spectacular. my only comment is that in the second picture, the surface water specular highlights don't line up with what otherwise appears to be the water filling the room that you overlaid the image on top of.
I love this work, it's like a soft, beautiful dream. I would love to see you at work, as I can't imagine how this is done so clearly and with so much detail.
brick33308 wrote:
spectacular. my only comment is that in the second picture, the surface water specular highlights don't line up with what otherwise appears to be the water filling the room that you overlaid the image on top of.
Thank you brick33308 for pointing that out. Interestingly, that reflection is real. But it's almost impossible matching backgrounds perfectly due in part to the fact that their reflections are created in post. I probably could've removed the natural reflection though.
Genes Home wrote:
I love this work, it's like a soft, beautiful dream. I would love to see you at work, as I can't imagine how this is done so clearly and with so much detail.
Thank you. Shooting in a pool adds to the clarity compared to natural bodies of water.
It's a shame she is wearing a bra. (Not for the reason you think)
In the first image her bra is hidden from view mostly and appears to be shoulder straps for her clothes which are billowing in the water.
In the other images her bra is completely visible. It is a defined hard edged article of clothing where everything else is billowing with the water. To me the bra detracts from the images.
I realize that you aren't going for partial nudity here, "not that there is anything wrong with that". I just think the images would be better if she was topless, or if you could find or fabricate, a bra that would fit/support her and have added material that would flow/billow in the water to match the actions of the materials in her dress.
Of course none of my thoughts matter IF the images were shot as part of an advertising campaign for a brassier manufacturer. In that instance, the final 3 images make the product (bra) stand out.
Edit: Note that I am not commenting on the hard edged waistband of her dress visible in image #4. It is obviously part of her dress, not a separate item of clothing like the bra.
Your images are really well executed and are quite vivid wrt lighting and textures.
The model never looks comfortable to me, particularly in facial expression, and there is an appearance of holding ones breath with some discomfort. An expression of serenity would go further, in my mind, at completing the sensation that the rest of your images evoke. I may be quite wrong in this assessment, and others may see this very differently.
kwbarnes wrote:
It's a shame she is wearing a bra. (Not for the reason you think)
In the first image her bra is hidden from view mostly and appears to be shoulder straps for her clothes which are billowing in the water.
In the other images her bra is completely visible. It is a defined hard edged article of clothing where everything else is billowing with the water. To me the bra detracts from the images.
I realize that you aren't going for partial nudity here, "not that there is anything wrong with that". I just think the images would be better if she was topless, or if you could find or fabricate, a bra that would fit/support her and have added material that would flow/billow in the water to match the actions of the materials in her dress.
Of course none of my thoughts matter IF the images were shot as part of an advertising campaign for a brassier manufacturer. In that instance, the final 3 images make the product (bra) stand out.
Edit: Note that I am not commenting on the hard edged waistband of her dress visible in image #4. It is obviously part of her dress, not a separate item of clothing like the bra. ...Show more →
Oh dear…I definitely don’t shoot nudes. I shot nudes once before; and actually they turned out quite professionally and were even published in a national magazine (Hustler). The problem is that I simply have no use for them. I can’t display them on my website or social media without censoring them, which I never preferred. And my home town is conservative such that, if I were to shoot them, I’d undoubtedly be frowned upon. So, it’s extremely unlikely that I’d ever shoot them again, at least in this life.
John Caldwell wrote:
Your images are really well executed and are quite vivid wrt lighting and textures.
The model never looks comfortable to me, particularly in facial expression, and there is an appearance of holding ones breath with some discomfort. An expression of serenity would go further, in my mind, at completing the sensation that the rest of your images evoke. I may be quite wrong in this assessment, and others may see this very differently.
John Caldwell
You’ve addressed the single most important concern that underwater photographers face on a routine basis. Find me a professional underwater model who’s willing to travel to my town, and I’ll photograph her till the cows come home.
One guesses that this is a very athletic endeavor for the model. I wonder if selecting a model, based upon his or her swimming and aerobic exertional capacity, perhaps more than on other factors, might assist. I do not doubt that this is difficult all around. In any case, you have great technique in the photography.
Oh dear…I definitely don’t shoot nudes. I shot nudes once before; (deleted). So, it’s extremely unlikely that I’d ever shoot them again, at least in this life.
Adam
Adam,
I'm not saying you should shoot this as a semi-nude.
I'm trying to say that there are other styles of bras, or tops, that would mimic the interaction of her dress with the water.
In the images where the bra is plainly visible, it draws my attention to it and away from the rest of the image, because it isn't reacting to the water like her dress is. Because of that difference, I spent more time looking at her chest than I would have done if she was topless.
On your next pool shoot try an experiment. Shoot the model in a skirt and bra, then wrap the bra loosely with light weight material so that it has maybe 4 to 6 inches of loose material attached to it. Then put the model back in the pool, shoot her again, and see if a less defined top improves the image to your eye. I think it would.
John Caldwell wrote:
One guesses that this is a very athletic endeavor for the model. I wonder if selecting a model, based upon his or her swimming and aerobic exertional capacity, perhaps more than on other factors, might assist. I do not doubt that this is difficult all around. In any case, you have great technique in the photography.
John-
It's definitely strenuous for both the models and the photographer. In my experience, accomplished dancers tend to make the best underwater subjects. I've been fortunate to have limited access to two professional dancers. And of the two opportunities that I've had shooting them, they've been nothing short of a dream to work with. Unfortunately, they live about 12 hours away and can't shoot at a moment's notice. I'm hoping they come again next season.
I'm not saying you should shoot this as a semi-nude.
I'm trying to say that there are other styles of bras, or tops, that would mimic the interaction of her dress with the water.
In the images where the bra is plainly visible, it draws my attention to it and away from the rest of the image, because it isn't reacting to the water like her dress is. Because of that difference, I spent more time looking at her chest than I would have done if she was topless.
On your next pool shoot try an experiment. Shoot the model in a skirt and bra, then wrap the bra loosely with light weight material so that it has maybe 4 to 6 inches of loose material attached to it. Then put the model back in the pool, shoot her again, and see if a less defined top improves the image to your eye. I think it would.
I have an array of clothing and sheets that I tend to drape my models in. Some prefer to shoot in their own attire. On this occasion, she specified that she would arrive with a white bikini. She did not. But since she had driven 700 miles, I cut her some slack and scrambled to put together an ensemble for her last minute. This is what she got.
Obtaining underwater images is never a perfect venture. It requires skill, time, money and luck....lots of luck. Trust me when I say I'm just happy if my images are in focus and no body parts are clipped from the frame.
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