NZQA registered unit standard
28397 version 1
Page 1 of 4
Title
Shoot underwater digital photographs while SCUBA diving in open
water
Level
3
Credits
4
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate
knowledge of underwater digital photography; plan and perform
underwater digital photography SCUBA dives in open water;
and process underwater digital photographic images.
Classification
Diving > Diving - Recreational
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Hold a current fit to dive medical clearance signed by a
physician.
People seeking credit for this unit standard must hold either the
PADI or SSI Open Water certification, or Unit 28392, SCUBA
dive in open water to maximum depth of 18 metres, or
demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1
Industry technical and safety criteria refer to dive instruction, supervision and
performance being carried out in accordance with the standards, procedures and
training materials of the respective dive training agency. The agency must meet or
exceed the World Recreational Scuba Training Council training standards.
2
All dive operations must comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety in
Employment Act 1992, the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995, the
Accident Compensation Act 2001, AS/NZS 2299.3:2003 Occupational diving
operations – Recreational industry diving and snorkelling operations and the
Guidelines for Occupational Diving 2004.
3
Sufficiency for this unit standard requires a minimum of two open water dives and the
processing of five photographs in each of the three chosen subject fields.
4
Definitions
Dive plan refers to the procedures by which the accredited dive provider’s diving
operations are implemented for all dives required to meet this standard.
Open water is any natural body of water realistic of local diving conditions in terms of
water movement, temperature, visibility, depth and aquatic life.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28397 version 1
Page 2 of 4
PADI refers to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
SCUBA refers to Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
SSI refers to Scuba Schools International.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of underwater digital photography.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Digital photographic equipment for use underwater is described in accordance
with industry technical and safety criteria.
Range
1.2
Properties of a digital camera are described in accordance with industry
technical and safety criteria.
Range
1.3
may include but is not limited to – battery operation, memory card
insertion and initialising, activation, attaching lens or dome port,
placing the camera in the underwater housing, mounting external
flashes, strobes and lamps, checking water seal;
a minimum of six is required.
Settings of a digital camera system are described in accordance with industry
technical and safety criteria.
Range
1.5
may include but is not limited to – mega pixels and image
resolution, lens, optical zoom, digital zoom, focal length, crop
factor, data formats;
a minimum of two is required.
Preparation of a digital camera system is described in accordance with industry
technical and safety criteria.
Range
1.4
may include but is not limited to – compact digital cameras, digital
single lens reflex cameras, underwater camera housings, external
underwater flashes, strobes and lamps, wide angel attachments,
macro attachments, dome ports;
a minimum of three is required.
may include but is not limited to – exposure time, aperture, ISO
sensitivity, lighting modes, focus, depth of field, white balance,
photographing without a flash or strobe, photographing with a flash
or strobe, photographing with underwater lights;
a minimum of six is required.
Image composition is described in accordance with industry technical and
safety criteria.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
Range
1.6
28397 version 1
Page 3 of 4
may include but is not limited to – still subjects, slow or resting
subjects, fish, dive buddy, backlit images, close up and macro
shots, wide angle;
a minimum of three is required.
Image processing is described in accordance with industry technical and safety
criteria.
Range
may include but is not limited to – data transfer options,
safeguarding images, making copies of images, managing and
archiving images, editing images, image presentation;
a minimum of three is required.
1.7
Underwater photography diving techniques are described in accordance with
industry technical and safety criteria.
1.8
Potential underwater photography diving hazards are described in accordance
with industry technical and safety criteria.
Outcome 2
Plan and perform underwater digital photography SCUBA dives in open water.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Dive planning and preparation is conducted and parameters established for
underwater photography dives in accordance with industry technical and safety
criteria and camera manufacturer’s instructions.
Range
underwater photography dive objective, assessment of dive site
and environmental conditions, hazard identification, emergency
procedures including lost buddy, maximum depth and bottom time,
returning air pressure, entry and exit procedures, descent and
ascent procedures, direction, communication, safety and specialist
equipment setup, personal dive equipment selection, assembly
and checks, buddy team selection and checks, roles and
responsibilities including that of topside personnel.
2.2
Underwater photography dives are performed in accordance with the dive plan
and industry technical and safety criteria.
2.3
Underwater photographs utilising a digital camera system are taken.
Range
may include but is not limited to – still subjects, slow or resting
subjects, fish, dive buddy, backlit images, close up and macro
shots, wide angle;
a minimum of three is required.
Outcome 3
Process underwater digital photographic images.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
28397 version 1
Page 4 of 4
Evidence requirements
3.1
Images taken on underwater photography dives are processed.
may include but is not limited to – data transfer, safeguarding,
making copies, managing and archiving, editing, presentation;
a minimum of three is required.
Range
Replacement information
This unit standard replaced unit standard 4389.
Planned review date
31 December 2019
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
20 November 2014
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0099
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Skills Active Aotearoa Limited info@skillsactive.org.nz if you wish to
suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Skills Active Aotearoa Limited
SSB Code 101576
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016