They came, they saw, they checked exposure parameters: The July 1998 graduating class of the Nikon School of Underwater Photography in Key Largo with photographer, author and instructor Stephen Frink (second from left, bottom row).

For the past 15 years, Stephen Frink has taught week-long courses on underwater photography in his hometown of Key Largo, Fla. This year, Stephen was assisted by professional underwater photographers Mike Waters and Bill Harrigan. The following is an overview of the week-long course--including daily classroom lectures, film critiques and two-tank dives--held in July 1998 and illustrated by student photos.

As a first step, we ask everyone to assemble their rigs and conduct two TTL tests--one with the strobe fired directly into a covered lens (causing a full dump) and then one with the strobe fired into an uncovered lens with aperture wide open (causing an instantaneous strobe recycle). Not surprisingly, many of the systems fail these two tests due to bad cords, bad batteries or other malfunctions. Our first task is to ensure each student has a fully functional system.

Then comes my "mistake" slide lecture. Twenty years as a professional photographer has given me the chance to make every mistake possible, and I have the slides to prove it: backscatter, out-of-focus, bad composition, improper strobe use. You name it, I've done it. More importantly, after the lecture students are assured that everyone undergoes a learning curve. The key is to learn from your mistakes.

Then we get wet for our in-water exposure tests. We use a special exposure slate that permits us to analyze a series of bracketed exposures. From exactly three feet in front of the slate, students take a series of automatic/TTL exposures at f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/16. The test is repeated with the strobe set to full power and the camera on manual. Later, when we analyze the film for proper exposure parameters, students are usually surprised to learn that TTL is not a substitute for knowledge or skill, but merely one of many tools, and a very limited one at that.

Finally, we do what everyone came for: dive and photograph the reefs of the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. Because of the success of the new SPAs (Sanctuary Preservation Areas), the fish populations have literally exploded here and elsewhere in the Keys. Currently, I know of no better place in the Caribbean for fish photography. Today, students concentrate only on distance estimation and strobe aiming.

With those results in mind, we head out to Snapper Ledge for more fish photography, made easy at this infrequently dived site by huge populations of grunts, goatfish, schoolmaster snappers and a few nurse sharks thrown in. We again focus on accurately estimating three feet of distance from the subject and strobe placement, but add the variable of good composition.

During our surface interval we motor over to Pickles Reef as I lecture on macro and close-up photography. We choose Pickles because of the rich variety of lettuce slugs, scorpionfish, flamingo tongue cowries and other reef critters. Our instructional technique during this dive and others is to stay back and observe students from afar. We don't feel the need to hover over their shoulders. Reviewing their film will tell us everything we need to know about their technique.