They say it's hard to take a bad picture in Thailand, but I proved that adage wrong when I excitedly handed my images over to my photo director and Sport Diver confidante, Chelsea Pomales.

"These are good snapshots, but definitely not good enough for print," she told me. "Or the web."

Ouch.

So, I did what any defeated first-timer does and asked Chelsea for some good old-fashioned constructive criticism. And that afternoon, through her brutal honesty, she gifted me with tips that would turn my "snapshots" into "images." So this one's for you, my fellow divers, newbies and photographers-in-training. Here are my not-so-great images along with Chelsea's tips so that you don't make the same mistakes I did.

Good luck and happy shooting!

Chelsea's tip: Shooting one fish can tend to look more like a fish identification shot than an image. Two fish are a great option but try and get them closer together. If they aren't close enough together, try taking a different perspective to give the illusion that they are closer. For this, I suggest moving to the left or right so that one of the fish is larger and in the foreground.

Chelsea's Tip: When positioning your subject you don't want them in the center of the image. Try to work in the rule of thirds. This is probably your best shot of the group. I like that the chicken's eye is in focus, you have the eggs in the foreground and you can get a somewhat clear look at the background.

Chelsea's Tip: When shooting single fish with a wide angle lens you need to be aware of your environment. Ideally, I wish you had a macro lens for this shot. But since you don't I'd like to see you shooting lower so that the clownfish is closer to the lens allowing you to capture the background. For instance, the surface with a sunburst would be an ideal example of a great environment.

Chelsea's Tip: While it's important to remember composing your subject with the rule of thirds (not positioning the subject in the center of the image), it's also important to keep your eye focused on one subject. Here I'd like to have you even closer to the spadefish in the foreground.

Chelsea's Tip: This image has a lot going on but there's no subject or focal point to direct the eye. As is, it's just a snapshot. Next time try to find a subject for your foreground, such as the anemone with clownfish seen in the bottom right corner.