By Denise Pietsch
One thing I love about podcasts is their ability to keep me entertained while I'm doing tedious and mindless tasks, in addition to them being as instructive as they are entertaining. Lately l've even taken to listening to podcasts on 1.75x speed so I can really cram as much information into my Sunday morning laundry extravaganza as possible.
That being said, I know I've found an exceptionally good podcast when I slow down the listening speed to normal (1x) so I don't miss any details. Part 5 of Our Favorite Underwater Photography Podcasts are all 1x worthy, covering everything from shark education to the best lenses to use underwater.
Candela Photography & Cinematography Masters: Cristina Mittermeier
This episode of Candela really packs a punch. There are a ton of topics Cristina Mittermeier covers in this podcast episode: everything from the geopolitical aspects of her favorite dive spot to the decentralized power of social media for wildlife photographers. Plus photography lessons: Cristina breaks down the camera settings and strobe positions to ensuring a crisp split-shot (and why she thinks they're so intriguing). She also explains why it's important to fire off as many shots as possible saying, "the better the photographer the larger the trash bin." Cristina also discusses her non-profit organization SeaLegacy and their inventive approach to making a positive impact as easy as possible. Listen here.
PADI Dive Stories: Jillian Morris - Creating a Better World for Sharks
Jillian Morris is a shark conservationist, marine biologist, Founder and President of Sharks4Kids, and one of the Underwater Women We Love! While many in the scuba industry were sidelined during COVID-19, Jillian and her team at Sharks4Kids found that taking their curriculum virtual actually helped them expand their reach in educating school-age children about the importance of sharks and keeping our oceans healthy. Jillian shares her thoughts on changing the perception of sharks in mainstream culture, the value of school-age students seeing women in science, and why she loves living in Bimini. Shark lovers and educators of all kinds will especially enjoy this episode. Listen here.
SCUBA Travel Podcast: John Brigham from Ikelite
"We make it our mission to make underwater photography as approachable as possible." Ikelite VP and Product Developer John Brigham joins the SCUBA Travel Podcast to share a brief history of how Ikelite got into the industry and how it's become a company ethos to make underwater photography accessible, affordable, and approachable. John breaks down the best lenses for underwater photography, the science and importance of TTL, and how the ephemeral nature of marine photography guides Ikelite's practice of streamlining our systems. This is a great episode if you're just getting your feet wet in underwater photography. Listen here.
Overheard at National Geographic: The People Behind the Photography
National Geographic knows more than most about the team that it takes to get a front cover photo. Photo editor Jen Tse shares the importance of the often unsung heroes that create those teams and the perils of Parachute Journalism in this episode of Overheard at National Geographic. Common vernacular might use the term "Fixer" for people in these behind the scenes roles, although Jen Tse emphasizes that "Fixer" just doesn't express the full scope of what these teams do. Whether it's ground transportation, translation, educating photographers on animal behaviors or cultural sensitivities, helping sort through tens of thousands of images, mitigating risk, or just being moral support, the "People Behind the Photography" deserve their praise. If you're looking for a peak behind the curtain of on-site journalism and the lifelong bonds created by it, this is the episode for you. Listen here.
Denise Pietsch (pronounced “Peach”) currently manages Ikelite’s Photo School and social media presence. Denise hails from New Jersey, where she obtained a degree in Dance Therapy. After years teaching dance she migrated into the corporate world and eventually came around to Ikelite via the natural career path of fruit distribution and early childhood development. In the end, her lifelong love of photography and octopuses combined into the work she does now. In addition to sharing her energy and enthusiasm with the underwater community she also manages social media for her dog, Joe, collects vinyl records, and enjoys creating memories with her friends and family.
Additional Reading
Our Favorite Underwater Photography Podcasts | Part 4
Our Favorite Underwater Photography Podcasts | Part 3
