Strike a Pose - Underwater Models 101

Lets be honest here, people make the world go 'round. Adding a diver or other model in your images can help the viewer relate to the experience, feel the emotion of the moment and understand a sense of scale. Taking the time to select the right model and planning your shots, are the keys to creating a dramatic image. Underwater photography using models is, for the most part, wide-angle photography, bit you can do some fun things with macro but thats for another day.

Here are some tips and techniques to help you and your model create some great images underwater and most importantly have some fun!

Alright lets talk models.

First, unlike land photography you can't direct or talk to your model underwater. And in most cases he or she won't even know that they are in a photo so pre planning is key. A muffled click of the shutter later and what could have been your masterpiece image with a diver silhouette over the reef, is complete with flailing legs, dangling hoses and gauges, and bubbles all over the place. For most photographers, the easiest option is working with your spouse, dive buddy or dive guide as your dive model. Whoever you choose, it will require planning and communication. Using another diver on the boat is somewhat unrealistic because they want to enjoy their own dives, but it can work out sometimes.

Next, what makes a good model? Well, lets start with a good diver and then progress to developing their modelling skills.
Excellent buoyancy and a respect for the environment are the first requirements. If the model does not possess great buoyancy, they may not be able to maintain your desired positions and it will reflect in the images. Additionally, you risk disturbing the environment.

When it come down to it, great dive skills are the key to doing this.

Second on our list is what our model looks like. In my part of the world where everyone is dressed in dry suits, hoods and and in some cases full face masks, looking good can be hard but that's the gear you need for temperate water diving. I'm not going to get into tropical water diving where bikini's and board shorts are the norm, but what I want to focus on are colours and how to stow your gear well diving.

Colourful dive gear is always a plus, as it creates contrast against the blue or green water. A large frame masks with a clear skirt or all black masks will help accentuate the diver’s eyes or face. Long fins are more aesthetically pleasing than split fins in photographs in silhouettes if that what your shooting. Tucking in hoses and extra gear makes a model more trim and less like an underwater Christmas tree.

Ok, one last thing.

Planning, oh so much planning and communication. Since we can’t communicate during our limited time underwater, you’ll need to develop custom hand signals and make sure that your model understands them before the dive. Here are some examples I've used:

Move up, down, left and right
Specific body angles
Swim into the scene, out of the scene
Where to look
Legs apart and legs together
Bubbles or no bubbles
Light on or off

By no mean is this an exhaustive list but it does work for me. The more you lan the more you communicate before you get in the water the better the shoot will be.

The last thing, part two. Bubbles Or No Bubbles, that is the question.

Bubbles are a very subjective element of composition. Of course, we exhale bubbles while diving, and you’ll see many underwater images with divers exhaling bubbles. Sometimes bubbles can make an image look authentic, particularly if the bubbles are not infringing on other compositional elements. But on the other hand, your negative space is part of your composition, and if having a clean negative space is part of your creative vision you’ll need to coach your model on how to avoid bubbles in your images. Please understand this is totally subjective.

Adding a model into your shoots can be fun and will expand your options when it comes to shooting. It can create opportunities for different angles and a more creative approach. You model may see something you don't, this becomes a creative team process.

Have fun with this, you never know what you might be able to create!

Thanks for reading.

Scott

For more stories and images - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/