The Alberta Underwater Council Presents:
Divescapes Conference
Oct 16/17th, 2026 in Edmonton
Speakers 2026
Maxwell Hohn
Cinematographer &
Photographer
Maxwell Hohn
Maxwell Hohn is a nature and wildlife cinematographer & photographer with a passion for showcasing the world's stunning natural diversity. Maxwel grew up on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia before travelling around the world evolving his skills as a photographer.
An adventurer, photographer and filmmaker, Maxwel Hohn has a passion for documenting and exploring the underwater world. Maxwel has a unique skillset that allows him to dive into a variety of industries. He is a recreational, technical and commercial diving instructor with over 4000 dives. One week he could be squeezing into a river canyon filming salmon for a documentary, and the next week he could be travelling the coast of British Columbia collecting data for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Technical and sidemount diving were the keystones that motivated Maxwel to expand his career and to venture into new depths. Mission orientated diving fueled his desire to work underwater which lead him into the commercial diving industry. He has gained experience in a variety of fields, including marine construction, underwater welding and environmental surveys. He is also a well-respected and published underwater photographer, certified drone pilot, and emerging filmmaking talent, all resulting in the successful launch of his company Salish Sky.
Maxwell’s work can be seen in many film productions that include “Secrets of the Octopus” and Island of the Sea Wolves”. In 2025 Maxwell was featured at Boston Sea Rovers Film Show.
Gareth Lock, MSc, MCIEHF
The Human Diver
Gareth Lock, MSc, MCIEHF
Gareth founded The Human Diver in January 2016 when he recognised that there was a gap in knowledge within the diving community when it came to human factors and non-technical skills. He decided to do something about it and has made waves ever since.
Gareth spent 25 years in the Royal Air Force as a flight instructor, navigator on C-130 Hercules, systems engineer and a requirements manager. Left the RAF in 2015 and started work in high-risk industries teaching Human Factors and Crew Resource Management (CRM). He is GUE Tech 2 certified and TDI JJ-CCR Mod 1 with around 800 dives and is Looking forward to getting cave certified.
Using his own course/s developed and based on his lived diving experience, has to date taught more than 350 divers face-to-face, presented at nearly 20 conferences around the world and published his first book 'Under Pressure: Diving Deeper with Human Factors' in 2019 which has sold 1000s of copies globally already. He loves his underwater photography and has been published in numerous magazines.
Jialing Cai
Underwater Photographer Science Communicator
Jialing Cai
Jialing Cai is a marine biologist, underwater photographer, and science communicator from Chongqing, China. For the past eight years, she has been dedicated to documenting the smallest and most overlooked creatures that drift through the open ocean at night -- plankton. Her work has been featured on National Geographic, BBC News, China Central Television and in 2023 was invited to join the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) expedition.
Jialing holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in Evolutionary Biology from Columbia University, where her research centered on Arctic plankton ecology. By blending scientific expertise with artistic storytelling, she seeks to ignite curiosity and foster a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the deep sea.
She won the prestigious award Ocean Photographer of the Year in 2023 and received the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Award in 2025. She is also selected as this year's NextGen Scholar of the Global Underwater Explorers.
Stay Tuned
Speaker Announcement Coming
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Steven Lopez MSc.
Underwater Cinematographer & Maritime Archaeologist
Steven Lopez MSc.
Steven Lopez is an underwater cinematographer, maritime archaeologist, and co-founder of Explorers Photography, whose work focuses on long-term documentation of marine environments. Trained as a scientific and technical diver (AAUS, GUE, TDI), Steven approaches image-making by returning to the same underwater systems over time to observe ecological change through habitat structure, changing light conditions, and how marine life uses these environments.
Steven has been diving Catalina’s kelp forests for over 17 years and considers them his primary field site. His work there centers on documenting how protected environments function and recover, with a particular focus on kelp ecosystems and Giant Black Sea Bass. This place-based approach extends to his work in historic shipwreck sites, remote river systems, and polar waters, having dived and documented the fragile underwater ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
With a background in maritime archaeology (UoS) and data science (MIT), Steven integrates photogrammetry and spatial documentation into his practice to complement visual storytelling. His work has been featured through partnerships with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA), the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF), Blue Green Expeditions, the University of Southampton, the British Film Institute (BFI), and the British Museum, along with awards and recognitions from Dive Photo Guide, the San Diego Undersea Film Exhibit (SDUFEX), United Nations (UN) World Oceans Day, Shark Trust UK, and Backscatter.
Steven is a Gates Certified Underwater Camera Operator for the Blackmagic URSA Immersive camera and is currently developing a VR production with his partner Carmen Obied, tying together the relationship between kelp forests and the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic.
Through Explorers Photography, Steven produces work that functions as immersive, fine art, and field documentation, with photographs and films exhibited in fine art galleries and museum contexts alongside scientific and expedition-based projects; most recently exhibited “Across Oceans, Through Time: From Kelp Forests to Polar Seas” at TAG Gallery in LA.
www.explorersphotography.com @explorersphotography
Dr. Carmen Obied
Underwater Cinematographer & Maritime Archaeologist
Dr. Carmen Obied
Dr. Carmen Obied is a maritime archaeologist, underwater cinematographer, and co-founder of Explorers Photography, whose work applies scientific methods to documenting submerged natural and cultural environments through cinematic storytelling. Born in Seville and raised multilingual between Lisbon and London, her multicultural heritage (Spanish, Egyptian, British) shapes her multidisciplinary approach bridging science, cultural heritage, and art for ocean advocacy.
A maritime archaeologist by trade, and trained as a scientific and technical diver (AAUS, GUE, TDI), Carmen began her career diving on ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. She holds a PhD in maritime archaeology, specializing in photogrammetry and geospatial mapping of ancient maritime landscapes across the Mediterranean, Levant, and Red Sea. This foundation later expanded into underwater cinematography documenting wildlife and climate-related change in Antarctica, the Arctic, and California’s kelp forests around Catalina Island, now her primary dive environment.
Carmen’s work has been featured through partnerships with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA), Honor Frost Foundation (HFF), the University of Southampton, the British Museum, the British Film Institute (BFI), and Blue Green Expeditions, with awards and recognitions from Dive Photo Guide, the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibit (SDUFEX), United Nations (UN) World Oceans Day, and Backscatter. She also works as a professional model and voice-over artist, including editorial and commercial projects for Condé Nast, Vogue, Elle, and Visit Cayman Islands Tourism.
Carmen is a Gates Certified Underwater Camera Operator for the Blackmagic URSA Immersive camera and is currently developing a VR production with her partner Steven Lopez, tying together the relationship between kelp forests and the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic.
Through Explorers Photography, Carmen produces visual records that connect scientific and cultural research with living underwater environments, from kelp forests to polar seas.
www.explorersphotography.com @explorersphotography
Nancy McGee
Underwater Explorer
Film Maker
Nancy McGee
Nancy McGee is a celebrated underwater explorer, filmmaker, and adventurer with over three decades of experience. A member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and an Explorers Club Fellow, Nancy has piloted the Exosuit, scuba dived on all seven continents, and captured rare footage of extraordinary marine encounters, including snorkeling with whales, crocodiles, and diving with an elephant. The Explorers Club recognized her with a Fellowship for her explorations, which include filming in locations so remote that local natives have never before seen Western people. Nancy’s expeditions have launched several regions to responsible eco-tourism, including the Andaman Islands (India) and the Forgotten Islands (Indonesia). She has dived seven continents in a marine career spanning more than 40 years. Nancy attained the rank of PADI master instructor. Nancy produces, edits and films her own documentaries with a focus on conservation and education. She is a frequent contributor to dive journals and is a featured speaker and emcee for national and international shows, film festivals and schools. Known for blending scientific exploration with storytelling, her work promotes ocean conservation and has been featured in numerous documentaries, publications and exhibitions. In addition to her documentary work, Nancy has made notable contributions to the entertainment industry. She has lent her expertise to major networks such as NBC, Universal Studios, and Discovery, shaping captivating narratives that bring the wonders of the ocean to audiences worldwide. Through her writing, Nancy has graced the pages of numerous dive journals and publications, sharing her profound insights and experiences with fellow enthusiasts. Nancy continues to inspire others to explore and protect our planet’s most remote and fragile aquatic environments.
Liz Parkinson
SAG-AFTRA
STUNT PERFORMER
MARINECONSERVATIONIST
Liz Parkinson
Liz Parkinson is a SAG-AFTRA stunt performer, Marine Conservationist, Member of the The Woman Diver’s Hall of Fame and dive professional based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in underwater work for film and television production. Her career encompasses both on-camera performance as an underwater stunt double and behind-the-scenes expertise as a dive trainer and safety diver, reflecting a rare combination of performance skill and technical dive training within the entertainment industry.
Her film and television credits include major productions such as Avatar: The Way of Water, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, F9: The Fast Saga, Reminiscence, Night Swim, and Netflix's Thai Cave Rescue. Her contributions to these productions reflect a dual expertise in performance and technical diving, bridging the demands of narrative storytelling with the precision required for safe execution of complex underwater sequences.
A PADI IDC Staff Instructor, technical diver, and cave diver, Parkinson has established herself within the entertainment industry, continuing to work across feature films, television series, and documentaries. She is regularly engaged as a speaker at diving and industry events, where she shares her expertise in shaping underwater sequences for major productions.
Caitlin Lloyd-Hall
PhD CANDIDATE
MARINE ECOLOGY & RESTORATION
Caitlin Lloyd-Hall
Caitlin Lloyd-Hall Ph.D. candidate | Green Lab
Caitlin is a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, where she works with Dr. Stephanie Green. Her research focuses on the ecology of restored coral reefs, with the goal of understanding how restoration can support effective reef conservation. Prior to beginning her PhD, Caitlin completed an MSc at the University of Sussex in the UK, where she investigated the recovery of a kelp forest ecosystem impacted by trawl fishing. When she’s not conducting research, Caitlin enjoys spending as much time underwater as possible!
Yana Stashkevich
Technical CCR Diver, Motivational Speaker
Yana Stashkevich
UK-based Yana has an infectious amount of energy and enthusiasm and is a regular speaker and coach – she is passionate about inspiring people to push their boundaries and pursue their passion, whatever it may be.
Experienced technical CCR, cave, mine and wreck diver, she has dived in over 35 destinations across three continents. She was a member of the Vaggfjellan XI expedition exploring the cave system beyond the Arctic Circle and a rebreather diver on the Underwater Filming & Research (UFR) project team documenting some of the world's best-preserved wrecks in Greece last year. More recently she played the key role in a Bikini Atoll wrecks filming project; cave exploration in Iceland, and exploring flooded mines in the UK. Currently, Yana is actively involved in deep wreck exploration projects in the Aegean Sea, and promoting the maritime heritage of Greek waters, as well as exploring wrecks in the North Sea. Yana has presented at dive shows; including Boston Sea Rovers and ADEX.
Brian Nadwidny
TECHNICAL DIVER
CANADIAN SHIPWRECK EXPLORER
Brian Nadwidny
Brian is a technical CCR diver from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. He has spent 37 years exploring shipwrecks across the world, from Australia to the Shetland Islands, with a focus on Canadian wrecks. Some of the more memorable experiences was being on the team that found the wreck of the SS Athelviking tanker (Sunk Jan 1945) near the entrance to Halifax Harbour, being one of the first divers to explore the deeper sections of the Brigadier General Zalinski wreck (1946) in a very remote part of the Granville Channel in BC and finding the City of Sandon wreck (1920) in Slocan Lake, BC. Outside of wrecks his travels have led him to the caves of northern Vancouver Island pushing the Reappearing River cave system and laying line during the first explorations of the Wet Dream cave on the Nomash River. He has given talks about his experiences in many places like Boston, New Jersey, Poland, Kaslo, etc. At Divescapes this year he will tell the tale of an idea that started in 1996 and was finalized in 2023 with dives on the City of Ainsworth sternwheeler (1898), Canada’s 2nd deepest shipwreck dive. A past president of the Alberta Underwater Council he revived the Divescapes conference in 2006. He is a member of the Explorers Club.
