Good photogrammetry begins with the diving, planning and image capture.
Photogrammetry uses overlapping photographs or video frames to reconstruct a subject or site as a three-dimensional digital model. Underwater, the software is only one part of the process.
The quality of the result depends on how the project is planned, how the imaging system is configured, how the divers move and work together, and whether the captured material is complete and consistent enough to process.
The GUE Photogrammetry Diver course brings those elements together. It is designed for divers who want to contribute effectively to underwater documentation projects rather than simply return from a dive with a large collection of images.
What the course teaches
A complete workflow from underwater capture to a finished model.
Capture strategy
Understand the principles of photogrammetry and learn how to collect still images or video with the coverage and overlap needed for reliable processing.
Imaging equipment
Configure cameras, video systems and lighting for underwater documentation, with an emphasis on repeatable results rather than equipment for its own sake.
Teamwork and workflow
Plan the dive, organise the capture sequence and work efficiently as a team so that the documentation supports the purpose of the project.
Processing and publishing
Set up a processing workflow, identify common problems and turn the captured imagery into a final three-dimensional model suitable for presentation or further project work.
Who is the course for?
Divers who want to contribute to real underwater documentation.
The course is suitable for divers interested in archaeology, exploration, conservation, scientific work, wreck documentation, cave projects or creating accurate digital records of underwater sites.
You should already have basic underwater photography skills and suitable photo or video equipment. The course is about developing a dependable photogrammetry workflow, not learning basic camera operation for the first time.
GUE currently requires an appropriate GUE entry-level, Performance Diver or Basic Fundamentals certification, together with at least 75 logged dives beyond entry-level certification. Check GUE's official course page for the complete current prerequisites.
Four daysThe course is normally conducted over four days.
At least three divesIn-water capture is combined with classroom work and land drills.
At least 32 hoursTime is divided between theory, planning, diving and processing.
Why take the class with me?
I wrote the course and use the techniques on real projects.
Primary course author
I was the primary author of the GUE Photogrammetry Diver course, bringing practical project experience into the structure and content of the class.
Instructor Evaluator
I am the GUE Instructor Evaluator for Photogrammetry and one of only two GUE instructors currently qualified to teach the course.
Applied experience
I have developed underwater photogrammetry techniques for more than 10 years and have used them on cave, wreck and archaeological projects internationally.
Photogrammetry in the real world
The purpose of the model determines how the project should be designed.
Cave of Bones, Brazil
As lead photogrammetographer, I captured approximately 6,000 images over three days to document hundreds of bones, including a substantially complete human skeleton approximately 11,000 years old.
Mars, Sweden
Photogrammetry contributed to the documentation and investigation of Mars, the Swedish flagship lost in 1564 and rediscovered centuries later in the Baltic Sea.
Panarea 3, Italy
Underwater imaging and photogrammetry supported the archaeological investigation of a Roman wreck containing artefacts dating from around 300 BC.
Font de Ses Aiguades, Mallorca
Photogrammetry was integrated with cave survey and surface control to document submerged archaeological and palaeontological material within the cave, including a Myotragus skeleton.
Cave of Bones, BrazilMars, SwedenPanarea 3, Italy
Where can the course run?
In Mexico or internationally, with a suitable site and facilities.
I am based in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, but the GUE Photogrammetry Diver course can be organised internationally. The right location depends on the students, the available imaging equipment, the diving environment and the type of subject we will document.
If you already have a team, project or site in mind, tell me what you want to achieve. We can determine whether it is suitable for the course and what needs to be arranged before the class.
Want to learn underwater photogrammetry?
Tell me about your diving, photography experience, equipment and the type of underwater sites you want to document. I can help you work out whether the GUE Photogrammetry Diver course is the right next step.
