Diver of the Year
Erin Quigley – 2025 Walter Feinberg Diver of the Year Award
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 specifi c 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 “Backscatter Xterminator”, 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.
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