Imagine the underwater photo shoot of your dreams. Where are you? Relaxing in warm, tropical waves? Exploring a hidden waterfall? Floating in the bright blue waters of a freshwater spring? Ok, I’ll give it to you – those are all fantastic settings. They can make for stunning portraits and unforgettable experiences.
But one more underwater location that deserves to be on your radar is…a swimming pool. You heard me right. It may not sound very glamorous, but some of the most creative work I’ve ever done took place in a regular swimming pool. Seriously.
And while I’m always excited to hop on a plane to Hawaii or the Bahamas to take underwater portraits, today I want to convince you that we can capture a lot of that same magic closer to home. Here are 5 reasons that a backyard pool might be the best place to bring your underwater dreams to life.
1. Control
You may have heard photographers or videographers talk about “magic hour,” the times close to sunrise and sunset when natural light is optimal. While the results can be beautiful, scheduling for magic hour means we’ve got a limited window to capture those conditions.
And let’s not forget that working in nature means working with nature (for better or for worse).
If it rained the night before, water clarity might be an issue.
If your shoot is during the day, it can be difficult to avoid harsh shadows in your images.
If the water’s too cold for your comfort, you won’t have a very fun shoot. (And if it’s too cold for your safety, you won’t get to shoot that day at all.)
But good news! Thanks to the set-up we have at our pool in Northwest Georgia (including light diffusers, backdrops, and a pool heater), any hour can be magic hour. We can create the light and water conditions of a perfect underwater photo shoot almost anytime.
2. Safety
Making sure you have a safe experience is our priority, always. But because depth, temperature, current, accessibility and many other factors vary in nature, we recommend a pool setting for anyone who might have a safety concern, including clients who are…
Kids 12 and under
Booking a maternity shoot
Less confident swimmers (*You must be able to swim to do an underwater shoot*)
Wearing long, heavy, and/or elaborate clothing
Posing underwater for the first-time
These sessions can be tiring. It’s great to be able to take a break for a moment or even just reset your outfit in the shallow end.
And speaking of the shallow end, you don’t have to dive deep to get an epic image. With its abundant light, reflective surface, and structural support, the shallow end can be a great setting for underwater photos.
3. Privacy
Public areas tend to be…well, full of the public. Lots of people enjoy natural wonders like waterfalls or springs, so we have to count on a crowd anytime we’re shooting in nature.
While it’s possible to work around people most of the time, we may have to wait our turn to shoot in an ideal spot. You may feel distracted, embarrassed or uncomfortable during your session with spectators around. And that’s the last thing I want.
This experience is for you. At our heated pool in Northwest Georgia, you won’t have to share the water with anyone except for me and in some cases my safety swimmer. You will have time and space to warm up, try different poses and looks, and just get used to the unique experience of modeling underwater.
4. Versatility
A pool can transform into almost any setting you can imagine. When you trust us with your underwater vision, we’ll work with you to select the right fabrics and props to bring it to life. We’ll set-up artistic backdrops or dramatic lighting customized to achieve the feeling you want.
I love how creative my clients are. It’s a fun challenge to see how we can turn their ideas into images.
And even simple props and choices can work great. Here’s a silhouette that we captured at night using just the pool’s built-in light.
And here’s another one of my favorites…a sunken pool lounge chair!
5. Convenience
You can feel confident at your underwater shoot knowing that everything you might need is in reach. You won’t have to hike to a remote location or leave your bag by the side of a river.
Need a glass of ice water? A bathroom to change outfits? A mirror to reapply sunscreen or makeup? Don’t stress – we’ve got you covered. You can focus on relaxing and enjoying your underwater experience.
Our heated swimming pool is located in Dalton, Georgia…about a 30 minute drive from Chattanooga or a 90 minute drive from Atlanta.
If you live in or are traveling to the Northwest Georgia/Southeast Tennessee area, I’d love to chat with you about scheduling your underwater pool shoot. Message me here