Friday, June 12, 2026 7:30pm - Ron Watkins: Creative In-Camera Tips, Tricks, Toys and Techniques
In-person at Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo (Monterey) and online by Zoom
Ron Watkins
Ron Watkins is a photographer, writer, public speaker and photography instructor specializing in underwater and topside nature photography. Ron is known as an adventurer who is passionate about sharing his knowledge of photography and gets as much of a rush from nailing a shot as teaching someone else how to do the same. As a Backscatter Photo Professional Affiliate, he leads trips, reviews gear and is a photography workshop Instructor. He currently resides in Pennsylvania, USA with his lovely wife Manomi, handsome black lab Atlas and mischievous cat Finn.
Through his creative imagery and stories, Ron hopes to raise awareness of the beauty of our oceans and challenges facing its fragile ecosystems and threatened marine life. He often shares his passion for the ocean by presenting on marine life, conservation and, one of his favorite subjects, sharks, to Sharks4kids and other groups.
Ron has been an award-winning photographer for over 20 years and most recently winning awards in the prestigious Nature’s Best Awards, Underwater Photographer of the Year, Ocean Photographer of the Year, Our World Underwater, World Shootout, Ocean Art, and The Digital Shootout. His imagery and stories have been featured in numerous publications including Oceanographic Magazine, Alert Diver, Ocean Geographic, Scuba Diving, Scuba Diver Ocean Planet, and Unterwasser.
In-person:
Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo
225 Cannery Row, Monterey, California
Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84553800196?pwd=h58ji6MfSBaAdbLYSJQ6RcitUetv87.1
Mini Competition
Some big changes here too. Read the full details on our website on the competition page. But the quick big ticket items:
Still Photo and Video competitions each month. Enter either or both!
Competition will be judged with comments provided instead of the old voting approach.
NEW DEADLINE for entry. Since we’re using judges, we need to get images to them and give them time to actually do the judging. So, going forward, please submit your images via the link below (or on the the competition page) by the 15th of the prior month. So, for June, you would submit by May 15.
All of the minicomp themes are on our here with convenient upload links. You can upload your picture for any month at any time UP UNTIL the deadline.
June Minicomp
June’s theme is Snooted. Those images were due by 5/15. July’s Minicomp theme is Black&White. Those are due by 6/15. Get them in on time, please! Please name your files like this 06YourName.jpg. Upload July entries here.
And remember, entering is a good idea. For 2026, we have 2 BIG annual prizes:
Best Photographer. $100 prize for the person with the highest cumulative score during the year.
Best Shot. Another $100 prize will be awarded to the best photo of the year (based on the first place winners during the January to November time frame).
NCUPS Background
The Northern California Underwater Photographic Society (NCUPS) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that promotes interest in underwater photography. The club has been active since 1957, sponsoring educational events on both underwater photography and video while promoting awareness of the underwater environment and pertinent ecological issues. NCUPS serves the greater San Francisco Bay area, including Silicon Valley. FEIN 94-3278015
