Get Tickets Now
Erin Quigley is a world-renowned educator and innovator, specializing in underwater photography and post processing. She is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on Lightroom and Photoshop for underwater shooters. An associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers, Erin is also a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Ocean Artists Society. A skilled visual artist in more ways than one, Erin was a resident designer for Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre, and worked extensively on many well-known television shows out of LA. Erin earned multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards and two Tony Award nominations for her work on Broadway. With a changing industry and a strong technical know-how, Erin began helping divers trade in their light tables for laptops.
As the first Adobe A.C.E. certified expert to specialize in specific post-processing techniques for underwater imaging, Erin has single-handedly educated tens of thousands of divers, photographers, and artists in post processing. A true educator at heart, Erin’s unique teaching style blends photographic brilliance with clear and thoughtful instruction, alongside the occasional well intentioned F-bomb. Erin has devoted her time to helping photographers develop their skills across the globe having worked in numerous countries on workshops, dive trips, and conferences. A virtuoso in the “dark arts” of Photoshop and Lightroom, Erin has saved even the most destitute of images from the trash bin and helped to elevate many more photographers rise from the ordinary. Dedicated to passing on her knowledge, her website, GoAskErin.com, is a comprehensive library of her published articles, downloadable resources, and on-demand video tutorials, accessible to anyone who wants to better their underwater images.
This past Fall Erin revolutionized the underwater photography world. Alongside renowned astrophotographer and AI software engineer Russel Croman, Erin developed “BackscatterXTerminator”, an innovative plug-in for Photoshop that automatically identifies and removes undesired backscatter (particulate matter) from underwater images. Overnight Erin has changed the game, saving many hours of post processing work and opened up an entirely new world for underwater shooters. Further cementing her legacy as a technical innovator with “Backscatter Xterminator”, she has brought a new found appreciation and use of AI into a rapidly changing photographic landscape.
Not only has Erin helped many photographers in the pursuit of better imagery, her own work stands as a testament to the beauty and diversity of the underwater world. Driven by a strong sense of conservation and appreciation for the ocean, her imagery reaches out to people, showing the staggering grandeur of the underwater world and increasing our awareness.
2025 Walter Feinberg Memorial Diver of the Year Award Erin Quigley
The Underwater Wizard of “Awes” For Bringing Clarity & Creativity to the Chaos of
Marine Image Making A Voice for Nature, A Conscience for Man
More people have walked on the moon than visited many of the places Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves to swimming through giant Antarctic icebergs, Heinerth has been the hands and eyes of climatologists, archaeologists, biologists, and engineers worldwide. She was named the first Explorer-in-Residence of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and inaugural recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, National Speleological Society, WINGS WorldQuest and the Explorers Club, which recognized her work with the prestigious William Beebe Award for ocean exploration. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times have lauded Jill’s best-selling memoir Into the Planet. Dolly Parton selected Jill’s book, The Aquanaut, for her Imagination Library program. Running Cloud Productions of Australia is currently filming a feature documentary that will be released in 2024 and previewed at the Sea Rovers Film Festival.
Hello all! My name is Sofia Grabiel Butler, and I am incredibly excited and grateful to be the 2025 Boston Sea Rovers Intern! I’ll be posting on this blog to record my experiences and the people I meet this summer, but my hope is that it is also a window into what being the BSR Intern is like.
I live in Boston, and after graduating high school last spring, I decided to take a year off before college. My gap year has been very marine-focused, as I’ve been trying to dive as much as I can while I’m not juggling school (for those of you who haven’t tried to squeeze some diving into a school schedule, it’s tricky!). I’ll be starting at the University of Rhode Island this fall, studying marine biology.
I got scuba certified in 2019, when I was 13 years old. Neither of my parents were divers at the time, but I’ve brought them over to the dark side since then! Most of my dives so far have been tropical, but I’ve started exploring cold-water and New England diving in recent years — for my senior project last spring, I actually made a portfolio of mixed media art based on my New England dives to introduce my classmates and teachers to what sea life off the East Coast looks like! I had a lot of fun doing that project, so I can’t wait to explore more facets of drysuit and cold-water diving this summer, and to start my journey as an underwater photographer.
I’ve just kicked off my internship this week, so stay tuned! I’ll be regularly updating this blog with all my experiences, but I’ll also be posting on the BSR Internship instagram (@bostonsearoverintern) and my personal Instagram diving account (@sofiagb.diving). Feel free to follow along on whatever platform works best for you. Please also don’t hesitate to reach out and say hi!
