Ideas to get your creative juices flowing – Jenny Stock reviews 52 Assignments – Underwater Photography by Alex Mustard; Ammonite Press
Review by: Jenny Stock
52 Assignments is a series of books designed to expand your photography portfolio. At the beginning of each volume, you are presented with a checklist of 52 assignments to spark your creativity, expand your techniques and sharpen your skills.
Currently, the series presents thirteen titles covering a range of specialities, including Landscape, Portrait, Black and White, Street and Drone. We are, of course, interested in the latest of the series, Underwater Photography.
Alex Mustard is the obvious author to curate and proffer this handy little pocket book. He is recognised as one of the world’s leading underwater photographers and for decades he’s taught and motivated people to capture their own underwater works of art, while taking great joy in watching his students flourish.
This publication is an extension of the lectures given by Alex on his diving workshops. I’ve been fortunate to hear him shout many of these tips across a busy dive deck just before jumping into the water. This handbook collates some of these gems of wisdom into a concise, practical guide.
This workbook is designed to encourage resourcefulness and imagination. Each assignment is a couple of pages long, illustrated with engaging images depicting the objective of the assignment.
I calculated that thirty of his missions could be carried out at any dive site, with basic underwater photography equipment. Therefore, over half the goals outlined can inspire people at the beginning of their underwater photography adventure (some of these basic techniques can be overlooked by the most experienced of us).
Undertaking the other twenty-two assignments might take a bit more planning, as they need to be practised at specific locations with particular subjects (wreck diving, black water, mandarinfish) or with specialist equipment (wide-angle macro lenses, vintage lenses, off-camera strobes).
Regardless, every gorgeous image in this page-turner will stimulate originality in anyone looking for a project. Personally, I think I will find it most helpful when I’m on a dive trip pondering, ‘What challenge shall I set myself on the next dive?’
Operating like this results in quite a few failures, as it takes time to master new techniques. Experimentation is key. Not all the answers to problems you may encounter will be in this book, so further research will become necessary if you want to ‘tick all the boxes’.
However, the book encourages you to explore, learn and master. Over time this will allow you to build up a diverse portfolio of photographs as you expand the depth and breadth of your work.
Overall, 52 Assignments – Underwater Photography is a valuable guidebook to inspire your creativity.
52 Assignments: Underwater Photography by Alex Mustard, Ammonite Press, RRP £12.99, is available online and from all good bookshops. Contact websales@thegmcgroup.com if ordering from outside the UK.
As a special offer for DIVE readers, you can buy 52 Assignments: Underwater Photography from Gifts to Me for only £10.40 (+P&P)! Usual RRP £12.99. Visit giftstome.co.uk and use the offer code R5703. Offer ends 18 December 2024 (UK orders only).
