Photo coaching in Thailand on the MV Smiling Seahorse
Franck Fogarolo is an accomplished underwater photographer and one of the pioneers blackwater divers in Thailand.
With a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants, Franck has co-founded The Smiling Seahorse in 2012 and spent countless hours exploring the Andaman Sea of Thailand and Myanmar since then, capturing breathtaking images of marine life with his successive Nikon Cameras.
Through his lens, Franck reveals the stunning beauty and mystery of the underwater world, showcasing creatures rarely seen by anyone else before him in Thai Waters such as paper nautilus, tripodfish or juvenile sailfish.
In 2018, Franck and Camille designed, built and launched the first liveaboard vessel in Thailand tailor-made to underwater photographers’s needs with a large camera room equipped with rinsing tanks, charging station and boat crew able to handle the most fragile equipment without bumps and bruises !
In 2020, Franck started to offer something entirely new to the region: Blackwater diving on every trip as well as photo coaching and annual photo clinics by internationally renown photographers.
With a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants, Franck has co-founded The Smiling Seahorse in 2012 and spent countless hours exploring the Andaman Sea of Thailand and Myanmar since then, capturing breathtaking images of marine life with his successive Nikon Cameras.
Through his lens, Franck reveals the stunning beauty and mystery of the underwater world, showcasing creatures rarely seen by anyone else before him in Thai Waters such as paper nautilus, tripodfish or juvenile sailfish.
In 2018, Franck and Camille designed, built and launched the first liveaboard vessel in Thailand tailor-made to underwater photographers’s needs with a large camera room equipped with rinsing tanks, charging station and boat crew able to handle the most fragile equipment without bumps and bruises !
In 2020, Franck started to offer something entirely new to the region: Blackwater diving on every trip as well as photo coaching and annual photo clinics by internationally renown photographers.
Prerequisite for the course:
The Smiling Seahorse is a reef friendly operator.
You need to perfect your buoyancy before starting taking photos of taking one of this courses. You will also need to bring your own underwater camera gear. It can be a compact or a DSLR but preferably not a sealife (as they have very little settings to play with) and you will get most of your camera if you also come with strobe(s) or at least a torch. |
3 UW photography course to choose from:
1/ Entry level: PADI UW photography course specialty |
2/ Intermediate to expert level: underwater coaching |
3/ Editing & post processing technics |
Please also come with Lightroom installed on your own computer if you want to talk about editing.
We can teach you about editing without this but you will get more value by editing your photos (on your own computer) during the cruise to practice what you learned and Franck can help if you get stuck... |
6000thb -PADI Digital Underwater photographer (intro course)
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6000thb - for 2 dives + theory onboard
2000thb per successive dive as needed |
2000thb - for a 2 hours introduction to editing your underwater photos with Lightroom
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1/ Entry level: PADI UW photography course specialty = 6000thb
This is the Padi specialty course designed for divers that have never taken underwater photos and need to learn the basics about photography : ISO, Aperture, shutter speed as well as how to set up the camera housing, enter the water with a camera and take care/store your camera .
This course is an introduction to digital photography : it covers the basics of photography adapted to the underwater world such as basic settings, composition and post processing suitable for new photographers.
This course includes a PADI manual and certification card but if you are already a photographer, the next course will give you more value.
This course is an introduction to digital photography : it covers the basics of photography adapted to the underwater world such as basic settings, composition and post processing suitable for new photographers.
This course includes a PADI manual and certification card but if you are already a photographer, the next course will give you more value.
2/ Intermediate to expert/advance level:
Improve your photo skills through coaching by our pro-photographer = start at 6000thb
This course is for you if you already have some experience with underwater photography but:
We can focus on macro / super macro photography OR on Wide angle photography or try a bit of both... |
For 6000thb you will get about 4 hours with Franck Fogarolo including 2 dives on which he will be your private guide and underwater coach:
Each coached dive will include a briefing giving you technics and action point for that dive and a debriefing to review photos and give you points you can improve on for the next dives.
Franck can also help you set up your gear correctly (adjusting your strobes for perfect buoyancy for example) and tell you about more advanced technics depending on your level (blurring, reflections etc).
If you liked the first 2 dives and want to learn some more, you can ask him onboard to extend this course, each additional coached dive will be charged 2000thb.
Each coached dive will include a briefing giving you technics and action point for that dive and a debriefing to review photos and give you points you can improve on for the next dives.
Franck can also help you set up your gear correctly (adjusting your strobes for perfect buoyancy for example) and tell you about more advanced technics depending on your level (blurring, reflections etc).
If you liked the first 2 dives and want to learn some more, you can ask him onboard to extend this course, each additional coached dive will be charged 2000thb.
3/ Editing & post processing technics
A two hours introduction to editing your underwater photos with Lightroom = 2000thb
Learn how to enhance your RAW photos:
This course is a 2 hours "dry tuition" customised to your needs. You will learn how to use Adobe Lightroom to select, edit and improve your photos. |
Why is the Smiling Seahorse the best liveaboard to learn about UW photography?
Located on the west coast of Thailand, The Smiling Seahorse is a reef-friendly Liveaboard specialising in fun diving and underwater photography.
Operating since 2012, we offer exclusive dive cruises in the Andaman Sea from the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar to Koh Lipe by the Southern border to Malaysia.
Hosting only 16 guests, every trip includes breathtaking dive sites, flawless onboard service, reef-friendly amenities, delicious cuisine and optional blackwater diving!
Our boat and crew are photographers-ready : we have a well-equipped camera room to set up, rince, charge and store safely all your electronic devices. Our staff knows how to handle expensive cameras and avoid bumps and bruises.
Not only will you dive from a liveaboard built for Photographers but you will get a chance to dive and learn from one of its owner and one of the most experienced underwater photographer in the area.
Operating since 2012, we offer exclusive dive cruises in the Andaman Sea from the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar to Koh Lipe by the Southern border to Malaysia.
Hosting only 16 guests, every trip includes breathtaking dive sites, flawless onboard service, reef-friendly amenities, delicious cuisine and optional blackwater diving!
Our boat and crew are photographers-ready : we have a well-equipped camera room to set up, rince, charge and store safely all your electronic devices. Our staff knows how to handle expensive cameras and avoid bumps and bruises.
Not only will you dive from a liveaboard built for Photographers but you will get a chance to dive and learn from one of its owner and one of the most experienced underwater photographer in the area.
𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 𝗪𝗲'𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂!
✉ info@thesmilingseahorse.com
✆ WhatsApp/Line: 0860110614
✉ info@thesmilingseahorse.com
✆ WhatsApp/Line: 0860110614