DAUIN (DUMAGUETE) – PHILIPPINES
Critter Country Macro Workshop
Arrive Dauin on 2 May 2027 – Depart 12 May 2027
10 nights & up to 29 guided boat dives
I’m so excited to invite you to join me for Critter Country — my macro photography workshop in Dauin, one of the Philippines’ most extraordinary critter destinations.
If you’ve joined me in Anilao, Lembeh, or Bali, you already know what to expect: personalised coaching, small groups, big breakthroughs, and the kind of diving that reminds you exactly why you fell in love with underwater photography in the first place.
Dauin is something else entirely. The muck slopes and sandy seabeds look deceptively simple from the surface — but drop down and you enter a world teeming with life in every direction. Pygmy seahorses. Frogfish. Hairy shrimp. Ghost pipefish. Around every corner, something extraordinary is waiting to be found.
And that is exactly what this workshop is about — learning to really see what is in front of you, and then capturing it in a way that makes your viewer stop, feel something, and never forget it.
Whether you are picking up an underwater camera for the first time or you have been diving with one for years, the Critter Country Workshop meets you exactly where you are. We start from a level playing field and build from there — consistently sharp, beautifully lit images that tell a story.
By the end of these ten days, you will not just have a portfolio full of images you are proud of. You will understand why they work — and that changes everything.
Your Critter Capital Awaits!
Dauin is a small coastal town in Negros Oriental, in the central Visayas region of the Philippines. It sits along the Bohol Sea, directly across from the world-famous Apo Island — one of the most celebrated marine protected areas in Southeast Asia.
Dauin’s muck diving sites are renowned among underwater photographers for the sheer variety and density of macro life. The silty, sandy seabeds that non-photographers might overlook are, in fact, some of the most productive critter grounds in the world. The Philippines sits in the heart of the Coral Triangle — home to the world’s most biodiverse tropical marine life — and Dauin delivers on that promise dive after dive.
What This Workshop Is About
This workshop is designed for passionate underwater photographers who are eager for hands-on coaching, detailed critique, and the chance to actively refine and elevate their skills.
It is a collaborative learning experience where you will work alongside other dedicated image-makers — sharing not just dive guides and critter sightings, but ideas, insights, and techniques.
The focus goes beyond settings and lighting. My workshops are planned as a complete course in macro and critter photography — starting with the fundamentals, building through advanced creative lighting techniques, and going deep into the underwater photography mindset: the thought process that enables you to create images that are not just technically and creatively outstanding, but that connect, evoke emotion, and tell a story.
Because when you don’t feel anything — neither will your viewer.
Every workshop is tailored to the participants. Before you arrive, you share your goals with me — and I build the programme around where you are and where you want to go. No two workshops are identical. What is always the same is the quality of the coaching, the warmth of the group, and the commitment to getting every photographer to grow.
This is a small-group experience. Places are limited.
Techniques, Creativity and Mindset
By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:
- Understand Your Camera Settings: Create tack-sharp images with the correct settings — consistently, not by luck.
- Use a Diopter: Fill the frame with your subject and unlock the world of super-macro.
- Control Your Lighting: Position your strobe(s) for creative, flattering, and even results.
- Master the Snoot: Use a snoot to light and isolate your subject beautifully.
- Capture Beautiful Bokeh: Create images with silky, gorgeous background separation.
- Use Creative Lighting Techniques: Use torches and accessories to add mood, drama, and personality to your images.
- Compose Beautiful Shots: Build intentional compositions that draw the eye and tell a story.
- Develop Your Style: Establish your own signature approach to macro underwater photography.
- Enter Competitions: Learn how to submit your best work with confidence — what judges look for, how to select and prepare your images, and how to make your entry stand out.
- Think Like an Artist: Develop the mental filing cabinet that every great critter photographer uses — knowing how to approach and capture different subjects before you even hit the water.
What Awaits You Beneath the Surface
Dauin is celebrated among macro and critter photographers for the extraordinary variety and density of life on its muck slopes and sandy seabeds. The sites look deceptively unremarkable from the surface — but spend time down there with a patient eye and a good guide, and you will be rewarded dive after dive.
The dive sites are set within locally enforced no-take reserves — healthy, well-managed, and teeming with life. And Apo Island, just a boat ride away, offers world-class coral reef diving that provides a stunning contrast to the muck.
You can expect to encounter:
- Pygmy seahorses and thorny seahorses
- Frogfish (including hairy and painted varieties)
- Ghost pipefish
- Hairy shrimp and numerous crustaceans
- Nudibranchs in spectacular variety
- Octopus — including the occasional mimic
- Flamboyant cuttlefish
- Rhinopias and other rare scorpionfish
- Mandarin fish — dusk dives offer the chance for one of underwater photography’s most iconic shots
Because this is a workshop — not a bucket-list trip — you will have the time and space to slow down, practise, and photograph each subject properly. The focus is always on images, not on ticking boxes.
The Resort – Silver Reef Dive Resort
Silver Reef is a boutique coastal resort nestled along the pristine shores of Dauin, Negros Oriental. Designed for divers, nature lovers, and underwater photographers, it combines comfort, eco-conscious values, and genuine character — the kind of place you leave wanting to come back to.
The resort’s rooms are uniquely crafted from repurposed ship cargo containers — a blend of rustic adventure and modern comfort that is quite unlike anything else. The dedicated classroom and camera room make it ideally set up for an intensive photography workshop.
The Rooms – Villa Suites
- Size: 28 sqm — spacious and comfortable
- Options: Twin or non-sharing configuration
- Amenities: Split air-conditioning, hot and cold shower, mini bar fridge, in-room coffee and tea
- Terrace: Private terrace with seating
- Connectivity: Starlink internet throughout the resort
Price:
Villa Suite, double occupancy: US$3 195 (per person)
Villa Suite, single occupancy: US$3 990 (per person)
If you’d like to know all the details about the booking process, T&Cs and deposits and how my workshops work, please read my Blog Post : How My Underwater Photography Workshops Work.
Included:
- Round-trip group airport transfers (Dumaguete to resort)
- 10 nights’ full board accommodation in Villa Suite
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Bakery snacks between dives + freshly brewed coffee
- Up to 29 guided boat dives (2-10 May, 3-4 per day)
- A free upgrade of your boat dives to 6 night dives (shore dives)
- One full-day trip to Apo Island
- Nitrox
- Full gear rental
- Marine park and sanctuary fees
- 1 complimentary 1-hour massage per guest (not transferrable)
- Starlink internet throughout the resort
- Free daily underwater photography lectures and personal image advice
- Free access to Kate’s Workshop Foundations online course.
Excluded:
- International and local flights
- Individual transfers outside of group schedule
- We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance immediately upon booking your workshop.
- Gratuities and tips for dive guides, boat crew and staff
- Additional Night dives
- Diving on Day 11 (pre-departure leisure day)
- Alcoholic beverages and personal expenses
Please note:
On Day 11 (11 May): No diving is scheduled on the day before departure for flight safety. This is a day to relax, pack, and dry your gear. Diving can be arranged at an additional cost if you are not planning to fly.
How to Book:
- Please email me on kate@underwaterphotocompany.com to book your spot.
- For all the details of how my workshops work, please read here.
- I will then send you a booking form and waiver to complete, after which we will issue you with an invoice for your deposit.
- Bookings can only be reserved upon receipt of your deposit and confirmed on receipt of your final payment.
