Anilao Trip Report December 2025

Led by Trip Leaders: Mike Smith & Wayne Tarr

Overview

The Bluewater Travel Macro Photography Workshop at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines, was an inspiring and highly productive week of underwater photography, learning, and creative growth. Anilao’s reputation as one of the world’s top macro destinations was on full display, providing an extraordinary diversity of subjects and behaviors that formed the ideal backdrop for an intensive, skills-focused workshop.

Instruction & Support

Co-leading the trip alongside Wayne Tarr, we worked closely with participants to maximize both their diving and photography experience. From the moment guests arrived, our focus was on creating a supportive, hands-on learning environment. We assisted with equipment setup, troubleshooting technical issues, optimizing camera configurations, and refining photographers’ shooting approaches. Whether it was resolving strobe synchronization problems, fixing optical cables, dialing in autofocus settings, or adjusting housing ergonomics, technical support was always close at hand.

Educational Program

A major strength of the workshop was the depth and structure of the educational program. Each morning began with image reviews and a technical presentation before diving, allowing participants to reflect on the previous day’s work and head into the water with clear objectives. Sessions covered core macro topics such as composition, creative lighting, strobe positioning, background control, and subject separation, emphasizing practical techniques that could be immediately applied on the next dive.

Expert Guidance

We were fortunate to have world-renowned underwater photographer Mike Bartick as a key instructor. Mike delivered in-depth talks covering black background techniques, bokeh backgrounds, advanced strobe control, creative lighting strategies, and approaches for challenging macro subjects. His presentations included fascinating insights into Anilao’s marine life, helping participants anticipate movement and capture more compelling moments.

Afternoon & Evening Sessions

After lunch each day, technical talks built on the morning sessions, introducing more advanced concepts. In the evenings, following dinner, additional presentations and discussions allowed participants to explore creative techniques, problem-solving, and image analysis in a relaxed and collaborative setting.

Image Processing & Editing

I delivered all image processing and Lightroom training, guiding participants through efficient workflows, file organization, global and local adjustments, color control, and finishing techniques specific to underwater macro photography. These sessions helped photographers improve individual images and develop repeatable editing processes they could continue using long after the trip.

Blackwater Diving

Midway through the week, some participants took part in two blackwater dives, adding a completely different and exciting dimension to the workshop. These dives offered a rare opportunity to photograph pelagic larval life and deep-water creatures, further expanding participants’ skills in lighting, focus, and composition under challenging conditions.

Participant Progress & Competition

As the week unfolded, participants’ improvement was remarkable. Confidence grew with every dive, lighting became more controlled, compositions more intentional, and creative experimentation more ambitious. This progress was reflected in the end-of-trip image competition, where the overall standard of entries was exceptionally high. The winning images demonstrated how far participants had come in a single week.

Conclusion

The workshop concluded with a strong sense of achievement and inspiration. Excellent diving, outstanding instruction, and a highly engaged group combined to make this Bluewater Travel macro workshop at Crystal Blue Resort a truly memorable and rewarding experience. New friendships were formed, and underwater photographers left excited about their future adventures.

Winners

Behaviour Category Winner – Mary Adam

Bokeh Background Winner – Anastassia Gouloubeva

Nudibranch Category Winner – Mary Adam