buoyancy, patience, composition, and understanding animal behavior.

The workshop gave me the chance to experiment with equipment and techniques I had never really used before. I learned about different macro lenses, diopters, strobe positioning, and how subtle lighting adjustments can completely change the feel of an image. Before this trip, terms like diopters honestly felt overly technical at first. Seeing how they were actually used underwater and understanding the purpose behind different setups suddenly made everything feel much more approachable. Getting to observe how experienced photographers approached lighting in various situations was incredibly valuable as well. Small positioning changes underwater suddenly made huge differences in texture, shadows, subject separation, and overall image quality.

The workshop also helped me better understand what I personally wanted to tweak and improve with my own setup moving forward. After several days of diving, I started realizing my rig was heavier underwater than I wanted, especially during long macro dives where you spend extended periods hovering carefully while trying to stay stable. Fatigue started becoming noticeable after multiple dives a day, and I could feel how much easier buoyancy and positioning would be with a better-balanced setup. Byron actually lent me his camera float arms during the trip, and honestly the difference was immediate. The setup felt significantly more comfortable underwater and much easier to maneuver during longer dives. That experience alone taught me so much about how small equipment changes can dramatically improve comfort and control underwater.

One of the coolest parts of the workshop was getting the opportunity to try new things in real-world diving conditions instead of just reading about them online. Seeing different setups in action, talking through gear choices with experienced photographers, and physically trying equipment underwater made it much easier to understand what actually works best for different shooting styles and environments. I think the TG-6 and TG-7 are fantastic starter underwater cameras for a lot of divers. The systems are compact, travel friendly, and much easier to learn on than large DSLR or mirrorless setups. The built-in macro capabilities are incredibly impressive for such a small camera, especially for critters like nudibranchs, shrimp, frogfish, and pygmy seahorses.

At the same time, the workshop also helped me better understand some of the limitations of my current setup and the areas where I eventually want more control creatively. Spending a week around photographers using different systems gave me a much clearer understanding of what certain cameras, lenses, and lighting setups allow you to do underwater. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by equipment, I finally started understanding the “why” behind different gear choices. I am definitely considering eventually upgrading to a camera system that gives me more manual control and flexibility than the TG-6 or TG-7 allows as I continue improving with lighting, composition, and macro techniques. One of the things I appreciated most though was that nobody pushed expensive equipment or made it feel like upgrading was necessary to participate or improve.

The Inside Scuba team has been incredibly kind and generous throughout that process as well. Byron, Andy, and Matt have all been so willing to answer questions, talk through equipment choices, and help newer photographers better understand the pros and cons of different systems. The focus never felt like selling people gear or making photography feel exclusive; it felt centered around helping people learn, improve, and continue growing at whatever pace makes sense for them.

Next issue, in Part 2, we go under the surface to meet the legendary "Team Shawn" sheep slugs and discover how the magic of the muck completely changed the way I dive.