Behind the scenes video on my underwater photoshoot
I’ve been itching for AGES to do an underwater video of me and a model working. I’d been waiting ages for DJI to bring out there underwater case for their Osmo pocket but they keep pushing the release date further and further back. So I’ve given up on that for now so instead I opted for an underwater case for my iPhone. Simple things right?! Shoots 4K so the quality isn’t too shabby to be honest!
I got my partner to come along and film, despite his very leaky goggles he did a rather good job! It's quite difficult to use a phone underwater because it’s so light, you have to really hold it down and just hope you’ve got it in the right direction because the front is so reflective you can’t really see the screen properly. I’m getting him better goggles to do some more next time, see if this helps! He also created the music for the video, talented man to have about!
Finding the rope was the trickiest bit for this photoshoot! For me anyway! I had only just come back from Wales and had a photoshoot each day until this underwater photoshoot. So finding thick enough rope was a challenge. I went to every store I could think of and finally ended up at a boating store where thankfully they had this. It was amusing trying to explain what I needed it for without sounding super kinky but he laughed and wanted to see the final results.
I shared this on social media already but we all know that sometimes we miss things so I wanted to share it through a blog post too so everyone get’s a chance to watch.
The photoshoot itself
I opted for a shorter slot than usual. Cat and I work very well and rather quickly together so I knew we could do it but we’d be pushed. As soon as we got in we set up the backdrop straight away and did the ones of her covered in red first. Instinctively I knew it would be really challenging. I wouldn’t have asked any other model to attempt this either, Cat has a way about being extremely calm underwater, I knew panic and anxiety would show up and boy did it.
The red fabric as much as it’s super light, breathable etc, when it’s wet and clinging to your face it’s no longer either of those things. So Cat was having to let her breath out to sink properly, to model underwater and then come up, desperate to breath to only breath in red fabric, clinging to her face instead, she had to pull it off her face to catch her breath. It’s highly stressful and claustrophobic.
Bless her heart though she went down a good handful of times and pulled off some great poses before we both decided at the same time that was the last dunk with the red fabric. She laughed throughout the whole process and was eager to make sure we got the shots but at the end did admit it was really panic inducing and she didn’t have another go left in her with the red. I’m glad we know each other well enough that neither of us ever feel disappointed, we just know when it’s the last one and that’s that.
We changed into the white dress and I tied the rope up and we got the final ones in the white. I’m really glad with how they came out because it’s how I had imagined them before the shoot. We were lucky with the sunshine too, sunshine is such a good addition when doing underwater photoshoots. Strangely just south of where we were, less than a 20 minute drive away it was snowing out of all things! We really were lucky!
Some of the final images
I wanted to share a selection of the final images from this particular underwater photoshoot, some of them have already been accepted to one of the book cover agencies I work for which is great so hopefully I will see one on a book cover in no time! Though underwater photos don’t sell as often as I’d like. Fingers crossed anyway!
