Underwater Photographer Spotlight: Milada Copeland
My name is Milada Copeland and I have been a diver since 2014. I picked up an underwater camera within a year of getting certified as a diver and I think I broke all the rules about diving and photography – when they tell you to first become a good diver and then attempt photography. I found that photography made me a much better diver, forcing me to take buoyancy classes and continuing into more advanced diving certifications all because I wanted to be stable in the water and not damage the reef. Underwater photography also allowed me to resume my photography hobby – which began when I was a child using film cameras but fizzled by the time grainy digital photos were only impressive on my cell phone but terrible when printed or viewed on a larger screen. My husband and I have been diving with Bluewater Travel since 2021, and we have loved every trip we have gone on.
In my photo kit I have a Canon R5 with a Nauticam housing, and I absolutely love both the camera and the housing. I always struggle with the choice of lenses to bring on any trip, because most trips offer some possibilities for both macro and wide angle photography. My biggest frustration with underwater photography is the inability to change lenses underwater.
Typically, I lean towards wide-angle preferences, and while I get the crispest photos with my Canon 8-15 mm fisheye, my all-time favorite lens is the Canon 14-35 mm lens. I feel that it allows for the best variety in subjects while still offering a sharp enough finished result. On many trips I also bring my Canon 100 mm lens for macro subjects.
My dive gear seems to go through transformations on a regular basis – I’m a bit of a gearhead, always looking for some improvements. I dive with a wing because I find it more stable and comfortable in the water, and my latest favorite addition is the Supernova fins I got last year – they are very light, easy to pack and work well for any style of kicking.
My favorite dive destination that I’ve traveled to with Bluewater has to be Fiji – the colors are absolutely amazing, and being able to see the clown fish was a dream come true. I did wonder what the boat captain was thinking when the whole boat of (very much adult divers) was requesting to “see Nemo!”
