Underwater Creatives & Photography Education Academy
Grow to new depths
Education for Underwater Photography Professionals Who Want To Make Waves
LEARN
GROW
JOIN
If you’re a photographer, model, or fellow water person who wants to take your business to the next level, the Underwater Creatives Academy is your place for courses, resources, and a growing community.
Looking for an underwater portrait photography professional?
Staying relevant in a continually growing industry means setting yourself apart from the crowd.
Photographers, Models, and Safety Swimmers who complete UWCA courses and training programs are actively working to elevate the standards of the underwater photography industry.
Beyond improving photography skills, UWCA professionals are taught to emphasis water safety, conservation, and have a deep understanding of setting the best example for those who follow.
UWCA professionals are educated on the core values of the UWCA Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, which includes emphasis on a strong commitment to safety, clients, teams, authenticity, and professionalism.
In A Fast Growing Underwater Portrait Photography Industry, UPPA Education Lets You Dive Deeper, Further, Faster
Start Learning
Lots of free resources for new and experienced photographers, models, and water professionals curated for growing entrepreneurs.
Grow deeper
The most in-depth online and in-person training courses for underwater portrait photographers and models who want to grow their business.
Join the community
A safe space for like minded underwater creatives with local events and online communities, for anyone wanting to connect with other water professionals.
Free Resources To Help You Break Into Underwater Photography
A Community of Creatives to Share Ideas and Create Together
New Monthly Content for Members
Curated Deals & Discounts for Members
Articles & Resource to help you start and grow your underwater portrait photography journey
The goal of the Underwater Creatives Academy is to help portrait photographers, models, and all creatives grow their small, local businesses. Our free community and resources are available to anyone who’s interested in learning about underwater portrait photography. For professionals who want to continue to grow, our one-time cost member’s community is for you.
Helping Underwater Professionals Learn and Grow Is at the core of everything UWCA Stands for
See what some of our incredible students and mentees say…“It’s a wealth of knowledge I don’t think I Could have gotten anywhere else.”
Erin
Professional Underwater Model
“you’re always gonna feel safe, You’re gonna feel welcome. the entire UWCA team is amazing”
Shannon
Professional Underwater Model
When You Join UWCA You take your underwater photography to a whole new professional depth
Members of UWCA are asked to uphold a professional level of ethics and conduct. The code of conduct is designed to help you strength and legitimize your underwater photography business by committing to five guiding principles. These commitments go beyond your journey to learn underwater portrait photography and help your business stand apart by holding yourself, your business, and the entire industry to the highest standards of safety and professionalism.
It’s More Than Education, It’s a Community of Like-Minded Underwater Portrait Photography Creatives
Continuing to Make Waves in the Photography Industry
It’s the power of the community of underwater creatives that will push the boundaries of photography, creative provocative art that inspires others, and builds relationships that works to protect, conserve, and share the water world.
It’s Hard to Find Good Training To get Started in Underwater Portrait Photography
That’s why UWCA Gives You the tools you need to not only get started, but succeed.
Stand out from Other Photographers and Models When You’re An Underwater Professional
Create New and Exciting Art That Turns Head and Stops Scrolling
Offer Your Clients Not Just A Service, But an Entirely New Experience
Command A Higher Value When You Stand Out With Unique, Quality Underwater Photography
Engage Your Community with Art that Inspires Conservation and Protection of Our Valuable Aquatic Environments
Trusted By The top Underwater Portrait Photography Professionals for High Quality Education
Do You Have Questions About The Underwater Creatives Academy?
The Underwater Creatives Academy was started by Kimber Greenwood, and underwater photography educator and owner of Water Bear Photography. Kimber began teaching underwater portrait photography in 2020 after spending years piecing together her own knowledge and skills over the years. The Water Workshop was the first course developed by Kimber as an in-person, hands-on underwater portrait photography workshop. Over the years, The Water Workshop remains the most popular annual training events as UWCA has grown to include annual in-person modeling workshops, online courses, and community engagement.
The Underwater Creatives Academy was formally opened in 2025 by Kimber Greenwood, and established underwater portrait photography educator and owner of Water Bear Photography. Kimber spent years educating and mentoring underwater photographers and models through her workshops, The Water Workshop, and The Modeling Workshop, before developing online courses. Kimber was the featured educator in underwater portrait photography with SUMMERANA Academy for many years and still consults with them on select projects.
The Underwater Creatives Academy Community Group on Facebook is where you can find all of our up-and-coming events like community days! All our community events are free to anyone who loves the water, not just photographers and models. We host quarterly community days at a local North Florida Springs where fellow water people come to hang out and have fun. Usually a few mermaids show up!
The Underwater Creatives Academy is located in the heart of North Florida’s Springs Country in the USA. While we strive to help water professionals globally, many of our local events and in-person education is located at our home studio just outside Gainesville, Florida.
All our standard courses and workshops are open to members and non-members. Visit the links below to find out about all the courses we offer. You can register right on the page.
A big part of the mission of the Underwater Creatives Academy is to help photographers with their underwater photography businesses. It can be hard to find models and safety swimmer who are skilled and experienced in the water. We’ve spent years training some.
Any model and safety swimmer who completes a specialized course with UWCA can be listed in our directory of professionals. Our directories show all the courses these professionals have completed as well as their locations, and links to contact them.
When you complete a specialized course with the UWCA, you’ll receive a badge you an place on your website, social media, or anywhere else so you can share your accomplishments and let everyone know you are an underwater portrait photography professional. Also, you’ll get to be added to our directory of water professional where all your completed courses, qualifications, and business info will be displayed. You’ll even get a backlink to your own website!