Steaky Bay Area school student Lewis McDonald in the waters off Streaky Bay. Picture: Mark Tipple.
Source: Supplied
STUDENTS from Streaky Bay Area school have taken the plunge and discovered the art and science of underwater photography.
Ten students equipped with underwater cameras, and photographic tips, dived in at Smooth Pool — an enclosed area — to capture images during a one-day workshop run by photographer Mark Tipple.
The images will be shown at a community exhibition.
Teacher Lauren Karp organised The Hydro+Graphy project, with funding from Country Arts SA and the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources, Management Board, to challenge students. Staff from the school assisted in risk management and co-ordinating the activities.
The project was designed around sustainability using cross-curriculum links from the Australian curriculum.
“I wanted to do something with a slightly environmental edge to see how the students could challenge themselves under the water with cameras,’’ Ms Karp said.
“I found one picture taken by Mark Tipple so I contacted him and he answered back.
“He had a background in doing other environmental projects and we were lucky he could drop in on his way around the world.’’
Students learned all about post-production techniques and worked on their underwater images in the afternoon.
A local photography teacher and a member from the local arts group — Young Artists Collective — was also mentored so the skills and knowledge can be passed on to similar projects are done at the school.
The students’ images can be found on Each student photographer has posted their images the Hydro+Graphy Project community Facebook page to link the community with information learned and to collect feedback on the photographic images.
Budding photographer and Year 11 student Lewis McDonald, 16, bought his own GoPro camera for the underwater project.
He said the shots and techniques he learned from the workshop were invaluable as and will be helpful as he plans for a career in photography.
“I photographed a lot of half-shots — half in the water and half out of the water,’’ he said. “I like photographing under the waves.’’